Virginia Beach Visit with Aaron and Kara

Danny and I arrived in Virginia Beach on Friday evening, May 13th, and we spent the weekend with Aaron and Kara Shaner. Aaron spent two summers with us as he served as the summer youth minister intern at our congregation. They were great hosts and we thoroughly enjoyed our time together!











Saturday the four of us went to Colonial Williamsburg! The following photos are the great places we toured and saw while there.




















Visitor's Center where we watched a film about events that led up to the Revolutionary War.

This plaque was inlaid in the walkway/bridge that led into Colonial Williamsburg.

One of the highlights was attending "A Conversation with Patrick Henry" where the events that led up to the Revolutionary War was explained from his perspective. That hour flew by and we so enjoyed hearing the actor speak as though he truly was Patrick Henry. Here we are standing with him.

Danny touring one of the museums.

Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry and George Washington all attended this church.

The historic church cemetery.

Danny, Kara and Aaron inside the church.

The four of us standing on the lawn in front of the Governor's Palace. Great tour! A surprise to us was the numerous weapons on display in the entry hall--- meant to intimidate any visitors.

The back of the palace was prettier than the front because of the formal gardens.

Governor's Palace Garden

Next we toured the Courthouse where missing church services was considered a crime.

Guess we didn't pay our taxes!

One of the shops on the main street.

A lodge where citizens met to discuss events.

More buildings on the main street.

A residence in Colonial Williamsburg.

The Capitol Building at the end of the main street. Our tour guide explained how laws were made and the challenges that were before the Founding Fathers of our country. As today, there were disagreements as to how to resolve the issues before them.

At the end of the day, we were able to see the Drums and Fife parade.

On Sunday, Danny and I worshipped with Aaron and Kara at Bayside Church of Christ. We were excited to renew a friendship with our long ago friends, Leonard and Gail Reaves who also worship there at Bayside. Here's a photo of the four of us.

Sunday afternoon, we headed to the Hampton Roads Naval Museum in Norfolk, Virginia for a tour.

Here's Danny checking out the displays in the museum.

Isn't this an interesting shot of The Wisconsin Battleship that is anchored just outside of the Naval Museum? Great afternoon!

That evening, we had fun visiting with Aaron and Kara and playing games together. Then off to bed we all went since we were leaving early the next day for Myrtle Beach, SC, and they had to return to work.

Museum of The Confederacy and The Confederate White House

Friday, May 13th. found us headed to Richmond, Virginia to explore. On the way there, I received a call from a real estate client who wanted to place an offer on a property we had toured the previous week. Danny and I spent the morning in a Richmond Public Library online writing up the offer and sending it to my client for approval and on to the listing agent. Unfortunately, the offer wasn't accepted, so the morning was basically a waste of time.

Around 1:00 PM we grabbed a quick lunch and then proceeded to drive around in Richmond looking at monuments. We weren't able to see much as it was raining and very overcast. Here a photo of the Robert E. Lee monument taken from inside our car as we passed by.

Finally around 2:30 we located the Museum of the Confederacy in the very crowded downtown area. After parking and walking in the rain to the museum, we only had a couple of hours to tour the museum and the White House of the Confederacy, but that didn't stop us from thoroughly enjoying our tours.

Confederate White House - 8,000 Sq. Ft.



Our guide through the White House was superb and really made history come alive! We could have spent a lot more time exploring the museum, but they ran us out at 5:00 PM. Still a good day all in all. Leaving the museum, we headed to Virginia Beach for the weekend.

