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Travels with
Mr. History (our top five)
By Susan Olling
With Mr. History’s help, I was able to come up with our top ten places
we’ve visited. Last time were numbers six through ten.
Here, for your consideration, are our top five.
5. National Museum of the Marine Corps, Triangle, VA. The
best military history museum that doesn’t float (bonus points for the
shape of the building). Our first visit was shortly after it
opened in 2006 (for the helicopters). The Leatherneck Gallery is
a good place to watch people. Lots of hardware as well. At
museums, one of us likes to read and look at everything; the
other of us doesn’t. When we were down there a few months
ago, I was looking at artifacts from the Battle of Iwo Jima (Mr.
History was about a century behind.). One of the volunteers began
talking to me about the battle and seemed surprised that I knew so much
about it. He asked me if I was a Marine (no laughter). He
went on to say I should volunteer down there. Maybe, if we lived
closer.
4. Nauticus National Maritime Center, Norfolk, VA. Lots of
history and science. The U.S.S. Wisconsin, one of the largest
battleships ever built, is berthed down there. The silver service
that the good folks of Wisconsin bought for the ship is pretty
impressive. The Hampton Roads Naval Museum has a couple centuries
of regional naval history. There are photographs and artifacts
from the 1907 Jamestown Exhibition. For fans of critters that
swim, there are several aquariums. You can scratch the back
of a horseshoe crab, if you feel like getting chummy.
3. Charleston, SC. What can you say about the place where
the American Civil War (not the War Between the States, the Late
Unpleasantness, or the War of Northern Aggression, please)
started? It’s a nice ride to Fort Sumter, even when the weather
is less than ideal; and there are lots of school kids on the
boat. The U.S.S. Yorktown, a memorial to WWII aircraft carriers,
is but one of the vessels berthed at Patriot’s Point (even Mr. History
became over-shipped). The Medal of Honor Museum is on board as
well. The Old Exchange and Provost Dungeon has Charleston history
from the colonial and Revolutionary War periods. The Drayton
family has owned Magnolia Plantation and Gardens for over 300
years. It’s been open to the public since 1870.
2. George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Virginia. Yes, hero of
the Revolution and first president he was, but what a masterful job Mr.
Washington did expanding a small frame house into his mansion on
the Potomac along with designing the landscaping (without a degree in
either architecture or horticulture). One of the best parts of going
down there is talking to Mrs. Washington. On a recent visit, she
was asked (not by either of us) her opinion of Thomas
Jefferson. She kept her ladylike demeanor, but Mrs.
Washington had pretty feisty comments about that Virginia
gentleman. The third floor of the house, where she spent the last
three years of her life, is open during the month of December.
The candlelight tours in December are always fun, and Mount Vernon
after dark is really a treat. There are no bad meals at the Mount
Vernon Inn. Save room for dessert.
1. Historic Triangle, Virginia. Hands down, the best. Where
else can you see where the English founded their first permanent
settlement in North America in 1607 and where the British lost
thirteen colonies over 170 years later? The archeology found at
Jamestown for the past 20+ years is incredible. It’s easy to
imagine the British trying to get their army across the York River,
without success, in October 1781. The Colonial Parkway is a
beautiful drive. These are the best parks in the National Park
Service system (sorry National Mall). We’ve never, in over
twenty-five years of visiting Colonial Williamsburg, attended an
uninteresting program, no matter what the season. The Historic
Foodways programs, for example, have included pale ale brewing and
butchering hogs. The taverns are always part of our visit.
Mr. History is a Christiana Campbell’s Tavern fan, but King’s Arms is
my favorite. Seafood at one tavern and peanut soup and syllabub
at the other.
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