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The rise and fall of Bay’s level determines islands’ empires
Most of what now exists of eroding James Island is memories
Life on Smith Island ebbs and flows to a rhythm all its own
If you learn anything on a trip to Virginia's "historic triangle" of Williamsburg-Jamestown-Yorktown, you learn that everything and every place has a story and most of them are pretty interesting. You learn little things like why the Chippokes Mansion didn't get destroyed in the Civil War - brandy sales to both sides - and big things, like the fact that Capt. Gabriel Archer wanted to locate the Jamestown settlement on what is now College Creek. He was outvoted.
There is so much history, culture, water and scenery packed into this stretch of land that runs between the York and the James rivers in Virginia that it's hard to decide how to split your time between sightseeing on land and paddling on the water.
There are more than 75 registered historic landmarks in the area. Some of the best paddling, bird watching and fishing in Virginia are here too, including the Chickahominy River. The best advice would be to take your time - there is ample opportunity to include both land- and water-based activities in any trip.
It's probably safe to say that most visitors will want to see at least some of the historic sites in the three main areas - Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown. This is easily accomplished by starting your trip at one end of the National Park Service's National Colonial Parkway (Route 31) and following it to the other end.
Circumnavigating Jamestown Island - a nine-mile adventure by canoe - is an excellent reason to take this trip. After all, Jamestown Colony is the site of the first permanent English settlement in America. Jamestown predates the famous Pilgrim's landing at Plymouth, Massachusetts, by 13 years. Last, but not least, the recent discovery by archeologists of what may be the original 1607 Jamestown Fort, is a big draw to the island.
The circumnavigation of the island takes about four hours. The journey from the Jamestown Yacht Basin boat ramp out Powhatan and Back creeks through the marshes leading out to the James River is a classic Chesapeake paddle. Herons abound, cedar trees show off their knees, and the marshes are full of wild rice and notably free of phragmites. Duck blinds in all states of disrepair also dot the shallows.
Once out on the river, paddlers should follow the advice of previous travelers and paddle upriver first to see the replicas of three English ships that sailed to Virginia in 1607 to establish Jamestown. You get there by heading north on the river to Glass House Point where replicas of the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery are moored.
When she sails these days, the 40-foot Susan Constant can carry a crew of 25 people, explained a costumed interpreter, happy to answer questions shouted from land or water. The Godspeed carries 14 and the Discovery but nine. From the low-slung perspective of a canoe, these boats looked beefy but tiny. It also should be noted for the landlubbers among us that these replicas can be easily accessed by land, but why do anything the easy way, right?
From there head south, then southeast along the perimeter of the island. From the water you see the statue of Capt. John Smith, the site of the most recent Jamestown Fort dig, a few buildings and lots of trees. Although it looks inviting to pull ashore in several places, signs posted along the shore remind boaters that they are not allowed to land on the island.
As you start to round the bottom of the island and begin to head back around the other side, you get an idea of the isolation the settlers must have felt on this island with nothing but trees, marshes and water as far as the eye could see. Today, the settlers would not be nearly so lonesome.
Overall, the James is a 450-mile-long river which begins near Virginia's border with West Virginia and flows all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. This huge watershed is also home to approximately 2 million people - nearly one-third of Virginia's population. Most of the population and industry is concentrated in Richmond, Hopewell, Petersburg and Hampton Roads. The portion of the river that flows through the Historic Triangle is tidal. It received the Historic River designation from Virginia's General Assembly in 1988.
Modern-day "settlers" still ply this area for its rich resources. Several local fisherman gladly showed off their bounty back at the yacht basin - a cooler full of big, fat, striped bass and some of the biggest catfish I've ever seen. Clearly, Captain Archer was wrong, - you have to go where the stripers are, after all.
It's easy to get to Jamestown Island by car, just follow Route 31 and watch the signs. A five-mile tour road runs through the 1,500 acres of woodlands. Land-based visitors can begin their tour by watching an orientation film and touring the museum located in the National Park Service's Visitor's Center. Admission is $8 a car and $2 per bicyclist.
