Site of the first landing and Cape Henry Lighthouse

“You haven’t been here before.” It was a statement more than a question, the park ranger at First Landing State Park responding to our inquiry of where in the park the landing actually occurred. “You want to go back out to Shore Drive, hang a left, go about 4 miles to Atlantic Ave, then make another left. Good luck!”

We pulled back onto US 60 and headed east, and as I looked at a map I commented that from this end we would also be able to see the Cape Henry lighthouse – bonus! But immediately after making the turn onto Atlantic we got our first inkling that this wouldn’t be just a casual tourist experience; a uniformed officer stepped out of his guard booth, leaned down to see the boys in the backseat, and then asked us for license and registration.

Turns out the actual site of the “first landing” (and the Cape Henry lighthouse) is within the Little Creek/Fort Story Joint Expeditionary Base, a military installation. We were asked if we had any weapons/alcohol/other stuff we thankfully didn’t have in the car, after which we were directed to pull forward for a ‘secondary search.’ At this point I was ready to turn around – I didn’t know what we were getting ourselves into! – but Roberts said we might as well see what happens.

Well, what happened was we were told we can’t visit the base, as we had expired car tags! Luckily it was just a misunderstanding, and after we had shown proof that everything was in order we stepped out of the car, popped the hood and the trunk, stepped aside as two armed officers examined our papers and the scandalous mess in the trunk that comes with four days on the road, and probably got a more intense background check done than we would get if buying a firearm in South Carolina. The kids were instructed to stay in the car, allowing the stale cheerios littering their car seats to go undetected.

Once our visit had been approved we were handed an access pass and given over a dozen instructions on what we were/were not allowed to do in the 4 hours on Atlantic Avenue until our pass expired. Basically, we could visit the lighthouses and the first landing site – do anything else and I had no doubt we would be in trouble! It’s all very reasonable as they don’t want civilians taking pictures of the installation or poking around a sensitive area; however it is intimidating, especially if you haven’t done your research before visiting and don’t know what you’re in for! Expert tip: make sure your license plate tags are up to date and leave the wine coolers at home.

The Cape Henry Lighthouse is managed by Preservation Virginia, and the little Visitor Center at the base next to the parking lot is also the entrance to the lighthouse. There is a fee of $8/adult and $6/student to climb to the top, and all visitors must be 42” or taller and able to climb the steps without assistance. Roberts volunteered to wait with Vilis while the boys and I started our ascent.

Registered as a National Historic Landmark, the lighthouse was the first construction project authorized by the very first Congress, and cost a total of $17,700. President George Washington personally reviewed bids and selected John McCombs, a NY bricklayer, as contractor. The location at the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay had been strategically important to the British for many years as a trade route and military site, and although there had been talk of constructing a lighthouse on Cape Henry, it wasn’t until 1792 that the project was finally completed. Although damaged in the Civil War, service was eventually restored and continued until 1881 when it was replaced by the modern lighthouse which is still in use today.

Preservation Virginia acquired the Cape Henry Lighthouse in 1930 when Congress deeded them the house and 1.77 acres of surrounding land to preserve it and make it accessible to the public. Over the years the lighthouse and its surroundings have undergone multiple restorations including repairing the lantern after damage from Hurricane Barbara in 1953, repairing the original Aquia sandstone, and restoring the surrounding dunes. The Aquia sandstone that was used in the construction had special significance, as it came from the same Virginia quarries  that provided stone for Mount Vernon, the U.S. Capitol and the White House.

A few facts… The lighthouse has thicker walls at the bottom than at the top, and is octagonal, which makes it strong enough to withstand the elements. When lit, the beacon could be seen 15 miles away; it was fueled by whale oil and later kerosene. The lighthouse weighs about 6,000 tons. When it was originally constructed it was about 500 yards from the shore; today it is only about 250.

Across the street is the New Cape Henry lighthouse, currently undergoing some preservation work. It is also octagonal, and stands 164 feet tall.

So far our Virginia trip had been all about Revolutionary War, but the lighthouse introduced us to the War of 1812. A British naval blockade along much of the US coast had disrupted trade and interfered with commerce, and on February 4, 1813 the blockade was extended to the Chesapeake Bay. To prevent British ships from using it to aid navigation, the light was extinguished. Soon after, the British attacked the lighthouse, and British scouting parties often visited the area for fresh water. On July 14^th Capt. Richard Lawson captured 20 British marines nearby.

