Yorktown and Jamestown

Saturday morning, we headed up to Virginia.

New state for all but Me.

We passed through Norfolk where we saw a lot of ships including these three aircraft carriers. We also went under the water in a tunnel.

Our first stop was Yorktown. When we said that's where we were going, Matthew informed us that we had already been to Yorktown. He was thinking of the USS Yorktown. It was interesting to tour the town and to see the battlefield. One thing we learned is that in colonial times, Virginia didn't have any large cities because it didn't need them due to the abundance of waterways which provided good transportation for lots of small cities.

The kids enjoyed doing the Junior Ranger program.

Victory Statue at Yorktown. It was commissioned within a few days of the victory at Yorktown. However, construction didn't begin until 100 years later!

There were quite a few buildings in Yorktown itself so we wandered around a bit. This is the Nelson home. Thomas Nelson was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and was the governor of Virginia during the siege on Yorktown.

In the home was a room with a number of toys and other children's items. It was fun to see them as they are similar to what Mary, Laura and Carrie had in the Little House series.

Megan with a fun toy.

U and Matthew rubbing sticks which causes another stick to turn.

Sarah playing with a toy.

Sarah practicing her writing skills.

U reading from a primer.

Me with rubbing sticks.

Megan writing on a slate.

Matthew with a sheet containing letter formations and the Lord's Prayer.

Colonial game.

Megan loved this bamboo forest that was in Yorktown.

The kids got these mementos for finding something interesting in a museum on Yorktown history.

Matthew at the Grand French Battery. He's taller than the flag.

Walking along the top of the battery.

Matthew with one of the cannons.

U with another cannon.

Here comes cannonball Matthew!

Me and Matthew with Redoubt 10 which the Americans captured from the British before their final siege on the British.

Matthew taking his aim along the Second Allied Siege Line.

Climbing Redoubt 9, which the French took from the British the same night the Americans captured Redoubt 10. These two redoubts were along the second siege line and needed to be captured before the Allies could finish the siege of Yorktown.

Matthew, Me and Megan climbing with Sarah at the top.

Matthew and U at the opening of Redoubt 9.

Pretty tree being overtaken by vines.

Some local wildlife.

The Americans and French received a lot of British artillery as part of the British surrender. They have some of them displayed by surrender field.

A few close ups of the artillery. Some are quite fancy! They say "Surrendered by the Capitulation of Yorktown October 19, 1781."

Sarah, Matthew, U and Megan with Surrender Field, where Cornwallis's army laid down its arms, in the background.

We then checked into our hotel in Williamsburg where something traumatic happened: Matthew's water bottle fell out of the car and into a storm drain (which we were parked next to). Me and Sarah worked to try to get it out, but alas! It had fallen into the deeper part and appeared lost forever. Not to worry though. When U heard the news (he'd been unloading bags in the hotel room), he headed out to the car, lifted off the storm drain lid, climbed into the storm drain and, with his toes, rescued the water bottle. There was much rejoicing! And we have been careful not to park by storm drains ever since!

Our hotel in Williamsburg. Two beds plus a fold-out chair.

The next day, we went to Jamestown. The kids again did the Junior Ranger program.

This lady was an indentured servant who came to tell all us newly arrived indentured servants what life in the colony was like and how glad we should be that we didn't arrive earlier, when things were so much harder. (I think we were arriving around 1615 vs first settlers arriving in 1607.) She had lots of useful information.

The kids loved the chicken!

Matthew, Pocahontas and Megan.

Matthew and Megan with the church.

Megan, Me and Matthew with a side view of the church. The blue tent is where archaeologists are working currently at uncovering a burial site.

Statue commemorating the founding of Jamestown. The first 104 men and boys arrived May 13, 1607.

We stopped by the glassblower. It was interesting to watch.

Matthew with two glassblowers in the background.

That's one hot oven!!!

This is what they were making at the time.

We drove the Colonial Parkway from Yorktown to Williamsburg to Jamestown. It is a beautiful drive and seems completely separated from the modern world. We even saw a bald eagle flying along the road! This is a river we crossed between Jamestown and Williamsburg with the James River beyond.