July 24 - Yorktown, VA

Day 128 - A Little History

Riverwalk Landing

We passed the 4,300 acre Naval Station, the largest naval base in the world, as we left Norfolk this morning. There were at least twenty ships docked in the area. It's amazing to see so many huge ships in one place.

We arrived in Yorktown at 12:30 and had all afternoon to explore the town. We took the free trolley around the historic area and then rode our bikes back to some of the sites we wanted to see, first through the historic main street, past the Victory Monument and then the battle field. The whole waterfront area is part of the historic town...not sure where the real town is. Stan's aunt and uncle lived in Yorktown for a long time. A couple they were friends with came by the boat for a visit. We had fun showing them the boat and they shared some of their local knowledge with us.

Some of the ships at the Naval Station

The dock at Riverwalk Landing. The American Spirit is a small cruise ship that runs up and down the east coast. My Mom and Dad were here on the same boat years ago.

Yorktown Waterfront

Some of the jellyfish in the water around our boat

 

Part of Riverwalk Landing

A view of the river

Grace Episcopal Church built in 1697. It still serves an active congregation.

Custom House built in 1720

The Yorktown Victory Monument commemorates the important Allied Victory over the British.

Yorktown Battlefield  - On October 19, 1781, a British army under General Cornwallis was forced to surrender to General Washington’s combined American and French army. Upon hearing of their defeat, British Prime Minister Frederick Lord North is reputed to have said, "Oh God, it's all over." And it was. The victory secured independence for the United States and significantly changed the course of world history