Yorktown and Jamestown

The weather was better on Sunday, so we spent the whole day at Busch Gardens. There are several coasters - Big Bad Wolf in Germany, Loch Ness Monster in Scotland, Alpengeist in France, and Apollo’s Chariot in Italy, plus a few family rides and shows. Germany has a dark ride called Curse of DarKastle, which uses sets and large 3D screens.

We enjoyed the train ride around the park and the car ride in France, as well as the kids area, the Land of Dragons. There were also a few flat rides the kids enjoyed. We did almost everything, including a few live shows and a Halloween maze that night.

Monday morning we went to nearby Yorktown, where Washington won his decisive victory over the British gave the Colonies their independence. We explored the visitor center as well as driving around the battlefield and the surrender memorial.

In the afternoon we drove the Colonial Parkway through Williamsburg to Historic Jamestown, on the bank of the James River. Jamestown was the first permanent English colony in North America, where John Smith and Pocahontas once walked. Although the original fort is long gone, there are several memorial statues. A brand new visitor center is currently under construction, and the kids found the glass-making area very interesting.

The kids earned Junior Ranger programs at both sites of the Colonial National Historic Park.