Time at Oak Haven Family Campground in Wales, MA

A typical day is usually different at each campground where we stay.  Our last stop was at Oak Haven Family Campground.

We picked this campground because it seemed to be about halfway between Hartford, CN and Providence, RI.  Our goal was to visit those two state capitols and we were able to do that.

 We arrived on a Thursday afternoon, checked into the campground.  We had reserved a site with 50 amp service but there was a good chance we would not be able to get a satellite TV reception from there, so we opted for a site that was open.  They put us in a corner spot along the back row.

We had to maneuver around a large 5th wheel to get back there, but we had already unhooked the car and found a level spot and made sure our satellite dish worked.  It did.

We had no sewer but there is a dump station at the campground. We are one 30 amp electric this time.  We opted for an open spot in the campground and had to manage how many big energy items we turned on at once.  For example, we can turn on the TV and microwave. But if we don't turn off the a/c, we get very close to popping the pedestal circuit breaker.  It's something we do to make sure things run OK.  If we don't, we have to turn something off and go out and reset the pedestal circuit but turning the switch on/off.

Once we were settled in, drove into Hartford and saw that state capitol.  It took us about 90 minutes to get there.  After the self-guided tour, we realized that the Mark Twain Museum was a few blocks away and we also did a quick visit to that museum.

By that time, it was a little after 5:00 PM and we found a Chinese place for dinner.  It was a little 'hole in the wall' in a not-to-great neighborhood, but the food was terrific.  We had beef and broccoli fried rice, sweet and sour pork, egg rolls and a fortune cookie.  Dang!  I just realized we forgot what happened to the fortune cookie... oh well.  There was so much food in those two orders, we had a complete dinner of left-overs a couple of days later.

That night we noticed there were a few more rigs showing up and the place was starting to get more busy.  Not real crowded but we were about the only ones in the area where we were parked.  They have 3 or 4 areas of this big campground and we were in the area known as 'Snob Hill'.  Funny.  Hard to know what prompted that name.  Maybe it was because we were the closest to the small pavilion and pool and office.  But being on 30 amp in a grass field didn't seem like it was all that noteworthy.

After dinner, I found the dump station, trash dumpster and laundry facility.  The dump station looked easy enough to get into with plenty of room.  Nothing tricky about that.  30 yards away the dumpsters had permanent stairs between two.  The laundry facility was small but looked clean and orderly.  It was $1.50 and $2.00 for the washer/dryer. There was also a lending library with a bookcase full.

The campground was well maintained.  One thing I look for is if the grass is mowed.  I was surprised to see they hire someone to do that.  They also hanging flower baskets all around near the check-in office.  The office itself was roomy enough for a well-stocked camp store.  Next to it was a good sized swimming pool. It was a quiet evening of reading and TV.

Friday morning, we had a leisurely breakfast of cold cereal, bacon, coffee and orange juice.  We took showers and enjoyed some time together before we left for Providence RI a little after 9:00 AM.  We are in Wales, MA.  It is a small town and we have to drive 15-20 minutes to get to the interstate.

We left a little after 9:00 AM and drove through town over to I-84 and took it into Providence to see our second state capitol in two days.  We were able to drive right up to the building and park on the street which made for an easy walk.  The parking meters coin/iPhone app enabled if that makes sense.  It took me about 5 minutes to download the parking app and register, plus in our license plate number, and pay $2.50 for our spot for two hours.

When we finished up our time in the building, we didn't see any parks real close to us, so we had our picnic lunch in the car.  Pam makes the best lunches.  A simple turkey/cheese sandwich on wheat with some chips, veggies (celery and carrot sticks, radishes and some bell pepper slivers).  Before we left town, I saw that we were about 30 minutes from a Naval site and we drove over to it.

Turned out the map was wrong, no navy base although we did see some Coast Guard boats.  The was more like an old industrial area and a large ship maintenance area of some sort.  There was a large series of General Dynamics (Electric Boat) warehouses and at the end of the road was the ferry to Martha's Vineyard.  Interesting.  We also saw an old Air Force One jumbo jet static display.  It looked like it was open for tours occasionally but not very often.  Small area that looks like it had seen a more active time.

