Sign Up  /  Login

Waller Mill Park, Bayberry Trail LbNA #13423 (ARCHIVED)

Owner:Buster Bunny
Plant date:Feb 12, 2005
Location:
City:Williamsburg
County:York
State:Virginia
Boxes:4
Found by: AHG VA2028 (3)
Last found:May 14, 2016
Status:FFFFFFFFFFFFFOFFFFFr
Last edited:Feb 12, 2005
Originally planted by Acedreamers and adopted in March 2008 by Buster Bunny.

Waller Mill Park, Bayberry Trail Letterboxes
901 Airport Rd, Williamsburg, VA 23185
Tel 757.259.3778
http://www.ci.williamsburg.va.us/dept/rec/parks.htm#waller

Waller Mill Park is a lovely, small park with several hiking trails and one bike trail (there once were more trails, but Hurricane Isabel knocked many of them out of commission). Boating facilities are available, fishing with a permit is allowed, and there are numerous picnic tables and a children’s playground. Currently there are no parking or usage fees, though they were debated at one time.

To get to Waller Mill Park: Take Route I64 to Exit 238/Route 143. At the next immediate stop light, turn right onto Rochambeau Drive. You will pass Bruton High School on your left (I64 runs parallel to Rochambeau on your right). Turn left onto the next road, which is Airport Road (Route 645). The entrance to Waller Mill Park will soon appear on your left. (In case you are hungry, Pierce’s Barbeque Pit is just down Rochambeau on your left, if you want to sample local cuisine. They have takeout, too, so you could have a BBQ picnic at the park.)

Bayberry Trail: This is a fairly short trail (about 1 mile) that skirts the water. The hike is very kid-friendly and is fairly level. A jogging stroller would do fine here, but a regular or umbrella stroller might find the roots in the trail too jarring. Definitely wear insect repellant in the warmer months, bring water and apply sunscreen. There are two benches at varying points on the path for short rests and snacks.

First, go to the Visitor’s Center. Take the wooden pedestrian bridge across the lake. Can you see the huge fish and turtles under the bridge? But you can’t feed the geese here anymore; they were incredibly aggressive. Once over, quickly make a right and follow the signs through the picnic area to the “Bayberry Trail”. Try to hide it from the kids that there is a nice playground off to the left (that can be their treat for once they are done!)

Letterbox Number One: “Memory Rock”

“The setting sun, and music at the close, As the last taste of sweets, is sweetest last, Writ in remembrance more than things long past. “
William Shakespeare, King Richard II. Act ii, Scene 1.

When you find a bench and memorial stone at the water’s edge, sit and admire the view – is anyone fishing? Go to the stone, and turn so that you are on the left side of the stone, facing the bench with the lake at your back. Now walk about 30 bunny hops, at 25 degrees. You should see a large pine tree with a tall stump right next to it. Between them you will find Memory Rock. inside for LB#1.

Letterbox Number Two: “Sway Tree”

“The tree will not sway without a trace of wind.”
Afghan proverb.

Back on the path again. You will come to a ditch where you will walk between two halves of a fallen tree, and the path will veer off to the right as you ascend. From the bottom of the ditch, take 5 paces on the path and turn left, looking up the hill. Walk between two trees (a thin one on your left and a thicker one with exposed roots on your right). Around 17 bunny hops from the two trees you will come across a tree with a swayed lower trunk. Look around the base for LB#2. This box is visible from the path, so please make sure to cover it up carefully.

Letterbox Number Three: “Twisted Trunk”

“When a twig grows hard it is difficult to twist it. Every beginning is weak.”
Irish proverb.

Back on the path, walk a ways until you see a tree with letters carved into it on your left. Looking beyond this graffiti tree, off to the right you will see two large trees with intertwined trunks. Go to the larger of the two which is also farther back. Do you see the hollow in the base? Look inside for LB#3 (but first poke around for critters). Please make sure to cover this one up when you are done so it can’t be seen from the trail.

Letterbox Number Four: “Sentry” ***OUT FOR REPAIRS****

“They’re changing guard at Buckingham Palace---
Christopher Robin went down with Alice.”
A.A. Milne, When We Were Very Young

Trotting on, pretend you are a sentry in a wonderful hollow tree to the right of the path. Halt! Who goes there?! Go left to the tree 20 bunny hops away. Someone carved a heart with
JAS
&
SBM
Now look left again to a smaller Beach tree with a hole in the back. (It's about 10 bunny hops away.) Look inside that tree's hollow and you will find me!

You are almost halfway around the loop trail. You can retrace your steps or continue on back to the playground.