Fredericksburg, Virginia

We spent a nice day in Fredericksburg, Virginia on Thursday August 30.  We had a great pizza and cannoli for lunch and later expresso in the historic downtown area.  As we walked around the downtown area, we ran across the auction block still mounted on the corner where they had held slave and property auctions.

 

We took a fun tour of a 1770's Apothecary Shop.  The tour was given by the doctor's "assistants" who were costumed and stayed in character while describing all the cures the doctor had available for different ailments.  They had some huge live leeches which they showed us.  It was amazing that anyone survived to old age during that time.

 Later in the afternoon, we headed out to the Fredericksburg Battlefield.  Unfortunately for Fredericksburg, the town was located right between the federal capital in Washington and the confederate capital in Richmond.  The Battle of Fredericksburg in December of 1862 ended up as a victory for the confederacy, but destroyed the town. 

Part of the rock wall on one side of the "sunken road" defense position that was crucial for the confederate troops.

The Historic Triangle - Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown

On Monday August 27, we arrived in Richmond, Virginia to visit our friend Garland.   We did a lot of visiting and catching up. Garland raises gorgeous orchids on his back patio.  He had one that smelled like vanilla and some others that had some unusual pollination contraptions. 

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On Tuesday August 28, Garland, Eric and I loaded up our bikes and headed for the Historic Triangle.  Our first stop was Colonial Williamsburg.  We had so much fun riding all over Williamsburg and looking around in all the gardens.  We had all been to Williamsburg before and agreed that touring by bike was the best way to see it all.  Eric and I decided that if we needed a business opportunity in the future we could open "Ye Olde Bicycle Rental Shoppe" at Williamsburg.   

No it's not Pee Wee Herman it's Garland on his Schwinn which he built himself from vintage parts.

Garland attracted so much attention with his bike that even one of the Williamsburg interpreters asked to go for a spin on it.

Two fine patriots.

We loved looking in all the gardens behind the homes.  We even picked a couple of figs and ate them. 

 After a morning of biking and exploring around Williamsburg, we ate lunch at Williamsburg's Dog Street Pub.  We had a great time in Williamsburg.  Garland was a fantastic guide since he had been there so many times and grew up in the area. 

After leaving Williamsburg, we headed to nearby Jamestown.  We stopped in the visitor center and watched a quick film about the area.  We decided not to see the recreated Jamestown settlement, since we had seen the recreated Roanoke settlement a few years ago and they looked very similar.  Instead we opted to drive the scenic loop around the actual Jamestown Island where the settlers actually lived.  That was some tough terrain on which to try to build a settlement and I can't even imagine the hardships of trying to build in that mosquito infested swampy area.  We saw osprey and eagles on the James River as we drove around. 

 

 

Jamestown fountain

 After Jamestown, we headed down the Colonial Parkway towards Yorktown on the coast.  We looked at the battlefield for the Battle of Yorktown and the cave where they found Cornwallis after the battle.  We walked along the waterfront and stopped in a waterfront tavern for a refreshing beverage.  

The cave near Yorktown where Cornwallis was captured after losing the battle of Yorktown.

There were still cannonballs in the brickwork on this house.  We saw two cannonballs and several holes made by cannons.

 

Last Day on Lake Norman

On Sunday August 26, we spent our last day with Tony and Shari.  We started off the day at our favorite spot - the back porch.  We enjoyed a nice breakfast and some coffee while overlooking Lake Norman.  

A family a ducks came up off the lake into the back yard for some breakfast. 

After a wonderful morning relaxing and visiting on the porch, we headed out in the boat to a lakeside grill for lunch.  Captain Tony and Captain Eric took turns at the helm.   The weather was perfect and the lake was gorgeous.

We motored up to our lunchtime destination, the Blue Parrot Grill and docked the boat.

We enjoyed a nice leisurely lunch on the patio at the restaurant.   After lunch, we took a nice slow tour of the lake.  There are so many pretty homes along the lake shore.  This house is an old plantation home that has been remodeled.  Last time we were here, we stopped and visited with the owners, who are friends of Tony and Shari's. 

This is Tony and Shari's house and dock from the water.   They are planning to rent out their house next summer to vacationers.  What a wonderful vacation spot!  We love the peace and quiet on their section of the lake and it is so much fun to take the boat across the lake to eat. 

                                                              Shari's garden art.  

After leaving Tony and Shari's,  we drove to the Childress Vineyard in North Carolina.  The vineyard is owned by NASCAR car owner Richard Childress. 

