Blue Ridge Parkway north end

After leaving Shenandoah National Park, we continued south for a few miles on the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway.

This park, barely wider than the highway, is 469 miles long, between Shenandoah National Park in Virginia at the north end and Great Smoky Mountains National Park in North Carolina at the south end. We certainly didn’t have time to drive the whole way, but we went to the northernmost visitor center before turning around. We’ll probably visit the southernmost visitor center in the parkway in a few weeks time.

Blue Ridge Parkway

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Jenn had a nice long chat with the volunteer there:

Visitor center

Blue Ridge Parkway

Shenandoah National Park

We visited Shenandoah National Park in Virginia, a drive-through park southeast of Washington DC.

NPS map; click or tap to interact on their site:

An interactive map of our route, heading south through the park, then returning outside the park:

Shenandoah National Park north entrance entrance sign:

Shenandoah National Park north entrance entrance sign

Shenandoah National Park north entrance entrance

Shenandoah National Park

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Shenandoah National Park

I’m sure the vistas would be much more impressive in the fall:

Shenandoah National Park

Picnic lunch:

Picnic

Flowers

Highest point on drive, elevation 3,680 feet (aww, how cute):

Highest point on drive elevation 3690

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Deer

Shenandoah National Park

There are a few commercial waysides in the park:

Shenandoah National Park

Wayside

Leaving Shenandoah National Park

Assateague Island National Seashore

We visited two ends of the Assateague Island National Seashore, in Maryland and Virginia. Famous for their wild horses.

The NPS map; click or tap to interact:

An interactive map of our route (we were going to have dinner in Ocean Beach, but it was too busy, so we continued up the coast to Bethany Beach):

Visitor center:

Assateague Island National Seashore

Visitor center

Wild horses:

Horses

Sign

Dunes trail hike:

Dunes trail hike

Biplane

Dunes trail hike

Wild horse and touron:

Horse and touron

Horse

The Chincoteague end of the island:

Chincoteague

Horse corral, where they collect the horses on this end of the island:

Horse corral

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Bay

A popular beach:

Beach

Lighthouse info:

Lighthouse info

Lighthouse trail

Lighthouse

Colonial Williamsburg

We visited Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia, which could be described as Disneyland for history buffs.

An interactive map:

Another interactive map on their website.

Historic Triangle:

Historic Triangle

Williamsburg sign:

Williamsburg sign

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Relief map:

Relief map

Model:

Model

Path by a stream under a bridge:

Path by stream under bridge

Governer’s Palace:

Governer's Palace

Kitchen:

Governer's Palace

Horse and cart:

Horse and cart

Building

Lunch at The King’s Arms:

Building

The King's Arms

Street

Capitol guided tour:

Capitol

Raleigh Bakery:

Raleigh Bakery

Shops:

Shops

Sheep:

Sheep

Cows:

Cows

Pond and a pointy building:

Pond and building

Bridge back to the visitor center:

Bridge back to visitor center

An interesting experience.

Colonial National Historical Park: Jamestown

We visited a couple of areas of the Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia, including Yorktown and Jamestown Island. This post is about Jamestown.

Jamestown is in multiple parts; a touristy Jamestown Settlement, that we didn’t visit (this time), and Jamestown Island, which is partly NPS, and partly a Preservation Virginia area.

The NPS map; click or tap to interact:

An interactive map of the Jamestown Island area:

Historic Jamestowne:

Historic Jamestowne

Glasshouse ruins:

Historic Jamestowne

Glasshouse

A replica Glasshouse, that does glassblowing demonstrations:

Replica Glasshouse

Jamestowne visitor center:

Visitor center

Auditorium:

Visitor center

Exhibits:

Visitor center

Monument:

Monument

Pocahontas:

Pocahontas

Relief map:

Relief map

Captain John Smith:

Captain John Smith

Cannon:

Cannon

The Barracks:

The Barracks

Indian tools; this guy showed and handed around various tool components, and told of their manufacture:

Indian tools

Church:

Church

Cellar kitchen:

Cellar kitchen

Blacksmith workshop:

Smith

This recreator talked Jenn’s ear off with old-timey tales:

Smith

Shrine

The Statehouse:

The Statehouse

Museum:

Museum

Ancient foundations under the floor:

Museum

Gift store:

Gift store

Fascinating stuff.

Colonial National Historical Park: Yorktown

We visited a couple of areas of the Colonial National Historical Park in Virginia, including Yorktown and Jamestown Island. This post is about Yorktown.

The NPS map; click or tap to interact:

An interactive map of the Yorktown area:

Historic Yorktown:

Historic Yorktown

Visitor center:

Visitor center

Yorktown:

Yorktown

Washington, North Carolina

While staying across the river in Chocowinity, North Carolina, we visited the larger city of Washington a couple of times. According to that Wikipedia article, it is commonly known as “Original Washington”; it was established in 1776, and is the first city named after President George Washington. (Washington, DC was founded in 1791.)

An interactive map:

View from bridge:

View from bridge

“Washington Square Mall” — a small strip mall here, not at all like the big Washington Square Mall in Portland, Oregon:

Washington Square Mall

We had dinner at Boss Hog’s Chicken & BBQ:

Boss Hog's Chicken & BBQ

Waterfront:

Waterfront

Main Street:

Main Street

Crab sculptures:

Crab sculpture

Crab sculptures

Main Street

We went to the Blu Farm to Table restaurant for my birthday, dining on their rooftop patio:

Blu restaurant

Unfortunately, we didn’t particularly enjoy the food. Oh well.

Waterfront:

Waterfront

Artwork

Main Street

A fairly cute little town.

The Birthplace of Pepsi

We visited The Birthplace of Pepsi, located in New Bern, North Carolina. Our third soda-history stop, after the Dr Pepper Museum and the World of Coca-Cola museum.

Pepsi-Cola was invented by Caleb Bradshaw while working in a pharmacy at this location, now a soda and swag shop celebrating that history.

The Birthplace of Pepsi

“Brad’s Drink”:

Brad's Drink

The Birthplace of Pepsi:

The Birthplace of Pepsi

Fort Raleigh National Historic Site

We briefly visited Fort Raleigh National Historic Site in North Carolina. This is the site of the “Lost Colony”, that arrived in 1584 and vanished; their fate is still unknown.

Here’s the NPS map; click or tap to interact:

An interactive map:

Entrance

Visitor center

We had lunch in the picnic area:

Picnic area

Cape Hatteras National Seashore

We took a long drive out to and along the Cape Hatteras National Seashore in North Carolina.

The NPS map; click or tap to interact on their site:

An interactive map of our route to visit Fort Raleigh National Historic Site (post coming tomorrow), Wright Brothers National Memorial, Cape Hatteras National Seashore, and Sugar Creek Seafood Restaurant for dinner on the way home:

A replica of the Cape Hatteras lighthouse at a gas station on the way:

Replica of Cape Hatteras lighthouse