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07

I had the privilege of appearing in the Rural Retreat Heritage Day parade on Saturday July 28th. But, more than that, I had the honor of witnessing a moving ceremony as the town dedicated its’ new Veterans Monument. Here’s a video essay of highlights from Heritage Day. 

Posted by Tim Cable

Our journey across the Commonwealth has been quite a trip. And we wrap it up completely on the other side of the state. The Crowder RV hits the Hampton Roads to the Eastern Shore. 

A journey that began at Natural Bridge ends at a man made bridge..the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel..one of the seven engineering wonders of the modern world.

“We just think this is amazing”, says Marti Neighbarger, visiting from Columbus, Ohio.

“Oh, I think it’s quite an accomplishment that they did it”, Gary Strong, Fredricksburg, Virginia, says.

“I think it’s just awesome”, according to Laura Moore, who’s also from Columbus.

The Bay Bridge Tunnel opened in April of 1964 and is considered the world’s largest bridge-tunnel complex. A construction marvel that’s kind of hard to explain.

“We had a lot of questions coming across”, says Jeff Demi, visiting the bridge from Philadelphia. “You know what are all those pillars resting on?”

A series of low level trestles support the bridge..that stretches 17.6 miles from shore to shore..connecting Virginia’s eastern shore with the mainland of Virginia.

“I think they set the pieces down in the water, right?”, Gary asks. “And then connect them and then take out the opening and yeah, it makes sense. They just set them down and then connect them..oh, I got a bite there” Oh, he’s got a bite, don’t let the big one get away, I tell him. That’s the trouble with interviews sometimes you catch fish in the middle of them and you got to go back to what you’re doing.

Gary’s reeling ‘em in at the Sea Gull Pier. The pier, along with the restaurant and gift shop are about 3 and a half miles out from the Virginia Beach side. It’s quite a view from here.

“Well, first thing, it’s all you can see it’s water”, says visitor, Jeannie Moore.

“It’s really neat just kind of a calming feeling actually just nothing but water”, her Mother, Laura adds.

On the water, see Navy and commercial ships gliding gracefully through one of the world’s busiest shipping channels. Across the water, see the lighthouses at Cape Henry. Under the water, your car becomes a temporary submarine through the tunnels.

“We were trying to figure out how they did it”, Marti says. “You know we were just talking about that on the way through how do you start to build a tunnel under water?”

There’s two tunnels..each a mile long.

“When I went under it, I just wanted to know when we were gonna get out”, says Zack Demi. “A lot of water pressure on top, kinda scary. Would you think that you could actually drive under water like that, I ask him. That just kinda boggles your mind doesn’t it? “Yeah, it does”, agrees Zack.

So Zack says it’s a good thing he had an action plan in place.

“Before I went over I just made sure we had our plan set for what would happen if we drove off the edge”, he says. So you actually had a plan in action?, I ask him. “I just said, Dad, don’t panic”, laughs Zack. “When we’re in the air just roll down the windows and just swim out”. You didn’t think that would happen though, did you? “Possibly”, answers Zack.

But action plan or not, this is really something to see.

Can you compare this to Philadelphia?, I ask Jeff. “Well, sure cause there’s amazing wonders wherever you are you know I mean you just have to open your eyes and look”, he says.

I glance over at Gary and pose the question: This is the life out here, isn’t it? “This is the life? I guess, yeah”, Gary chuckles.

And the Bay Bridge Tunnel brings us to the end of our journey, Virginia Beach. We’ve gone from bridge to bridge and from Shenandoah Valley to shore with Cable Country across the Commonwealth. We’ll see you back home.

Much thanks and appreciation goes out to Crowder RV in Johnson City, who provided our beautiful and roomy recreational vehicle for our journey. Thanks Jeff. And big thanks to Michael and Tonya Clay! 

Posted by Tim Cable

It’s part nine of our special ten part series as we cruise into the Colonial National Historical Park to complete our visit to Virginia’s historic triangle. 