Monticello, U of V and Jefferson Vinyards

On Thursday May 12, 2011, Danny and I got an early start on our day of touring Charlottesville. First stop was Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home. His innovative ideas were extensive: the stew stove in the kitchen for slow cooking, the fish pond for keeping the catch alive until needed, the ice cellar filled with ice from the river in the winter and kept through the summer, the pulley weighted calendar in the entrance, the clock with only the hour hand attached to a bell that alerted the field hands of the time, the beds built into the wall to save space and on and on. Mr. Jefferson continued to remodel the home throughout his life. Mulberry Row was a road next to the house where the slave quarters and the vegetable gardens were located. It was lined with mulberry trees and overlooked the river valley below. We enjoyed our guides' talks as they led us through the house and through the gardens. Quite an impressive place!

Clock on front porch.

Here's a view of the back entrance .

Fish pond near the kitchen to keep fish until needed.

A view of the estate from Mulberry Row.

Danny in the observation structure where Mr. Jefferson would stand to look out over his land.

Mulberry Row where slave quarters were located.

Extensive vegetable garden.

Here is the Jefferson family cemetery with Thomas Jefferson's grave in forefront.

After an enjoyable lunch in Charlottesville, we walked around on the campus of the University of Virginia. Thomas Jefferson was also the architect of the campus buildings. It's a lovely campus with beautiful old buildings and a spacious lawn.
Front view of the Administration Building which fronts a busy Charlottesville street.

The beautiful administration building with beautiful columns on the portico (covered we think because parts were in danger of falling...I hope they will be repaired) and topped with a dome.

The interior of the dome section of the administration building.

The lawn was surrounded by these pretty old buildings. The two story buildings were used for classes on the lower level and the professors lived above. Students lived in rooms between the class buildings. Today, only a select group of prestigious senior students are privileged to live in these rooms.

A view of the lawn from the steps of the administration building.

One of the student's rooms fronting the lawn. Take note of the bed on a loft over the windows. The students who live here must exit their rooms and go to a communal bathroom behind the buildings. Don't think would want the privilege of living in one of these rooms!

As we headed back to our townhouse at Gordonsville, we stopped to take a quick tour of Jefferson's Vineyards. The original vineyard was begun by Thomas Jefferson and Phillip Mazzei in 1774 with hopes of exporting wine to Europe , but was abandoned in 1776 due to the Revolutionary War. Following the war, Jefferson planted a private vineyard near Monticello. The vineyard we toured was replanted in 1981 and was opened with the original name Jefferson Vineyards.

Part of the Jefferson Vineyards.

Danny and I ended the day relaxing back at Shenandoah Crossings

and preparing to travel to Richmond, Virginia on Friday.

Shannandoah Cossing, Gordonsville, Virginia

Late Wednesday afternoon (May 11th) we arrived at Shenandoah Crossing Resort for our two night stay. The resort site was so pretty, especially at sundown. The white building reflected the beautiful sunset. We found our one bedroom town home and unpacked quickly before taking a stroll down to the lake and around the grounds. Such a beautiful setting!

We returned to the town home and prepared a tasty salad for dinner and made our plans to drive into Charlottesville (about 30 minutes away) on Thursday.

The first photo above is the lodge at Shenandoah Crossing which housed rooms, a restaurant and the pool; The second picture is of the town home we had reserved; The third picture is the living area of our place, and the last one is a shot of a gorgeous private home across the lake. Although we didn't have time to do any of the activities available, we could have fished, boated, ridden horses, played putt putt golf or a number of other fun things. We only slept there as we had lots of touring to do in town!

Appomattox Court House, Virginia

Wednesday, May 11 th, Danny and I left Pigeon Forge headed to Gordonsville, Virginia with plans to stop and tour Appomattox Court House on the way. This historic tour was probably one of the highlights of our whole trip and was a pleasant surprise to us. We always assumed that General Lee surrendered to Grant at a court house in Appomattox, Virginia. Well, that was wrong. Appomattox Court House is a small village a few miles from Appomattox, Virginia. The whole village has been preserved as a museum. The streets are dirt and the buildings original.

