If you’re planning an RV trip through Virginia’s coastal region, make room on your itinerary for Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay. From historic Yorktown and Gloucester to peaceful Bethel Beach, this weeklong stay blended work, exploration, and relaxation in perfect balance. Along the way we uncovered small-town charm, Revolutionary history, local flavors—and one unforgettable view over the water.
Fuel, A New Place, and an Excellent View
Tuesday, 21 October 2025: We set out from Endless Caverns early, heading toward Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay for a map full of selected places to explore. On the way, we needed fuel—and I knew just the place. We had passed a Buc-ee’s on our drive to Endless Caverns, and this was our first opportunity to explore the giant convenience store in Rockingham, VA. Definitely an experience in itself!
This travel day wasn’t like most. We were ready to leave earlier than usual and hit the road with a GPS arrival estimate of around 12:00 PM. That “time to beat” didn’t stand a chance—between fueling up at Buc-ee’s and a break for lunch (leftovers), we ended up arriving at the campground around 2:30 PM.
We were warmly welcomed at the gate and escorted directly to our site. The staff here is excellent—super friendly and very helpful. Beth asked if I had noticed the view from our site. I hadn’t looked yet.
WOW. What a view.
We made our way to the camp store and found it well stocked with just about everything you’d need. Afterward, we explored the common areas and took a nice walk down to the riverbank, soaking in the peaceful vibe.
When it came time for dinner, we remembered being told that Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay is about 25 minutes from “anything.” Having stayed in rural campgrounds before, we figured there had to be something closer.
Nope.
It really is 25 minutes to the nearest town—Gloucester, VA—but once there, you’ll find what you need: restaurants, shops, a charming historic downtown, and yes, a Walmart.
We had dinner at Los Portales Mexican Grill. The food was good, but we agreed it didn’t quite measure up to Maria’s Mexican Kitchen in Beaufort (hard to beat!).
After dinner, we made a quick Walmart stop and headed back to the campsite for the night.
Work, Waves, and Local Flavor
Wednesday, 22 October 2025: The campground has a restaurant on site that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the weekends. We waited patiently for their 9 AM opening to check it out—and it was worth the wait! All fresh and nothing out of a box.
After a busy workday on Wednesday, we treated ourselves to some peace and quiet at Bethel Beach Natural Preserve. It’s the perfect escape—no crowds, no noise, just wildlife and waves. Pure serenity.
Dinner that evening was at a local dive in Mathews—the Southwind Pizza Cafe. We grabbed a table by the front window and couldn’t have asked for a better ending to the day.
Membership Upgrades and Future Plans
Thursday, 23 October 2025: Another workday today. Busy day for us overall so we spent the time hanging at the camper. It’s good to get some rest. We met with our camping membership specialist and made a change to our membership that allows longer stays and earlier booking dates. That will be a plus as we travel. We spent the evening thinking about January locations we want to visit. Nothing set in stone yet though.
Small-Town Charm in Mathews and Gloucester
Friday, 24 October 2025: We started the day traveling to Mathews, VA. We had driven to the town for dinner Wednesday night and saw some locations that looked interesting. We parked and walked the downtown area stopping first at the Mathews Museum which was closed. Strolling the street we found Cattails – Fashion Apparel, Accessories, Home Decor, Gifts & More. Nice little shop with a variety of vendor items, lots of beach theme, clothing and gifts.
Next we walked through Lily Valentine Antiques and upscale clutter. Lots on various items from over the years and beer?!?.
We walked the historic courthouse and jail grounds. None of the buildings were open for touring. Some have been converted to governmental offices like animal control and administration. The grounds were neat, and we would have loved to see the insides, but not at this stop.
Across the street the town had preserved “Tompkins Cottage” which was originally owned by Colonel Christopher Tompkins in 1820, making it one of the oldest homes in the historic district. This house was also closed; only open on Saturdays.
Next stop was the Mathews County Visitor and Information Center, an old general store that the county has restored and uses to provide information about tourism. Behind the center, the county had relocated the Old Thomas James Store to the property and created a sitting garden. This building was also closed to viewing.
Time for lunch, and we are headed to Gloucester where we found Duke’s Deli. The official name is Duke’s Aloha Eats and Tiki Bar, which is a much better description. Great selection of sandwiches, hot and cold. Sports bar theme with very good food.
It was at lunch that I realized that traveling creates an issue if you have a craving for something from the past. Since we don’t eat at many chain restaurants, sometime we cannot go back. We wait to next time we are in the area.
