Visiting Historic Jamestowne, Virginia

Today, Eric & I are visiting
the remains of Jamestown,
the first permanent English
colony in the New World.

The Visitor Center

A map of Historic Jamestowne,
named for King James I.

The 1607 expedition was

lead by John Smith.

Financed by the Virginia
Company, the expediton
was made up of men
& boys.








The first few years of the colony were very difficult.   Relations with the Potwhatan Indians were fraught.  Two women joined the colony in 1608. During the winter of 1609-10 a large percentage of settlers died from starvation and disease.  New ships brought new colonists. Jamestown  began to thrive and expand.

Tobacco was grown &

exported to England.

In 1619 Jamestown set up a legislative assembly.

Many of the laws that would

govern Virginia. other

colonies, & eventually

states were enacted

first in Jamestown.

Among the laws passed here were ones that clearly defined indentured servitude and eventually, slavery.

Jamestown was burned by Nathaniel Bacon and disgruntled colonists on September 19, 1676.  The statehouse in Jamestown burned on October 20, 1698.  The legislative assembly was moved to Williamsburg.  People continued to live in Jamestown and farm their lands, but it was no longer a town.

In the early 1900s, archaeological

 exploration of England's first

 permanent colony started.

Artifacts found during
archaeological digs.

After watching a 15 minute

film on Jamestown Colony,

Eric & I were ready to

visit Historic Jamestowne.

The Clubhouse at Outdoor World RV Campground in Williamsburg, Virginia

The Outdoor World RV 
Campground Office &
Club House

The brochure racks are

full of brochures for

area attractions.

Many of the brochures offer discount coupons.  

Sign out sports balls &

horseshoes at the desk.

The Dining Area &

Kitchen

 Pool Tables & Video Games

The Adult Lounge

I found a book

to read....

The Defense by

 D.W. Buffa

The Laundry Room








Outdoor World is a good home base for our planned trips in Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown.  The "Early American History Tour" continues....

Walking Around Outdoor World RV Campground in Williamsburg, Virginia

Eric & I are paying a reduced
rate at Outdoor World with our
Resort Parks International
Membership.

The Office &

Clubhouse

The Tennis Court &
Basketball Court

Horseshoes

While traveling off-season, Eric and I don't see campgrounds at their best.  Repairs are being made. leaves and downed tree limbs need to be cleared.  The outdoor swimming pool is never welcoming.

The Playground is
next to the Pool

The Pavilion overlooks

the Pool.

Ping Pong Tables

sit idle.

The other end of the Pavilion

looks out over a section

of cabins.

A Winnebago Trailer sits

next to a motorhome.

Outdoor World is a former Yogi Bear Jellystone Park.  There are pull through & back in campsites on different levels of this hilly campground.  RVers have water and sewer connections and a choice of 30 or 50 amp electric service.

Campers on terraced

sections of a hill.

There is a fee for Wifi here.  Because we have lots of data left on our Verizon account, we opted not to purchase access to the campground's Wifi.

Outdoor World is wooded.  Fortunately, we found a site that's open enough for our DirecTV satellite dish to work.  Eric believes we wouldn't be able to pick up TV satellites after the trees leaf out.

Our campsite.

After we parked and set up, Eric realized that Site 30B is very spacious.  We have plenty of room on the awning side of the motorhome.  The opposite side is next to a rarely used roadway that provides a large buffer between campsites. 

I'm liking the paved roads here.  Eric and I are tracking less dirt into our motorhome because of them.

Driving Northwest to Williamsburg, Virginia

After visiting the Wright Brothers
National Memorial, Eric & I
drive north into Kitty Hawk.

Glancing down a street, I

get a glimpse of the ocean.

Crossing Currituck Sound.

Two bridges....

One is operational.

The older Chevy Suburban

 with over-sized wheels

caught my eye...

Tarheel Autos

We Finance

The orange awning on this
5th wheel catches the eye.

Fireworks are sold here.

Homes for birds....

Apartments & single

family gourds

We are driving on North

Carolina Route 168 North.

Vultures search the

roadway for carrion.

We pass a farm.

The silo is in need

of a new roof. 

Welcome to Virginia.

Signs let us know the drive

time to upcoming exits.

Crossing the James River on the

Hampton Roads Bridge Tunnel.

Approaching the tunnel.

Lights stream by. 

Leaving the tunnel or an
out of body experience....

Maybe both.

The Hampton Coliseum

US Route 64 takes us 

west to Williamsburg.

America's Historic Triangle

Williamsburg, Jamestown

& Yorktown 

We are staying at

Outdoor World in

Williamsburg.

The Wright Brothers Memorial Sits Atop Kill Devil Hill: The Wright Brothers Memorial

The Wright Brothers Memorial
sits on Kill Devil Hill,
above the airfield.

The sand dune was stabilized

with sod & other plantings.

As Eric & I walk up the hill
to the memorial, we see a
parking area & picnic
tables.

Further up the hill, we see

First Flight Airstrip.

This is a fitting place to fly

small aircraft to & from.

Discussion of a memorial

for Orville & Wilbur Wright

started in 1927.

This 60 foot tall Art Deco

 wing- like pylon is topped
 with a navigational beacon

& contains a power house

 to run it.

From this angle, the
memorial looks like
an airplane rudder.

The Inscription:

 In Commemoration of the Conquest of the Air

By the Brothers Wilbur & Orville Wright

Conceived By Genius

Achieved by Dauntless Resolution & Unconquerable Faith

Orville Wright was the guest of honor at the 

dedication on November 14, 1932

Wilbur died in 1912 from typhoid fever.

On the other side of the hill,
Eric & I see a full scale model
of the photo taken by John T. 
Daniels of Orville's first
flight on December 17, 1903.






I am grateful to the foresight of the United States Congress in setting aside lands for National Parks. Historical and natural areas all over America could have been bulldozed, built on and or mined by private companies, if not for Congress's belief that our heritage and unique geographic areas are worth preservation.