Still in Gloucester, VA.

 

Sunday, June 6, 2010                                                                                                  Lorraine’s report

We’re still in Gloucester, VA at Thousand Trails. We have had a very nice week, the weather is still hot, mid-90’s daily, cooling down to mid 70’s at night, humidity is still high mid 80’s on up. We’ve had a couple of days where we had pretty severe thunder, lightening and rain storms. One evening the guard at the gate said it rained over 2 inches in under 2 hours; the road in front of the coach was totally under swift running water. Several hours later, the water was gone, the air was fresher but it was still humid.

A year ago we were on our way to Alaska to meet up with our friends in White Horse, we left Blaine, WA at 9:00am on June 6th.  We had just learned Chuck was cancer free.  That was the last day we could leave the Bellingham area and still meet up with them. What a difference a year makes.   

After a good breakfast at the TT lodge last Sunday, we decided to tour Colonial Williamsburg. We were headed in to buy our tickets to this attraction, when a man and a woman came up to us and handed us a pair of tickets. They said they were done for the day, and wanted to know if we had paid our way in. Chuck said no, and they placed the tickets in his hand and left. Chuck looked at the tickets and they turned out to be authentic. They were $38.00 a piece, for general admission. We thought “Wow, lucky us”. I had the feeling that the couple were disappointed with what they had seen/done/experienced for that price. Undaunted we headed into the attraction.

Colonial Williamsburg was reconstructed on original foundations to show the public how life was in the colonial times; it is on 301 acres, and has 88 original structure buildings. The Governor’s Palace is one of the highlight of this area. It was originally finished in 1722 and was considered one of the finest buildings in British North America. It was furnished to reflect the occupancy of the last royal governor, the Earl of Dunmore. Separate from the main house was the kitchen, the stable, other out buildings, and gardens.

We were there on a Sunday, and most of the working shops, like the glass blower, the foundry, etc were closed by the time we went through. But we walked through the shopping and saw stuff that could have been made back in the Colonial days.

Williamsburg was the capital of VA before it was moved to Richmond. Someone told me it was because of the humidity here in the area during the summer months. I don’t know if that was the reason, but I sure can see how it could be true.

We enjoyed the movie on how Williamsburg was so important in getting our freedom from England. The House of Burgess, which was like the House of Representatives, met in Williamsburg, deciding to become independent from England two months before the Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia.

Across the street from the shopping part of Williamsburg is William & Mary, the second University here is the US founded February 8, 1693. We walked onto campus and took a few pictures; what a beautiful campus. Phi Beta Kappa was started at William & Mary, on December 5, 1776.

All in all, we learned a lot, more than I can remember, and since we were given free tickets, well worth the price we paid.

Memorial Day, we took a drive to the end of the peninsula we are on. Again, it was a lovely day for a drive. We went through quaint towns on our drive; we saw lots of beautiful homes, boats, birds, etc. We drove to Gwynn’s Island and saw more of the same.

Tuesday we decided to drive to Historic Jamestown. We went into the triangular fort which was recreated on the spot the settlers who came from England, built the original fort in 1607. We had another great tour guide, who really enjoyed his work. We learned that there were only 104 men and boys who came from England that first year. Only a third of these early settlers survived that first winter. If it hadn’t been for the Powhatan Indians, even that many would not have made it. The settlers traded mainly for food, since the area they chose to occupy was swampy and on an island.

I forgot to say that Pocahontas was a Powhatan, and was born here in Gloucester. And unlike the stories you have heard, she married a man named John Roth, not John Smith. She went to England with him, was celebrated by the English; got sick on her way home to America, was left in England where she died a young woman, never to see her home again.

I also forgot to say that Chuck’s golden age pass got us into this attraction, since the fort is a national park, and includes a drive outside the fort area that shows how the area must have looked when the settlers arrived in America.

Wednesday was a stay home planning the next leg of our trip, heading West. I had my hair done at the local Walmart; the gal did a good job.

Thursday we were up and out early, headed off to Virginia Beach, VA. Virginia Beach is about a 1 ½ hours to 1 ¾ hours trip away. We stopped at the visitor’s center and asked the guy there what we should see for our short day trip. He recommended the Boardwalk.

The Boardwalk followed the beach front down town. There were lots of beautiful hotels, shops, and restaurants and of course the beach. We drove down and parked. It was free parking if you shopped at the stores along the waterfront. And of course, we had to put our feet into the Atlantic Ocean again. I must say, the water was a lot colder that at Myrtle Beach, SC; a whole lot colder. We enjoyed a Ben & Jerry’s ice cream, then we had to head back home for Misty.