Commemorating French/British naval engagement

Of course, as the mouth to the Chesapeake, the shores were also the scene of noteworthy events during the Revolutionary War. Here French Navy Admiral de Grasse first engaged the British navy, and when Admiral Graves chose to head back to NY for repairs instead of following De Grasse to the Chesapeake, he left Cornwallis with no option but to surrender at Yorktown.

Admiral de Grasse

However, Cape Henry’s main significance in history might be as the site of the ‘first landing’. On April 26, 1607 three small ships approached the Chesapeake Bay from the southeast and made their landfall on Cape Henry. The Virginia Company Expedition had set sail from England in December of the previous year, and upon reaching this very spot in what is present day Virginia they planted a cross and named the spot Cape Henry, in honor of the oldest son of King James 1. After a few more days of exploration they anchored at Cape Comfort, moving up the James River until settling at Jamestown on May 13, 1607. In 1935 the Daughters of the American Colonists erected a memorial cross here.

Our visit to Cape Henry luckily came to a close without any more surprises; we were able to visit all the sites in the allotted time and left the military base without further excitement. Now to visit the other ‘First Landing’!

Egg casings of the lightning whelk had washed ashore

To be continued….

The Mariners' Museum

It was the town of Newport News that prompted us to join dad on his business trip in the first place. Yes, there were the Petersburg and Richmond Civil War sites, the historic Jamestown and Yorktown, the capitol building and the majestic James River; all sites I had heard of and knew I someday wanted to explore. But it was a museum in Newport News that tipped the scales, because as soon as I mentioned a possible trip to Virginia Lauris declared “I want to see the Monitor!” It didn't take long to convince me - I don't know if it was the influence of my seafaring ancestors or the lure of making history come alive for Lauris, but we penciled the museum in on our travel itinerary. 

The Mariners’ Museum and Park is home to a vast maritime collection; it had just somehow never appeared on my radar. It was Lauris who had started reading history books about the American Civil War, and as he became more fascinated with the Battle of the Hampton Roads, our excitement to visit grew. The naval engagement that occurred at a harbor at the mouth of the James River on March 9, 1862 is remarkable as history’s first duel between ironclad warships and the beginning of a new era of naval warfare. Lauris had researched that portions of the historic ship were on display at the Museum, and so we adjusted our route to Norfolk to allow for time to see history come alive.

We stopped in on the day we visited Yorktown, with the plan to spend a couple of hours exploring – and of course to see the historic Monitor warship. Entrance to the museum is significant, especially if you wish to add the 3D movie to your admission; however even with two exhibits closed for renovation the museum had a wealth of fascinating maritime artifacts on display, and our two hours there passed quickly.

USS Monitor's gun

The USS Monitor was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the Union Navy. Having discovered that the Confederates were building an ironclad warship on the hull of the former steam frigate USS Merrimack (whose iron ‘sides’ were a product of the Tredegar Iron Works we had toured just a few days ago in Richmond), the Union was worried they would lose control of their James River blockade (and eventually Washington DC) to this new warship.  The CSS Virginia had already destroyed the sail frigates USS Cumberland and USS Congress when the Monitor arrived (and just in time to save the steam frigate USS Minnesota!), and after a four-hour battle neither ship was seriously damaged. Eventually the Confederates were forced to destroy the CSS Virginia as they withdrew in early May, after which the Monitor sailed up the James River to support the Union Army during the Peninsula Campaign. While under tow to join blockaders off North Carolina, a storm hit, and on December 31 the ship foundered. Monitor's wreck was discovered in 1973 and has been partially salvaged, with guns, gun turret, engine and other relics on display at the Mariners' Museum. It wasn’t quite the exhibit I had imagined, as all the salvaged parts are underwater in large tanks undergoing active desalination; part of the preservation process is to remove the chloride salts which had accumulated in the turret over 140 years on the sea floor.

