Saturday was our day to return to visiting historical sites and visit Jamestown. The Colonial Parkway, linking Williamsburg with Jamestown and Yorktown, is the scenic way to get there. The Colonial Parkway was completed in 1957 to mark Jamestown's 350th anniversary. It's designed for pleasure driving and is an unusual road in many respects: three unmarked lanes (the center for passing) with a concrete/gravel mix surface rather than tarmac that results in a light tan color and a buzzing sound as you drive it. It's also one of the few roads in the USA to have distances marked in kilometers.  The drive leaves Williamsburg via a tunnel under the Historic Area and then heads straight for the shoreline, following it to Jamestown. The Parkway has several scenic pull-offs along the way with interpretive signs and labels. ("Neck O'Land" is my favorite of these.) After 10 miles (17 km) the Parkway ends at a fork in the road. To the left is Historic Jamestowne, a National Historic Site and the site of the 1607 Jamestown colony.  To the right is the Jamestown Settlement with its museum and living history displays.

We planned to visit the Jamestown Settlement to see the new and revised exhibits installed for the 400th anniversary of Jamestown's founding in 1607. What is Jamestown, Virginia, you wonder. On 14 May 1607, an expedition from England landed right here and founded what was to become the first permanent English-speaking settlement in North America. The settlement, initially led by Captain John Smith, was founded by the Virginia Company of London as a commercial enterprise. Eventually, the settlement grew and evolved into the Virginia Colony with the first representative government in the Americas. Wrapped up in this story are the encounter with members of the Native American Pamunkey people (including Pocahontas) who were already living in the vicinity, the search for a money-making crop that led to tobacco farming, and the first African slaves, brought by Dutch slave traders in 1619.

The Jamestown Settlement museum began in 1957 as Jamestown Festival Park. It has been greatly expanded and augmented. I would venture to say that you gain a better understanding of Jamestown and the Virginia Colony and their significance in United States history (and place in world history) here than you do by visiting the remains of the actual site. 

Susan and I wanted to tour the museum displays and especially to see the temporary exhibit "The World of 1607." This was a most fascinating exhibit. It put the founding of Jamestown in a global context, bringing together world events ranging from the Ottoman Empire expansion and the Time of Troubles in Russia to scientific exchange between the Islamic world and Europe and the development of navigational tools to European trade with sub-Saharan Africa.

From there, we went through the main exhibits that examine the three cultures that came together in Virginia in the 17th century: Native American, English, and African. Presently, dd called us. She and bf had gone on the by themselves and they were ready to see the village and fort living history areas. So, we met up at the outside courtyard and walked on to the Powhatan village. Pamunkey reenactors were demonstrating making clothing from deerskin amid the replica yehakin dwellings and fire circles. Further down the path was the replica of Jamestown Fort and the famous three ships. There have been several replicas made of Susan Constant, Discovery, and Godspeed, the three ships that brought the Virginia Company explorers to this spot. Visitors are often surprised by the size of the ships. They are very small for what you imagine was needed for sailing across the Atlantic. You hear comments like: "Why didn't they build them full size?" "They don't look like pirate ships you see in movies."  But, they are indeed full size replicas. Jamestown Fort is a replica of the stockade settlement. You learn that it is similar in triangular design to English outposts of the period built in Ireland. Several reenactors were on hand to tell of their clothing and weapons. Naturally, I had to take many photos at all these locations. On they way back, I stopped again at the Powhatan village. A group of chickens was making a commotion and a Pamunkey reenactor complained to me that the "English chickens" had come again from Jamestown to eat up their corn. (She also explained that in reality, the nearest village had been quite some distance from Jamestown.)

Meeting up back at the car, it was 12:30 and time to proceed across the James River for lunch in Surry. We soon were on board the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, always a pleasant mini-cruise. The ferry goes right by Historic Jamestowne, the National Park Service site.  We could easily see the statue of Captain John Smith, the monument from 1907, and the ruins of Jamestown church located there.

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The Jamestown-Scotland Ferry connects historic Jamestown, Virginia, and all of Virginia’s "Historic Triangle" (Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown) with Surry County across the James River. The ferry is the only James River crossing in the Williamsburg area. The ferry is used by commuters and commercial traffic, but is a very enjoyable ride for the visitor to Williamsburg and Jamestown. The 20 minute ferry rides takes you from historic Jamestown to Scotland in rural Surry County. From the ferry, you'll see the original 1607 Jamestown site at Historic Jamestowne (National Historic Park) and the three replica 17th century sailing ships on display at Jamestown Settlement. In Surry County, you can see historic sites at Bacon's Castle, Smith's Fort Plantation, and Chippokes Plantation and State Park. The Surry House Restaurant is right on the way to these destinations. We enjoy taking a ferry ride over for lunch there when we’re in the Williamsburg area. The ferry is operated by the Virginia Department of Transportation and is free to ride. The scenic Colonial Parkway is an easy way to get from Williamsburg to Jamestown and the ferry.

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Well, I drove out to Jamestown today to take some pictures and walk around and get some fresh air. I went to the Jamestown Settlement Museum in Jamestown where they have some pretty cool exhibits, they have a reconstruction of the original Fort Jamestown with guards who stand duty in colonial clothing, and they have some ships on the water that you can tour. They are the Susan Constant, Discovery, and the Godspeed which were the 3 ships that left England in 1606 and arrived here in Jamestown on 1607 to found the first "New World" settlement. An interesting thing about the museum is that you are NOT allowed to take pictures inside. They said it is for copyright reasons, I'm not sure really. I did get to see the "First Folio" compilation of the writings of William Shakespeare which was published in 1623 (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Folio) which is not something you see everyday and according to the security guard, it is getting returned to the original owner in a couple weeks to make room for a Russian exhibit. Anyway, my original goal of going was to add to my photography collection so I took lots of pictures and even though it was freezing cold, I had a good time :)

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If you are interested in US History or History in general and you are in Virginia make sure to visit these sights. They are close to each other and you can purchase a combined ticket, which will save you admission for one of the two (Jamestown and Yorktown). In Jamestown, which was the first British settlement in the "New World" you can see a rebuild powhatan village and also a reproduction of the Jamestown settlement. There are people walking around in historical clothes, who also act. There's a blacksmith for example or an indian woman. You can also see reproductions of the Mayflower and other ships, the settlers used. In Yorktown, where the Revolutionary War against Great Britain was won, you can visit a museum and also a reproduction of a battlefield camp. Again there's actors willing to tell you about the Revolutionary War. Williamsburg is a whole city rebuild. There's horse carriages on the road and even stocks you can put your relatives in *g*. Stores and restaurants are also kept historic. All sites are very nice and fun to look at. You can see and feel that everyone there is excited about what they are doing and about bringing history alive! Of course there's also your usual gift shops etc.

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