Summer Adventure Challenge Blog: Virginia

Showing posts with label Virginia. Show all posts

Thursday, October 1, 2009

Mount Vernon

We visited Mt. Vernon in late June. It was hot and sticky, though not as hot as Virginia can get later in the summer. I rather missed the cool-ish, arid air of Colorado. We cooled off from our walk from the parking lot inside the visitor's center for awhile and watched a movie about George Washington.

After the movie, we walked toward the house, to get in line for a tour. We spent about an hour in line, during which the 3 boys had fun playing with leaves and being silly:

The tour was a bit rushed, but interesting. (Rather than your standard tour, there was just a line of people going through the house and a "tour guide" in each room talking about the room you were in). I found it rather interesting that the key to the Bastille is displayed here, having been sent to George Washington by the Marquis de Lafayette (a close friend to Washington, practically his adopted son).

I also found it interesting that, since he wanted his wooden home to look like stone, sand was thrown onto the wet paint to make the texture of the home look like stone. On one of the dependencies, I saw this chipped corner that shows how the "stone" is really wood. Also, I'd always heard about how the Mormon Pioneers had painted the pine used in early buildings, like the Salt Lake Tabernacle, to look like nicer woods. George Washington did this too; his pine paneling in the house was painted to look like mahogany.

What I really liked, though was his "backyard." With a superb view of the Potomac, and a cool porch to sit on, it was my favorite part of the estate.

Besides, there were magnolia trees! I haven't seen my second-favorite tree (the first being really big Live Oaks) in years. I love the big, white flowers that smell so nice! I gave James and Thomas each a boost to smell this one.

We stayed until past closing time (they stop letting people in at 5, but you can stay on the grounds until 5:30 and in the visitor center until 6). And, we of course visited the gift shop and added to my bookshelf. :) I'm glad I got a chance to see Mt. Vernon!

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Manassas Battlefield Park

Manassas Battlefield Park was the last stop on our 2-week vacation through Virginia and Tennessee and so we did not arrive at the park until late in the afternoon, and we were all tired. I was worried that it would be a disaster, but was pleasantly surprised at how interested my five children (ages 5-17) were in the park. We went to the Visitor's Center first and I obtained Junior Ranger booklets from the desk. I highly recommend you doing this, if this is the type of thing your children enjoy doing because it helps to give them a focus and an idea of what to look for. It was helpful to me, too, because they give different booklets out for different ages, so it helped me to point out interesting things in an age-appropriate way. The museum in the visitor's center is very interesting and the 6-minute display/description of the battles that took place there is a very good introduction. You can follow a ranger-led tour, but we chose to explore the battlesite at our own pace. The kids loved being able to touch the cannons and such and just walking on the field made you really being to imagine the soldiers that were once there. The admission (very inexpensive at $3.00 per person 16 years of age and older and free for those under 16) is good for three consecutive days, so you have plenty of time to explore the entire park and even take the driving tour. We were able, however, to see most of the sites near the visitor's center in about an hour and a half. Click here if you would like to see more of our trip there.

Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park, Virginia

This photograph just doesn't do the scenery along Skyline Drive justice. (Although you can click here to see some more, if you would like.) The depth and variety of shades just cannot be captured even by the best of photographers. You just have to be there.

It cost us $15 entrance fee to be able to drive along the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains, and worth every penny. We drove along it for 40 of the 105 miles beginning at Rockfish Gap, sometimes stopping at the overlooks, sometimes slowing down for a quick view from the car. I learned first hand why these mountains are called Blue Ridge. When we had to turn off for a different destination everyone in the car was sad to leave the beautiful mountain views, even the younger of my family, ages 5 and 8. This is some breath-taking beauty that never got old. A must-see.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Sunspots Studios, Staunton, Virginia

Sunspots Studios is really a shop that sells handmade glassworks, but there is a workshop in the back in which you can watch glass being handblown. We found the free (although there was a donations jar) demonstration very informative and interesting and his presentation entertaining. The items in the shop are, not surprisingly, a bit on the pricey side, but my daughter was able to find a little figure for about $20. If you are in the area, I would recommend it as a way to spend a enjoyable afternoon. (Click here for more photos.)

