Travel Blog - Day 3: Jamestown and Yorktown and a storm
Day 3 brought a little rain with it. We lucked out on our Williamsburg day, as it was neither too hot, nor rainy. Not quite as lucky on Friday. We got up and checked out of the hotel Friday morning, which is always an adventure. How can you be somewhere not even a full 48 hours and the children manage to unpack everything they own??
Finally packed and ready, we loaded up and drove to the historic Jamestown settlement. It is also a living history museum, complete with the three ships that brought the original Jamestown settlers, a Powhatan Indian village and the settler's fort. Chad, the girls and I had fun exploring the ships.
Standing in the stuffy, dark, cargo area of the first ship, with the ceiling maybe only a foot above my head, I thought about how much I wouldn't have wanted to travel on this ship across the ocean. Then the guide started explaining how the cargo hold would have been loaded probably thigh high with 40 tons of cargo and straw mattresses would have been spread on top of that cargo for passengers. That means for the four and a half month journey you wouldn't have been able to stand up and maybe not even sit up comfortably. You would have shared your small straw mattress with someone else. You would have been below in the dark, as you were only allowed on deck when invited, which wasn't very often. All the rest of the time, the access to the cargo hold was secured and covered with a tarp. The 6 inch waves we were experiencing in docked in the bay, were really rocking that boat and they were nothing compared to massive waves you would have experienced on the open ocean. Oh, the whole thing sounded awful. It really made me appreciate what people went through. Making a journey across the ocean required a level of sacrifice, I just don't think I could have made.
We drove the Colonial byway to Yorktown. Yorktown was the last battle of the American Revolution. We visited the Yorktown battlefield, walked to the top of the hill and looked out over the field. Dad told us a little about the battle, but rather than drive the perimeter of the whole thing, we decided to go to the Yorktown Victory museum. Brynn fell asleep during the movie and we lifted her into the stroller for the rest of the adventure. Grace, Chad and I went out through the soldier's camp. There was a soldier there who showed us the type of rations soldiers received, explained the camp and taught all about the weapons and how to fire a musket. He even let Grace hold the musket. For Grace, that was the best part, hands down.
After the museum, we decided to get on the road, so we said our goodbyes to Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Tim and set off. 10 mins into the ride, the sprinkle of rain turned into a downpour. Complete, total, torrential downpour. The further along we went, the worse the rain got. It was like someone was standing on top of the car holding five garden hoses right against the windshield. You couldn't see anything. You couldn't see the cars in front of you until they hit their brakes. Of course, I was driving and Chad was napping. Finally, I woke him up, because I was so scared and I couldn't see the road signs. The sound of the rain hitting the car was so loud Chad and I had a hard time hearing each other. We crept along at about 30 miles an hour.
Long story short, we made it, but it was three hours of the worst rain I have ever seen. It didn't break until we hit the toll road just before you cross into NC. Then even though we were still in the rain, I could look ahead and see blue. I just kept driving for the blue and eventually we hit it. Chad told me last night that my eyes were as big as saucers while I was driving, but I was scared.
We got in last night and explored the beach house, visited with everyone and then hit the hay. Another long day of vacationing :)
Finally packed and ready, we loaded up and drove to the historic Jamestown settlement. It is also a living history museum, complete with the three ships that brought the original Jamestown settlers, a Powhatan Indian village and the settler's fort. Chad, the girls and I had fun exploring the ships.
Standing in the stuffy, dark, cargo area of the first ship, with the ceiling maybe only a foot above my head, I thought about how much I wouldn't have wanted to travel on this ship across the ocean. Then the guide started explaining how the cargo hold would have been loaded probably thigh high with 40 tons of cargo and straw mattresses would have been spread on top of that cargo for passengers. That means for the four and a half month journey you wouldn't have been able to stand up and maybe not even sit up comfortably. You would have shared your small straw mattress with someone else. You would have been below in the dark, as you were only allowed on deck when invited, which wasn't very often. All the rest of the time, the access to the cargo hold was secured and covered with a tarp. The 6 inch waves we were experiencing in docked in the bay, were really rocking that boat and they were nothing compared to massive waves you would have experienced on the open ocean. Oh, the whole thing sounded awful. It really made me appreciate what people went through. Making a journey across the ocean required a level of sacrifice, I just don't think I could have made.
We drove the Colonial byway to Yorktown. Yorktown was the last battle of the American Revolution. We visited the Yorktown battlefield, walked to the top of the hill and looked out over the field. Dad told us a little about the battle, but rather than drive the perimeter of the whole thing, we decided to go to the Yorktown Victory museum. Brynn fell asleep during the movie and we lifted her into the stroller for the rest of the adventure. Grace, Chad and I went out through the soldier's camp. There was a soldier there who showed us the type of rations soldiers received, explained the camp and taught all about the weapons and how to fire a musket. He even let Grace hold the musket. For Grace, that was the best part, hands down.
After the museum, we decided to get on the road, so we said our goodbyes to Grandma Sharon and Grandpa Tim and set off. 10 mins into the ride, the sprinkle of rain turned into a downpour. Complete, total, torrential downpour. The further along we went, the worse the rain got. It was like someone was standing on top of the car holding five garden hoses right against the windshield. You couldn't see anything. You couldn't see the cars in front of you until they hit their brakes. Of course, I was driving and Chad was napping. Finally, I woke him up, because I was so scared and I couldn't see the road signs. The sound of the rain hitting the car was so loud Chad and I had a hard time hearing each other. We crept along at about 30 miles an hour.
Long story short, we made it, but it was three hours of the worst rain I have ever seen. It didn't break until we hit the toll road just before you cross into NC. Then even though we were still in the rain, I could look ahead and see blue. I just kept driving for the blue and eventually we hit it. Chad told me last night that my eyes were as big as saucers while I was driving, but I was scared.
We got in last night and explored the beach house, visited with everyone and then hit the hay. Another long day of vacationing :)
Comments