It was a nice two hour drive through some great scenery arriving around noon. After connecting up the utilities it was time to relax on the patio. Well, we tried to relax on the patio but it was in the upper 80s with super high humidity so into the air conditioning we went. I got soaked to the bone from sweat just hooking up the utilities. As we drove South the humid tropical air headed north and met us in Williamsburg.
Today Wednesday 10/3 is another hot humid day so we didn't rush out into the heat. Bev hit the pool for some water aerobics while I showered and stayed in the air conditioned comfort of the camper. After lunch we decided to tour the area in the comfort of our air conditioned car so we headed for the Colonial National Historical Park at Yorktown.
Yorktown Battlefield is part of Colonial National Historical Park, which also includes Jamestown and Colonial Parkway, connecting sites marking the beginning and end of British colonial experience in America.
In the Visitor Center we watched a short video on the siege of Yorktown. There was a very interesting museum in the visitor center which displayed old canons and artifacts from the era. The museum was in the shape of a war ship with displays of canons and living quarters. They also had a great presentation set up for kids.
This statue and sign were in the museum
In May 1781 British General Charles, Lord Cornwallis moved his army into Virginia from North Carolina after an arduous and costly southern campaign. In June he received instructions from Sir Henry Clinton, his superior officer in New York, to establish a naval base somewhere in the lower Chesapeake Bay area. The Marquis de Lafayette, operating with a small American force, shadowed Cornwallis's movements and clashed with his army near Jamestown in the Battle of Green Spring on July 6. After the Americans withdrew, Cornwallis continued toward the bay and on the advice of his engineers, chose the port of Yorktown for his base. Early in August he transferred his army there and began to fortify the town and Gloucester Point across the York River.
Meanwhile, a large French fleet under Adm. Francois Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse, had sailed up from the West Indies for combined operations with the allied French and American armies. The French fleet proceeded to blockade the mouth of Chesapeake Bay, cutting off Cornwallis from help or escape by sea. At the same time, Gen. George Washington began moving the Allied Army, consisting of his own forces near New York City and a French army under Gen. Jean Baptiste de Rochambeau, in Rhode Island toward Virginia to attack Cornwallis by land.
The Allied army, numbering over 17,000 men gathered at Williamsburg. On September 28th they marched to Yorktown to face Cornwallis's 8,300-man garrison. After a week of laying out camps and preparing for a siege, the Allied army constructed is first siege line on October 6 and three days later commenced bombarding the British positions.
The American victory at Yorktown, the last major battle of the American Revolution, secured independence for the United States and significantly changed the course of world history.
Thank you France for your help in securing our independence.
After we left the Visitor Center we walked down a very scenic path to the the Yorktown victory Monument.
At the Visitor Center we purchased a CD with an auto tour of the Battle Field. We didn't have time to take the tour so we plan on returning for the tour along with walking the Battlefield. At the Visitor Center we saw a free trolley stop so when we return we also plan to hop on the trolley for a tour of the area.
From here we drove to Hampton to check out a boat tour of the harbor, Chesapeake Bay, and Navel War Ships at the worlds largest navel base. We plan on taking the cruse later on this week. The heat and humidity will continue for a couple of more days when it is expected to turn cooler. I think it will be better to take the boat tour of the harbor while it is still warm out.
By now we were hungry so we headed for Rocco's Smokehouse. I had baby back ribs and beer while Bev had a pulled pork sandwich. That was finished off with apple pie a la mode. Life is good when someone else does the cooking and cleaning.
I just had to finish up this blog with a picture of me and my girls, Sarah and Brittany.
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