On the road: Virginia July 5, 2019

July 5, 2019

We have to tell you that we really know how to celebrate Independence Day- in a laundromat that was all decorated for the holiday:

At least it was dry inside and we didn't have to fight any crowd of people - no fireworks, though.

The day use area of Westmoreland State Park on the Potomac River where we are camping was over-run with people by 7:30 a.m. and we don't really care for crowds. Instead, we ventured out into the area of tidewater Virginia referred to as the Northern Neck. We made our way down to St. Stephen's Church in Heathsville to visit the grave of a friend Brian has known since 6th grade. We put U.S. flags next to his name and that of his father as well as flowers for Dave's mother.

St. Stephen's Church in Heathsville, VA

We miss you, Dave!

We experienced rain and thunderstorms throughout the day so when we reached George Washington's Birthplace National Monument, the tours of the house were canceled due to inclement weather. The picnic area was crowded with other visitors, including some who had strung hammocks under the covered picnic area. We hope to catch a tour of the Washington house in a few days.

This obelisk is one-tenth the size of the Washington Monument in DC

The Potomac is rather wide from our vantage point at Westmoreland SP.

Okay, now I am going back about 10 days when we entered Virginia. We visited Fort Monroe National Monument in Hampton, Colonial National Historic Park (Yorktown Battlefield and Historic Jamestowne), and Petersburg National Battlefield - that covered history from 1607 to 1865. You can't spit in Virginia without hitting a historic site.

Fort Monroe has a long history due to its strategic location at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay and Hampton Roads. The site was important in Colonial Days, Civil War, WWII, and wasn't decommissioned until 2011. It is the largest brick fort in the nation and the only one with a moat completely surrounding it.

Old Point Comfort Lighthouse at Fort Monroe, built 1802

Low archways in the Casemate Museum, Fort Monroe

You might guess who served at Fort Monroe - note the raven on the shelf above the window.

Confederate President Jefferson Davis was housed in this holding cell...

... with this U.S. flag on the wall.

Yorktown Battlefield, Colonial National Historical Park

Moore House and room where the surrender terms for Cornwallis's army were negotiated in 1781.

Old Jamestowne Settlement

Tercenterary Monument

Pocahontas Statue

John Smith statue

archeological dig

James River from the site of the settlement

Glassblowing demonstration

Now, fast forward to the Civil War - Petersburg National Battlefield:

reconstructed earthworks and trenches

Grant's Headquarters at City Point, Petersburg

With no set itinerary and plenty of time before we needed to be anywhere specific, we spent three days in Shenandoah National Park and enjoyed camping in the relative coolness of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I actually slept inside my sleeping bag for the first time on this trip. We celebrated our 42nd wedding anniversary with a hike to Dark Hollow Falls. We set out early at 7:30 a.m. and didn't encounter any other hikers until we were back at the trailhead around 9:30 - a perfect start to the morning. We ended the day at the campground amphitheater for a park ranger talk about the history of the National Park Service and the creation of Shenandoah National Park.

Dark Hollow Falls, Shenandoah NP

We didn't collide with any wildlife, but we did see an injured bear cross Skyline Drive in front of us and we had to be vigilant to avoid deer after dark.