More Portsmouth for Tim, Home for Ann, and Yorktown, VA with Brian and Holly

As mentioned in the last blog I went home for a week to help care for Claire after her hip dysplasia procedure so I have included some photos from my time there. Our older daughter, Kelley, also drove from Nebraska to help out so I was able to get some time with all 4 grandchildren! Kelley and Ethan have 2 daughters, Edith and Aurelia. Caitlin and Henry have Connor and Claire. While I was home, Tim had a French toast party with other loopers in Norfolk, and toured the USS Wisconsin. This ship was active during Desert Shield and Desert Storm and provided navel gunfire for Tim while he flew combat operations in Khafji. He said it was good to see the guns they fired up close. Also for Memorial Day Tim watched the Portsmouth Memorial Day Parade, one of the oldest continued celebrated parades in America.

On Wednesday, May 27, I flew back with friends from home, Brian and Holly, who spent the weekend with us. We had a great flight and easy Uber ride to the boat in Portsmouth but they didn't get to see much of the town since it started raining heavily. However, on Thursday, May 28 we had a wonderful to cruise to Yorktown, VA. We left at 9am and arrived at 1pm and Brian got a chance to take the helm. Of course the wind picked up just as we were trying to dock so that always makes it challenging, but we finally got settled and Brian and Holly added the Yorktown pin to our map.  We had lunch at Yorktown Pub and then discovered a free trolley that takes you to all of the historic sights. We got off at the very tall Victory Monument which was built to commemorate the alliance between the French and Americans in the siege of Yorktown which caused Cornwallis to surrender and was a turning point in the American Revolution. Then we walked through the historic district with several old restored buildings from the early days of Yorktown. Later we had appetizers at the Riverwalk Restaurant and then listened to the band playing along the river from the boat, followed by a beautiful sunset.  

On Friday, May 29, we woke up to see that the American Cruise Line American Legend 250 had arrived. Our boat looked like a dinghy in comparison.  After breakfast on the boat,  we took the trolley to the American Revolution Museum. The history was presented with beautiful displays, artwork and videos. It also had an outdoor area with a military encampment and farm. We saw a musket firing demonstration and Tim got to hold the weapon which was heavier than  present day military rifles. We walked back down the hill and had lunch at Water Street Grille. Later we took an uber to Newport News so that Brian and Holly could rent a car to get back to Norfolk for their flight out.  Brian and Holly treated us to many amazing meals while they were here and we so appreciated their generosity. We had so much fun that we didn't get any photos from these amazing meals. We found an Italian restaurant on the way home from getting the car before heading back to the boat. 

On Saturday, May 30 we had a delicious breakfast at the weekly Farmer's Market. Since Brian and Holly had the car we drove to nearby Colonial Williamsburg. We walked the historic streets and saw the Governor's Palace, court house and Capitol building among many other sights. We were treated to many Fife and Drum corps groups from around the country for the annual Drummer's Call event. There was also a display of the Great American Birthday Quilt designed by adults and kids from across the country for America's 250th birthday. On the way home we had lunch at Second Street Bistro and picked up groceries for the boat from Food Lion. Back at the boat the wind and waves really picked up making hanging out and sleeping on the boat less than ideal! Brian and Holly decided to head back to Norfolk and take in more of the sights there before flying out  Monday.  We truly enjoyed our weekend with them and look forward to catching up in the fall when we return! The next blog will be about our time in three more Chesapeake Bay towns: Deltaville, Crisfield, and Solomons. Stay tuned!