American Heritage RV Park (The Beginning of Achy Feet)

 The Beginning of Achy Feet

American Heritage RV Park (Tuesday, 6/22/21- Sunday, 6/27/21)

One reason that makes this RV trip even more spectacular is that the kids can see, experience and ponder what they have been studying in school this year from their early American history course. This is why we chose to go up the east coast in the first place. It began with the trip to colonial Williamsburg (of coarse this came before a two day trip with hikes, including a steep one to and back from a waterfall, and then two tours at Monticello, but no one complained yet of their feet). We found American Heritage RV Park, which was right in the middle of 3 historic places: Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg. The kids and I tackled the triad in three consecutive days. 

I was able to get a homeschool discount for both Yorktown and Jamestown when booked together at the museums. Both are set up in the same way: There was a museum with plaques and quotes, timelines, movies, and artifacts. The outside portion was supposed to transport you to the time and place with people pretending to be and doing things from that piece of history. 

On Wednesday, we went to the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown. We headed right outside to the Continental Army encampment first because there was about to be a musket demonstration.

We saw the tents of the soldiers that looked like it should fit 2 people inside. We learned at the "kitchen" later that 6 fit inside a tent which was called a "mess." He told us that one person from the tent would come with their one pot and fill it with water, a piece of tough meat, and some beans for their whole tent or mess. They would let it cook until midday and have their dinner. Then if their was any leftovers, they would eat that cold for their supper.

The cook changed his clothes and switched with someone else to become a soldier and had a musket demonstration. It was a lot louder than I anticipated. He explained that a soldier had three main weapons: a musket, a bayonet and intimidation. There were no pain killers or antibiotics at the time of Yorktown so the sound of war and war cries and pain would get the enemy to run away. One way to win a battle is to get the enemy to run away.

Beyond the tents, we went to check out the town kitchen, a garden, drying house full of dried tobacco leaves and a farm with chickens and a cat named Beau, short for General Rochambeau. After listening to a few actors, we went into the inside of the museum. There was an interactive computer table where the boys enjoyed having battles together. There was a life-sized touch screen where you could learn about the lives of individual people during that time. You could also walk through so many rooms to discover many things such as find a copy of the Declaration of Independence, a map of all the battles in the Revolutionary War, and a video if the reenactment of the Battle of Yorktown.

At 4:30, we walked all the way back down a long corridor to go outside and see the cannon demonstration. After a big boom, we headed all the way back to the entrance to check out the gift shop. The kids enjoyed reading the books on the floor, and I love that. After some inquiring about the area, we headed toward the Colonial NHP - Yorktown Battlefield, the place where the battle took place. It was closed. Honestly, the kids and I were just fine about that since our feet were aching from all of the day's walking. While driving by Lafayette Street on the way home,  I said out loud, "One of my favorite characters during this time is Lafayette." What I had gathered though this museum, text books and going to Monticello is that he seemed like a great guy full of integrity, bravery and also a very good friend.

The kids and I headed to Jamestown Museum on Thursday, which was the same size as the Yorktown Museum. We watched an introduction to the Jamestown Settlement, saw a gallery dedicated to American Indians and then several other galleries on the Powhatan, Bacon's Rebellion and slavery. Next we headed outside to check out the living James Fort.

At 4:30 we were able to see a bow and arrow vs. a musket demonstration. The Indian was really good at hitting his bullseye. He explained that it took years and years to learn how to be an expert at the bow and arrow.  I was reminded that the Europeans had bows and arrows like this at the time of Robin Hood. They said that these Indians were experts at the bow and arrow, and they knew what they were talking about. The kids and I learned that if you ever get hit with an arrow, don't pull it out, and try not to move it while you are needing to hide before you get shot with more arrows.

I learned that if the musket hits someone anywhere on the person, the shock wave would kill a person anywhere it hit even if it hit a knee because there was about 800 pounds of pressure.

After the demonstration, we quickly went and explored the replicas of the Discovery, the Susan Constant, and the Godspeed as they were closing. On the way back, we went through the Powhatan Indian Village, saw the Indian from earlier making arrows, checked out the gift shop, and left. We were glad to be back in the car to be able to let our feet rest after all of our day's walking. I asked Jordan what her favorite place was and she said the blacksmith. She loved that he was making nails right before her eyes.

On Friday, we woke up early to go to the largest outdoor living museum. There is so much to see and do that it is recommended to do Williamsburg in 3 days, but it was expensive for just 1 day, and we didn't have 3 days to explore it.

