Things to See and Do in Yorktown

This is the sixth post in a travel series.  In this series, we are headed east starting in Wisconsin and going all the way to Virginia to see the home of George Washington and Colonial Williamsburg.  To start at the beginning, go HERE where  we stop in Indiana to celebrate Easter with my daughter, son-in-law, and our grandchildren.

After spending one full day in Colonial Williamsburg, we wanted to travel the Historical Triangle and see Yorktown and Jamestown too.  If you ever get the chance to visit Colonial Williamsburg, I would really recommend seeing all three places if you can.  They are very close together and there is historical significance in all three locations that will broaden your understanding of early Colonial history and the American Revolution.

The first stop on our visit to Yorktown was the National Historical Park Battlefield.  We have the America the Beautiful pass, so we got in for free.

The park has a nice visitor center where you can watch a movie and learn all about the great battle of Yorktown.

They had a cool ship replica inside the Visitor Center that you could walk inside of.

I can't even imagine getting a good night sleep in that little box.

Once done at the Visitor Center you can do an auto tour of the battlefield site of the last major battle of the Revolutionary War.  There are also park ranger tours you can sign up for.

After our time at the National Historical Site, we left our car at the Visitor Center and got on the free trolley to explore Yorktown.  We really didn't need to use the trolley as Yorktown was not busy at all, so parking wouldn't have been an issue.  But I'm glad we did because the trolley driver gives a narrated tour of the area.  I highly recommend taking a trolley ride just to learn the history of Yorktown;  and besides, the trolley is pretty cute too!

On the Historic Main Street there are lots of cute houses all with historical significance.  Some have been turned into shops/restaurants.  Only the Nelson Home is open for viewing when staffing allows (it wasn't open when we were there), the rest are privately owned.  There were signs in front of some of the homes with either a title or an explanation of the homes history.

Pictured above is Swan Tavern.  It was the most prominent tavern in Yorktown during the 18th century.  It opened for business around 1722.  The tavern closed prior to the Civil War and by 1862 Union forces were storing munitions in the building.  A huge explosion destroyed the building in 1863.  In 1935, the National Park Service reconstructed the tavern and outbuildings to help recreate an important element in Yorktown's Colonial history.

The cute little house below is Dr. Corbin Griffin's Medical Shop.  The Doctor was imprisoned by the British on a ship anchored in the York River.  The original building was destroyed; this is a reconstruction.

Below is the headquarters of "The Fifes and Drums of Yorktown".

The building I am standing in front of below served THE MOST DELICIOUS ICE CREAM I ever had, so if you're ever in Yorktown, stop and get the ice cream!  

It not only serves great ice cream but is famous for being the Somerwell House. It seems to have been constructed between 1700 and 1707, making it the oldest building in Yorktown. 

It's pretty cute inside too!

Unfortunately I couldn't gather information on every single house in Yorktown, but I took pictures of all the cutest ones!

There are some pretty cute private homes in Yorktown too.

I loved the garden of this home.  Their porch is high up on a hill and overlooks the water.  What views it has!

This would be their view.  Amazing right?  This is the York River but it looked more like a lake to me with that beautiful beach. 

There is a fabulous modern shopping/dining district down by the beach, but I have no photos of it for we didn't stop there.  We just saw it from the trolley.  We weren't hungry (after all I just had an ice cream) and I'm not much of a gift shop person.

Across from the beach was this interesting cave.  It turned out to have lots of historical significance.  In October of 1781 French/American forces besieged the British army in Yorktown and bombarded the town with artillery.  Townspeople sought shelter under this bluff and forced the British commander to move his headquarters to the cave.

This impressive, gorgeous building is the Hornsby House Inn.  It was originally built in 1933 for the Hornsby and Bowditch families, but not serves as a luxury bed and breakfast. 

Dudley Diggs house was built in around 1760.  The original home was damaged during the Revolution but was restored in 1960.  Digges was a member of the Virginian Assembly and was captured by the British and held as a prisoner until the war ended.

The Coles Digges house was constructed in the 1730s and is now being used as Mobjack Bay Coffee Roasters Store.  It wasn't open when we were there. 

The Nelson Home is the most famous home in Yorktown.  It was owned by Thomas Nelson Jr., one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.  He was elected governor of Virginia in 1781 and was a commander of the Virginia Militia in the Battle of Yorktown.  The house was damaged during the battle and that damage can still be seen today on the outside of the building.  The Nelson descendants owned the building until 1908.  In 1968 the National Park Service purchased the building and restored it to its original appearance in 1781.

