20 - Jamestown & Williamsburg, VA

THE FIRST SETTLERS - THE AMERICAN BIRTH:

After 5 months at sea, the English colonists finally see what they will call Jamestown

 
Our trip so far has been very educational and enlightening to say the least. Not only is my geography improving, (Dave may say otherwise...), so has my understanding of American history. Last year I told my yoga students that I saw a movie about Christopher Columbus and I was surprised that he didn't sail over on the Mayflower... (okay, so you get an idea of the extent of what this Cdn knows about US history)... Well, while traveling to Virginia I discovered the Mayflower wasn't the first ship of "pilgrims", and Plymouth, Massachusetts wasn't the first permanent settlement ...welcome to Jamestown, VA.

It felt like we were in Marty McFly's time travelling DeLorean when we arrived at Historic Jamestowne (they use an "e" on the end of the city's name when referring to old stuff), the date was May 14, 1607.  The passengers onboard the arriving ships  were not what you'd expect for a group of first settlers. Instead of sending farmers, hunters, laborers, military & medical personnel, over three quarters of the crew were gentlemen and their man servants. Greed, ambition, and being the first to discover new things or stake a claim on precious commodities was more of a priority than what it takes to create a thriving settlement.

The site of the original fort

In fact, this is the break down of what types of people were onboard the 3 ships that arrived into Jamestown, (the Susan Constant, the Godspeed, and the Discovery):

Occupation	#	%
Barber	1	1%
Blacksmith	1	1%
Drum	1	1%
Mason	1	1%
Preacher	1	1%
Sailer	1	1%
Surgeon	1	1%
Taylor	1	1%
Bricklayers	2	2%
Carpenters	6	6%
Labourers	12	11%
	28	27%
Boys	4	4%
Councell	6	6%
misc (most likely manservants)	19	18%
Gentlemen	48	46%
	77	73%

All I could think was "what if the surgeon wanted a day off, who would be his replacement?" Fortunately the Powhatan Indians were numerous, established in the area, and their leader was very influential and ruled over 30 tribes in the area (Pocahontas' father, Chief Powhatan, or Wahunsenacawh).  But as you can guess, this new friendship with the Indians was rather one sided and the Indians began to resent the needy, always hungry (it didn't help that Jamestown was in the middle of a 7 year drought at the time), and unmotivated group that could not sustain themselves for they had no skills and did not care for hard labor. The result, after a few months of landing; 51 died.

Other supply ships began arriving bringing food, more people (and yes, more Gentlemen) but also women as well. By 1609, the population of Jamestown rose to over 500 people, but as the drought & decimating Indian relations continued, by the end of 1610, only 61 people remained.

Peace with the natives was achieved in part through the kidnapping of Pocahontas in 1613, who later was married to colonist & tobacco tycoon, John Rolfe in 1614. Unfortunately for Pocahontas, she died 3 yrs later while visiting England.

With the passing of time, the population grew. By the 1620's (when the Mayflower was pulling into Plymouth), over 3,000 colonists were thriving & surviving.

WILLIAMSBURG, A LIVING HISTORY:

Just down the road from Jamestown is Williamsburg. A popular destination for people who want to turn back time and see what life was like in the 18th century, when Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia. Colonial Williamsburg comes complete with actors who roam the streets and provide tours of buildings giving you a first hand view of what life was like. 

The courthouse: actors, volunteers & audience!

We stopped in the courthouse to witness typical cases of the day. One interesting case was a soon to be married couple requesting a prenup. The judge explained that although prenups were not common, they are allowed in the courts and he went on to reaffirm both parties fully understood what it entailed. To agree to a prenup, a woman must give up her husband's legal protection. She relinquishes all duties that he must provide for her. For example, under Virginia law at the time, if a woman is found guilty of slandering someone, her husband must normally pay the penalty for her actions. In effect, the husband is a guardian & responsible for all of his wife's actions with the exception of murder (she would have to stand trial for it, not him!).

"Hey, I didn't sign a prenup!"

"That's more like it!"  :)

We listened to people who talked about George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry.  We also toured a manor house that described life as a typical slave.  At the end of our touring I came to the conclusion that I definitely would not want to live in those times!

 

On board the US Wisconsin, check out them guns!!!

