Life is Good

Sometimes I forget that there is much to appreciate that I take for granted. There is pleasure all around in small towns that are often ignored or overlooked. These are names on road signs that I often use simply to gauge the time to my destination. I am worried only about my destination and not about the joy along the way. Sometimes these name are just dots on a map forgotten as are the maps themselves.

But, I have resolved to change this; I will explore and enjoy these pockets of pleasure using the excuse that we are "new to the area." That is how we found Smithfield, Virginia.

According to Wikipedia, "Smithfield is a town in Isle of Wight County, in the South Hampton Roads of Virginia in the United States that is most famous for the curing and production of the Smithfield ham. First colonized in 1634, it is located on the Pagan River, not far from Jamestown. The town was established in 1752 by Arthur Smith IV as a seaport. There were both Revolutionary and Civil War actions in and around the town, mostly due to its proximity to the James River. Known as the ham capital of the world Smithfield attracts many visitors to its historic district."

A visit is well worth the trip. For me a trip must include a stop at a good restaurant. We ate lunch at The Smithfield Ice Cream Parlor. It was a treat. There are seats at a counter or in booths. There are no frills. You order your meal at the counter and take it to your booth but the food is worth the effort. We each had one of the specials. My pork barbecue was delicious and I heard no complaints about the BLT. After fortifications we walked Main Street. Shops and old homes lined both sides.

But, two of our favorite sights were the various bronze sculptures through out town and the assortment of decorated pigs. We picked up two brochures describing both.

The Bronze Sculptures are by George Lundeen.  

This statue is The Valentine Couple by The Smithfield Ice Cream Parlor on Main Street.

My friend is George Washington located on Main Street.

Ben Franklin can be found sitting in front of The Smithfield Times newspaper's offices.

There are eight, but we didn't get to see the all. We will go back.

The other attraction we liked was "Smithfield's Porcine Parade."

The Sweet Swine of Avon is decorated in period costume honoring Shakespeare. He is located on Hayden Lane off Main Street.  (Of course I would find him.)

The Cultural Pig is located on Main Street by the Visitor/Arts Center.

We did find time to visit the court house.  Our guide was very nice and very knowledgeable.  Jim could imagine himself bailiff there.  Costume and all!

Life is good.  I sometimes forget that!  What's next on our exploration - Elizabeth City, NC.