NOAA photo on the left, source here, and the lifting device on display at the Museum

Also on display is the claw-like lifting device used by the Navy and NOAA to salvage the turret from the ocean floor, as well as a full scale replica of the turret as salvaged. We viewed the USS Monitor’s red signal lantern, the last object seen by the Monitor’s crew and then later the first artifact recovered from the wreck site. And we traversed the deck of the full-scale USS Monitor, located just outside the museum and connected with two walkways.

Having explored the multiple ironclad/Monitor exhibits we briefly ducked into the new “Polynesian Warriors” exhibition, its displays demonstrating this culture's and community’s focus on the maritime. The boys by this time had mastered “Museum Quest” on the borrowed iPads and were having fun searching for clues. (The interactive scavenger hunt has an app for the iPad, and kids can follow clues to find exciting objects within the museum… if you find all 9 you win a prize!) Our hunt took us out to the courtyard and into the International Small Craft Center.

With more than 150 boats representing 43 countries I was hoping to see a boat from Latvia. Geographically the closest we got was the competition sailboat from Denmark, however I wasn’t disappointed as the variety of boats present (in just one room!) was fascinating. A Venetian Gondola, a "Bull Boat" made from the bison bull, the Agai-ni-awaiau ceremonial canoe... to think how many shapes and materials can all be made to float! Eventually we headed through the courtyard and back into the main building.

The Age of Exploration chronicles the developments in shipbuilding, ocean navigation, and cartography from the 15^th through the 18^th centuries. Passing through the next exhibit is The Nelson Touch, devoted to Lord Admiral Horatio Nelson of the British Navy. Then Defending the Seas (a history of the Navy) and The Whaleship Charles W. Morgan – the exhibits seemed never-ending! Once we had made our way to the Collections Gallery we hit a dead end as galleries 6 and 9 are closed, but retracing our steps brought us back to the main lobby.

At the center of Museum are some of the most interesting objects. It is here that the Cape Charles Lighthouse Fresnel lens is located, and the eagle figurehead from the USS Lancaster. However Vilis’s favorite portion of the museum is the activity ship, offering the opportunity to explore what life was like aboard a ship on the high seas! The boys played checkers, climbed ladders, tried out the ship’s hammock and marveled over the contents of the trunks; the announcement that the museum would be closing came far too soon.

Once we had left the museum we took a short tour of the 550-acre Park. Open daily, the most popular attraction is possibly the five-mile Noland Trail. However we were quickly losing daylight, so we opted to instead drive the road that circles the Park and the 167-acre Lake Maury. On the far end of the loop is the Lions Bridge, crossing the dam between the lake and James River. Here we stopped to take a closer look at the four lions that stand guard on the parapets, and watched the daylight fade over the water. Tomorrow we would once more be venturing back hundreds of years through history – to the First Landing.

Town of York, Virginia

Back to Virginia!! We had just left the Jamestowne portion of Colonial National Historical Park and were headed along the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown, which includes the town, the Battlefield and Yorktown National Cemetery on the shores of the York River. The American victory at Yorktown was the last major battle of the American Revolution and resulted in an independent Unites States of America.

In the spring of 1781 (after 7 years of war) the British turned their attention to the South after failing to conquer the northern states. British General Charles, Lord Cornwallis moved his army into Virginia and chose the port of Yorktown as a base. Americans and their allies soon followed; a French fleet from the West Indies under command of Admiral François Joseph Paul, Comte de Grasse set up a blockade at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. The Park Visitor Center contains a large ship that can be explored to learn more about this aspect of the war – the boys took advantage of a comfy spot ‘below deck’ to work on their Junior Ranger badges…

General George Washington moved troops from NYC and Rhode Island to Williamsburg, then to Yorktown, numbering over 17,000 to Cornwallis’s 8,300. After a week under siege, a failed attempt to escape across the York and finally the destruction of the town, Cornwallis formally surrendered his army on October 19, 1781. Two years later in September of 1783 the Treaty of Paris officially ended the war.

Jamestown on the left, connected with Yorktown on the right by the Colonial Parkway (source here)

Two auto tours depart from the Visitor Center, taking you on a tour of the Allied encampment and the battlefield. We opted to take a tour on foot, heading towards the Yorktown Victory Monument and the Town of York. This commemorative monument was authorized in 1781, although construction did not begin until 1881.