The Custom House was built in 1721 by Yorktown's wealthiest resident.  He served as a collector of import/export taxes.  The Custom House was where goods were stored until taxes were paid.  During the revolution, it was used as a barracks.  It's now owned by The Daughter's of the American Revolution and is open for tours on Sundays.

This old home is now a coffee/restaurant that has both indoor and outdoor dining.  I stopped in for a latte and cookie.  Yea, I know, I had way too much sugar that day!  Anyway, other than taking too long for my order, which was no fault of the staff but rather a group of ladies with some lengthy orders, everything was delicious!

The upstairs dining room was as cute as could be! I love those black and white checkered table cloths. 

You could see the Custom House across the street. 

The outdoor dining consisted of picnic tables under shady trees. 

The two most famous attractions in Yorktown is the American Revolution Museum and the Victory Monument.  Sadly, we did not go to the museum.  At this point on our trip, I was "museumed out".  I just wanted to be outside, enjoying the beautiful weather and this lovely town.  But looking back, I wish we would have gone because it is an AMAZING museum.

We did spend some time at the Victory Monument.  Wow! What a monument this is.  I could never get a photo of it without that bird in it though.  So disrespectful 😀

The Victory Monument commemorates the Battle of Yorktown.  There are many symbols on the monument to illustrate the sentiment "one country, one constitution, one destiny".  Lady Liberty stands at the top with outstretched hands as a wish for growth and prosperity for the nation.  Thirteen female figures are hand in hand beneath her to represent the thirteen original colonies.  Four emblems are on the base of the sculpture representing nationality, war, alliance, and peace.

The Victory monument is 98 feet tall and is constructed in three parts:  A base, sculptured podium, and a column.

 

Before we left the Yorktown area we thought we'd check out one more home recommended by the National Historical Site Visitor Center.  Pictured below is the Moore House.

This home is famous for being the meeting place of Washington and Cornwallis, where the British would negotiate the terms of their surrender. 

There was a family gravesite on the grounds. 

And this cute little barn.  It was a lovely property, but the inside of the building was not open to the public when we were there. 

I really, really, enjoyed our visit to Yorktown.  Perhaps it was because we were in Colonial Williamsburg the day before, where it was more crowded, and arriving in Yorktown the next day it was just so peaceful.  It felt like we had the whole place to ourselves, and I just loved strolling down all the quaint streets.  I'm not sure if it gets busier during peak tourist times.  If I could plan this trip all over again, I'd probably add an extra day just to spend more time in Yorktown;  then I would have to the American Revolution Museum, which is so huge, it needs a lot of time.  I also could have spent more time down by the water, shopping and trying out some of those cool restaurants.  If you have to choose between visiting Yorktown or Jamestown, I would recommend Yorktown.  There is a lot more to do there!  Although, if you have small children, Jamestown might be better because the historic settlement there...which we will talk about next week!  See you then

Have a Great Week and a Happy 4th of July!  Amy

Linking Up with these Fabulous Blogs HERE!

For more information on the Historical Triangle, check out these posts:

The Governor's Palace

The George Wythe House, the Capitol, and More! 

The Courthouse, Raleigh Tavern, and Merchants Square in Colonial Williamsburg

June Blooms In My Garden

My daughter, son-in-law and all my little grand babies are arriving this Friday for a week 4th of July fun, so I thought I'd better write and preschedule some posts before they get here.  Because of that, you get the blessing of actually having my monthly garden updates done on time for a change.  It's also pouring rain outside right now, so I have plenty of extra time to blog.

This year, my peonies were amazing.  I mean, peonies are always amazing, they are a no-brainer, fail-safe plant.  But some years, the weather really does havoc on them.  No matter how well you stake them, a strong storm can completely destroy a peony bush.  This year, Mother Nature was kind to us and left my peonies alone for the most part so we could actually enjoy them a little while longer.  I did get one thunderstorm towards the end of my peony blooming season that did knock them over, but thankfully I got plenty of time to enjoy them before that happened.

Peonies

I have a huge variety of peonies in all different colors, bloom type, and time of blooming.  This white one is a single bloom peony, which I absolutely love.  Just look at the size of those blooms.  Unfortunately, it is growing in the shade so the blooms are getting less and less every year, but it's still blooming.  Originally I did plant it in the sun, but trees got bigger and now it's mostly in full shade.  I'm thinking I should probably move it this fall and I hate to do that because peonies have such a long, extensive root system and are so hard to move.  You can also set the plant back a few years when you move it, and I can't bear the thought of not having any of these gorgeous white blooms next year.