By now it was past 2:00 PM and we had 1 1/2 - 2 hours to get back to the campground so we left and made it back to Oak Haven.  After our return, I sorted through our brochures and information sheets and did some blog writing.

Something was going on in the pavilion next to our campsite and I found out it was a family reunion. About 80 folks from all over converged on that area of the campground for the afternoon. They were having a good time and had about three or four things going on it seemed.  Inside (the pavilion was a covered area with a wall on one side and three open access sides) they were playing music and eating and drinking.  In the field next to them I saw potato sack races and a tug-of-war for the kids.  Up near the pool a few teams were playing horseshoes.  This place is perfect for families.  It was a fun and well-behaved group.

It was another beautiful (and hot) New England day and I went over to the pool to do some more writing.  Since the campground office was only a few yards from there, I stopped in to talk with the  campground managers.  It seems as if we were now boxed in at our site with no access.  We were leaving the following morning and wanted to be sure we could get out of our campsite.  We were directly behind a 5th wheel in front of us.  He would have to move his picnic table and truck for us to get out.

When we arrived the previous day, we pulled into our site and turned around from the other side of the 5th wheel in front of us.  But at that time, the area was mostly empty and wide open.  Now however,  people were arriving for the weekend and they parked three rigs next to the guy in front of us.  Those rigs did not unhook their tow vehicles and they extended well into the row we were on.

Checkmate.
Nowhere to move.

The front office assured us those folks were leaving early the next morning.  We didn't know what early morning meant to them, but for us it was about 8:00 AM or earlier.  They said, they'd speak to the campers and make sure we could leave when we wanted to.

Then, it was on to the pool.  I snuck in a little nap and then found my iPad did not like the direct sunlight.  The error message said, "Hot!" turn off and reduce the temperature.  That solved that for now.

I talked with the woman next to me.  Her husband and her, along with their two kids, had been coming to the family campground for years.  It was a summer get-a-way for them and they had a seasonal site.  Turns out I before I went swimming I paused at the horseshoe pits and watched the competition for a while.  I used to pitch horseshoes back in the day so that was fun.  The lady's oldest had just graduated from the American Institute of Culinary Arts near Hyde Park.  Their daughter was a new high school graduate and already had a job.

She mentioned there was going to be a "Taste of Oak Haven" food competition going on later in the evening in the pavilion.  It started at 7:00 PM.  People who entered the contest brought their favorite food.  For a quarter, you get a sample of their food in a little cup about the size of a cup cake wrapper.
Nice people. I thought I might have to try it and see what people were serving.

It was getting to be a little after 5 o'clock so I left and returned to the Roadrunner.  Pam had put a roast in the crock pot so we had that for dinner.  We watched some news and then baseball.  Meanwhile at the pavilion I could see the mass of people there for the reunion were packing up and leaving.  They cleared out the place in plenty of time for a different group who were participating in the Taste of "Oak Haven".

At about 20 minutes after 7:00 PM I took my four quarters and participated in the "Taste of Oak Haven".  I almost gave myself indigestion because of poor planning.  I just stopped at couple of dishes that looked good and almost had indigestion.  Some dishes did not mix that well.  My first choice was "Lava Rock brownies".  Rich and fluffy, with a shot of whipped cream on top, it was worth my $.25.  Next, I sampled a large smoked meatball wrapped in bacon. As I was eyeing my next taste, Kristi (from the pool) saw me and took me over to meet her husband and kids.  Their son the chef had an Asian mushroom beansprout mix that was great.  Their daughter had a simple blueberry cheesecake.  Yikes!  I was sooo full!   It was fun to meet the rest of her family and to try out some of other Tastes of Oak Haven.

When I returned to our site, I met the owner of the 5th wheel parked in front of us.  We chatted for about 30 minutes.  It was fun to hear his story.  They had been on the road in their new rig and returning from time in Montana.  They were headed back to Maine.  He was more than glad to move his truck and the picnic table.

Yesterday morning we got up our normal time yesterday morning, cleaned up, packed up and saw we had a clear path to exit.  We moved around the 5th wheel in front of us at about 7:30 AM.  We made our way to the dump station, emptied our tanks, hooked up the tow car.  By 8:15 AM we were on the road headed for 4th Cliff Military Campground in Humarock, MA.