OTHER SITES:
We went to Norfolk and the Nauticus Museum to tour the naval yard & the battleship on display. The US Wisconsin was one of the largest and last battleships ever built by the US Navy. Serving for over 55 years, the Wisconsin had seen a lot of activity to say the least. 

The boat tour of the present day navy yard was 2 hrs long.  Our captain talked non stop throughout the voyage relaying facts & figures of all the vessels in port.  My brain was very full by the end of it! 



Naval ship tour

  

Closer to home we dusted off the bikes and cycled the 6 mile bike loop around our campsite. 


One section was on the border of the archery range with signs posted to not come any closer... even I peddled faster at that point...

One highlight for me was to experience VA cuisine...ie. dessert! I did not know that VA is known for their peanuts. Bigger, crunchier and tastier the locals told me. If you like peanuts then you'll have to catch the ferry and go to Surry for some peanut raisin pie. "Dave, grab the truck keys and let's go!"...

Sunset views from the ferry heading back after dinner

The drive to the ferry was scenic, we even managed to catch the ferry just before it left (although they run continuous every 20 min or so). There we found the restaurant and before even having my dinner, I ordered dessert. Why don't people do that more often? You spend less time worrying if you have room and get to enjoy the meal to it's fullest.  The pie looked like a pecan pie but with peanuts & raisins. It tasted great, I asked for the recipe and the owner just laughed at me..."good one"... what???  

and Dave didn't get a bite.....

The ferry

 

With our brains and belly's full, we are now heading West. The Shenandoah Mountains beckon....

19 - Washington D.C.

MONUMENTAL INDEED:

Touring Washington D.C. we were surprised (and pleased) with it's open plan layout. Unlike New York, there were no skyscrapers to be seen here. In fact there is a law that no building can be higher than 10 storys so that no building stands taller than the freedom statue on top of the Capitol Building. As one guide stated to us, "Nothing shall rise higher than freedom itself"...


 

Lincoln the Greek? Lincoln's Memomial is inside a parthenon like building which was purposely designed since the artist felt his image should be known as the one who defended democracy which originated in Greek times.

 MONUMENT MILE:



The Washington Monument was constructed in 2 different periods of time; 1848-1854 and 1877-1884, thereby taking 36 years to complete and using two different kinds/colors of stone, which can be seen in the change of color partway up. At over 550 feet tall, it is the world’s tallest stone structure.

Did you know: There is actually a set of stairs inside and an elevator. The elevator was used to carry materials during construction and was later modified to carry passengers. It was originally powered by steam and was for men only, being considered too dangerous for women, who were required to take the stairs, (897 steps).



Despite DC being a well planned out city, with lots of organized thought behind it, we found the drivers there had to be the worst we've ever experienced!!! It's not that they drive fast, but slow and no signalling, no merging sense, just not very "organized" or "efficient". We also heard the streets in the heart of the city are also very congested around rush hour too, good thing we arrived on the labor day weekend - no one will be around!

THE BIG CHEESE:

Hey is that the president smoking a cigar out on the balcony???

Our first "open top bus tour" day took us to all the monuments. We talked to a couple who said the day before they were in DC and were able to see President Obama out on the balcony of the White House for about a nano second before secret service ushered everyone away from the area. Driving by the White House it isn't uncommon to see snipers perched on the roof as part of regular security. What a life the president and his family must lead, not being able to do what many of us take for granted like stroll along your front yard, or have a private moment gazing over the balcony, without the shroud of security or the constant worry always in the back of your mind.  On the flip side, as "joe public" we too feel the wrath of overprotectiveness when we want to go to the same place as the president, who do you think wins that contest???

After touring the modern art exhibits, I left looking like this....what were they thinking?

On our second day we self toured several of the Smithsonian museums, including the Natural History museum and the National Gallery of Art, which were all free of charge. 

Stopping by the Franklin D. Roosevelt Memorial, many waterfalls which symbolized his love for water (he was Assistant Secretary of the Navy in WWI)

Along the Pontomac river on our bikes

Location, location, location...it was interesting to learn many monuments were place in certain areas in the city for specific & symbolic reasons.

On our third day, we took the bikes on the metro (subway) and cycled along the riverbanks and stopped into the Spy Museum. Although the spy museum had a lot of information regarding the cold war period, I was kind of expecting more modern gadget style techno bells & whistles rather than the different types of listening devices (bugs). I guess James Bond had tainted my way of thinking and that I was expecting to see more of the inside of Q's labratory...The spy museum was a popular destination, quite crowded with many families (or were they really families or double agents "acting" like families???)....

