So for the first beach trip of the summer, I had worked out a way to set up a trip to Virginia Beach with a good friend and my 26 year old cousin from NYC. By a miracle, everyone's schedule worked out, and thus, I was able to arrange a 2 night trip without parents down to the Tidewater region.

So on a mostly cloudy, humid Sunday morning, we departed in the X3 for a nice holiday at the coast. It would be an interesting experience for my cousin and her friend, since they had never been more than 20mi outside NYC their entire lives. My trusted friend and I split the driving, and we handled all the luggage and beach stuff. (Info sheet to friends said: Please limit your items to one mid-sized luggage and one carry-on item )

I-95 was annoying crowded, but after the sun came out in Richmond, we switched drivers and took US 460 as a straight shot to the Norfolk area where we checked into 2 rooms and then headed towards the beach.

So it was almost perfect beach weather. A tad warm, but at 35°C/95°F and sunny, its hard to complain, since the storms never materialised.







Surprisingly, there weren't a whole lot of people. It was easy to find parking at the garage (wow!) and after a bit of difficulty with the wind, set up the umbrellas. Annoyingly, the seems to be have been some beach erosion as you can see from the 1 metre ledge right before the ocean waters. It was definitely not as nice a place as I remembered from last year.

So the next day, I took them to the Outer Banks, NC. (Joys of joys when I drove past the state line) Although it was a tad farther than I'd anticipated, it was well worth the trip. After a brief downpour ruined our first attempt, we set up near Kitty Hawk and enjoyed the beautiful beaches there.





This is what the ideal beach experience should be. Not commercialised boardwalks with cheezy tourist rides and tall buildings. It was quiet and peaceful, something you could sit down and enjoy. And despite the cooler temps and chilly waters, it was a memorable experience. Small cottages. Smooth sand, and a good beachfront. Only a few but friendly folks. If we ever head down as a family, this will be the place to go.



Me and my friend. We practically think alike in every situation.

Unfortunately, my cousin and her friend weren't as well behaved. Constant delaying and requests (like a 25min grocery run "just for water" ) made it feel like I had to drag a lead weight along wherever I went. For two 26-year olds, I was disappointed with their lack of maturity. But anyways.

The two day trip itself was terrific. Relaxing, relatively low cost ($4,17 premium gas anyone?), and memorable. For my first trip without parents, this was definitely great. It was going along without a hitch.

Well, that is, until on the way home. I let my friend do the rural driving on US 17, where traffic is light and speeds are unregulated. While he did have quite a bit of fun on the rural straightaways, he isn't so familiar with "rural VA driving". So............he got pulled for doing 61 in a 45 zone right at the edge of town in Tappahannock VA. Like, literally a few metres before the speed limit said 60. Heck, we pulled over after the 60 sign.

The Essex county cop was simply driving the opposite way and stated that his radar picked up 61mph while my friend was going downhill. My friend's choices are to pay the fine (no idea how much) or to show up in court on 7 Aug in Tappahannock, which is like, 2 hours away from here. I would have asked for some leniency but as I was not the driver, I did not feel like saying much. (He was fairly nice though)

My question: Is it possible for radar to pick up an accurate reading on a car while the cruiser is moving? Given that this is out-of-state, will my friend's insurance be notified? Is it worth fighting for it in a court 2 hours away? I feel god awful because he's a responsible driver that was just unlucky and unfamiliar with the unwritten driving customs. Plus, I was probably not the greatest example being Mr. Leadfoot the whole trip Any answers would be appreciated.

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