Tall Ships, the American Revolution and Yorktown
You history buffs may know that at the Battle of Yorktown in 1781, General George Washington's resounding defeat of Lord Cornwallis's British army caused the British to surrender, thus effectively ending that American Revolutionary War. The battle at Yorktown raged from September 28 to October 19, 1781 and 8,000 British soldiers surrendered to the Americans at the end of that battle. (I am telling you, Virginia is truly THE most interesting state!) Despite living my entire li
Discovering Richmond: Trolley Tour and Pasta Making
Living in the 'burbs, I realized how little my kids have been exposed to the downtown Richmond. So I signed us up to take a trolley tour of our great city to give the kids a taste of the rich history of Richmond. Our trolley guide from Richmond Trolley was awesome and had all sorts of fun facts and stories to share about Richmond. As it was a driving tour and not a walking tour, Grandma Dot was able to join us too for the fun. http://richmondtrolley.com/ From the Trolley Tou
Off the Beaten Path in Williamsburg
Williamsburg is a big tourist destination. And most Virginia school children have taken a pilgrimage to Jamestown. While we love these places and visit them frequently, we set out to discover some new places and take a scenic drive: The Colonial Parkway is a twenty-three mile scenic roadway that connects Virginia's historic triangle: Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. This truly peaceful parkway winds its way between Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown and it is well w
Rockin' the Rocks with Surprise Wanderers
The day started with a riddle and a surprise: "What do some walls, rivers and shops have in common?" The kids would find out the answer was ROCKS and the surprise was 2 very special "guest wanderers"that I had invited to join us. ROCK WALLS: The first stop of the day was Peak Experience, our awesome local rock climbing gym on Midlothian for a morning of climbing the rocks. The day was made more special when two of my kiddos favorite teachers popped out from hiding in the bat
The Canal Walk, and Canal Cruise, and Richmond Slave Trail
Heading into the city, we started our day walking up and down the Richmond Canal Walk and ended by purchasing tickets for a Canal Cruise. This informative, 40-minute, historically narrated tour helped us discover new things about the James River and Kanawha Canal along Richmond’s historic Canal Walk. The covered boats accommodate up to 35 passengers. Tours depart on the hour from the Turning Basin, between 14th and Dock streets on Virginia Street. Check out http://www.rvariv
Pop Art, Pop Culture and Fried Goodness
We kicked off Wandering Wednesdays with a sugar rush! We had heard about a new donut shop that had opened up called The Sugar Shack. Oh man were they worth the drive. And you gotta try the special Maple Bacon donut! The Sugar Shack Sugared up and happy, we headed out to the VMFA for some eye candy via their Pop Art exhibit featuring Tom Wessleman. "Wessleman and his contemporaries - Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein and James Rosenquist - forged the Pop Art movement by creating
