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Tuesday, March 31, 2015

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 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....

Monday, March 30, 2015

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.




 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











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













Approaching the tunnel.










Lights stream by. 







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

Maybe both.
























US Route 64 takes us 
west to Williamsburg.





















We are staying at


Sunday, March 29, 2015

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

This is a fitting place to fly
small aircraft to & from.










Discussion of a memorial
started in 1927.






 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.












 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.