2012-09-04: Country Roads
As always, Al found us a country road to travel between campgrounds. It takes us longer but is so much more interesting.
2012-09-05: Gloucester Courthouse
This Colonial Courthouse was built in 1766 and is one of the oldest courthouses in the country still in use. It has been modernized, had additions and today is where the city council and school board hold their meetings. As in all southern towns and villages, a Confederate monument stands in the center of this historic town. This one was erected on September 18, 1889.
2012-09-05: Jail
In 1870, the Board of Supervisors decided to build a new jail, after an earlier prison on the same site was burned by Federal troops during the War Between the States. The building was completed in 1873 and consisted of four rooms, each 16 X 16 feet in size. The additions on each side were built in the early 1900's and were segregated bathrooms.
2012-09-06: Stratford Hall
Thomas Lee, president of the Council of Virginia and acting governor from 1749-50 purchased 1900 acres on the Potomac River in 1717 on which to build Stratford Hall Plantation. It was home to four generations of the Lee family including Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, the only two brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence, Revolutionary War hero "Light Horse Harry" Lee and his son, Civil War General Robert E. Lee, who was born here in 1807. The house was built in 1738 in the shape of an H and is among one of the finest examples of Colonial architecture in the US.
2012-09-06: Gardens
The plantation today is privately owned and is still being operated in the manner of the era that the Lee's lived here. The gardens to the east of the Great House are a serene place to sit and contemplate the activity of that time in history.
2012-09-06: Kitchen
The kitchen was in an outbuilding which may explain why the Great House was never consumed by fire as so many of the other Colonial buildings were.
2012-09-06: Tree Color
Now that we're in the first week of September, we're beginning to see tinges of color on some of the trees. It'll be exciting to see the colors again.
2012-09-08: Crab Race
Our destination today was the annual Mathews Market. We were told it was the largest Arts and Crafts festival in the area and a must see. Well, it was indeed a huge festival but better than anything else were the crab races sponsored by the "Y". Tryna couldn't resist so she promptly entered. The blue crabs are all marked with sponsors names and waiting patiently in a bucket for the race to begin.
2012-09-08: Encouragement
With a squirt gun in hand, Tryna encourages her crab to get to the outer ring first.
2012-09-08: I Won!
Much to her surprise, Tryna's crab came in first and she (and her crab) moved to the winners race. We did our best and came in second - pretty good for novice crab racers!
2012-09-08: New Point Comfort Lighthous
New Point Comfort Lighthouse is the third-oldest light on Chesapeake Bay. $8500 was appropriated in 1801 to build a 63-foot light made of sandstone. Today it surrounded by scaffolding and cranes as they try to stabilize it. Not a good lighthouse photograph but we did enjoy...
2012-09-08: Wind Surfers
...watching the wind surfers and...
2012-09-08: Us
...and taking in the beauty of this area.
2012-09-08: Hudgins
As we came through the hamlet of Hudgins we found this fully restored Standard Oil station. There were no signs telling about the station and it really looked like we could just drive in and fill up! What a great trip back in time.
2012-09-10: Piankatank River
There are waterways all through our campground and wildlife abounds. We saw blue herons fishing and...
2012-09-10: Turtles
...turtles sunning themselves on a log.
2012-09-10: Aquarium
After visiting the Virginia Institute of Marine Service in Gloucester Point Beach we had a better understanding and appreciation of the marine ecosystems of the Chesapeake Bay.
2012-09-10: York River
The clear water of the York River and the white sandy beaches almost made me want to construct a sand castle.
2012-09-10: Coleman Bridge
The Coleman Bridge spans the York River and connects Gloucester Point and Yorktown. We watched this swing bridge open to grant access to a huge Navy vessel.
2012-09-10: Rosewell Plantation
Rosewell, one of colonial America's grandest mansions, was built by the Page family between 1725-1735 and gutted by fire in 1916. The mansion was the centerpiece of a 3000-acre plantation where slaves cultivated tobacco and grain. Today, the four massive chimneys, one wall and a vaulted cellar are now silent witness to the bygone days when Virginia Governor John Page and his school friend Thomas Jefferson spent countless hours together in this very spot.