We continued our day in Gloucester. Walking the historic downtown, we passed Olivia’s in the Village. This dining spot was on our list based on the name alone, but it did not fit into our timing for meals.
The historic downtown was polished and clean with a mix of small businesses, offices, and historical locations. Being in Virginia, the state for lover’s, we have found a few of the Love signs.
Our next stop was the Gloucester Museum of History. Established in an old tavern, the downstairs offers a great timeline of history the location. The timeline continues upstairs where you will find the tavern’s original flooring. Each time we have stopped at historical location in Virginia, it reminds us of how much United States History includes some big names that have lived, worked, or influenced the areas we have been.
When we entered the circle in the middle of town, we found some iconic buildings from the past. While most are not accessible or used for a new purpose, we did visit the visitor center in the Courthouse Annex, a great continuation of the history of the area as well a gift shop.
In the annex, we found a display about Werowocomoco. This location was the home to a tribe in 1609. Amazingly, the area was basically lost and not found until 1996 when the new owners of the property begin to find artifacts that ultimately led to the National Park Service developing a new National Park that will be open to the public in the future.
The county has done a great job of blending history and art. Murals of local tradition and a little fun art mixed in. This guy was sitting on this bench both times we have been to town, so I stopped to see what he was reading. Well done.
Halloween, Historic Ruins, and College Football
Saturday, 25 October 2025: We kicked off the day with a little College Game Day. It was a Halloween weekend at the campground and the park was going to close the date from 4 – 7. We could stay out late or come in early. Tennessee did not play until later that night so we headed out to explore.
First stop was at Rosewell Ruins. This site was built in 1725. A fire in 1916 gutted the mansion, but the walls still stood. Over the years, the location began to fall in on itself until the family donated the plantation to the county. The foundation continues to shore up the structure and is currently doing archeological surveys on an ongoing basis, managed by the Fairfield Foundation, an organization that actively involves the public through various programs. The site was a treat to visit. Nancy started off the tour with an overwhelming amount of information. Our guide, and his K-9 companion, does research as an archeologist at the site since he is retired. He is another excellent source of information about the structure, and the progress being made to further restore the mansion.
Since we were headed to Yorktown, we waited to find lunch there. A quick web search led us to Coastal Thirst Beach Deli. We were surprised that this dive was just across the street from the beach.
After the meal, we headed to the local Market Days event just around the corner. There we found lots of goodies and offerings of interest.
One of the vendor tent had three local authors. Beth conversed with Tom Holland and found that he had lived in the Beaufort, SC area. We talked about visiting the area and planning to return. They discussed a “who-dun-it” book he had released. We now have a signed copy of the book. Very cool!!
The market is held around the town’s boardwalk. We will return and visit this area more.
On the way back to the campground, we took a detour to Buck’s General Store Museum. We did not know it was not open, but there were cars in the lot, and the doors were open. The staff was inside, closing up from the lunch they serve on Saturdays from 10-2. We were not there until three, but they were setting up for a fund raising event that night. We were given an impromptu tour, including some behind the scenes information. Very neat stop; maybe next time we can enjoy the lunch.
Time for some football. Wofford vs ESTU and Tennessee vs Kentucky to end the night. Wins for both!!
Immersed in Revolution at Yorktown
Sunday, 26 October 2025: We planned our day around a few key stops in Yorktown. With the Chiefs playing on Monday night, there was no football pulling us away—just a quiet Sunday for exploring.
Our first stop was the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. The building itself is impressive—large, modern, and set among beautifully kept grounds. We had heard from a few locals that the museum had undergone some updates in the last year or so. Reviews were positive overall, with the most common complaint being the $20-per-person admission. After stepping inside, though, you could see where the money may have gone. The lobby alone was spacious and inviting, complete with a theater, café, gift shop, and educational areas.
The first gallery displayed works inspired by Oscar de Mejo, along with newer interpretive pieces reflecting on the American Revolution. Many of these modern works expressed complicated emotions about the founding of the nation. The tone felt heavy—almost uncomfortable. We had come looking for historical context and clarity, but this section leaned more into reflection and commentary, so we moved through it fairly quickly.
Past that point, the museum delivered exactly what we hoped for. The main exhibit space followed a timeline of the Revolution, with sections branching off into deeper dives on the events, figures, and turning points that shaped the era. The museum was dense—videos, artifacts, documents, maps—layered in a way that encouraged you to take your time. And we did.