General Lee actually met with General Grant at the McLean House in this little village to discuss the surrender. It was drawn up at that time, and General Lee made a correction in document using a pencil that is on display. Later that day, the surrender was signed, and General Lee and General Grant watched as the Confererate soldiers marched up Surrender Road to give up their weapons and their flag. The Federal soldiers lined the road and stood at attention as the Confederates marched in front of them.

The Federal soldiers printed over 28,000 parole passes for the Conferderates in the Clover Hill Tavern there in Appomattox Court House. It took three days for the printing to be completed and then the Confederates were allowed to travel home.... mostly on foot as they had no means of transportation.

Appomattox Court House is a quiet and peaceful site now, and while there, I felt a deep respect for all the soldiers who were involved. Below are some of the photos that I took showing the McLean House, the court house, Surrender Road, Clover Hill Tavern, and some of the slave quarters behind the McLean House.

This is the McLean House where the surrender was signed. A military scout was sent to the village to find a place where the two generals could meet. This was a suitable site and the owner was present to give permission. The structure in front of the house was a well.

General Lee sat at the marble topped table on the left and General Grant sat across the room at the smaller table during the drawing up and signing of the surrender papers.

This is Surrender Road leading into the village. It was here that the Confederates stacked their weapons and gave up their flag while the Federal troops stood at attention.

Surrender Road led into the village and around the courthouse which you in this photo.

Danny in the yellow shirt is walking to tour the slave quarters behind the McLean House. The cook's family inhabited the larger white structure which held the kitchen and the living quarters. The smaller white structure was living quarters for two slave families.

This is Clover Hill Tavern where the 28,000 parol passes were printed for the Confederates.

The printing presses that were used to print the passes.

We stayed until 5:00 PM when they closed, so we headed on to Gordonsville, Virginia to stay in the Shannendoah Crossing Resort. More of our trip is to come in the next blog.

THREE CHEERS FOR VACATION 2011

Have you ever wanted to see the places you read about in history class when you were in school? Well, Danny and I were given the opportunity to do just that this past May, and we two had a wonderful time as we drove over 3600 miles through Tennessee, Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina. This post will tell you about our adventures and highlights of the trip.

We left home on the Saturday before Mother's Day and drove to visit Courtney, Keith and Maggie Lynn in Oakland, Tennessee (just east of Memphis). What a delight to be able to spend this special day with one of our children! And I must say that Maggie Lynn is just precious! Such a cute, cute smile that melts our hearts!

Early Monday morning, the two of us took off for Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. We arrived at Laurel Crest (one of the time share resorts that we checked out on this trip) around 4:00 PM and checked in to our 1 bedroom villa. Later that evening we enjoyed soaking in the hot tub just below our balcony.

Pool and hot tub at Laurel Crest Villas.








This is the living room and kitchen of the villa.

We soon left to see the Old Mill District in downtown Pigeon Forge. There were lots of shops as well as the Old Mill Store and Restaurant. It was a lovely evening so we strolled through Patriot' Park along side the river that ran the mill.

Old Mill District in Pigeon Forge.


What a peaceful scene in the park beside the river!

Tuesday, May 10th, the two of us explored part of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. First thing was a relatively easy hike to Laurel Falls, a 75-foot, multi-level waterfall. The 1.3 mile path offered a nice, gentle walk in the woods. There were many other tourists on the path and at the falls when we reached them.... got someone to take this photo of us standing in front of the waterfall.

On the hike to the falls we passed many laurel plants in bloom.









Shady trail leading to the falls.






After a hot dog lunch we grabbed at a park store, we took the 11 mile drive through Cade's Cove. The Cove has been preserved by the Great Smoky Mountain National Park to look much the way it looked in the 1800's. Cades Cove has original pioneer homesteads, barns, businesses, pasture and farmland. While taking the auto tour, Danny and I visited an old church and cemetery, saw several homestead, saw a mama black bear and her cub, several deer and a wild turkey. The views were so pretty, and such a nice afternoon drive.

We ended the day by eating out and returning to the villa to relax.