We left out nice location near Williamsburg, Virginia and moved about 25 miles south to a county park called Newport News Park near Newpark News, Virginia. We only stayed two nights but sure enjoyed our site which was right on a lake and in nice woods. No sewer and only 30 amp but still a great spot to explore the nearby area.
We droved over to see Hampton University which is one of the historically black universities. The university is lacking in interesting architecture so after driving through we elected not to stop and walk around. Not to mention it looked like it was about to rain anyhow. We drove not too far down the road is another place I wanted to check out which was a National Monument called Fort Monroe.
Fort Monroe was a military installation in Hampton, Virginia on the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula. As early as 1609 (as Fort Algernourne) there were defensive fortifications built to protect what had been identified as a strategic area. What started out as a wooden fort slowly became stone and by 1834 when it was finished it was known as Fort Monroe. Fort Monroe is the largest stone fort built in America and was named for President James Monroe.
Some interesting facts are that Robert E. Lee helped to build Fort Monroe but later had to watch the Union forces control it during much of the Civil War. Another neat fact is that this was where Jefferson Davis was imprisoned after the Civil War. The cell he was held in is featured in the museum. Although the fort is a national monument what you can see today is a place where many of the buildings are currently occupied as private residences. Nevertheless it was a cool place place for a walkabout even though we were chased back to our car during a rain shower.
Our second day in Newport News Park we stayed home to get caught up on chores such cleaning and laundry. We rode our bikes and enjoyed the beauty of the park and leisurely planned for our next stay.
We found a cool RV park which is also a Passport America park so we can save a few bucks. This next park will be near the Outer Banks of North Carolina and parks in that area are very pricey. We are excited to finally visit the Outer Banks beaches while staying there and it looks like the weather will be perfect.
Enjoy the beaches!
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