People ask me all the time what to see in Williamsburg while they’re here on vacation. It depends on how much time you have, but here’s my list of Top Ten Things. It includes in parenthesis the ranking for the attraction or activity on Trip Advisor. This list correlates to
The York River took an eerie sky and temperatures fell slightly on the open water, compared to land. The best line of the day came from an 11-year-old whose mother asked sweetly if she could see the eclipse with her special solar glasses. “Yes, Mom, it’s ALL I can see
Two wonderful ladies with exciting jobs went sailing on a serene afternoon along the York River. Chanda Ings celebrated her partner Janell Smith-Ings’ birthday, and Janell took it well. “Hooray, I’m 40!” she exclaimed from the bow. Janelle teaches dance for the Governor’s School in Norfolk and is an adjunct
Sometimes the conversation tops the sailing. Such was the case with Chris and Cheryl Wolf of Jacksonville, recently of Philadelphia. We set sail along the York River on a sunny morning of rising winds that eventually died down. As we got to talking about backgrounds, Chris said, “I was
In 1777, Johann Conrad Döhla journeyed from present-day Germany to fight alongside the British Army during the American War for Independence. He was one of the about 20,000 German-speaking troops, collectively referred to as “Hessians,” hired by King George III to help defeat the American Revolutionaries. Döhla fought from New
If the wind is right, you can sail under the Coleman Bridge. While proceeding out Sarah Creek into the York River, a fellow asked if we could do just that. I was puzzled since the bridge was barely in view. Then he explained. “I was the chief bridge inspector on
Before Yorktown, Lord Earl Cornwallis was quite the warrior. So was Francis Marion, who earned the moniker the “Swamp Fox” for his exploits in South Carolina. Journalist John Oller debunks numerous myths in a new biography, “Swamp Fox: How Francis Marion Saved the American Revolution.” In this extract, Cornwallis’s lieutenant Banastre Tarleton and Marion
Even as the sailing season continues to rev up, osprey season is winding down. They arrive in May to build their nests in one week. They have their fledglings in June and teach them to fly and fish in July. By August, they’re out of here on the way to
Women played divergent roles in the American Revolution. The new Museum of the American Revolutionary War at Yorktown conveys life among the female camp followers. In a new book, “Revolutionary Conceptions: Women, Fertility and Family Limitation in America, 1760-1820,” historian Susan Klepp asserts that procreation is power. –Courtesy of the
She’s sitting on the rail, which is always precarious. The rail is better than the lifelines, which move, but it’s still a terrible idea. Hence, her center of gravity is too high. In fact, they both belong back in the cockpit where things are safer. She’s holding the dog