Lake Sherando, Blue Ridge Mountain area of Virginia

Our experience at Lake Sherando was very mixed. We planned to camp there for two nights and enjoy the lake as well as other attractions in the area. We discovered when we got there,

however, that the campground is really not suited to tent-campers, like us. The tent sites do not have bathrooms, water or electricity, so we opted for the water/electric sites, which are designed for RVers. There seemed to be a lot of RVer's that camp there every year for long periods, forming sort of a club-like atmosphere among the campers. I suppose it is really nice if you like that sort of atmosphere. We hated it. The sites are very small and close together. There was a nice woods with stream around the campsites, which my children enjoyed exploring and was a relief from the hemmed-in feeling at the campsite itself. The ground was a hard-packed sand-gravel mixture, which made driving in tent steaks hard, and cold and uncomfortable to sleep on, even with air mattresses. It was wet the whole time we were there, and even all our things made from paper warped (books, etc.) just from being there. The camp locks its gate at 10:00, which I suppose is necessary since the sites are so close together but means that there is a large line of cars/campers that come in at 9:45. My husband and daughter wanted to go to a Shakespeare play in the nearby town of Staunton, but since they would be getting back later than 10:00, they would not be able to get back into the campground.

Lake Robertson locks its gates too, but they give the campers there a combination for the lock so that campers can get back in, but outsiders cannot. We elected to go back to Lake Robertson for this reason despite the fact we had already paid for our site for another night.

The next morning, however, we explored the lake there, which is gorgeous. We had a wonderful time there, and hated to leave it. My assessment of Lake Sherando is that it is a wonderful day park to visit for a swim in the lake, and good, I am guessing, if you like the comradery feel of RVing, but an awful place to camp if you are tent campers. Click here if you would like to see more pictures of the lake, but I do not have any pictures of the campsites.

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

American Shakespeare Center's Blackfriar Players

If you are in the Staunton, Virginia area, The American Shakespeare Center is a must-see. The Blackfriars perform Shakespeare's works under the original staging conditions -- on a simple stage, without elaborate sets, and with the audience sharing the same light as the actors. My husband and daughter (17) went to a production of The Merry Wives of Windsor there and they both loved it. The ticket price of $20 per person for balcony/general admission is very reasonable for theatre. The musical performances at intermission were modern pieces, which in some ways seems out of place, but is in keeping with giving the audience a similar experience as in Shakespeare's day, because the musical pieces would be currently known works.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Davy Crockett Birthplace State Park

This park has many of the things you would expect for a state park such as hiking, fishing, camping and even a swimming pool, but it also has a reproduction of the cabin in which Davy Crockett was born. The cabin is furnished with reproductions of things that would be in a cabin of that day and there is a tended garden in the back.

The footstone of the original cabin is outside the reproduction. The museum on premises has educational material about Davy Crockett, including a short video. (For more photos, click here .) We had a very fun, peaceful and educational time there. If you are in the area, you should really give it a try.

Wednesday, August 19, 2009

Virginia's Safari Park

In this time of restrictions due to high insurance costs and law suits the Safari Park of Virginia is too incredible to believe! It is the ultimate petting zoo. You drive

through the park with buckets of feed (which you purchase at the entrance gate), roll down your windows and hold the buckets out your window. The animals come right up to your window and feed from the buckets. We found feeding the ostriches particularly interesting because they take beaks full of feed and throw them up in the air to be caught back into their open beaks, throwing it to the back of their throats in the process. The prices are reasonable (Adults $14.00 and Children [ages 3-12 $10.00,

Buckets of feed - $ 3.00 or 4 buckets for $10.00) and admission includes a booklet with color photos and information about all the animals you will see. This is

definately a once-in-a-lifetime experience not to be missed. Click here for more photos.

