More James River Scenes

Along the James River

Every Virginia schoolchild is familiar with the ships that carried the first English settlers to Jamestown: the Susan Constant, the Godspped, and the Discovery. Reproductions can be seen and boarded at the Jamestown Settlement waterfront. We visited on a warm sunny day and I got overheated. Fortunately a nearby stockaded area turned out to contain restrooms, benches, and vending machines, so we bought a bottle of water and I had a chance to cool off and rehydrate.

Brief Family News

1. Marie is back in the USA, after spending the summer working in Egypt.


2. Frank had allergy tests today. They show that he is allergic to dust. The doctor gave him additional medicine for his long-standing cough.

Historic Cabins in Mathias

This is the "Lee Cabin" in Lost River State Park, across the road from the swimming pool. It is believed to have been built by Charles Lee, older brother of Robert E. Lee, on land originally owned by their father, Light Horse Harry Lee. Robert also built a hotel here which eventally burned. The Lees must have been fond of investing in resorts. I have also read that Light Horse Harry once owned Orkney Springs.

Above: The Lee Cabin
Below:John Mathias Homestead

The Mathias Homestead was built around 1797. It housed Union troops during the Civil War.

A Surprise in West Virginia

I'm interrupting the Jamestown tour report but I'll get back to it. Yesterday we visited Hardy County for their Heritage Weekend. Hardy is the West Virginia county that's just across Great North Mountain from us, but it takes us almost an hour to get there. The easiest way is to drive to Broadway VA and follow route 259 to the Lost River Area.

We saw a craft show, had lunch, and visited a historic cabin. Then we went to tour a barn in Mathias which was billed in the brochure as having a soaring interior, etc. We wandered into the huge barn, which was indeed finely built. A man was giving a family a tour and he suddenly stopped and looked at me and said, "I think I know you!" I said something but did not recognize him; he had a cap on and looked like a farmer. "I'm Mark Wolfe," he said, "from NOVA."

Oh! I remembered Mark Wolfe! He was one of my photography teachers at NOVA in Alexandria. I was amazed that he recognized me after 20 years.

After he finished giving the tour, he explained that he had tired of teaching photography and didn't want to switch over to digital. He moved to West Virginia and was now raising goats on a farm nearby. It seems to me like a drastic change for a graduate of Rochester Institute of Technology, but he's not the first person I've met who gave up urban life to move to a farm.

Historical Interpreters

How about a job where you dress up in costumes and go back in time? That's what these folks at Jamestown Settlement do, and they do it well. Obviously, other skills are involved, like explaining things to the public, and specialized skills, like blacksmithing.

Jamestown: The Buildings

Recreation of 17th Century Town, Jamestown Settlement, Virginia

Powhatan's Kitchen

Near the "real" Jamestown is a large living history museum called Jamestown Settlement. (It used to be called Jamestown Festival Park, didn't it?) Their outdoor exhibits include a recreation of a Powhatan Village.

I wonder if Pocahontas had to cook like this. Or was she spared kitchen duty because she was a princess?

Something that didn't happen

I was hoping that on our trip, our allergies and our coughing would clear up. Unfortunately, it didn't happen, although I felt a little better. We've both taken antibiotics and that didn't help either.

Also, there were some foods that I didn't have (notably chocolate) for the duration of the trip, and that didn't make a difference either.

Left: Frank at Jamestown Settlement. I believe that the carved face on a pole is based one of John White's drawings.

Where We Stayed in Williamsburg

Hampton Inn & Suites
1880 Williamsburg Road

We were two miles from the historic district but at least we were close to restaurants. This is the view from our window.

It's not a pretty view like have at home but you can't have everything. I had reserved a suite so that we had a place to cook and a fridge. This was helpful because it is hard to get a gluten-free milk-free breakfast away from home. Unfortunately, the skillet provided was not "seasoned" so I scorched it just making pancakes. For a minute I feared the smoke-alarm would go off! The pancakes, which were rice-flour based, tasted good anyway.

