Loving all of our Virginia State Parks from our family fun there, it is hard to say which park is my favorite. Do you have a favorite?

Allow me to share one of my top ten favorite state parks, Chippokes State Park. It is unlike any other state park we have been to!

Dogs are allowed to stay in the cabins with well behaved parents, so keep them in line!

How could we resist this checker board table? I was there to give strategic advice

Finding fossils on the beach, I helped dig a few of these up!

James River is great for swimming and kayaking, I even got to ride in the kayak

I had it made in the shade on the beach at Chippokes

We had fun riding bikes from the cabins to the pool and campground

This free car ferry is just up the road from the park, and takes you to Historic Jamestown!

We enjoyed visiting the York River from Chippokes

Pets are allowed in all overnight facilities except the Kiptopeke Yurt: $10 per night per pet plus tax. Mom says this is less than it costs to lock me up in a kennel, plus I get to be with the fam!

We stayed in a Two-bedroom cabin (Cabin 4, Price House). Sleeps six; no bed rentals. This one-story structure was built around 1920. The master bedroom has a queen sized bed. The second bedroom has a set of bunk beds with a pull-out trundle bed, as well as one single bed. There is also a carpenter’s bench. The spacious living room is equipped with a TV and DVD player. The country style kitchen seats more than eight. The cabin is on the perimeter of park land that is continually farmed and has a scenic view. (There were deer, turkey and a ton of dragonflies to chase outside the cabin, it is one reason I really like this park!)

Chippokes State Park is one of the oldest working farms in the United States. Chippokes is a living historical exhibit located in a rural agricultural area along the James River in Surry County. In addition, the park has a wide variety of traditional park offerings, including a swimming complex, visitor center, picnic facilities, and hiking and biking trails. The plantation has kept its original boundaries since the 1600s and has a variety of cultivated gardens and native woodland. The formal gardens surrounding the Chippokes Mansion are accented by azaleas, crepe myrtle, boxwood and seasonal flowers. The plantation grounds are also home to the Chippokes Farm and Forestry Museum.

Chippokes State Park, 695 Chippokes Park Rd., Surry, VA 23883; Phone: (757) 294-3625 Drive Time: Northern Virginia: 2 - 3 hours; Richmond: 1.5 hours; Tidewater/Norfolk/Virginia Beach: 1.5 hours; Roanoke: 4 hours. Google map here.

Learn more about Chippokes State Park here. Go here to view photos of the cabins at Chippokes. You might be in for a shock! These are not your typical cabins, but they do have air conditioning, something a dog can appreciate!

By the way, there is a large swimming pool at this state park for your family. I was not allowed inside the fence, but I still got to watch them all laughing and splashing and having fun from under a shade tree! I know you will love this state park. Remember:

"PAWS WERE MEANT TO GET MUDDY!" - Junie B