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Camping in the Shenandoah Valley

If you are looking for a campground in the Lexington-Staunton area of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, I highly recommend Lake Robertson. It has canoeing, hiking trails, a swimming pool (this wasn't open when we were there because it was so late in the season) and more. It is a clean, well-kept campground with large camping sites. The staff is friendly and helpful. They have a laundry room and have hot showers. We bought 8 pieces of wood for only $2, and rented canoes for only $5 per hour. The only down side is that it is a long, narrow 12-mile winding road that reaches the campground, which takes about a half-hour to travel at a safe speed.

Natural Bridge, Virginia

It is awesome to see a stone bridge 20 stories tall made by nature. The Natural Bridge complex is actually several attractions in one place. You can obtain tickets to the individual attractions, or combination tickets. In addition to the Natural Bridge itself, there is also a wax museum, caverns, a toy museum and a Native American Village. The wax museum features the history of the area of Natural Bridge as well as some Biblical scenes. It is cute and sweet. The Native American Village,

although small, is very nice and informative. My boys loved it. The Toy Museum was not really a museum and looks to be someone's personal collection of toys. It, in our opinion, is not worth it. This complex is a pleasant way to spend a day. (BTW- This complex does have wheelchair access, taking you and your family by bus up the steep hill and the staff was very pleasant.)

Luray Caverns

Yes, I know that Luray Caverns are famous for being a fabulous attraction already. I had some worries, however, taking my family there because one of us is in a wheelchair (me), one of us is special needs (autistic) and the fact that there is seven of us to keep track of. I just wanted to let you know that we all had a wonderful time and that they have a wheelchair lift for the steepest part of the trail (the beginning descent.) The rest of the trail did give my husband a workout, but he was able to push me through the caverns.

The admission fee automatically gives you a set of headphones in which you type in a 3-number code at each of the stops along the trail and a little information blurb plays. It is nice that they have an adult and a child's version at each site (different set of numbers) so that it is not too long for the little ones or too watered down for the adults.

The caverns are beautiful and too awesome to describe. There is a lot of variety, too, in the types of formations at Luray. Highly recommend as a family summer adventure. Click here for more pictures.

Friday, July 31, 2009

Tredegar Iron Works

We drive down to North Carolina from Maryland a lot. This summer I thought it was time to start exploring the city we've driven through about a thousand times: Richmond, Virginia! The first place we decided to try was part of Richmond National Battlefield Park and called Tredegar Iron Works. Unfortunately, HORRIBLE summer beach traffic limited our first visit to a mere 45 minutes. We barely had time to flip through the Junior Ranger booklets before they were closing the place. SO. We stopped again on the way home :)

The booklets have great scavenger hunts in them - with pictures of things to find, great for my non-and-new readers. One of them I really liked because there was a picture for the kids to find and then they had to match the picture with a word that went with it.

There was a picture of a big sword with a spur attached to it, and after reading about it in the museum you found out it went with the word "Calvary," another one was a picture of some old-fashioned sun glasses and they went with the word "sharpshooter." Who knew? Xavey was VERY interested in that one :)

There are maps and guns and models and cannons and movies to watch. The vistor's center is really well done and the grounds are fun to explore. After finishing their booklets, Sheely wanted to turn them in to the ranger, who gave them REAL patches!! She was so excited and let's be honest, so was I :) Then we went outside and had a good explore around the grounds. We saw the old company store (now just storing a bunch of stuff - aren't those shelves crazy-old looking! The sun was so bright I had to hold my hand up to the window to get any kind of picture of them at all :)

The kids looked through the viewfinder and fussed about taking turns:

Seriously, that picture of Preston giving me the hand just slays me, how true-to-life that one is :)

Xavey wanted to look at everything - old railroad tracks, cannons, gigantic heavy chains - he's an explorer like his mama.

Before we left we got a picture taken with Abraham Lincoln (he's VERY hot, in that southern heat, by the way - and can you see that I had to give my melting daughter my sunglasses to get her to be a good sport outside??) The inscription in the back says "To Bind Up the Nation's Wounds." Apparently it's from his second inaugural address. Did you know that Lincoln visited Richmond? With his son Tad? You can read about it here :) That's his son that he's sitting next to in the statue. I love that.

I feel like we got some good Civil War info, some iron-working info, some Abraham Linocln info, and a look around a really historical spot. We've already got plans for what we'll go see next :)