Our time at Oak Haven Family Campground was another typical good park and memorable few days.

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A Bit of Jamestown History

We've been to Jamestown at least three times.

Today's visit made an impression on me for a number of reasons.  One was that our National Parks continue to change and get better each year.  Improvements, additions to the displays, new features, etc are all things that we saw today.

As we waited for the 15-minute film explaining the story of the English settlement at Jamestown, we tried to absorb some of the information displays near the theater.  We learned that the area had almost 15,000 Indians in the area in 1607 led by the Powhatan chieftain, whose daughter was Pocahontas.

It seems to me that today was the first time I started to put the 'story' together.  Maybe it was because we took advantage of a Ranger talk.

Our ranger was unique and had his own memorable style.  I liked it.  It was little dramatic, a little quirky, but he knew the facts and history and was in the 'teaching' mode.  He mentioned three facts he wanted us to remember about this place:

1. Jamestown, established in 1607 was the first permanent settlement in America.  Roanoke Island was settled 20 years before in 1587, but it became known as the Lost Colony when all residents mysteriously perished.
2. In 1619, Jamestown created the first representative assembly in American with the election of 20 representatives who met in the Jamestown church to decide on "...just laws for the happy guiding and governing of the people..."
3. Also in 1619, the first Africans arrived, having been intercepted from a ship near Mexico.  Originally all were free then, but by 1660, some were enslaved and working the cash crop, "golden Weed" -- tobacco.

It is always good to get an informative and energetic Ranger.  It was well worth the hour he spent with us.

In the left half of the map we saw where village was laid out with Swann's Tavern and the row house.

National Park Service Map 

After an archaeological dig in the 1930's, evidence was found that laid out some of the buildings foundations of the village.  Historians decided to recreate a brick wall just above ground level of some buildings to show where they once stood.  

After the Ranger talk we wandered over past the Memorial church and the old Triangle fort for some shade.

Statue of John Smith looking out to the James River

The Memorial Church building is the site of a current archaeological dig, so people could only look into the church from the front door.

We made some more memories with another picnic,

this time on a bench where they hold some Ranger Talks just outside of the Triangle Fort.

Statue of Pocahontas near the Triangle Fort

The long poles in the ground show the outline of where the walls of the fort once stood.

 After lunch, we checked out the Vorhees Archaetorium and Archaetorium Museum.  It is a little mind boggling to learn that close to 1.5 million artifacts have been dug out of the ground in the area.  The Archaetorium/Museum sits on top of the a portion of the Statehouse, which was built when the church became too small to hold the representatives and settlers interested in viewing the proceedings.

Inside the museum there were over 4,000 artifacts discovered over the last 20 years at Jamestown.  The museum was built in 2006 and opened in time for the visit of Queen Elisabeth in 2007 commemorating the 400 years anniversary.  

As with most of these great museums and historical sites, it is a challenge to absorb it all.  We had more of an appreciation for the significance and the story behind the history of the area from our history.  

Truth be told, this was our third visit to Jamestown.  We first visited in the 1990's when we lived in Fairfax VA.  Then we came again in 2015.  Each time we learn and remember more.  Each time there are more discoveries to see and the property looks a little different.  

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!

A Bit of Yorktown History

Years ago, we visited Yorktown, but never visited the Colonial National Historical Park.  We picked a beautiful day and arrived about 30 minutes after it opened.

While we waited for the start of the 16-minute overview film of the Yorktown Historical site "The Siege at Yorktown".

Yorktown was established as a 50 acre plot of land designated in 1691 by an Act for Ports passed by the Virginia House of Burgess.  It had a customs house for the purposes of collecting taxes on shipments along the York River.

It had a population of about 1800 people by the early 1700's and with the primary cash crop of tobacco being grown and shipped out of the region.

Even before the colonial declaration of Independence in 1776, relations with Britain were locked in skirmishes of the Revolutionary War.  In 1780, French forces landed near Rhode Island to aid their American friends.  At sea, the French fleet blockaded the Chesapeake, depriving British forces an avenue of escape.

