The second leg of our Historic Triangle trip was to visit Yorktown, and Jamestown. Our schedule forced us to have to see both of these in one day; spending half the day at one, and half at the other. While you can certainly see what you want in a just a few hours at each place; if time would have allowed, we could have easily spent a day at each one though. I’m further behind in writing part 2 than I had planned, so please go back and refresh yourself with part 1 by clicking here.
We decided to visit Yorktown first, and go to the battlefield. As we were on a schedule, we didn’t get to walk around or explore the town of Yorktown. Our time was dedicated to the battlefield, and seeing the Victory Monument. We first watched a short film at the Visitor’s Center that gave an overview of the battle, and then we took the Ranger led walking tour. I highly recommend taking the walking tour before you begin the driving tour. Our tour guide was knowledgeable, friendly, and answered all questions. After the tour, we walked through the museum, had a stop at the gift shop, and then headed out to begin the driving tour.
The driving tour is easy to follow, and you can really spend as much time here as you want. Each stop has literature to read, and you get the chance to walk back in time. It’s quite something to walk in the steps of the early Patriots of the United States; especially those steps of George Washington. I always feel humbled, and emotional when I visit battlefields. This one is such an important (maybe the most important) battlefield from the Revolutionary War, and I could feel that as I read the information at each stop.
After our visit to Yorktown Battlefield, and Yorktown Victory Monument, it was time to head to Jamestown. This was the second part of our day, and again the schedule was tight. We took our own tour, and walked around the settlement, reading the information they have at each stop. Sadly, due to time, we didn’t get to visit the museum; which I’m sure is great. They also have a live history talk with John Rolfe (the man who married Pocahontas) that I wanted to hear, but time didn’t allow. This is another place we could have easily spent the whole day, and not just a few hours.
Historic Jamestown is a beautiful place to stroll. The grounds are well kept, and it’s right on the water with nice views. It wasn’t crowded on our visit, which made it quite enjoyable, and peaceful. At times, I felt like we were the only ones there. As we were walking around the grounds where the homes of the settlement had been, there are some woods off the the side; and what do the boys spot in the woods….a HUGE tree that had been blown over, roots, and all. The nomad kiddos love to climb trees, and they couldn’t resist having some fun on this one. In fact, the tree climbing was Ethan’s favorite part of the whole trip. He enjoys history, but not as much as he enjoys being in the trees.
I took a poll from each of the Nomads to see what their favorite part of the Historic Triangle was. Two votes were for Colonial Williamsburg, two votes were for Historic Jamestown, and one vote was for Yorktown Battlefield. All five of us agreed that the whole trip was fun, and definitely worth the visit. In fact, we would visit again if we were in the area, and our schedule allowed it.
I could not wrap up our Historic Triangle experience without giving a GREAT, BIG THANK YOU to my parents for taking us on this getaway. We had such a fabulous time with them, and will cherish the memories forever.
Quick note that might be of help as you plan a trip to the Historic Triangle. As I mentioned in part 1, planning was a bit confusing to me. Historic Jamestown, and Yorktown Battlefield are both run by the NPS. If you are a National Park pass holder, entrance is free for both of these places. If you are not a pass holder, admission is $14 for a 7 day pass that allows you entrance into both places; 15 years old, and under are free. I point this out because there is the Jamestown Settlement, and Yorktown Victory Center that are in the area, too. I’m not sure if they are privately owned or ran by the state. However, the admission is quite a bit more. A combination ticket is $21 for anyone 13 years old, and up; youth 6-12 years old are $10.50.
