This trip was my first time going to Virginia Beach in almost a year, and the first to the Oceanfront since 2020/2021. This was also my first (and only as of 4/8/24) trip where I (mostly) used a dashcam instead of my phone to take pictures. I took 123 photos on the day, which includes after arriving in VA Beach.
The pictures were decent, but only when the camera took the pictures at the right time. Most pictures from the trip were taken late, with the camera saying "photo success" every time I took one.
Pre-Trip
Almost a month prior, I had gotten a new dashcam to take my road pictures with. The camera remained basically unused until the day before the trip, where I went on a mini-trip to Downtown Charlottesville.
On the way there, I used my iPhone to take pictures, before setting up the dashcam for the way back. It did alright, but I realized that the camera speaks every time I take a picture. Later that evening, I decided to give it another test. Again, the camera did alright, but I had no idea how it would do with more passengers.
The Trip - Part One
I got up early on the day of the trip, getting my dashcam set up for what would be its breakout trip. From the moment I turned on the camera, I knew the photos would include the vehicle in them. At about 7:50-8 AM, we set off, and at 8:11 AM, I took my first (saved to my iPhone) picture of the trip, on US 33 just east of US 29.
At 8:18 AM, I passed through Barboursville, taking a picture on the US 33/VA-20 Concurrency, before reaching Gordonsville at around 8:22 AM. I got to Zion Crossroads at around 8:35-8:40 AM, where I stopped at the local IHOP to eat breakfast.
The Trip - Part Two
About an hour later, at around 9:35-9:40 AM, we left the IHOP, and got onto I-64 at 9:44 AM. At 10:14 AM, I reached Short Pump, and got onto I-295. I took two iPhone photos at 10:28 AM and 10:30 AM, before going back to the dashcam at 10:42 AM.
At 11:25 AM, I took another iPhone photo in Newport News, before merging onto I-664 at 11:34 AM. I took another photo with the iPhone at 11:39 AM, before going on the Monitor-Merrimac-Memorial Bridge-Tunnel (MMMBT). At 11:42 AM, we got out of the tunnel, and entered the City of Suffolk shortly after.
At 11:47 AM, I merged onto VA-164, before merging onto US 58 at 11:54 AM. I went through Norfolk, before merging onto I-264 at 12:04 PM. A couple minutes later, I transitioned back to iPhone pictures, as we entered Virginia Beach at 12:09 PM.
We entered the VB Oceanfront at 12:17 PM, which is when I took my final dashcam photo of the trip, and at 12:41 PM, I took my final photo of the TO part of the trip, in my hotel parking lot.
After:
I would stay in Virginia Beach for the rest of the day, taking a total of 123 pictures for the day, before leaving the next day at around 9 AM.
As for the dashcam, it didn't do very well. Most pictures I took with it came late, and the camera speaking made it worse. July 15 would be the only trip to use the dashcam, as I would go right back to my phone the following day.