 

Nascar Hall of Fame

Tony and Shari

On Saturday August 25, we went with Tony and Shari to the Nascar Hall of Fame in downtown Charlotte.  The museum and hall of fame were very nicely done.  They had a lot of interactive exhibits.  We got to drive a simulator in the Bristol race and do a pit stop - luckily our car only had one wheel.

What a cracker jack pit crew.

The 33 degree banking like at Daytona

Goodbyes and Hellos

We had to say goodbye to Jonathan and Elissa on Friday, August 24.  It was definitely bittersweet leaving.  We were ready to leave the heat but sad to leave Elissa, Jonathan and Willie the cat. We really enjoyed getting to spend so much time with Elissa and Jonathan and getting to know the area around where they live.

One last photo of Jonathan in his work uniform

I don't think Willie was quite ready for us to go.  He was pretty sure that he could fit in the suitcase.

After leaving Goose Creek, we headed north towards Charlotte, North Carolina.  Our friends, Tony and Shari live just north of Charlotte on Lake Norman.   It was so nice to see them again.  It had been about 7 or 8 years since I had been here last.  Eric had been here to visit about a year ago.  Just before dusk, we headed out on one of their boats across the lake to eat at a dockside grill.  We had a lot of fun - so much fun, that I forgot to take any pictures.  After we got back to Tony and Shari's, we took their dogs for a short boat ride on the lake.  They love to ride on the boat.  Lake Norman is very clear and pretty.  There are lots of homes built all around the lake, each with their own boat dock.  There are some huge multi-million dollar homes, some small lake cabins and everything in between built along the lake shore.

Boo riding in the boat.  Each dog has her favorite seat on the boat.

This morning, Eric and took a nice bike ride around the lake.  Now I am enjoying blogging while sitting on the back deck of Tony and Shari's house overlooking the water.  It is so peaceful with the sound of the fountain and the water lapping on the shore.  I could sit here all day.

My view from the back deck.

Winter Park, Florida

On Tuesday, Eric and I started heading north.  We stopped in Winter Park just north of Orlando.  It is a very pretty community.  We toured the Morse Museum which has the largest collection of Louis Comfort Tiffany glass and art in the world.  It was pretty incredible.  They had recreated portions of Tiffany's home with some of the glass and decorative items that he had designed displayed in it.  They had even rebuilt and installed all the glass, alter, baptistry and columns for a chapel that Tiffany had built for the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago.  This beautiful chapel had only been partially on display until it was reassembled and installed in this museum in the 1990's.  It is incredibly beautiful.     

Wizarding World of Harry Potter

On Monday August 20, we headed out early for the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's Island of Adventures park.  As soon as the park opened, we hightailed it for Harry's Forbidden Journey ride.  Hogsmeade and Hogwarts look incredible up on a hilltop in front of us.  We immediately got in line and only had to wait about 35 minutes.  The line takes you through the horticulture buildings of Hogwarts complete with live pitcher plants and lots of potted mandrakes.  Then the line goes through the halls of Hogwarts and Dumbledor's office.  The detail was incredible.  A lot of the pictures moved and talked just like in the movie.  There were so many things to look at and watch.  The line actually moved too fast, so we decided to come back later.  Jonathan and Elissa thought the actual ride was incredible.  It made me sick at my stomach and I was not as impressed.   After the ride, we spent a lot of time looking around Hogsmeade.  We even got to enjoy some butterbeer and pumpkin juice.  

We checked out some of the other areas of the park.  Jurassic Park was probably the next best area.  They had recreated the Discovery Center from the first movie were they hatched dinosaurs. 

Eric and I went back to Harry Potter World while Elissa and Jon rode some roller coasters.  We checked out some of the shops and decided to cool off in the Hogs Head pub.  We marveled at the detail in every aspect of the area, even the back stairs of the pub and the bathroom. After Elissa and Jonathan rejoined us we checked out all the shop windows and shops in Hogsmeade.  Eric bought wands for Elissa and Jonathan at Dervish and Bangs and it was hard to choose the perfect wand from all the choices.  There was no way we were going to wait in line for a wand to choose us from Olivanders. Just as it was starting to look like rain we decided to get in line again for Harry's Forbidden Journey.  Eric went with us this time and we took our time looking at everything in Hogwarts and watching all the interactive parts.  We rode the ride again and that was a huge mistake.  Eric and I both felt sick and I was dizzy for 24 hours afterwards.

Elissa and Jonathan had to drive back to Goose Creek Monday night.  Luckily, Eric and I did not.

The Hogs Head Pub - our favorite attraction in Harry Potter World

Hogwarts Castle

Hogsmeade - the sign says "Please Respect the Spell Limits"

We loved all the detail in the buildings

The Owl Post

Dumbledor's Office inside Harry's Forbidden Journey.  We got to walk up close through his office.