Friday we spent the day taking it easy. Every now and then, we need time off just to slow down, especially that day, since that night was my Race for the Cure Cancer Walk here in Gloucester at the high school.

Race for the Cure is a fund raiser for fighting cancer, and there are walks all over the US. I have gone every year since 2001; I found my cancer in July 2000. This July 18 will be my 10^th year since I found it. I don’t know why, but every year when I start walking with everyone else, the tears just start coming. I asked two women, who I didn’t know to walk with me. They said yes, and we started off, and low and behold, my tears came again. They asked if I was okay, and hugged me and held my hand until I felt better. Chuck met me halfway and walked with me the rest of the way. Those women were so kind and caring, strangers who opened their hearts and arms to me.  And I would certainly be lost without Chuck there for me.

With that, I will close for now…Be well…Until next time….Lorraine

 

6/6/10                                                                                                                            Chuck’s report

Another week here in Virginia, exploring and learning.  The area we are in is where lots of the Revolutionary War was fought and where it ended.  We’ve been learning or should I say re-learning about our history and the brave men who help make our country great.  The ideas and ideals they developed has stood the test of time pretty well and don’t need changing now.  We probably should go back to those ideals instead of where I’m afraid we are heading.  Let’s bring God back into our country, especially in our government, it’s needed there most of all! 

We spent most of one day in Colonial Williamsburg and lucked out on the entry.  We stopped at the information desk to get some idea of what this place was all about.  After getting an idea of what to see and do plus the schedule of the shows and such, I asked about the price of admission.  She told us it would be $38/person and didn’t even blush when she said it.  I decided to see if our Golden Access Passport would get us in but as we were on the way to the ticket office, a couple stopped us and offered us their one day pass they couldn’t use.  Good deal, we got in for free and they wouldn’t even take anything for their tickets. 

There are lots of old buildings, some are working shops, some are just restored to show the period.  One of the best was the tour we went on into the Governor’s Mansion.  I don’t have all the info but it was used by the governor’s appointed by the King before the war and by a couple of the Governor’s of Virginia before the capital was changed to Richmond by then Governor Thomas Jefferson.  By the way, the first Governor was Patrick Henry, the one who gave the “GIVE ME LIBERTY OR GIVE ME DEATH” speech. 

The mansion is set up for tours every 20 minutes and it takes about 20 minutes for the tour.  As we entered a room, the prior tour was just leaving and another took our place as we were leaving.  They had the mansion set and decorated just like days of old.  A lot of the decorations were the 1300 guns and 1500 swords they had on the walls, they had been used during the war, we were told. 

We walked the grounds and only entered a few more buildings as it was getting too hot for us.  We got back to the shuttle and rode it over to the market district where Lorraine checked out a few shops before we headed back to the visitor’s center and our car.  Once again, we enjoyed the area and all the history but our heads are really getting full, maybe I should have paid more attention to my history classes in school.

On Monday we decided to do a car tour, needed to rest up from all the walking in the heat the day before.  We drove out to a small fishing town, Deltaville, and then across the peninsula to Gwynn’s Island where the Piankatank River flows into the Chesapeake Bay.  We didn’t do too much exploring other than by car but still enjoyed the trip. 

On Tuesday we decided to check out Jamestown, the first permanent settlement of English people vs. Spanish.  We got lots of our laws and customs from the English, this is where it all started.  This town was settled by 104 men and boys who were working for a British company set up to make money from the new lands.   One of these first settlers was Captain John Smith who we learned didn’t do all the things we were taught about in school.  Seems they took some liberties with the story of his life to make him more popular than he really was.  They told us he was taken off the ship in chains due to a court-martial but they had to release him once they landed as he was one of the principle councilmen. 

They had some very strict rules and went through lots of hardships, in fact, only about 1/3 of them made it through the first winter.  One of the rules they had was if you didn’t work, you didn’t eat, there was NO WELFARE in our early history. 

After two years, they weren’t doing well so they loaded up their survivors on a boat and started back to England.  Before the reached the mouth of the river, however, they were met by a supply ship and more workers sent from England.  They returned to Jamestown and it has been settled ever since.  The work was hard and there were no English women for three years, then they sent over about 100 women to insure the settlement stayed “settled”. 

