Jamestown, Virginia - Glasshouse

2400 degrees in there!!

They called this the glory hole

Glassblowing was one of Virginia's first industries, started in 1608 by German and Polish craftsmen. At Jamestown today; you can see costumed craftsmen demonstrate the first English attempt at industry. They make replicas of the types of glass ware that was found here. We loved seeing this done!!

Jamestown, Virginia

We completed our tour of the Historic Triangle today by visiting Jamestown Settlement. Jamestown is America's first permanent English colony in Virginia in 1607 - 13 years before

the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth in Massachusetts. You can take a guided walk through the remains of the original settlement along the James River.


As you are walking through Jamestown; New Towne and Old Towne; there are people walking around in period clothing, doing reinactments and talking to you about how times were back then. There is on-going archaeology digs still at the 1607 James Fort, you can tour the original 17th century church tower and 1907 Jamestown Memorial Church.

remains of church

Pocahontas and her new friend, Laurie

replicas of the remains of the town





These ditches and mounds were the boundaries for the land/property

Ambler Mansion ruins

Canadian Geese were all over

James River

Yorktown, Virginia

Thomas Nelson home; built in 1730.

We went to Yorktown today. It is part of what is called Virginias Historic Triangle; Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. We are so enjoying re-learning our history, it's so incredible.

Yorktown is most remembered as the site where Lord Cornwallis surrendered to General George Washington, bringing an end to the last major battle of the American Revolutionary War.

Thomas Nelson Jr. was the 5th signer of the Declaration of Independence, his descendents still live here and he even volunteers at his family's previous home which was built in 1730 and is open to the public. During the Revolutionary War, the Nelson home was struck by several cannonballs, the walls are 18' thick; around 1914, the current owner thought it would be funny to buy cannonballs and place them where they actually hit.

Several houses and other structures from the colonial period are still standing.

We're not used to the drastic weather changes here, so different from home, but it will be 65 one day and the next day 88 and then again, the very next day back to 65. But, we are enjoying the thunder and lightening shows!!

Top part of the picture shows where the cannonball struck, the bottom is where the cannonball was put back in in a second strike.

Second cannonball that was put back in

Cole Diggs house, built in 1720, now the Carrot House where we ate lunch

Bill and George

Dudley Diggs House, built in 1760

One of the bridges we saw as we drove on the Colonial Parkway

Yorktown Victory Monument, built in 1881

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

We're in Williamsburg, Virginia. It's beautiful here, too. So many wonderful things to see in our United States!! Can't believe how quickly the weather changes here. Within one day, but also the difference in temperature between one day and the next. Yesterday was 65 and today 85. By the end of the day we had rain, and thunder and lightening. LOUD thunder and bright lightening!

To our new friends Brian, Julie, Hayley and Casey; Did you buy a motorhome yet? We'll wait for you. DO IT!!!