Oct 15 Historic Yorktown

 Oct 15.  Yorktown - 4 night visit

We decided to stop at Yorktown on sort of a whim.  It really wasn't a place we had considered when we started our cruise around the Chesapeake.  But back when we were starting and had stopped in Hampton, the couple in a boat docked beside us had it as their destination.  I did a little research looking at the marina and was concerned based on several reviews.  The docks sit parallel to the York River and experience significant current. That means docking is best accomplished during slack tides much like our marina in Charleston.   It is also pretty exposed to ESE winds coming off the bay. We just thought - not ideal.   But as we were working our way back south it seemed like a logical next stop rather than revisiting Hampton or Norfolk.    We needed a place to sit out a forecasted rainy Thurs and we also needed to get to a Best Buy to swap out a defective Samsung tablet.  They had 2 Best Buys within an easy Uber drive.  So, we stopped not expecting much and just planned to stay 2 nights and head out Fri AM.  

Once docked we found Yorktown had much to offer and so we wound up extending our stay for 4 nights. Crazy for a place with a population of just over 200.  The "Riverwalk" is the waterfront area.  Consisting of the marina, nice sandy beaches, several restaurants and shops, and some open entertainment areas. No real town, just a very active area with lots going on.   We did spend most of Thurs. away from the water getting the new tablet, but the rain cleared out midafternoon which worked out great for a concert in the park.  We got to sit on the boat and listen to some great jazzy music.

The Riverwalk - band is set up under the white tent

 Friday started with the arrival of 2 Navy ships.   We boaters have a saying about docking. "Sometimes you WATCH the show and sometimes you ARE the show".  Well, Navy boat #1 WAS the show as it managed to " make contact" with the dock.  The shows continued later in the day as a sailboat came in and couldn't control itself in the current. He attempted 4 different dockings with the final outcome pinning himself tightly against a dock perpendicular to the river current. 

Navy boats join us on the dock

There's a lot of history in Yorktown.  It was the scene of the last major battle in the Revolutionary War resulting in General Cornwallis's surrender and ultimately the Treaty of Paris reaffirming the validity of our Declaration of Independance.  They have an excellent American Revolution Museum where we spent several hours Fri.  Had dinner and a beer flight at the Waterside Grill.   Back at the boat we were entertained again with music.   

Evening sets over the York River

Sat. started with a parade of folks up and down the docks as the Navy vessels were open for tours.  We watched the goings on for a while then headed off the docks to the farmer's market.  Lots of vendors with "stuff" but only one produce vendor. We were able to pick up some fresh veggies, a sweet potato pie for dessert and some pastries for our late breakfast.   That done we jumped on their free trolley for a ride over to the National Parks visitors center.   The park here and at nearby Jamestown were largely developed during the Great Depression as part of the Civil Conservation Corp program.  The park includes a number of the battlefields, several historic or recreated buildings on Main Street, canon firing demonstrations, recreated encampments, etc. 

Preparing to fire a canon at the National Park

 Alongside the park is the Victory Monument.  It was the first monument congress ordered built - just days after the battle.  They never specified funding, so it didn't get built until the centennial of the battle rolled around.  Interestingly, Lady Liberty atop the monument was decapitated in 1942 after a lightning strike. She was replaced about 15 years later - this time with a lightning rod secured.  

Victory Monument

Back at the boat we watched as the Navy boats set off while a wedding was being conducted shoreside. More live music tonight!  We decided to head to the Yorktown Pub for dinner and to watch the Tenn. Vols take a win over Bama.   Then back to the boat and settling in to watch our Clemson Tigers continue their undefeated season with a win over FSU.   Overall, a pretty enjoyable few days.