While staying near Washington DC, we did a quick drive through the city, around the Capitol and along the National Mall.
An interactive map:
US Capitol:
Other buildings:
Washington Monument:
More on DC soon.
exploring
Attractions and other places we visit.
Gettysburg National Military Park: memorials and cemetery
The second post about Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, including the battlefield memorials and Gettysburg National Cemetery.
The interactive map again:
The battlefield has a bunch of roads, dotted with monuments from the various states and military divisions that participated in the battle:
GIF:
Gettysburg National Cemetery:
Lincoln address memorial, where he gave his famous speech:
Gettysburg National Military Park: museum and visitor center
We visited Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania, including a third-party museum and visitor center.
An interactive map:
Visitor center:
Gift store:
“Now we are engaged in a great civil war”:
Exhibits:
Theater:
The Gettysburg Cyclorama, a 360° painting by the French artist Paul Philippoteaux depicting Pickett’s Charge, the climactic Confederate attack on the Union forces during the Battle of Gettysburg on July 3, 1863. It was painted in 1883, and measures 42 feet by 377 feet. The viewing of it started with a dramatization of the battle with light effects:
After the light show, it was shown without light effects. The foreground in front of the painting is a natural-looking landscape, blending into the painting:
An easter egg: a wounded President Lincoln is in this part, representing a wounded nation:
Impressive stuff.
The Gettysburg address:
Tomorrow, the battlefield and cemetery.
Manassas National Battlefield Park
We visited Manassas National Battlefield Park in Manassas, Virginia, where the first major battle of the American Civil War took place on July 21, 1861 (plus a second battle later).
The NPS map; click or tap to interact:
An interactive map:
Visitor center:
Henry Hill Loop Trail:
Stonewall Jackson:
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.
Visitor center:
Jenn had a nice long chat with the volunteer there:
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:
Visitor center:
I’m sure the vistas would be much more impressive in the fall:
Picnic lunch:
Highest point on drive, elevation 3,680 feet (aww, how cute):
Visitor center:
There are a few commercial waysides in the 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:
Wild horses:
Dunes trail hike:
Wild horse and touron:
The Chincoteague end of the island:
Horse corral, where they collect the horses on this end of the island:
Visitor center:
A popular beach:
Lighthouse info:
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:
Williamsburg sign:
Visitor center:
Relief map:
Model:
Path by a stream under a bridge:
Governer’s Palace:
Kitchen:
Horse and cart:
Lunch at The King’s Arms:
Capitol guided tour:
Raleigh Bakery:
Shops:
Sheep:
Cows:
Pond and a pointy building:
Bridge back to the 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:
Glasshouse ruins:
A replica Glasshouse, that does glassblowing demonstrations:
Jamestowne visitor center:
Auditorium:
Exhibits:
Monument:
Pocahontas:
Relief map:
Captain John Smith:
Cannon:
The Barracks:
Indian tools; this guy showed and handed around various tool components, and told of their manufacture:
Church:
Cellar kitchen:
Blacksmith workshop:
This recreator talked Jenn’s ear off with old-timey tales:
The Statehouse:
Museum:
Ancient foundations under the floor:
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:
Visitor center:
Yorktown:
