From the Outer Banks to the Historic Triangle

Thursday 03.06. - Kill Devil Hills-Williamsburg

After an oatmeal breakfast, we drive to the mainland and north. For the first time in my life, I drive through a bridge tunnel. At first, you drive over a bridge, which after a certain time becomes a tunnel and leads under the Chesapeake Bay and back onto land on the other side.

During our drive on the highway, we suddenly pass a warning sign with the notice "Inmates working." I think to myself: Inmates? What does that mean? Shortly afterwards, we pass a group of three prisoners in film-like black and white striped uniforms, who were being guarded by armed police officers in uniform and were picking up trash on the side of the road. It was creepy. Especially because of the warning sign. They could have just written "People working," because the danger was probably not that we ourselves would be in danger because there were inmates collecting garbage, but rather that we wouldn't run them over. And then there are these clothes, which they probably don't even wear in prison. Creepy experience.

We are now in the "Historic Triangle", which consists of the three places Jamestown, Yorktown, and Williamsburg, and was also the scene of the war-like battles between Americans/French on one side and English on the other.

Many of the battlefields are located here, and from now on we will delve deep into American history. From here, the vacation becomes an educational trip.

In this area, a total of 16,000 Americans and allied French soldiers faced only 8,000 English soldiers in 1781, who surrendered after 3 weeks.

The Battle of Yorktown is crowned with the victory of the French-American troops (under Comte de Rochambeau and George Washington), who defeated the British here during the American Revolutionary War in 1781. As a result of this lost battle, Great Britain recognized the independence of the former British colonies.

The small town of Yorktown is great. First, we wander through the former battlefield on the outskirts of town and take photos of cannons. Then we take a short walk into the town, which is car-free and consists exclusively of old houses from the past centuries. We see the victory column, whose sculpture lost its head and arms in a thunderstorm and now has a lightning rod on its head.

The houses on Main Street are made of stone and really beautiful. There is an old cemetery, a small shop (I buy 3 wooden lighthouses, two of which we saw on the Outer Banks), and a cute restaurant. We settle down in the latter and have very delicious food. Why always use plastic plates?? Even Gitta's soda glass is a cheap plastic mug that you can get as a toothbrush cup in any hotel.

The battle for Yorktown is also called the German Battle because a large part of the soldiers were Germans - from Hesse and Bayreuth, among others. They faced a French combat unit, which also had a similar number of Germans in its ranks.

It is well known that many German immigrants served in von Steuben's division.

After returning to the car, we drive around the city again and then continue to Jamestown.

It is already almost 3:30 pm and it is sweltering. We buy tickets for $14 for Jamestown Settlement. It is a well-made open air museum with a replica of the first fort of the first British settlers and a village of the Pohawtaks.

Actually, the Pohawtaks were not a tribe but had a chief named Pohawtak who commanded 32 tribes. There are original replica sailing ships by the water, which can also be visited inside. 71 people on such a ship - crossing the Atlantic? For weeks? Unbelievable?

We wander through the area and into the main building, where we spend another (air-conditioned!) quarter of an hour learning about all sorts of historical things.

Also about Pocahontas, who was the daughter of Pohawk and married a Briton. She even visited England and the Queen at the age of 21. She lived in Virginia at the fort among the English. She had a son but died shortly after leaving England on the return journey by ship, possibly from an illness, maybe the plague.

Feeling educated, we want to go directly to Jamestown (this was Jamestown Settlement, an open-air museum). But the entrance to the town is blocked by a barrier. We still drive through it, but can only go through a forest and don't see the town. It can only be visited with another admission fee and since it is already 5:30 pm, everything has been closed for 30 minutes.

So we continue to Williamsburg and enjoy beautiful old houses and villas, well-maintained gardens and lawns. We walk through the town, but 80% of the stores are already closed.

In Williamsburg is the oldest university in the USA, and the Wren House is probably the oldest university building. We stroll through the small, historic university campus.

In the pedestrian zone, we get an ice cream cone and observe some Amish. The family appears collectively, the girls all wearing long skirts and long hair under caps.

We got a little lost while looking for hotels because Route 5 starts four times in Williamsburg. But we quickly find a Quality Inn that only costs $58 and includes breakfast and free parking.

At just after 8:00 pm, we go to the outlet mall, which closes at 9:00 pm. Gitta buys out Burberry, and I buy nothing. At 9:50 pm, we watch the newly released movie "Sex and the City 2" in a nearly empty theater. It's not really my thing since I don't know the series. It probably helps to follow the story and appreciate it to some extent.