Jefferson Memorial

We know Thomas Jefferson wrote & signed the Declaration of Independence & was the 3rd president, but did you also know he greeted people at the White House in a robe and slippers, made formal White House dinners more casual affairs - these things earned him the nickname "Man of the People," great intellect, learned several languages, often considered a very private man - he burned all the letters between himself and his wife after her death, a terrible money manager, was heavily in debt most of his life, including at his death!

After viewing all the monuments, I felt a little lacking; these men had done so much in their lifetimes and achieved greatness - what have I accomplished?... but then again, those were different times back then, but we must still reflect back and consider how we want to be remembered!

Why go to Disney when you can go to Cherry Hill Park?!?!

Our campsite, Cherry Hill, is the closest one to the capital city. Just 3 miles from the metro station (which is a 40 min train ride). The campsite conveniently has buses stopping there to take campers to the metro station. We chose to drive to the station, saving us the time waiting for a bus. The campsite grounds were very well laid out, there were many amenities offered, (swimming pool, hot tub, sauna, restaurant, meeting hall, laundry, games room, hiking trails, general store & rv parts, bus terminal, etc).  With all those perks came a healthy price tag, over $52 a night...one of our most expensive places to stay. I met one person staying for 3 weeks and he said they would not give him a discounted rate for staying that long...

 Dr. Martin Luther King, consisting of a mountainous block of granite, from which a large piece has been removed and on the face of it, a likeness carved of Dr. King. On the side reads: “Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of hope”. Behind the granite is a stone wall with excerpts from 16 of his speeches.

I can't hear you Dave, there's a flower growing out of my ear!



The heat and humidity was getting a little high for us (okay for me!), so we decided to move on, hoping for a reprieve -we decided to head where it all started for Americans...

18 - New York, NY

FROM ONE JUNGLE TO ANOTHER:

On the ferry leaving Liberty Island

After leaving the forested area of Maine we soon found ourselves in a forest of another kind... the concrete jungle, otherwise known as Manhattan!

Buildings upon buildings, competing with one another for skyline dominance. The architectural views were some of the of the most profound and pleasing we had seen - old world plaster & marble vs. modern steel & glass standing beside one another. Iconic skyscrapers and sky high rental rates (would you pay $5000 a month rent to live in downtown NY)?

Bird's eye views...

Our first day touring NY was by an open top tour bus. I like how you can get a general feel of a place and it's layout with these tours. Sometimes a little pricey but the hop on hop off system they operate by sure save the feet from having to do it all by themselves!

From The Museum of Modern Art, to The Guggenheim, to this, NY has it all!

Esthetically I have to say the Chrysler Building is one of my favorites.



Chrysler Building, built in 1930, 77 floors



It still is the tallest steel-supported brick building in the world

Emotionally, the World Trade Center site still evoked some strong feelings from 9/11. Both Dave & I were impressed with what has been completed to date. The replacement building is currently the tallest building in NY, scheduled to be completed by next year. The most impressive features are the Reflection Pools (North & South) commemorating those who died. Waterfalls cascade down all four sides of each pool, creating a special place for remembrance and reflection.





1 WTC - standing tall at 1776 feet, the year of American Independence







Reflection Pool with the names of those lost stenciled in bronze around it







RAZZ-A-MA-TAZ:

Times Square!

The tail end of our open top tour led us to Broadway, and all things sparkly. Tempted to see a matinee only to be disappointed we were too late and since it was a Sunday, the next ones would be the following weekend (when we would not be there). Catalina would not be too pleased with us if we considered staying late to see a show. Another factor was that even though during the day traveling by public transport was safe(train & bus), we weren't too keen to do it at night.

IN SEARCH FOR THE NAKED COWBOY:

What I came to see....

An icon for over a decade is another reason to check out Times Square. The naked cowboy has been showing off his tidy whitey's, boots, hat & guitar (and that's all) for well over a decade. On our visit we were greeted by a female version... now I have to also state that only in New York city it is legal to go topless...well what do you think? should they change that law???

What we saw instead....

DID SOMEONE SAY NY PIZZA?

