Williamsburg,Jamestown,Yorktown, and Norfolk Va

Thur. We stayed at the camp ground and relaxed.  We did go on a bike ride and played Pickleball.  Some folks came by on there golf cart and  we talked awhile then we played doubles.  When we got home we started a fire for smores and watched the sun set.

Fri. It was to rain today but today is the day we are to go to Colonial Williamsburg so off we go.  After we got our tickets we put on some colonial hats then started our tour.  Linda is on a bed stuffed with horse hair (only the rich have it). They use it in the summer which makes sleeping cooler then in the winter they use feathers like everyone uses year round,but the very poor had to use straw which is not very comfortable. They had street exhibitions going on all day. After a tour of the coffee house which they served us coffee,tea or choc.Of course we choose choc!In middle right you see inside the Capitol building chambers.  The first is for all the people and second for the Governor and his folks.  We went to see what a jail would be like you see me in chains and on the"throne".  I did not see how they emptied it.

We went to places that showed how it would be in the 1770's. They played music, showed how they made silver, made dresses, horse and buggy, an army camp, made buckets and made bricks and how they baked them. The last four pictures is the Randolph house.  They told the story about slaves and at the end of the revolution they were told if they joined the English army they would be given their freedom.  How the slaves worked in that household and as the English were leaving the eight slaves went for freedom.  But at the end of the war they were either killed or captured and resold as slaves.

This is Linda's and mine favorite spot.  This is the Governor's Palace. As you enter you see the weapons on the walls the lush rooms the ballroom and dinning room and the gardens go and go. They even have a maze(bottom middle).

There are many old churches, a courthouse with their meeting rooms.  We went to a hospital where they had the first treatment for mental illness. From putting folks in a jail to a apartment.  Next to the hospital was the museum they had alots of things from the time such as the Harpsichord and the pianos, fire truck, furniture, and clocks.  They had a great area for kids to interact in.

Sat. we slept in and did blog and visited friends.
Mon. We drove where The first English settlement Jamestown Va. started in 1607. Where 104 English men and boys went up what is now the James river to now Virginia.  Their goal was to make a profit from the resourced of the New World for the Virginia Company's shareholders in London.  That took a back seat to the survival of the harsh realities of life in their new home.  For over 21 years folks have been digging and digging to see what was going on over 400 years ago. They have many items on display even skeletons where they know the story of that person.  Top picture below the archaeologists are excavating area's today. 2nd row left a fence where the first fence was put up. Middle what the fort looked like. right the boats that brought the men here. 3rd row left a monument to the start of our Nation.  Next to it the first church that was built (where Pocahontas got married). Picture on right Captain john Smith.

1st left picture the swamp area going to the settlement.  Part of the reason so many died. Next to it two free fairies go by on the James river. Next to it the Museum with over 1,500 artifacts.  You can't see it but the museum is not touching the ground because it is a burial area for some of the first settlers. Picture on right they are redoing the bell tower next to the old church. 2nd row left inside the church. The next five pictures are of the glass blowers, from the remains of the first furnace to today modern furnace.  The one I am holding is one he was working on you can't see it well but on top of the legs is a indention of a lion.  Last picture bridges on the parkway to Yorktown.

On Oct. 19, 1781 the Colonial America came to an end and a new Nation was born.   With the French help the Siege of Yorktown ended the six year struggle for American independence.  A park ranger took us around and told the story, top picture is redoubt 10 where Hamilton on the 10th month took redoubt 10 in 10 minutes. He is also the picture on the 10 dollar bill. Middle picture is Yorktown Victory Monument (voted on days after the victory but was not built till 100 years later for the centennial). Middle picture Moore House where the surrender papers were signed. 2nd right guns on the second allied siege line.  Bottom some replica of the guns used in the war.

As we walked around town we went to Nelson house(top row). On left the living room next to it shows where a cannon ball went through the wall in the siege, it was believed that the English used the house for their headquarters. 3rd picture a cannon ball stuck on the outside the house.  Bottom two pictures statues in the square and rocks on the beach area with sailboats in the back ground.  On the right is the courthouse.

Tues. After our walk we did the blog and Linda got things ready for our trip for Washington D.C.
 Wed. we drove to Norfolk Va. and walked on their Cannonball trail.  This town also takes a figurine and different folks paint them. This as you can see  are mermaids that we found on our walk and drive in town.

Our walk took us to many old buildings and the top right two are at the American Wartime's Memorial where 20 letters are spread out from eight different wars where folks wrote home. Middle left a picture of the bay just before we went into the Naval Museum. While there Linda is our little mermaid and I dressed as a sailor.  Picture left is the USS Wisconsin. Which got a nick name Wisky because It ran into another naval ship and the nose, 1st 20 feet was damage.  When they got it back to Norfolk for repair they took the nose off the USS Kentucky  which was being built at the time and put it on the USS Wisconsin. Bottom left is the Pagoda Garden, next to it one of the many old homes.  Bottom right two an old church called Freemason Abbey which was turned into a restaurant. The picture on the right Linda and I enjoying our Crab Bisque.

On our walk we stopped by the Chrysler Museum of Art. Top Left below the entry then Linda next to real flowers the rest is stuff there.

There were many old churches Top 2nd picture a cannon ball in the building(top right) next to that the pews with doors then right is the pipe organ. Middle 2nd the old city hall building changed  to the MacArthur Memorial. 3rd picture is where General Douglas Mac Arthur and his wife are buried. Picture on right the end of the war and the folks that signed. Bottom we went to Doumar's where next picture he made the first ice cream cone.  The Ice cream man ran out of cups and was getting ready to close where the person next to him made waffles. Doumar took the waffle and made it in the shape of a cone put ice cream in it.  Picture fright the counter in the store.

We drove to Norfolk Botanical Garden. Top two left my favorite bonsai trees. Right one of the fountains. 2nd left a canal they use to take folks on a boat ride. the next 2 we are in the children section. 3rd left a watermelon next a egg plant and they had many more veg. there. 3rd right we went to the butterfly display.  Bottom middle our path way around the park. Bottom tight another display.

The first 14 are some of the many beautiful flowers there.  We were fortunate to see a Shakespeare's play called the Twelfth Night.  It was done by High Schooners that travel around from July 24 to Aug 8 and do eight performances.  It was very well done.  We did not get to see the end for it started to rain.