This is the standard pink peony most people have.  I have this beauty all over my yard because it has been moved and divided multiple times.  Hmm, maybe moving a peony bush isn't such a bad idea after all. 😀

Here's another of the same peony in a different location.  I think I made six plants out of one peony bush.

I love this dark, rich, burgundy peony.

And this hot pink peony is my favorite of all...and this one was moved too!  It was on my southern hill but hubby had to rip it out to fix the retaining wall so I moved it to my front yard where it could be a real show piece.  The yellow marigolds in the foreground really go so well with this peony because of its neon colors and yellow centers.

My next peony is also very bright, but not quite as bright as the one above.  It's also getting too much shade and probably needs to be moved to a sunnier spot.  I really love it where it is  because I can see it from my kitchen window. 

Iris

Unlike my peonies, my iris' didn't do as well this year.  I had a few blooms, but nothing like I have had in previous years.  I have no idea why.  I know you need to divide iris every few years to get more blooms, but I don't think that was the issue.

Spireas & Weigela

Everyone keeps telling me the honey bees have disappeared, but I think I found them all in my yard.  I was walking past this bush and heard so much buzzing I had to check it out...it was loaded with honey bees!

I have so many spirea bushes in my yard.  I love the white one above, but the rest are a nuisance to me.  They are beautiful bushes, but they reseed everywhere.  I am constantly pulling out unwanted bushes.

I bought this Weigela bush last year and couldn't be more pleased.  First of all, the deer do not touch it, unlike a Viburnum bush I purchased at the same time.  I have to cover the Viburnum bush with deer netting to keep the deer from devouring it.  Secondly, just look at those blooms!  Gorgeous! And when the bush is not in bloom I still have that beautiful burgundy foliage to contrast against all the green in my yard.  I can't wait to see this bush get bigger.

Spring Bulbs & Perennials

I love Allium bulbs!  They are so beautiful, and deer resistant.  I saw some Alliums blooming on the other side of my fence line and I couldn't believe it.  I always toss my garden waste over my fence and into the woods.  There must have been some Allium bulbs in there.  I find it amazing that they planted themselves and bloomed on their own in the woods with no help from me.

Dames Rocket is a natural perennial you will find growing along the roadside in the spring.  I planted some seed in my garden and it has been sprouting up everywhere since.  It grows in the woods on the other side of my fence too.

My perennial Geraniums are getting crowded out.  I have these in bloom and white, but their blooms are getting less and less because they don't have enough space.  I really need to give them more room.  It's just getting hard because when you've been gardening for over 27 years in the same spot, things really get big and start to take over.  I'm running out of room; and no, I don't want to start a new garden bed.  I have enough already. 😁

Goatsbeard.  After I took this photo I saw a huge weed in the center.  Can you spot it?  Don't worry, I have pulled that baby out since the photo was taken.  It's amazing how camouflaged it was.

Columbine with yellow iris in the background.  Usually deer eat the Columbine before I can enjoy it.  We've actually had very little issues with deer this year compared to previous years. 🤞I'm wondering if a hunter got them last fall.  

Loosestrife, growing in deep shade...isn't that amazing?  So few things grow in deep shade.

Astilbe.  This is another plant I rarely get to enjoy because the deer like it to much.  Thankfully, I got to enjoy it this year.  Perennial Bachelor Buttons are behind the Astilbe.

Yellow Primrose, also being overcrowded by day lilies, Asiatic lilies, and Lamium, but it appears to be doing well in spite of the crowded conditions.

Landscape Photos

Last month I didn't show you any far away shots because my yard was such a mess due to a construction project.  The construction is still going on, but I can show you some parts of the yard.  I never feel landscape photos do my garden posts justice.  There never looks like there is any color, and even though this is a very green time of year, I can assure you there is a lot in bloom right now too, you just can't see it when you pull the camera back.  But the lush green looks gorgeous in the landscape photos too.

You can see some of the construction in the photo below.  Hubby's putting in a new staircase and retaining walls.  We also started a blueberry garden right in the center, but haven't had time to edge it and landscape it with rocks.

And before I leave I have to show you my new sign!  There is a story behind this sign.  When we bought our house 27 years ago, my husband built this little garden at the end of our driveway with the intention of putting a sign here.  Well, for one reason or another, we never got around to getting a sign up.  So this past Christmas I surprised him with a custom made sign from RealSteel.  Hubby made the white wood sign, and then adhered the steel name sign to it.  It has the date we purchased our home on it too, but you can't see it in the photo because the hosta is covering it.  Next spring, I'm gonna dig that hosta out of there so everyone can see the date.

 I hope you enjoyed my June Garden Tour. 

 Have a Happy 4th of July!  Amy

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