British General Cornwallis moved his army toward Yorktown to establish a naval base there. With a force of 8,300 men, he fortified the town and prepared for battle against the larger French and colonial forces near Williamsburg that was close to 17,000.

The allied forces began a nine-day round-the-clock bombardment of Yorktown pinning Corwallis and his army down with no escape.  Cornwallis requested a cease-fire to discuss surrender terms  and on October 19, 1781 he formally surrendered his army

We walked through the museum and then down to path to the area of old Yorktown.

The pathway made for an easy walk.  I like the detailed maps along the way.

About 500 yards down the path toward town, the Victory Monument.  With the defeat of Cornwallis, citizens immediately knew the significance of the event.  News reached the Continental Congress a few days later and on October 29, 1781 directed that a monument be erected.

In what may be the slowest construction plan in history, the cornerstone was not laid until October 1881.

As we continued on the walking tour, we passed the Nelson House.  Thomas Nelson Jr. was one of Yorktown's influential citizens.  He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence and owned this home that was built by his grandfather in about 1730.

We walked up the steps and onto the property and found a few shaded benches in the back of the house overlooking an active garden that was being tended by a volunteer.

It was time for lunch and had a picnic.  It's been fun to remember all the places we've packed a lunch and enjoyed the surroundings all over the country.  This simple pleasure has brought us great joy as we've been to different places and soaked in the history and surroundings. 

This home was built in the Georgian architecture style, named after the British kings by that name.

We wandered down the lane of old homes and taverns and walked over to the Yorktown Beach.  This was a surprise.

The Riverwalk Landing is nice little city park with public facilities and a shaded tree line with park benches.  It overlooks the wharf and the York River.

After some time at the Riverwalk Landing, we looked at the city map and found the nearest trolley stop to get back to the Visitor Center.  It was heating up and getting a little humid, but it was a great day in Yorktown.

We felt like we added a little more understanding of the early days in our country.

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Kentucky State Capitol

We picked a pretty good day to go see the Kentucky State Capitol in Frankfurt KY.  We are staying at Whispering Hills, RV park in Georgetown KY.

We packed a lunch and left at a leisurely time and arrived about 10:00 AM.  The building sits on a hill overlooking the city in the distance.  This is the fourth and now permanent capitol building.

The dome reaches out atop the stately building which has 70 columns surrounding the building. The commonwealth of Kentucky began with statehood in 1792.  Workers broke ground in 1904 and legislators held the first session in 1910.

The exterior of the building is over 400 feet long and 180 feet wide.

Inside, we met the receptionist and assistant who gave us some details about the walking tour and information on what to see on each of the three floors.

The first think one sees entering the rotunda is a statue of Abraham Lincoln who was born in Kentucky.

Looking upward, the beautiful dome with light shining through some areas giving it different colors.

The dome is 180 feet above the rotunda floor.

Another statute:  Henry Clay - Kentucky's most celebrated 19th century statesman and favorite son. I was looking for a little more information about him and the other two statues.  Each was inscribed with names and dates.

There were two other statues in the rotunda: one of Jefferson Davis and one of Harry S. Truman's VP - Ephraim McDowell.

The building was a contrast.  Outside, it looks a little plain though it has a good look to it.  Inside, things change completely.  It is magnificent and open and regal. It reminds me of a smaller and version of the majestic capitols in Utah and Texas.

Looking up the steps to the Senate from the east on the second floor.

This is the State Reception Room.  We were told the governor often signs bills and holds important meetings in this beautiful setting.

The House of Representatives chambers.

Looking into the House of Representatives - the mat depicts the state seal and the state motto: "United we stand, divided we fall."

After our self guided tour, we drove downtown to see the old capitol and to find the replica of the Liberty Bell.  It separate from the main capitol grounds but downtown near the historical grounds

In the back of the Kentucky History Center, we found the bell and its platform.  Kind of out of the way with not much information about what it was and why it was here.

Next to the garden is the old governor's mansion.

After finding the bell, we drove over near the entrance to the Old State Capitol and had a picnic lunch as light rain fell.  Still it was a great day to visit another state capital.  We learned a lot and had a nice time.

Thanks for joining us today on the Roadrunner Chronicles!