There are about 120 buildings that are at the site, but not all of them are open every day. At the Visitor's Center they have two 3-D maps of the colonial town of Williamsburg and a fountain that the kids liked. We took a shuttle bus that took us to the Capitol, where there was a big painting of King George III. This was where a law could become temporarily approved until it was sent oversees and approved or disapproved by the king and then sent back oversees to let the colony know whether they could or could not do that thing. Wow, such a long process! The tour guide tried to give an example. She picked Jordan to agree with her to have free ice-cream on Tuesdays. She said, "No." Ha, that wasn't like her! She picked someone else for the demo, but later came back and asked Jordan why she said no. Jordan said, "I want free ice-cream on Fridays!" Everyone laughed. It was Friday.

We discovered at the Capitol that the time here at the museum was right around the beginning of American Revolution. We saw some people out in costume walking around and some people taking horse and carriage rides, which were sold out until July. We popped in and out of different buildings, like the kitchen where they were making soup, the cobbler's, the tin maker's, and the blacksmith's (Jordan's favorite again).

Then we took a shuttle back to the biggest event of the day at Charlton's Coffeehouse and Stage. It was one of the outdoor theaters and was entitled "Marquis Lafayette." I was super excited! We got there too late to get front and center, but we got the shade! The actor came on the stage and right away I knew that he was excellent. He had such enthusiasm and was very engaging as he told his whole story with a French accent. He could speak French fluently! He was in his General costume with a red plume above his head. Later, I asked him to tell me what his motive was. "Freedom?" Then he said, no, "liberty, which includes freedom." I was so excited to be talking to him that I didn't hear the rest of his answer to what liberty is. I should have asked him to repeat it while I video taped him. What exactly is liberty anyway? I am sure I knew for tests over the years and rattled off answers to the kids as they said the pledge. But really, what is it?

We continued our exploration and walked and walked and walked, and as we walked between places and events I pulled out sandwiches and snacks for us to eat.

At 1:30 there was an event at the Art Museum — Martha Washington — and then later a craft for the kids. We got there a few minutes before it started and they informed me that due to Covid they only had a hundred spots and it was all full. Disappointment! Covid strikes again. So we checked out the museum.

The kids did a scavenger hunt throughout the museum and galleries for a button pin. We came across a painting of Lafayette, and behold, it looked just like the actor! I wonder if he has a hard time thinking that he is not Lafayette.

Next we headed downstairs to watch a silversmith work, which was dull, but the kids enjoyed sitting on the floor. In fact Jordan and Caleb had such achy feet that they laid down on the bench while Asher and I explored the bottom floor. With some prodding, we were able to set out again outside and see the First Baptist church Archeology site. They were still at their beginnings with it, but we could see 2 foundations, the second being the carriage house where the congregation first met.

While we walked, there was one of the carriage horses out in the grass and kids were able to go and pet it. We toured the Governor's palace, where you are met with hundreds of swords and many bayonets in the parlor.

We needed to hurry and get to the shuttle to see 'Joy in the Morning' on stage. The actors were supposed to be slaves during this time and place. They came together to encourage one another and sing praises to God. During the event, they started to sing 'Amazing Grace' and one man became extremely angry. He said that John Newton wrote the song as he was the captain of a slave ship.  I was disgusted and I was not going to be able to sing this song again without thinking of this. Once I got home, I looked it up, and he did have a slave business, but slowly a transformation happened and by the time he was old he was an abolitionist! Look what grace did to his heart! What a transformation, even though it was slow. Amen! The angry man had a right to be angry since the sanctification occurred after the time the actors in the show were portraying.

After the show we went back to the visitor's center and checked out the metal maps again. The gift shop was closed, so we left with our achy, achy feet. There may or may not have been a good amount of complaining today, but never from Asher; I am so proud of him for that.

When we got home I needed a break and took Fiji on a very slow walk while I talked to my mom. Once I got back, Michael was off of work and ready... for a walk. He was so excited about showing me the nice trails, and so we walked. I wish I could say that I enjoyed it. For his sake I wanted to so badly, he had been sitting all day for the last three days off of his feet. I enjoyed getting back and getting off of my achy, achy feet.

I am glad that we did not plan on going to Williamsburg on Saturday, because it rained and we needed a day to clean and hanging out doing various projects in the RV. 

We left on Sunday, and as Michael took a left onto a road I saw a piece of metal. Was it even ours? I went back and got it. It turns out that after some investigation on Google, calling service people and spending time underneath the RV, it is in fact our piece of metal. A bracket from our rear sway bar broke off, and I can't find anyone that has this part in sock. Thankfully, we can still drive, though  Michael has to take it extra slow on the turns and hills up to Washington DC, Philadelphia, New York and then Boston (such big, nice and walkable cities).