Enthusiastically we packed for the kids’ first trip to Virginia to visit Colonial Williamsburg, Mount Vernon, and Monticello.
The kids who had heard so much of my love of these places couldn’t wait to experience more than mere pithy descriptions from their history text book.
We checked for NOAA emails that we use for our annual hurricane tracking project. So far 2004 had been hurricane free. It was July 30 with not even a glimmer of a cyclone cloud in sight. That’s unusual.
Also clear skies from Texas to Virginia were predicted for the next week.
Knowing that the Eastern seaboard is often hot and sticky, just like in San Antonio, we packed all our shorts and light shirts.
For the surprise cool front or rain that might lurk we each packed one pair of blue jeans and a light jacket.
We were ready!
As we drove through the Blue Ridge Mountains on August 2rd, it started to sprinkle.
That evening we arrived at our KOA Kampground in Williamsburg (now independently owned and btw has always been my all-time favorite campground), unpacked, then drove to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center to secure admission passes.
We also watched the infamous movie Story of a Patriot starring Jack Lord in 1957. I love how this movie beautifully sets the mood for touring the historic area. We were ready to hit the 18th century streets the next morning.
Hurricane Alex
Bright and early we awoke to quite a bit of rain which wouldn’t quit. We beat a path to the visitor center to purchase rain ponchos and umbrellas.
Then I asked one of the staff about the weather. When would the storm end?
The lady sweetly and calmly replied: Oh, it’s just Hurricane Alex.
Shocked I asked about evacuation procedures. She assured me all was well and suggested the children meet Thomas Jefferson that afternoon in the Kimball Theatre where we could stay dry. Alex should be gone by the time the program was over. Thomas Jefferson…in person? (More on that later.)
We effectively saw lots of 18th century while dodging rain drops. (Check all our 2004 CW photos here.) And eventually the sun did again shine. Although later in the week we were caught in another unexpected rain event…um…we had left all our rain gear in the van. Good thing there are so many gift shops in the historic area!
After a few amazing days in Colonial Williamsburg, we toured the rest of the Historic Triangle: Jamestown and Yorktown.
At Jamestown Settlement we got to tour reproductions of the original ships that brought the first settlers to Virginia along with trying on armour and helping to tan hide.
After a morning at Jamestown, we enjoyed a picnic lunch on the James River where there are lots of places to pull over and park on the Colonial Parkway.
Then we were on our way to the Yorktown Victory Center where the kids got to engage with a variety of activities such as talking to a farmer at a tobacco plantation, to seeing more cannons being fired, and even trying on a Continental Regimental coat. (Check the links for photos of our afternoon in Yorktown 2004.)
Then we were off to New York for a few days of travel to ride the Eerie Canal, the Champlain Canal, and take the same train ride as Theodore Roosevelt did when he became president.
Hurricane Bonnie
Then we drove through Pennsylvania on the way to Virginia in pouring rain. As we caught dinner in Leesburg, I asked the waiter where all the rain was coming from.
He nonchalantly replied: Oh, it’s just Hurricane Bonnie.
So we drove through twisty turning roads on Route 15 into Spotsylvania to reach another KOA Kampground. It was the middle of the night with rain falling and mist rising from the ground. I could just imagine the Civil War soldiers carefully walking through the area with their rifles in their hands.
The next morning we toured Mount Vernon at the end of Bonnie’s visit.
Skies remained overcast but calm which allowed us that evening to enjoy a boat ride on the Potomac to see Washington DC by boat. I had fun pointing out all the sites to the kids.
Hurricane Charley
The following morning we packed the car to drive to Charlottesville. As we walked up the hill to Monticello it started to rain. When we bought our entry tickets I asked the lady if Hurricane Bonnie had bounced back into the area.
She sweetly and calmly smiled and said: Oh no, this is Hurricane Charley. You might want to do only the indoor tour today. There is a great one just for children.
And our rain stuff had again been left in the car. Never fear. Rain ponchos were at the ready in the gift shop.
Despite the rain, the best tour we’ve ever had of the mansion was the children’s tour.
We tried very hard to enjoy the gorgeous gardens after the tour, but it was too cold and rainy and breezy.
We found another museum nearby about Thomas Jefferson to enjoy until they closed.
Then we drove to the KOA Kampground between Monticello and Walton’s Mountain. I was so cold that I bought a sweatshirt that I just loved in the gift shop. Not long after the sun came out. And that was the end of the hurricanes on this trip. It was also the end of our wet vacation. Time to drive back to Texas with our souvenir assortment of rain ponchos and umbrellas!
When we returned home I checked all my old emails, especially the ones from NOAA. Hurricane Alex formed the day we left…which proves how suddeen and unpredictable hurricanes can be. Thankfully we only got wet.
And btw I think that Charley should have been named Clyde.