Yorktown was established in 1691 by the Virginia House of Burgesses to create a port through which all trade could pass and customs paid. By the 1700s it was serving Williamsburg, the new capital of Virginia, and was fueled by the wealth of the tobacco trade. However as soil quality declined in the second half of the century tobacco planters moved away, and once the town was destroyed in the siege it never regained its prominence. The city once again came under siege during the Civil War, when Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan began his Peninsula Campaign to capture Richmond. Once the Confederates withdrew, Yorktown served two years as military headquarters for the Federal-held district of Eastern Virginia.

The town today is an active community, with several homes and structures from the colonial period still standing. Other residences are under private ownership and aren’t open to the public. Visitors can walk the streets as well as descend to the Riverwalk and the shore of the York River.

A short distance from the Visitor Center is the site for the Yorktown National Cemetery, which was selected in 1866 due to its vicinity to the various Civil War battlefields. Most of the 2,204 burials are Union Army soldiers. The Cemetery lies adjacent to the spot on the 1781 battlefield where the British surrendered to General Washington.

There is an entrance fee to Colonial National Historic Park, but it includes both the Jamestown and Yorktown sections. Be aware that there are other historical parks in the vicinity that are operated by the Commonwealth of Virginia (and therefore are not included in the NPS entrance fee), but as I mentioned in my last post, the “Olde Towne” section of Jamestown is included, although managed by Preservation Virginia. We left behind the battlefields for the day, and headed further south on the peninsula, towards Newport News.

Lowes Foods Five Forks: giveaway!

Lowes Foods has come to Five Forks! The grand opening is today at 4pm, for what will be their second store in the Upstate. (The first of a distinctive chain of supermarkets based out of Winston Salem, North Carolina, opened in Greer in 2016.) I sometimes get excited about new stores coming to the Greenville area (see me missing TJs while in France), but Lowes was a completely new experience. With an emphasis on local (Lowes currently works with more than 250 NC and SC-based farmers and artisans), the store carries a wide assortment of organic foods and has created ample buzz with their convenient, family-friendly store.

The newest location is in the Village Market-East shopping center on the northwest corner of Woodruff Road and Sunnydale Drive. In addition to the unique areas within the store (known as Lowes Foods Originals) such as The Beer Den, SausageWorks, The Chicken Kitchen, Pick & Prep, The Community Table, Boxcar Coffee & Chocolates and The Cakery, the store will also feature an in-store brew-pub, the first of its kind in the Upstate. However the real attraction to doing my grocery shopping at Lowes is in the child-friendly approach that Lowes has made a priority in their Upstate stores.

From the child-sized carts available at the entrance to the free organic snack offered to customers ages 12 and under, the boys always feel welcome and are occupied from start to finish while I am selecting groceries and checking items off my grocery list. The most exciting stops are the Lowes Foods Originals areas, which feature exciting things for the kids to do, see and taste!

Parents; make sure to first stop at the in-store café, Boxcar Coffee & Chocolates, where hand-roasted coffee is available to fuel your shopping trip. Bonus: hand poured Belgian chocolates and a dozen variations of chocolate barks are for sale, a little something to hide in the back of the cabinet for later...

The Pick & Prep area is adjacent to the produce section, and is a novelty for the busy family. Employees slice and dice fruits and vegetables made to order for your different cooking needs; the surprise bonus – no extra fee, it’s all priced by weight! While you’re getting your onion diced (yes, you can actually have them dice just one onion), the kids can help pick the herbs on your shopping list, another fun Lowes innovation. In addition to the wide selection of fresh herbs by the package, you can also clip your own from the planters right there in the store, mixing/matching needed quantities for a single recipe; fill a baggie for only 99¢. As far as produce goes, I always get excited about the potato and tomato selection, which allows customers to fill a carton with their selection as it’s also sold by weight; this is perfect for a colorful salsa or potato salad!

Next stop, SausageWorks! In front of the case displaying an assortment of (over two dozen varieties of locally made pork, beef and poultry) sausages is a panel with buttons and gauges, allowing the kids to help the crazy ‘sausage professor.’ They’ll be excited to see their actions translated into a whir of turning gears and levers on the big board over the counter! Meanwhile you’re free to try a few samples and decide which variety of sausage to purchase... Directly next to the sausage counter is the Beef Shoppe where a friendly butcher is on hand to help with your shopping. Here you’ll also find the temperature and humidity controlled case in which premium cuts of beef are aged. According to my source, you might want to reserve a portion if you see something you like, as most cuts are basically already sold once they come out of the case… The Smokehouse offers a collection of different types of meat, smoking them with different types of wood for a variety of flavors.

