The Historic Triangle (Williamsburg, Yorktown,
Jamestown), VA (Sept. 2007)
We make a 45-minute drive to Yorktown. Yorktown was a bustling 18th Century seaport (mostly tobacco) where Lord Cornwallis and his British troops surrendered to General George Washington (who led American and French forces), which ended the Revolutionary War.
From
the visitor center (called the "Victory Center"), we walk a very
pleasant, scenic path along the York River to get to the Yorktown Village.
BTW,
we have already learned that everywhere one looks in Virginia, there is a
historic marker noting some sort of astonishing history that occurred "at
this site" a number of centuries ago. Yorktown, of course, is full of such
markers -- mostly in front of the original buildings that stood in the village
over 300 years ago (town established in 1691). Having been to Williamsburg a
few times in the past, where I enjoyed the compact, quaint, charming
walkability of that town, I am a bit disappointed to find that Yorktown was
apparently a quite sparsely settled location. It seems like more of a rural
hamlet.
The
"Yorktown Victory Monument", commissioned in the town in 1781 and
built in the early 1880s, is -- excuse the expression -- "monumental"
in stature. See photo.
We
depart Yorktown for the next piece of the triangle -- Williamsburg.
Impressively, the "triangle towns" are all linked by the
"Colonial Parkway", a road built by the National Park Service.
Impressive because the road was designed to give you a "real"
Colonial Virginia experience. Along its roughly 30 miles, there is not a single
tourist sign or shop. No lights. No power lines. No office or retail buildings
(or ANY buildings, for that matter). No billboards. Not even painted lines on
the road. Just stately trees forming an incredible canopy that must be
spectacular when the fall foliage changes the colors to yellow and red and
brown. About the only signs you see are a handful of small white signs saying
"No Passing" or speed limit 45 mph.
Even
the arching bridge underpasses are impressive, as they are brick rather than
traditional gray highway concrete. The road surface is designed to somewhat
resemble the shell and marl roads used in colonial times.
It
is still hard for me to believe this, but on our entire tour of the triangle on
that day, we did not see a single ticky-tacky touristy shop or billboard or
sign or blinking lights. No icon architecture. No cartoon plastic figures of
Mickey or Porkey Pig embarrassing you. The feds have done a surprisingly
incredible job of keeping the triangle free of commercialization --
particularly given the ENORMOUS number of tourists who visit each year.
Wow.
That
alone is worth the visit. I've never seen anything like the Parkway.
Unblemished by the trashiness that has so tarnished so many historic sites in
America.
Arriving
at the Williamsburg visitor center, I am astounded to see the huge number of
cars parked in the parking lot (we are later to learn, at lunch in the village,
that this must be "parents weekend" for nearby William and Mary
College – a college chartered in 1693 by the British).
From
the Center, you walk a bridge overpass that leads you through colonial-style
pasture and farms. A short walk soon brings us back in time, where colonial
Williamsburg appears to be frozen in amber. Admirable preservation of the
original buildings, compactly arranged to create a charming walk that really
brings you back to colonial days.
Williamsburg
is so well preserved that it is known as a "living history museum."
Lots of character actors walking around and driving stagecoaches in traditional
clothing. Tastefully done, as many of them (including craftsmen such as the
blacksmiths) are still engaged in a real trade. Not the corny stuff you expect
at such places.
Williamsburg
still contains approximately 500 of its original buildings from the 18th
Century, including the Governor's Palace (which picturesquely terminates a
vista behind a green). Terminating another vista on Duke of Glouchester Street
is the Capitol building of the time (in colonial days, Williamsburg was a
center of power, culture and commerce).
The
town is so delightful that I am more than happy to walk it with my wife, even
though I had just walked it a week prior. Don't miss Williamsburg.
After
a few hours of strolling and eating lunch in the town, we are back on the
Parkway heading for Jamestown Settlement.
Jamestowne
is considered "America's Birthplace." Archeologists have unearthed
the original 1607 James Fort along the James River. (The 400th birthday is
being celebrated this year) Jamestown is the first permanent English colony in
"the New World."
We
skip the tour of the settlement area, as it seems a bit hokey in the visitor
center video, and even though it is a "Fee Free Day." Instead,
we bicycle from the center on the 5-mile Jamestown Island loop, which is a
wonderful bicycling treat. A narrow roadway which is mostly one-way and
sparsely traveled by cars, it is a great place to bicycle. A magnificent tree
canopy much like the Parkway, the route takes you through marshes, creeks, and
panoramic views of large water bodies (including the James River) on both sides
of you. See photo.
After
getting back to the Center, we hop onto the recently completed Virginia Capital
Trail (a 10-foot wide paved off-road trail). The first few miles are superb, as
the trail runs through forests, pastoral soybean farm settings, and boardwalks
over a large, apparently quite paddle-able marsh (much like the marshes on Jamestown
Island). We turn around after this, though, as it then mostly follows the
roadway in a relatively unrewarding way.
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