After we had so much fun last year in Sperryville, VA with the Somobrights and Hjeltaks, we decided to take another group vacation — this time to Cape Charles, VA.  Cape Charles is a sleepy little town at the southern tip of the Delmarva Peninsula.  It was formed in the 1880s when an enterprising duo decided that it would be more efficient to load train cars onto a ferry and take them over the water to Norfolk, VA than to go all the way around via Baltimore and other points west.  Their invention of a ferry car for trains worked and led to a boom in railroad traffic down the peninsula.  This was a boon to farmers there, who could sell their produce to a much wider audience.  And it led to the creation of a town for railroad workers and travelers alike — the beginning of Cape Charles.  The town was a hub of commerce and leisure until the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel was opened in 1963.  At that point, the railroad ferry became obsolete and the town slowly shut down.  Now it’s a well-preserved patch of gorgeous old houses and largely empty storefronts.  But it has great potential as a vacation destination and that seems to be what’s attracting new visitors to the town.  We had a great time there and can see how Cape Charles may have a second life after all.

Photos from our trip are here.