I had been told that Chicago and NY pizza are a must. Both are totally different and both are delicious. To test this "theory" we found ourselves in Little Italy, (which is now only one street because Chinatown is taking over). There we found a place that sold by the slice and I have to admit, it was very tasty indeed. Unfortunately no picture of my slice since I gobbled it down before Dave could get the camera out!

Little Italy, my quest for NY pizza pie....


Our last stop was to Liberty Island, to visit you know who...





Our campsite was located about 40 miles West of NYC, in Jersey. Mahlon Dickerson Reservation has only 18 campsites in it's 3200 acres of wilderness. At only $20 a night, we almost had the place to ourselves, not even half full. The campsites were generously spaced out. We stayed for 4 days, figuring 2 days in NY and 2 days hiking around the area. It didn't take long to see wildlife at our campsite; the first morning we were there we saw a black bear "moseying" along the road in front of our trailer (50 feet away). From our past experience hiking in bear country, our first purchase that day was bear spray...and a bell! (with only the 2 of us, and no friends to join us as bear bait, a little noise couldn't hurt).  

Similar to our sighting (from the same campsite) from another camper

Fortunately the bell did the trick and no encounters while on the trails, (and no need to use the spray). Hiking with Catalina was great fun, she wanted to explore everything and had so much energy. It was good to see how much she enjoyed herself with us.

Water break...oh wait, if I lie in it, it feels SOOOO much better!

NEXT STOP?

Our next destination will be Washington D.C.

17 - The Maine Event, (as well as New Hampshire & Conneticut)

ATLANTIC TALES...LOBSTER TALES THAT IS......

Psychedelic Dave...walking under a highway through a drain pipe/tunnel



After crossing the border back into the US from Canada, we found ourselves in New Hampshire.  "Live Free or Die" is the motto on their license plates...what do they mean by that? sounds like something from a Die Hard movie!   :)

While taking in the lush forested areas of Albany, we came upon Rocky Gorge, located along the eastern part of the Kancamagus highway in the White Mountains of New Hampshire.  Diverse in rock, water & trees, we parked the truck and took Catalina for a wander along the trails to the "waterfall" area.

WHAT HAPPENED AT ROCKY GORGE:

While at the waterfall we noticed an old Reader's Digest story printed on a notice board informing people why they should not go in the water.  Here is Dave's rendition of the article (copied & pasted from his blog):

Dorothy's story for all to read & learn from

    In 1942, Dorothy Sparks was an attractive young woman in her 20’s, enjoying an afternoon in Rocky Gorge, New Hampshire. She was a strong swimmer and quite athletic and enjoyed splashing around in the water with her friends.

After finishing their picnic, the group was walking back to their car when they realized that Dorothy was no longer with them.

The last time they saw her, she had been jumping from rock to rock along the edges of the gorge. Fearing the worst, they commenced a search of the area, but Dorothy was nowhere to be found.  They looked all along the edges of the water and quite a ways downstream but there was no sign of her. They even dove into the water as it rushed through the gorge, looking for any sign of her. Nothing.

One of the members of the group had gone for help, finding a state trooper and several local townsfolk, who joined in the search. It was about this time, they found a small scrap of cloth matching Dorothy’s bathing suit, in the immediate vicinity of the falls.

The townspeople knew that the falls contained at least one location where the rushing water could suck objects underwater, where the force of the current would pin them. With dejected hearts, they realized that Dorothy must have been pulled into this alcove and drowned, but they were determined not to simply leave her body there and swung into action.

Using rocks and brush, they spent the next several hours forming a kind of makeshift dam to divert the water away from where the alcove was known to be. By nightfall, the flow had been diminished to the point where to their horror, they could dimly see a limp hand. Using a long pole with a noose on the end, the state trooper was able to lasso the arm and dragged Dorothy’s body out of the alcove. Bringing her to shore, the trooper reached in and pulled her onto dry land when suddenly, Dorothy’s arms moved and she hugged him.

Naturally, the trooper was pretty freaked out, being hugged by a corpse, but quickly regained his composure when he realized that Dorothy was in fact alive!

As it turned out, the frothy water running over the falls contained enough air to replenish a small pocket within the alcove. Amazingly, during the hours it took to finally extricate her, she was able to remain conscious within the cold water and despite not being able to force herself free of the deluge, she was able fight the turbulence enough to take breaths from this small, life-giving pocket of air.

To this day, swimming is now forbidden in Rocky Gorge and Dorothy’s tale is posted above as a caution to anyone else who might be tempted.