While you're in the area, a ride on the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry is a must. The ferry landing is hard to miss. It's located literally at the end of Rte. 31/Jamestown Road. Boats run every 15 minutes across the river to Surry, Va. On the Surry side, the landing has a small sign that gives travelers the history of the ferry line - one of three crossings that provided transportation across the James in the early 1700s. It's still considered an important link in the Maine to Florida route. From the ferry, visitors can look downriver and see the oldest working farm in the nation - Chippokes Plantation State Park, home to the Chippokes Farm and Forestry Museum.
Located about five miles east of Surry along the James River, the park and museum offer a combination of history, culture, and recreation. It features a visitors center with exhibits, trails for hiking and biking, and the famous Chippokes Mansion, a 19th century mansion built by Albert Carroll Jones. The brick mansion was notable for two reasons. First, Jones had the mansion stuccoed and painted white on the river side as a landmark for passing boats. Second, the mansion was once the site of one of the few legal distilleries in the Commonwealth. According to local lore, Jones sold his brandies to both sides during the Civil War and that's why the mansion survived.
Just down the road in the park is the Farm and Forestry Museum, which opened in 1990. There is a $2 fee to take the self-guided tour, but it's well worth it. At the museum, you will see everything from a small garden with green and brown cotton, tobacco and soybeans to 3,000 antiques - including farm machinery from every era - in a seven-building complex. Our guide, Cornelius Duff, gave us an overview of the farm machinery - including a working sawmill - and the annual festival Surry is famous for: the Pork, Peanut and Pine Festival. The festival takes place each July to celebrate the major industries in the county.
According to Duff, the festival attracts upward of 30,000 people. As you look out across the fields, past the herd of snoozing cows and across to the James River, it's hard to imagine that many people packed into this 1,700-acre farm, which is also home to bald eagle and other river-loving creatures. "It's pretty quiet here most of the time," Duff assured us. The museum is open on a limited basis in the winter and early spring, so call ahead.
A quick ferry ride back and you're back on Colonial Parkway, headed east to Yorktown. The trip along Colonial Parkway to Yorktown is one to be savored - it has to be one of the most scenic driving or biking routes in the Bay region. Points of interest are marked with interpretive signs and there are several places along the way where cars and bikes can pull off to take in the view. Some of the more notable, scenic spots include a view of Jones Mill Pond, Kings Creek, Indian Field Creek and Brakens Pond. At the other end, visitors can tour the Yorktown Victory Center and see the Continental Army encampment and a recreation of an 18th century farm site.
The James-York River area of Virginia's tidal river system is also home to two of the oldest and most significant settlements in the Chesapeake region - the Mattaponi and Pamunkey Indian reservations, located in King William County. Overall, eight American Indian tribes are recognized by the Commonwealth. The Mattaponi and Pamunkey are the only two tribes that continue to live on reservations created under a treaty with Virginia in 1646.
Both reservations have museums that offer tours. There is a nominal fee to tour each museum. The Pamunkey tribe also has been recognized recently in Bay circles for its longstanding stewardship of the shad stocks in the river. The shad hatchery on the reservation - possibly the oldest in the nation - is due to be upgraded in the next year or two with help from the Commonwealth and the Chesapeake Bay Program.
Things to know in case you go
- Getting there: For Jamestown, Williamsburg and Yorktown, take I-95 south to I-64 or 301 to US 17. All three are connected by Route 31/National Colonial Parkway. The Jamestown Settlement is on Rt. 31, 10 minutes from Colonial Williamsburg.
- Places to camp: Jamestown Beach Campsites, (804) 229-7609. The fee is $14.50 per night for each site.
- Places to eat in Williamsburg: Paul's Deli or the College Delly right across the street from the William & Mary campus. Both are inexpensive, loud and pack lots of local flavor.
- Public access sites: Access is limited. To circumnavigate Jamestown Island, use the Jamestown Yacht Basin's ramp. The fee is $4. If you are interested in exploring the small creeks that flow into the James River, there is a public ramp just off the Colonial Parkway at College Creek.
- For information on the James River, try the Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay homepage at: http://www.acb-online.org or call (800) 662-CRIS.
- For information on Virginia State Parks in the area, including Chippokes Plantation State Park, try the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation's homepage at: http://www.state.va.us/. Or call DCR at (804) 786-7950.