The investors didn’t get any return on their money until tobacco was started as a cash crop a few years later.  By then the settlers had moved out into the countryside where each of the settlers had been given some land, something they never would have been able to own back in England. 

This is where the early colonists also set up our first government with representatives from each district coming to make laws.  This was the beginning of our way of government and it all started here in Jamestown, including taxes, unfortunately.  This is also where slavery first started in the US and it lasted until the end of the Civil War. 

I think, of all the places we’ve been to around here, I enjoyed learning about Jamestown the best.  They have done and are doing, lots of excavating and recovering of pieces left behind over the years the settlement was in use.  In fact, they have a museum on sight with lots of stuff they’ve recovered over the years. 

Wednesday was a quite, take it easy type of day.  Lorraine and I got out the maps and campground information and tried to rough out our plans for the summer.  Not sure of the exact route or timing for our trip yet but we at least have an idea of where we will go.  Later that afternoon, Lorraine headed into town for an appointment with a hair dresser.

Thursday we got an early start and headed South to visit Virginia Beach.  Although there is a lot to see and do there, we only had a couple of hours so most of our time was spent at and around the beach.  Once again, Lorraine wanted to get her feet in the water, she said the water is colder here than it was in the Carolinas.  The beach area reminded me a bit of Myrtle Beach in South Carolina.  There were lots of hotels and condos and plenty of shops selling all kinds of stuff.  We did see a pod of dolphins playing just off shore here, I don’t remember seeing any of them before.

Friday was another laid back day for us.  Lorraine did the laundry, sure glad we have a washer/drier onboard so we don’t have to go to a laundry mat. 

As most of you know, Lorraine is a breast cancer SURVIVOR, this is her 10th year.  She heard on the radio about the Cancer Society Relay for Life walk in this area on Friday night.  Lorraine has supported and attended this function for eight of the last 9 years, only missed last year when we were in Alaska.  She wanted to attend this one so we got the address and headed out in the evening. 

Lorraine got registered and got her survivor shirt and sash while I was parking the car.  They have teams of folks who gather pledges and they walk around the track at the High School all night to raise money.  Many of the teams also have raffles or some other money making idea to add to their money totals given to the Cancer Society.  Last we heard, this small town had raised over $103,000 and the teams hadn’t even turned in all their moneys yet.  Now multiply that times all the communities across the nation that do this and there should be enough money raised over the years to have beaten back this disease.  We may be getting closer but no cure yet so I’m sure Lorraine will continue to support and attend more functions like this one. 

Yesterday Lorraine wanted to check out an outlet mall.  We haven’t spent lots of time shopping in the last few weeks, we’ve been too busy playing tourist.  But there were a few items she wanted to find so off we went.  We found two outlet malls near Williamsburg and she was able to purchase the items she needed.  I found a Black and Decker shop so I spent some time “shopping” too, meaning I didn’t buy anything, ha. 

Our plans have us staying here until Tuesday.  We then head to Washington DC, I think we are staying at Cherry Hill campground in College Park, MD.  This is supposed to be the closest campground to DC so we will be doing the tourist thing in our capital for about 10 days.  Our friends Mike/Linda from California are traveling the same route as we, they are now ahead of us due to our stopping for the space shuttle launch.  They also write a blog and you can see their pictures and read their thoughts at Linda's blog.  Here is a link to access her blog:

http://blog.backroadtravelers.com/

So with that, I think I will quit writing and post some pictures.  Once again, we have almost a 1000 to choose from, I’ll try not to post that many. 

Pictures of Colonial Williamsburg.  The first group is of the Governor’s Mansion, notice the guns and swords on the walls in many of the pictures. 

 

Pictures of King William and Queen Mary.

 

 

They offered carriage rides but we didn’t have reservations for them.   

 

Some of the gardens.

 

They make some authentic period pieces, the second pictures is of shoes they make and sell.  

And some hats they’ve made and are for sale.

Directly across the street from Colonial Williamsburg is William and Mary College.

 

A church on Gwynn’s Island, not too far from where we are staying.

At Jamestown, the first permanent settlement of English folks. 

 

Inside the church at Jamestown.

That’s a statue of John Smith and a picture of Lorraine.

Lorraine on the right standing in front of a statue of Pocahontas.

That’s not a stick in the road, that’s a black snake. 

 

On the beach at Virginia Beach.

 

 

The oldest Coast Guard Station in the US, at Virginia Beach. 

 

At the cancer relay for life walk-a-thon. 

 

Driving back from the walk-a-thon.