Let's pretend like it's 1780!!

I'm just not a good blogger these days. I don't know what I'm doing with my time but all of a sudden it's been several weeks since I've posted and now there's just too much to tell. So now I've done all this stuff, I haven't posted about any of it and if I'm too detailed you'll get bored and stop reading anyway. So I will try my best to be succinct and distill it down to the barebones.

I have to admit that there's actually a lot to do in the "historic triangle." In addition to the official "Colonial Williamburg" area, there's a Busch Gardens theme park, a water park, a huge outlet mall, the Williamsburg winery as well as the nearby Yorktown and Jamestown sites. I think it wouldn't be a bad little family vacation because there are tons of hotels in Williamsburg and a pancake house on every corner.... Breakfast food - yum! If you're interested in the area check out this link

At first glance you'll think "Colonial Williamsburg" is a rip off because it's pretty expensive - $34 for an adult ticket, but it's actually very cool. This area that's about 4 blocks by 3 blocks has been maintained in an exact colonial style. The buildings, the townspeople, the shops, the streets, the activities are basically an ongoing museum to life in the 1770s and 80s. For example, you walk into the blacksmith shop and actual workers in colonial garb are smithing. They use the same techniques and are making items needed for the "town." You can ask questions and they'll explain what they're doing.


In the wheelwright's shop, the worker explained that he was making a wheel for one of the wagons in town - I mean he was actually making the wheel, with the same tools that would have used in the 1700s, so that the wagons we saw in the town were authentic to the era. These different shops have apprenticeships for new workers and they learn the trade just as they would have in the old days. We also saw a shoe maker, women baking in large stone ovens, the place where the town's gun were kept (most being authentic muskets that are maintained and still fired each year), the church (which still has ongoing weekly services) and a few taverns/pubs. In addition to the buildings, the "townspeople" have daily re-enactments going on in locations throughout the town. For example, the day we were there, the continental army "troops" in Williamsburg were getting ready to march on Yorktown and General Washington was there to inspect them. In another location, a soldier had been acting inappropriately in the tavern and was tarred and feathered, and apparently we missed a slave uprising of some sort.



So it really is pretty cool, even if you know nothing about history. I do recommend paying extra for the Governor's Mansion tour - it was worth it. And if you want to be a complete nerd, you and your family can rent colonial costumes for the day.

If you are going to do the colonial thing, I also HIGHLY recommend eating at one of the restaurants. We did dinner at the King's Arms which is one of the "fancy" places. Yes it was a pricey dinner, but the food was fabulous and the experience was worth it. Everything is candlelight (duh - no electricity back then) the servers will explain the menu and how to eat the food, and there are roaming "townspeople" that will come to the table or play music in the room. Check out the menu here. We had peanut soup, venison pie, and buffalo meatloaf which were all very tasty! Apparently the colonists also liked stiff drinks because every cocktail I ordered seemed to be pure liquor. Imagine slightly drunk Jenn, in heels, walking down a cobblestoned street ....

Other random Williamsburg thoughts ...

1. Go to the Yankee Candle Flagship store!!
It's huge and obnoxious and a must for any candle lover. It's one of the largest candle shops in the world and it also has lots of Christmassey stuff. Just make sure to take your advil because the smells there will give you a headache!

2. Prepare to get lost.
I'm generally a good navigator and my travel companion is in the Navy and can actually navigate in the freakin' ocean, but this area is set up bizarrely and roads are not always well marked.

3. Even in colonial days there were chics that tried to hook up with soldiers ... photographic evidence here


4. Realize that you are seeing a re-enactment and if you're one of those history buffs who demand on accuracy ... just get over it. So if you happen to know that George W. was actually 6' 4" -which was ridiculously tall for that time - and that he towered over all of his officers, you just have to let it go if the pretend George is the same height as everyone else. Of course I'm a history idiot so they could have worn pink bows in their hair and I would have thought "hmm, didn't know the men wore pink bows."

5. They sell american revolution scumbuzzards in Williamsburg.
A "scumbuzzard" refers to those little green plastic army guys that you play with, the ones that back in the late 70s and early 80s came in big plastic bags or tubs. The term was coined by my Uncle B. who has since moved on from this world. My uncles would bring them to family events and we would have scumbuzzard wars - especially fun when there was lots of fireworks to serve as ammo. I got a kick out of seeing these, never seen anything but the boring green kind.

so all in all, Williamsburg is a worthwhile destination, just avoid the colonial cocktails if you're a lightweight.

A visit to Cape Henry

As I mentioned in previous posts, I'm determined to not squander my dwindling time here in tidewater Virginia so today I'll write about my afternoon jaunt to Cape Henry.

Cape Henry is the entry point to the vast Chesapeake Bay and literally 5 minutes down the road from me since I live right off the Bay. It serves as an important piece of history given that it was the landing site in April 1607 of the first British colonists to the states. These were the colonists who went up river and settled at Jamestown - also known by many as the fun filled settlement depicted in Disney's Pocahontas, though I wouldn't bank of its historical accuracy 100%. Apparently they were led by a Captain Newport which now explains the name of the town of Newport News and Christopher Newport University. This stone cross monument is at the same site as a wooden cross initially erected by the settlers almost 400 years ago to commemorate their safe passage.




















