Yorktown and Jamestown with Cousin Jon

Norfolk/Portsmouth was gearing up for its annual Harbor Fest to be held all weekend long. Even though it would have been, well, festive, we knew it would also be crowded with people both on the water and in town.  And we were so hot and sticky that we decided we'd better make an early morning exit.  The day before, the tall ships had begun arriving and we got to speak with a crew member on one from Connecticut that was a replica of a ship that had brought immigrants from Sweden, which he wryly noted did not get the same press as the Mayflower.

Tall ship, Norfolk

The wind was non-existent, so we were disappointed that we could not sail.  We motored to the York River and found a calm anchorage in Sarah Creek adjacent to the York River Yacht Haven (I like that name).  It indeed was a haven for us because for a mere two dollars, we took glorious showers.  But the best part is that my cousin Jon from Richmond drove over an hour to join us for dinner at the marina.  The weather gods had mercy upon us and cooled things off enough so that we could enjoy our meal outside on the deck, which for me was shrimp, mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, hush puppies and a North Carolina beer to wash it down.  Oh, and fried green tomatoes as an appetizer.  All delish.

L and D

As we dined and enjoyed catching up on our lives, dark clouds appeared and the wind picked up.  Jon counted the seconds between lightning flashes and thunder booms - ten seconds - but it was moving our way.  We finished eating and decided we'd better get back to the boat to batten down the hatches, so to speak.  After making plans for Saturday, we rowed back to Wayward Wind in the dinghy and then called Jon to let him know that we made it unscathed.  Moments later, the rain came.  Cool, refreshing rain.  Dave and I sat up in the cockpit and played gin rummy while the rain and gentle breeze made spending time outdoors bearable again.  I think it is the first time my skin has been really dry in a week.

Yorktown Battlefield Monument

This morning Jon picked us up and we drove to the Yorktown Battlefield and Visitors Center.  It was really something to be standing on the same ground where Lord Cornwallis and the British troops thought they were going to defeat Generals Washington's and Lafayette's troops, the earthen berms formed by their hands still there.  Think again, Corny!

Jon, Dave, Linda

We then went to Jamestown and visited the site of the first settlement in America.  Three excavation projects were is progress - one looking for early Jamestown church remnants and one for civil war remnants.  The Archaearium is a museum displaying excavated artifacts and exhibits about Jamestown that had a fascinating exhibit of the process of making assumptions as to the life and death of a young fellow based on clues from his skeleton and gravesite.

Linda, Dave, Jon and Pocahontas

At lunch time, we got turned around but, as luck would have it, we stumbled onto a strip mall with what looked like an atypcally dull Indian restaurant.  We all love Indian food so thought we'd try it.  We walked through the beige door into a colorful Indian world with a huge buffet.  Everything was tasty right down to the rice pudding.  Ethnic food has been lacking along the ICW, so this was a welcome surprise.  All in all, a wonderful day with our cuz.

Cousins