Yorktown, Virginia. Ever been? Chances are you haven’t if your dad isn’t a rabid history buff who thinks touring battlefields, reading crumbling gravestones, and hanging out in historic villages is the optimal way to spend one’s leisure time come summer, but as fate would have it.... my dad has been packing my family up to visit Yorktown since I was a little kid.
Here’s a brief recap of what went down at Yorktown and why you should care: During the Revolutionary War in 1781, British General Cornwallis and his forces were trapped and surrounded by American and French soldiers (yes, our last successful collaboration) at which point he surrendered, because that is what you do when you are surrounded by soldiers and George Washington is telling you to back your sh*t up. That’s probably not exactly what he said, but you get my point. This was the last major battle of the Revolutionary War, the cradle of American independence, the stomping ground of George Washington and the the Marquis de Lafayette, and yet... the locals still can’t believe that you would deliberately spend your vacation there.
I couldn’t believe it either. Yorktown doesn’t exactly come up on the top of my list for destination spots, but between the forces of nostalgia, the genuine excitement from my parents to be going on a family trip, and my sister’s easy and ready assent to go, well, let’s just say I know how Cornwallis felt as he faced defeat from all sides.
So here is a brief recap of some of my favorite things or moments from Yorktown:
1. Family time in the car during flash floods. If you think there is nothing like a six hour car trip with your family, try a eight hour car trip due to flash floods washing out the road.
2. Giant Stingray in the York River. I say “giant” because any stingray in any place other than an ocean, is giant to me. York River is an estuary that connects directly to the ocean which means all manner of marine creatures can find there way into the river, including a pair of nursing sharks that were mating down by the pier. And this I shall underline, No one thought stingrays and sharks in a river was alarming but me.
3. Hunting for sea glass at the beach. The prettiest pollution byproduct by far, of drunken fisherman and wayward teens dropping their empty beer bottles in the river, is sea glass. Many of the local vendors sell jewelry made from their findings at the market on Saturdays.
4. Bike Ride on the Battlefields. I had high hopes for this bike ride right up until my sister handed me a can of bug spray and told me to use EXTRA because last time she was “eaten alive”. I thought she was exaggerating until mid-way through, when I ran my bike into a tree after a kamikaze deer fly dive bombed my face, forcing me to make a sudden arboreal stop. Public Service announcement: Always wear a helmet when bike riding as nature is fickle.
5. “Spontaneous” Drum and fife marches. There is nothing like hanging out at the beach, eating some Ben & Jerry’s and watching a group of teenagers march by in Regimental uniforms reminiscent of those served in the Continental Army playing drums and fifes. It’s moments like these that make me think, “I love America. And cookie dough ice cream.”
6. The Bermuda Triangle of history. Yorktown is part of the Historic Triangle of Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg which are connected by the Colonial Parkway. Now if you haven’t heard of Yorktown, I know you have heard of Colonial Williamsburg. If you are a fan of drum and fife marches, souvenir pewter candlestick holders and straw hats, and paying extra to tour historic homes– then Booyah y’all! This tourist attraction will not disappoint.