It’s an area of Virginia that sure shaped history. But this area has a shape. The many tri-corn hats you see are a reminder..this is the historic triangle..and tucked over in the eastern most corner is Yorktown.

“The battlefield is about 4,000 acres and includes all of the significant fighting area for what was the last major battle of the American Revolution”, says National Park Service Public Affairs Officer, Mike Litterst. “The Moore House which is the original house where the negotiations were conducted to surrender the British Army and Surrender Field which is the actual field where the British Army went to lay down their weapons and become prisoners of war”.

The best way to cruise to each corner of the triangle is to take the Colonial Parkway.

“It is a 23 mile scenic byway connecting not only Jamestown and Yorktown but Colonial Williamsburg in between”, Mike says. “It’s really one of the unsung attractions of the historic triangle. You can go 23 miles to each of the three historic sites, never encounter a stop light or a stop sign and see the barest minimum of 21st century visual intrusions. You really just get a little bit of everything as you’re going along. Wonderful vistas of the York River and the James River, hardwood forests, open meadow. It actually goes underneath Colonial Williamsburg, there’s a tunnel. It’s been recognized within the past couple of years by the United States Department of Transportation as an All American Road, it is one of only 27 such designated roadways in America”.

You could call it a mini version of The Blue Ridge Parkway.

“That’s exactly it, it’s a miniature version of the Blue Ridge Parkway in a number of different ways”, adds Mike. “The supervising landscape architect that they brought in to complete the Colonial Parkway had actually cut his teeth on the Blue Ridge Parkway. If you’re familiar with the Blue Ridge Parkway and you enjoyed a trip along the parkway, come to Williamsburg and drive the Colonial Parkway as well”.

Four circular tires..one big triangle of history.

“For your viewers we’re just an easy day’s drive away”, continues Mike. “And would certainly encourage them to come for a long weekend or even a week to see everything that the historic triangle has to offer”.

“There is no place else that I know of in America where you can start at Jamestown in 1607 and get the entire English speaking history of our country all in one vacation”, says local resident, John Hamrick, who’s also the Event Coordinator for Presidents Park near Williamsburg.

And next up, it’s the final leg of our journey as we head for yet another bridge, the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel in the Crowder RV. We’ll see you there.

Posted by Tim Cable

In part 8 of our series, we invade the “other” Jamestown, right next door to the Jamestowne Historic Site. Here’s more from America’s birthplace. 

Settling in at Jamestown Settlement.

“Jamestown Settlement has its beginnings in 1957 as a part of the Commonwealth of Virginia’s commemorative activities for the 350th anniversary of the founding of Jamestown”, says the Settlement’s Senior Director, Joe Gutierrez. “We’ve been around since that point in time. In 1997, our board initiated a plan to completely revitalize Jamestown Settlement prior to 2007, our 400th anniversary”.

A big part of the plan is making visitors feel like they’ve stepped into the world of 1607.

“We have 30,000 square feet of new public exhibition space telling the story about the early period of Jamestown and going through the latter part of the century”, Joe says.

In the outdoor interpretive areas, one of the first striking scenes that’ll float your boat..the replica ships, reproductions of the vessels that sailed here in 1607.

“Oh, the ships are loved and it’s not often you get to walk the deck of a 17th century vessel”, adds Joe.

“They’re going to learn what it was like to be a passenger on these ships for that four and a half month voyage across the ocean basically treated as part of the light cargo”, says Ships Interpretive Supervisor, Mike Lund. “And they’re also going to learn what it’s like to be a 17th century sailor”.

Lots to learn alright..like how to hollow out a tree and make a canoe. And in the Powhatan Indian Village, get back to the grind by grinding corn. Maize always did amaze me. If you want to scrape by, try your hand at a few animal hides.

“There’s a whole series of hands on experiences that we really accent”, says Joe. “We demonstrate the skills, techniques, the artisanship of the people of that time period”.

Over in the re-created James Fort, Historic Interpreter Fred Scholpp has been settled in for nearly 25 years. He’s commonly kidded that he’s been here almost since the days of John Smith.