Anyway, we were happy with the hotel. The desk clerk, Sammy, was very helpful, and I had wireless internet.

We didn't spend much time in the historic district since I really wanted to see the new discoveries in Jamestown. Last time either of us were there, we were told that the remains of the fort were under the James River. Since then archaeologists have proved that this was not the case.

Reading a Marker, Yorktown

Here's Frank as he reads a historical marker. He kept his sunglasses handy while he used his reading glasses.

We did quite a bit of sightseeing in a few days but came home a day early.

Tasty Food in Two Tourist Towns

We've had some good food down here in the Historic Triangle of Virginia. A lunch at the Riverwalk Restaurant on Yorktown's waterfront was pleasant and we enjoyed the view of the river. We had three excellent dinners in a row in Williamsburg: The Peking Mongolian & Japanese Restaurant, which is the largest oriental restaurant I've eaten in, Outback (which is usually good anywhere but was perfect here), and The Jefferson, which features staff in colonial costumes even though outside the historic district.

York River Scenes

I took these pictures of the York River from Riverwalk Landing, a new commercial development. I must say Yorktown did a nice job with this complex.

Events this Saturday, Shenandoah County

September 29, 2007

10 AM: Lecture on Islam in the Modern World. Ken Lizzio speaks at the Orkney-Basye Rescue Squad.

1 PM: Real Estate Auction at the Bryce Resort Old Pro Shop

All day: Shenandoah Caverns Savor the Valley Family Festival

Picture of Passage Creek

Passage Creek,
George Washington National Forest

Benny's Grandfather?

We took this picture because the yellow dog reminds us of Benny.

This photo is from a visit to American Celebration on Parade that we made this spring.

Oriental Garden at Glen Burnie

Winchester, Virginia:
Down the hill from the manor house at Glen Burnie is a spring-fed stream. An oriental garden and a pond have been landscaped to make a refreshing park to wander through.

A Visit to Glen Burnie

Last month we visited Glen Burnie in Winchester, VA. It's a historic estate next to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley on Route 50.

According to a sign, Glen Burnie is the homestead site of Col. James Wood, who founded Winchester in 1744. Wood's son, Robert, began the present house in 1794. Later the house was expanded and filled with antiques and artwork. Around it are lovely gardens.

Deer in Moreland Gap

These deer are taking advantage of a cleared lot on Moreland Gap Road. That road goes from Camp Roosevelt to Meems Bottom, where it meets US 11 south of Mt. Jackson. The road is narrow in places - don't expect a superhighway!

Another Footbridge Picture

Frank decided to shave his beard. I liked the beard personally.

The Lion's Tale Trail

I'd heard about the Lion's Tale Trail but had not been there until yesterday. It's near Camp Roosevelt and Fort Valley. A project of the Lions Clubs of Virginia, it was built with special features, such as a places where a child in a wheelchair can touch spring water or dip his toes in a pond. It's only half a mile long and provides a pleasant walk in the National Forest.

The interpretive signs will appeal to children. They feature a mountain lion telling about the sights of the forest. (Don't worry, mountain lions haven't been seen in this area for generations.)

I imagine this area will be lovely in a month when the colors change. I know Passage Creek farther down at Elizabeth Furnace is gorgeous in autumn.

The Lion's Tale Trail is on Forest Road 274, which I think is a little hard to find coming from Edinburg or Mt. Jackson. At the intersection next to Camp Roosevelt, it's the road that is not well-marked! (Camp Roosevelt Road and Moreland Gap Road are more easily identified, at least for me. FSR 274 is also called Crisman Hollow Road.) Fortunately I had a little map in a Forest Service brochure called Massanutten Motor Mountaineering which cleared things up. If you come in from US 211, 274 is easier to find. It's practically across from the old visitor's center at New Market Gap.

Pondering at Shrinemont

Little white-tailed deer

We often see deer when we drive around here. We saw these from Connie Road yesterday. One still had spots.

They were in the shade so the image came out dark. And while our deer are used to living around people, they run off when you get close.