Tag Archives: james river

Yorktown waterfront…. a pub, good food, some feral cats and a view.

March 6, 2020 Rivergirl 37 Comments

In case you haven’t already guessed, there was not a single wine filter gift to be had in the entire state of Virginia…. so the only thing left to do was drown my sorrows at the Yorktown Pub.

This unassuming little place got great reviews and had been recommended to us by numerous people so we gave it a try.

While it’s definitely a no frills local hangout….

The riverfront views were lovely.

The feral cats were friendly….

Plentiful, and well fed by the bar owners and staff.

And while the cocktail list was basic?

The drinks were tasty, potent and cheap.

What more can a girl ask?

Good food.

The husband’s weird combination of chicken fingers and mixed veggies looked odd but he was happy with it…. and my fried shrimp were quite honestly the best I’ve had in years. Fresh, juicy, and perfectly cooked with a light crisp batter. Add homemade tartar sauce, some marvelous fries and another cocktail?

And River was a happy camper.

Long live beer diversity!

And cheap meals.

Since the sun was setting…

We took a stroll along the water.

Hand in hand…

Enjoying the scenery…

And the non traditional ways we choose to spend the holidays.

Different places.

Different sights.

Different sounds.

Different experiences.

And never a dull moment.

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Museum oddities, death, Pocahantas, a scenic drive and some vultures.

February 17, 2020 Rivergirl 23 Comments

I could bore you to tears with all we saw that day, but let this suffice..

A portrait of an evil cherub who looks like she’s ready to stab Fido with an already bloody knife.

But no.

It’s just a 17th century pacifier. “Your mouth is sore sweetie? Here… suck on this metal and coral pointy thing.”

No wonder she looks pissed off.

“Inveterate dysenterical fluxes”.

Doesn’t that sound like fun?

The museum was filled with artifacts unearthed from the original site.

And things thrown down the communal well.

Naturally, the husband was appalled at the waste of all those perfectly good rusty tools.

The takeaway from most of the history we read?

We might romanticize the idea of the first settlers… opportunity, adventure, a brave new world etc., but in reality? It was starvation, illness and death.

And Pocahantas…. of whom much is written and little is really known.

The only actual image drawn during her lifetime is this English portrait:

A much later Anglicized version of her true self.

Child trading. A fact of which I was heretofore unaware.

So there you have it, historic Jamestown.

Where a t shirt we saw in the gift shop said it all…..

Leaving Jamestown, we got back on the Colonial Parkway…..

And saw some deer.

Some swamps.

And a whole bunch of these strange mounds.

Too small and numerous for beaver.

Any southerners care to weigh in on what constructs them?

The Parkway slides along the James River….

And was a lovely, peaceful, traffic free drive.

Except for the black vultures.

Which are neither lovely nor peaceful….

And often cause their own traffic jams when they discover a fresh kill.

And no, I didn’t include a photo of the canine corpse.

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Day 7…. Historic Jamestown

February 15, 2020 Rivergirl 11 Comments

Part 2 of the historic triangle in the Williamsburg ,Virginia area is Jamestown. What I didn’t know before arriving was that there are 2 distinct ways to experience it…. the National Park site and the more touristy recreation.

We opted for the National site first, by way of the Colonial Parkway.

The Parkway is a beautiful 23 mile road that runs along the James River from Williamsburg to Yorktown.

We jumped off at Jamestown and drove the 5 mile Island Loop, a self guided tour that explores the natural environment and history of the area.

Then it was on to the visitors center.

I won’t bore you ~~more than I already do~~ with the story. You can read about it here. Suffice it to say Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement, the birthplace of Virginia… and basically, America.