At Bread Crumbs bakery the kids are immediately drawn to the kids table, where they can bang away on pots and pans to their heart’s content while adults peruse the all-natural, fresh-baked artisanal breads that are hand-crafted on location. Fresh-from-the-oven loaves are available from 4:30 to 7:30pm daily and contain no preservatives. And across the aisle is The Cakery; featuring frosting made with real butter and $10 mini-cakes, they have a “cake walk” daily in the store where they give away a whole cake! Be sure to ask for the magic wand so that the kids can “blow out” the magic candles above the counter!

The list goes on… Maybe you’ll catch the rotisserie chicken coming out the oven in The Chicken Kitchen; you’ll know it’s that time, because you can join the hosts in a lively rendition of the chicken dance! The Beer Den features craft beers on tap and a selection of wines (both of which can be purchased to be enjoyed during your shopping experience if you prefer) in addition to the aforementioned brewery, unique to the Five Forks store. Sammy’s Sub Shop prepares fresh sandwiches, pizza and paninis which you can enjoy right there in the lounge, and the Community Table often hosts samples, demonstrations and even birthday parties.

I would be remiss in not mentioning the Lowes Foods-To-Go online personal shopping service, the ultimate convenience for the busy household. Also make sure to sign up for Lowes Fresh Rewards, the card that allows frequent shoppers to take advantage of weekly instant rewards, earn gas rewards and receive special promotional offers. For up to date news on the opening of the Five Forks store and the 2018 Pelham store, visit Lowes Foods Upstate on facebook and for the weekly sales ad and coupons, visit the Lowes website.

Now for the fun part... I have three exclusive Founders' Club Cards to give away to my readers! This entails 10% off on all private label items, a free one-year Lowes Foods to Go online shopping subscription (valued at $99), a 32oz Beer Den growler, and first-of-season and sneak peek emails to let you know about special products and seasonal items that are coming to your local store - in addition to all the perks of a Fresh Rewards card! 

To enter, leave a comment on this post letting me know which Lowes location you will be frequenting. I will select three winners on Sunday, February 12th (2017)... Good luck! 

This post appeared first on local family site Kidding Around Greenville. The giveaway is sponsered by Lowes Foods, although all opinions, photographs and words are my own. 

Update 2/12/2017
Congratulations to Elizabeth, Jennifer and Lisa on winning Founders' Club cards! Thanks to everyone who entered!!

Our Swamp Rabbits meet the team

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits hosted their first TruMoo Kids Club event of the season Monday, with members invited to join Stomper and the players for an evening of pizza and autographs at the Bon Secours Wellness Arena!

From left: Bergin (29), Miceli (26), Mikus, Oksanen (3), Skapski (30) and Gerling (8)

For a second the boys were torn between the pizza and meeting the players… In the end, the players did win out!

Thanks to our favorite hockey team for taking the time to meet some of their biggest (smallest) fans before hitting the road for their upcoming away games against the Florida Everblades, the Orlando Solar Bears and the Norfolk Admirals! We’ll see you back in Greenville against Orlando!!!

The collection wasn't complete without Stomper's autograph!

The Greenville Swamp Rabbits are currently second in eastern-south standings behind the Everblades. They’ll be back in Greenville next Friday, with upcoming home games on February 10^th and Saturday, February 11^th against the Orlando Solar Bears. Friday is “Stick it to Cancer Night” with specialty jerseys which will be auctioned off live following the game, proceeds benefiting the Cancer Survivor’s Park Alliance. Saturday is the annual Outdoors/Scout Night, with a lawn chair giveaway for the first 1,000 fans.

Apparently Ahti Oksanen (#3) is an artist in his spare time!

Find schedule, pricing and stats on the official website, and you can join the Kids Club here. We’re proud to have the Swamp Rabbits be the face of hockey in Greenville, as they aren’t just great hockey – they’re great fan engagement, true fun for the entire family. #FearTheEars!