We arrived around 10:30 AM, assuming the visit would last an hour or so. By lunch time, we realized we were only halfway through. We stepped out and headed to Shorty’s Diner, just a few minutes away. A classic 50s-style diner in a modern plaza—breakfast all day, sandwiches, burgers, salads. Good, straightforward food. Perfect museum intermission.
After lunch, we returned to pick up where we had left off. With a couple of other Yorktown sites still on our list, we expected to wrap up by mid-afternoon. Instead, around 3 PM, the staff invited visitors outside for a final artillery demonstration. The cool breeze and rumble of the cannon were worth the detour.
Back inside, we pushed on. The museum includes a 4D film experience that was genuinely well done—immersive, informative, and surprisingly moving. After that, we explored the final exhibit rooms and wrapped up our visit. In the end, the museum was absolutely worth the cost. It isn’t a quick stop—it’s an experience that asks you to slow down and absorb it.
By the time we left, our heads were full and our energy was fading. We drove past the old windmill, the Yorktown Battlefield (closed due to the government shutdown), and the victory monument—adding them to the “next time” list. We were simply done. The day had given us plenty.
That evening, we settled in to watch something different—Tennessee Volunteers basketball, an exhibition game against Duke. Lots of fresh faces on both sides. The Vols looked promising, even in a loss. It felt like a good preview of the season ahead.
A full day, and a good one. History, lunch, cannon fire, and a bit of basketball to finish it off.
Workday Winds and Country Comfort
Monday, 27 October 2025: A full work day today. It was a good thing. The wind was ripping through. I sat in my “office” and watched the water on the river most of the day. I did manage to take some time and clean the windshield on Smokey. You would think that day driving would not be so buggy. I’d hate to see it after a night time drive. We hope that does not have to happen, fingers crossed.
The cool windy air is calling for some country cooking tonight. Pinto Beans, cornbread, and slaw. We followed dinner with some Monday Night Football. Chiefs vs Commanders. Chiefs for the win!
Watching the Water Rise
Tuesday, 28 October 2025: Wind, wind and some more wind. Thankfully the day was busy. We watched the weather from inside. Some rain south of us brought the river up. That evening we walked a few beach to the river’s edge and were able to see how much the water had risen. We were still able to sit on the dock in the “bay”, well it does eventually connect to the Chesapeake Bay.
A Final Loop of the Northern Neck
We took the day to make a loop through the Northern Neck of Virginia. Again, we noticed how the colors of fall have been with us each day this month.
First stop, Country Cottage. Fudge, candies, floral arrangements and plenty of gifts in this little stop. Now we have snack to the rest of day which will lead us to a surprise for dinner.
Next stop; Cottage and Courtyard. We did not know what we might find but it was on our list of places. Inside we met Josh, spouse and grunt of the operation, with a great selection of functional antique tables, desk, furniture, and decor. Too big for our rig but a great place to refer friends or visit in the future if we need. We love this style. I wish I had gotten photos of the dining tables.
Since we had a plan for dinner, we did not want to each lunch very late. In the same area we found Lee’s Restaurant, a local favorite. They have been serving the area since 1939. Good food all around.
Just up the street we had marked the Kilmarnock Museum. Small town museum with huge excitement for the operation. We met Susie Pierce and Carol Lee. Carol is the president of the museum and Suzie isa volunteer. Both full of excitement for what Kilmarnock has to offer and how they have progressed through the years. It was almost like they had lived each historical moment reflected in the museum.
Continuing our tour, we stopped at Lillian’s She Shed. A gift stop located in what would appear to be a family operated hardware store. Great selection of gifts, clothing, and decor.
Cottage Collectibles was the next stop. The staff was busy preparing for the Christmas Season. Another fine stop of gifts and accessories.
On to Thyme in a Basket. Another gift shop with another great selection of gifts for all ages. Behind the store you will find the “Largest Love Mural” in the state of Virginia..
Finally time for dinner. We have waited all day. Can you guess what we found?
Another Vinny’s Italian Grill and Pizza. 16 locations around the state. Another great serving of food to end our day. Tomorrow is a travel day.
Reflections
Our week at Thousand Trails Chesapeake Bay offered the perfect mix of history, nature, and relaxation. From great food, lots of history, to a cannon firing at Yorktown, every stop reminded us why we love this lifestyle—the unexpected moments, the local stories, the sense of connection to every place we visit.
Next up? We’re still plotting our future adventures, but one thing’s certain: the journey continues, and the road ahead is full of promise.