Also occurring at this location was an important naval skirmish on September 1781 known as the Battle of the Capes. The victory against the British fleet in this battle prevented them from sending relief troops to General Cornwallis who was in the process of getting a colonial smackdown by Washington and the gang. Shortly thereafter, Cornwallis surrendered and our little country was born. Apparently some French dude, an Admiral deGrasse led the fight ... who knew the French were sailors???

I should mention that Cape Henry is located on the Fort Story Army base so getting to the attractions is sortof like going through airport security. You have to get out of your car, open the hood, trunk and watch as they walk around your car with little mirrors looking for explosives. One of the inspectors mentioned that my engine was dirty .... at which point my traveling companion said "Have you seen the inside?" Let's just say clean cars have never been a priority in my life.

The biggest attractions at Cape Henry are the two lighthouses - the old Cape Henry lighthouse and the "new" one which is still operating. The old light was build in 1792 and was one of the first public works projects funded by the our fledging little US bureaucracy and the project was headed by one Alexander Hamilton (later shot down in a duel with Aaron Burr for all of those history buffs out there). The light served it's purpose for almost 100 years, even after being damaged by the Confederacy during the Civil War. When it started to have structural issues in the masonry, a "new" lighthouse was commissioned and began operation in 1881. The original lighthouse had to be rebuilt after being destroyed by a hurricane in 1957 and for a fee of $4 - which let's face it, is a bit of a rip off - you can climb to the top. Of course, it is being run by a non-profit historical preservation association so I suppose they need to make money somehow. Here are some pictures, including me at the entrance, the metal circular staircase, the view from the top (blurry pictures due to the windows which were a bit steamy that day) and a webpage shot of the actual light since I forgot to get one.





















































The "new" lighthouse from 1881 is still in operation and you can't climb up it. Here are pictures however of the new light, and a shot from the first landing site showing both of the lights.


















While we were there, I also took a few shots of the ocean front and off in the distance you can see commercial vessels waiting to enter the bay. My friend explained to me that the ships have to wait here until it's their turn to enter the bay. A small red boat, known as a pilot boat, comes over and navigates them into the bay via the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. It explained a lot because when I walk on the bay beach I always see these boats just sitting there and I wondered, "Why aren't they going anywhere?" Apparently they're just waiting for their turn to get into the port of Norfolk or whatever ports farther north they are heading too. I didn't see any big military ships, but apparently this is the same route all of the ones leaving and entering Naval Station Norfolk travel.











So that sums up the sights at Cape Henry, it was a bit anticlimactic after having worked all weekend but still a nice afternoon.

Fast Times in Virginia Beach

I haven't posted much about my temporary home since first getting here, so I thought I'd talk about Virginia Beach a bit. For those of you who haven't been here, the Virginia Beach metro area is the most populated part of Virginia (D.C. metro is larger but consists of two states and the District) and this area is known as Hampton Roads. The towns of Norfolk, Suffolk, Hampton, Newport News, Chesapeake, Portsmouth and Virginia Beach are all kindof blobbed together here, and just a bit north is Williamsburg, Yorktown and other historical touristy type sites. My job is in Norfolk but I live in Virginia Beach right next to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel which crosses the Bay to Delaware. Norfolk is home to the world's largest naval station and is surrounded by the Chesapeake Bay, while Virginia Beach has Bay on one side and Atlantic Ocean on the other. It's the major tourist destination - or I should say tourist trap - for these parts.

Other than the tourism aspect, there is a HUGE military presence in this area. The vast majority of the jobs around here revolve around the many bases scattered through the area. There's the aforementioned Navy station in Norfolk, Oceana Naval Air Station in Virginia Beach, a Navy hospital in Portsmouth, Langley Air Force Base up in Hampton, I'm right next to Little Creek Naval Amphibious Base, and there's a small Army outpost Fort Story just down the road from my apartment which is part of the large Fort Eustis in Newport News. I'm sure there are more but those are some of the big ones off the top of my head. Seeing people in camouflage or uniform is a routine occurrence at the gas pump, as is hearing jet noise in VA Beach. When sitting on the beach, the F/A 18s are constantly flying maneuvers and appear to be cruising right behind the hotels, and you see the occasional big ship heading off to places unknown. This definitely isn't a place where my "Send our kids to college - not Iraq" bumper sticker would have fit in as evidenced by the fact that most of the staff in the NICU have some connection to the military - their spouses, significant others, parents, children etc.

