Virginia - Historical Sites October 21 - 27

Jamestown was our last spot to visit before leaving Virginia (today, October 27). The visitor's center there is arguably more elaborate than the new Gettysburg Center. Amazing. We took off for North Carolina about 3 pm and drove 7 hours (going west for the first time in months).

Williamsburg was our visitation site today (Oct 26) (plus the outlet stores there). Marie has never been here so we enjoyed walking the streets and visiting their wonderful Visitors' Center.



It is now Oct 25 and we are enjoying this eastern area of Virginia. We toured Yorktown yesterday and have an easy lounging day today. Tomorrow we will go to Williamsburg and Jamestown.
This river shot is looking out the window of our restaurant booth where we had lunch in Yorktown:
After all the exploration (Oct 22) of battlegrounds around Fredericksburg, we drove about 200 miles to the Chesapeake area - camping right on an extension of the Chesapeake Bay - the Piankatank River - in a gorgeous Thousand Trail preserve. We will stay here 4 or 5 days and explore Williamsburg, Jamestown, etc. In this next photo, you can see us at the little car in the middle (at the end of the torquise line) (click photo for an enlarged version)
This map shot is taken from our GPS localizing system. Our camp site is at the lower end of the torquise line (there is a faint blue car representing our rig). We are camped overlooking the Piankatank River. It was so delightful (and free via Thousand Trails membership) that we stayed 5 days.

This is the Piankatank River as seen from our RV (the site is at the end of the torquise line above):
Wednseday, Oct 22 was another civil war exploration day. We hiked around the woods at Chancellorsville and better understood this disastrous spot (for the Union army) and my relative (Fighting Joe Hooker). It was his only battle as full general (1863) and Lincoln replaced him quickly. It also is well known as being the spot where Stonewall Jackson was accidentally shot by his own men. He died a few days later.
The trenches dug by the rebels go for miles through the woods. They are still readily visible.
A year later, Grant used similar strategy to Hooker's and that battle brought 26,000 casualties (182,000 men fighting). There is no way to imagine what that was like in these woods.

Next we went on about 10 miles to Fredericksburg and saw the very famous "sunken road" where there was another loss by the Union. 18,000 men died at this site in a three day time. Unbelieveable!
Imagine this road filled with bodies and blood.
In a two year period, over 600,000 men fought within a 15 mile radius.
Today (Oct 21) we visited Monticello and drove around Charlottesville. We had never been to Monticello and it is fascinating and enriches our current read of " The Hemingses of Monticello" (with the truth about Jefferson and his fathering 7 children by the slave Sally Hemings). We ate at a 240 year old Tavern (Michie's Tavern)The view from the hill is gorgeous.