As we continued on down the highway, we noticed an outcropping on the side of a mountain looked like a human profile. We were introduced to the Old Man of the Mountain. At the visitor's center we learned the Old Man has not aged gracefully and is considering some reconstructive assistance. Back in 2003, gravity won on part of his face, after a series of tremors earlier that year. We googled looking for more info and were surprised to see how badly he needs work, (on our drive by, we could easily make out his form).  Well, whether it's botox or boulders, we're sure New Hampshirians will set it right, after all, his profile is displayed on their license plates...

Before and After pictures of the Old Man of the Mountain

IN SEARCH OF THE BIG ONE:

Either on the look out for the big one, or active napping...what do you think?

We decided to set sail for the Atlantic, more specifically Bar Harbor, Maine.  We were told the locals pronounce it, Baa HaaBah (said with a crackly voice like you've smoked dozens of cigarettes)!  Whatever way you say it, it all comes down to lobstertown... We had read lobsters back in colonial times in the area were as large as 5' ... holy crustacean batman! We did try the local cuisine a couple of times; one at a local pound restaurant (where they sell it by the pound), and at a roadside take out place (recommended by residents at our campsite), where the whole lobster is placed freshly cooked into a paper bag. Interestingly, this restaurant's lobster were of a soft shell variety (no shell cracking devices needed) which made preparing them back in our trailer a snap! (pun intended) :)  Approx. $25 for 4 lobsters (1.5 lbs of meat in each).



"Take me to your leader"... or else to a boiling pot of water!


Acadia National Park is located a few miles outside Bar Harbor.  One fun feature of the park is its carriage ways -  over 57 miles of them throughout the island.  We actually dusted off our bikes and rode for a couple of hours...(this is a major thing for Avril, since she is not a big fan of bike riding [something about liking her feet on the ground]...) but a nagging sore heel forced her to embark on alternative transportation around the park.



Jordan's Pond, Acadia National Park, ME





JORDAN'S POND:

For a pond, it's quite large, we walked the 3.5 mile trail around it, half were trails and the other half was a 2 plank boardwalk, almost felt like a mile and a half sobriety test, making sure you didn't fall off!!!



Trail side, some rock climbing required



Jordan's Pond boardwalk side

THE TRAILS ARE ALIVE WITH THE SOUND OF MUSIC:

One thing we've noticed from walking & hiking along trails, is that we come across people playing music from their iphones...out loud....what's that all about?  Just the other day a family of 5 were walking towards us with all 3 kids listening to 3 different musical genres from their personal iphones. I wonder how they decide on a radio channel in the car! I hope the younger generations don't become so reliant on modern technology that they can't even leave home without it...

  

Reid State Park, 50 miles West of Bar Harbor



SCENIC DRIVES:

We spent a day driving along the coast West of Bar Harbor in and around Bath, Reid State Park, Boothbay Harbor, and the Waldoboro area, teaming with local markets, seaside shops and scenic marinas.

Boothbay Harbor

We had heard so much about the Maine area, (mostly as a place to visit during the fall). We both agreed that even in summer with all of it's lush greenery, it was still a very pretty place to visit. We liked the rolling hills and winding roads and getting a chance to see parts of the country rather than just hearing about them.

CONNECTICUT:

After Maine, our next stop was to tour the nuclear submarine based in Groton, CT (just outside New London).  The USS Nautilus was the first nuclear powered vessel and first ship to travel to the North Pole. Built in 1954, she was in active service for over 25 years, carrying a crew of just over 100 men to depths to about 700 feet.  Unlike the U-boat we visited in Chicago, which was capable of staying underwater for only several hours at a time, the Nautilus could stay submerged for over 2 weeks.  After touring the sub, seeing the itsy bitsy rooms for the crew (although the ice cream machine was a definite bonus in the galley), I would not be jumping the line to serve on board. I asked one of the active navy cadets at the entrance of the tour if he'd been on board a sub and he said yes, twice - the longest duty was 7 months at sea.  Now living in a 39' trailer doesn't seem THAT bad!

USS Nautilus

Outside the museum with other types of submarines on display

THE CITY THAT NEVER SLEEPS....

Our amusing dog both awake and while she sleeps...zzzzzzzz...

Well it's safe to assume Catalina is not from New York, so she should have no troubles getting some shut eye on our next destination.... the Big Apple!