“Yeah, that’s one of the jokes”, Fred laughs. “No, John Smith got here a little before I did”.

All of a sudden, a loud boom echoes around the settlement. Oh, it’s just a match lock musket firing demonstration.

“A very important weapon in the history of the Jamestown Colony”, says Fred.

You can try on and wear 17th century battle armor. Despite how silly I look in the getup, this is serious stuff.

“What I like is Virginia’s attitude towards their history”, Fred says. “History is almost sacred to Virginians”.

The history’s sacred..and so is the importance of America’s first English settlement.

“There are a lot of key legacies of Jamestown that are part of our lives today”, according to Joe. “Democracy, rule of law, free enterprise, protestantism. Jamestown is a point where the cultures first come together and set a model of how America has worked”.

“It’s the foundation of our country this is literally chapter one of American, United States history”, Mike says.

“Life began as we know it in the 21st century on the shores of the James River in the 17th century”, says Joe.

And next up, we complete the historic triangle as we hop in the Crowder RV and head along the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown. We’ll see you there.

For more on the James River and its connection to Jamestown, be sure and read Joe Tennis’ column, “Tennis Anyone”, in the Thursday July 26 edition of the Bristol Herald Courier. 

Posted by Tim Cable

In part seven of our journey across the state of Virginia, we wander over to Williamsburg, The Revolutionary City. 

From fife and drum..to hoof and carriage..

“There’s no place in the world like Williamsburg”, says Living History Interpreter, Max Hamrick.

Colonial Williamsburg is a town in a time warp. A 17th century town-sized living history museum..showcasing America’s revolutionary beginnings.

“Williamsburg, along with Boston and Philadelphia, is really one of the most important places regarding the birth of the United States and the events that led to the American Revolution and the war for independence”, according to Bill Weldon, Director of The Revolutionary City.

After independence was declared, Williamsburg was the colonial capital, the first capital of the state of Virginia, a center of government and a cultural center as well. A culture that comes alive here. Rev City is bound to get you revved up.

“The Revolutionary City is a concentrated living history emersion experience”, says Bill. “We tell the stories that are most important in regard to Williamsburg and its role in the American Revolution”.

Such as, a re-enactment of the reading of the Declaration of Independence.

“We think that it’s very important for people to understand the Declaration of Independence as the people’s document”, Bill says. “And that’s the reason that we portray it with the different voices”.

As a Colonist Re-enactor shouts out, “May God bless these United States”, I can’t help but think that Colonial Williamsburg is sure blessed..with authentic, 18th century crafts people.

“We have the largest collection of artisans practicing historical crafts with authentic tools and methods of any place in the world”, says Bill proudly.

At the Wheelwright Shop, they have a burning desire to show you how they make all the wagons and carriages used on the town’s streets. Over where they make bricks, it’s more than a footnote..they’ll put anybody to work. Even me. As I scoop up a shovel full of clay mud, I make the point, “This is hard work, you dig”?

You can meet an 18th century Gardener named, Greene.

“Greene, the Gardener, it’s almost fate isn’t it”? says Wesley Greene. Well, what’s the key to 18th century gardening, I ask. “The key is this tub of water right here”, Wesley laughs.

Inside one of C.W.’s museums, Max Hamrick has a loom with a view.

“What I’m running here today is an 18th century loom”, he says. “It’s a cantilever loom”.

Max has worked for C.W. for 20 years. He says he enjoys showing folks that you didn’t always buy cloth from a store.

“I think it’s very important to share the history of our country with everybody and especially our young people”, Max says. “We got enough room in America to be ourselves so I think our founding fathers did a pretty good job of building us a country, don’t you”?

Yep, after witnessing Williamsburg, it’s obvious..those Revolutionary Citians knew what they were doing.

“You really can experience what a living, breathing town in Colonial America was really like”, Bill says. “We are creating a living history experience here”.

And next up, we hop in our Crowder RV and sail over to the Jamestown Settlement. See you there. 

Posted by Tim Cable