Most everyone knows that Jamestown was the first settlement in the United States having been founded in 1607.  It’s probably the first bit of history we learn in grade school along with the story of Pocahontas, the Indians bringing food to the settlers,  and the celebration of Thanksgiving. 

There’s a large museum complex with a theater, the reconstructed settlement, and replicas of the three boats that brought the settlers over.   There were not many tourists and so the guides in period costumes were very available to talk about their area of expertise.  It’s a wonderful place to bring children to jumpstart their interest in history.

Williamsburg was nearby but at $32 a person we had to pass.  I pushed my luck anyway in walking two days in a row.  Normally I walk one day and recuperate for 2 or 3 days. 

Today we went to Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello, near Charlottesville, Virginia.  Admission was pretty steep at $22 each.  The rooms are pretty small and we were packed in with at least 25 other tour goers.  Other than the over rated interior, I liked the cellar rooms, the grounds and the museum much better which would have been free.  Well, I always wanted to see Monticello so that’s off my list now. 

The day hasn’t gone well.  After we left Monticello we couldn’t find a campground.  First we went way off the beaten path to a Passport American park that we decided against.  I think that’s the last time we drive out of our way for a Passport park.  So then we got on the interstate, which we usually avoid, and headed towards Richmond.  There was absolutely nothing in the GPS as far as a campground.  Stopped  at a rest area but they had the No Overnight Parking sign.  Next was Wal-Mart in Richmond. The parking lot was packed and there were no over RV’ers there.  So we found that there was one RV park going north on I-95, well out of our way.  We went there and they had one last spot left right next to the interstate for $45 plus tax.  No way!  Did I mention a few days ago we discovered our headlights don’t work and it was almost dark? Luckily we had just passed a truck stop and so we are parked next to the interstate noise for free!

I never thought of the word “ridge” in Blue Ridge Mountains but after driving 60 miles of the Skyline Ridge in Shenandoah National Park it really has meaning now.  Normally when we drive through mountains, we go up and down and around and back up again.  This drive is truly along the top of a fairly narrow ridge for miles.  The road overlooks one side and then the other.  I think we are about half way along Skyline Ridge drive if we drive it all.  But for now we are camped in one of the parks’ very nice campgrounds.  Everyone was leaving yesterday (Labor Day) as we drove in so it’s not crowded at all.  I read on the internet that the temperature is 10 degrees cooler up here than in the valley and that is true.  We can’t get internet but are going over to the lodge later and I’ll see if I can post this.

We came around a bend and here was this tunnel.  I grabbed my camera, turned it on and snapped with no time to compose or fix settings.  Later when I looked at it I couldn’t figure out why the road was also at the top of the picture.  Steve immediately knew that it was the reflection of the road in Tulip’s overhang!