I've spent most of my time in Virginia Beach so that's the part I know best. I live right off the Chesapeake Bay but those beaches aren't the best. The water is murky and a bit smelly and the beaches are not as wide. It's not very commercial though, so nice for walking between the water and the nice homes. The ocean front is where all of the "action" is at. When I first moved here, the tourist season was in high swing. The resort area along the ocean front is just a nightmare to navigate when the tourists are around and parking is ridiculous. Now that we're approaching Fall it's a lot easier to get in and out. When you walk down the ocean front, the only description I can think is "tourist trap." It reminds me of Branson, MO or Gatlinburg, TN where there is just shop after shop of souvenirs and crap. You can walk for blocks and it all seems to repeat itself. I'm sure there are some nice restaurants, but mainly you see ice cream shops, Dairy Queen, pizza and the like. It's not that it's bad, I just can't imagine hanging out there for an extended period of time. The beaches themselves are pretty nice. They're clean and wide and there's plenty of space. The water has a less polluted feel, but from what I'm told in no way compares to the Pacific or the beaches further south. Now that it's not as busy, it's fun to drive down to the oceanfront on my days off - take my beach chair and a book (not to mention floppy hat and TONS of SPF 30) and relax.

One funny thing about Virginia Beach is these signs posted everywhere ... apparently referring to no swearing. They crack me up and are on practically every street corner and at all of the malls in the city.

This week, I visited my first non-beach related site with another travel nurse, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. I have to say I wasn't wowed - it in no way compares to the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, but it was an interesting afternoon. I did get to see stingrays up close and I suppressed the urge to take exacting revenge on those who killed Steve Irwin (why oh why you bastards!!) They had a shark tank and other exhibits, but none of my pictures really turned out except for these strange looking moonfish. It seemed more like a museum than an aquarium with lots of science/oceanography exhibits, and again it was interesting - I've just been to better.

After the aquarium we went to the oceanfront so that my friend could see the World's Largest Sand Castle. It was built last week for the big Neptune Festival and I had already seen it but was happy to get pictures without hundreds of people in my way. Here are some shots and one with my friend to give you a perspective on it's size.

Only the front is carved but the details are quite stunning and the whole thing was sculpted and built using only sand and water. Pretty cool. Another familiar site on the boardwalk is the statue of King Neptune. I got a good shot of it yesterday.

I'm hoping to see some more sights in the near future and spend more time posting pictures that you might find interesting to my blog! Let me know what you think.

1 Drunk Girl and 2 Guys

Anyone who knows me, knows that I'm NOT your typical chic.

I don't get jealous, I've never been too concerned about marriage, I'm really not into clothes or purses and I've always had guy friends. I firmly denounce the When Harry Met Sally theory that "men and women can't be friends because the sex part always gets in the way." Not only have some of my best friends been male, but honestly those friendships in general have been far easier and required less maintenance. I mean face it, men don't get upset if you're out and both wearing the same color of shirt, or if you're 10 minutes late, or if you're speaking to some girl that they once liked in high school. They just don't care that much about the details, and chics?? Well they care - a lot - about really stupid things.

So anyway, in college two of my really good friends were guys. We had all gone to high school together and our buddy Kevin was a favorite because his older sister let us have parties at her apartment - sweet! We didn't go to the same college, but we'd hook up for parties (like St Pat's at Rolla which was outrageous fun back in the day) and one of them was always game for coming to I.S.U. and going to a sorority function with me if I was single. After college, we all were doing the young professional thing in Springfield and feeling rich because we had a little money to spend. Our Wednesday nights were often spent drinking beer, playing Golden Tee golf on playstation, watching South Park, then heading out to a local watering hole. The best part of the deal for me was that when Jenn was drunk and stupid - which I'm not going to lie, was quite often in those days - those boys were like overprotective brothers. They always made sure that I didn't do anything *too* stupid. .... the time I played public spin the bottle then fell off the stage dancing at Broadway?? That doesn't count, I blame DJ Matt Greer for that one! Anyhoo, for the most part they kept me out of trouble and made sure that I made it home ... even if I was missing a shoe and that only happened once. My Mom never worried when I was out with "the boys" as she called them. Even when I was a cute young co-ed going off to St Pat's she knew they would take good care of me. (To explain, Rolla is an engineering school, incredibly overpopulated with males. Mix tons of drunk males who don't see a lot of women and a single chic and beer?? That's like throwing fresh meat to lions)

Of course eventually we all grew up.

Well more accurately THEY grew up, got married, had kids and all that adult stuff while I'm still living like a 25 year old nomad. Time started to get away from us, and suddenly it's been over three years since we all hung out. Luckily there was an event to bring us all together, even better an event of golf and beer! My buddy Rob and his wife hosted a charity golf outing to benefit the American Cancer Society and the Salsich Hoehn Foundation for ovarian cancer. Luckily they didn't make me golf, but I was given a golf cart and beer which is WAY more fun in my opinion. It was great catching up and hanging out like the old days. I have several versions of the top picture from events over the past 15 years ... from St Pat's to one of the many weddings of Kevin's sisters (they're Irish, they have lots of siblings, they throw fun weddings, it's what they do). I like to think that we haven't fundamentally changed over the years - I mean in my mind I definitely still look 22. Despite us now being older, more mature and perhaps wiser, the caption could still be 1 drunk girl and her 2 guy friends.

It was great seeing you!! Hope it doesn't take another 3 years to meet up!!