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Sample Itineraries > Jamestown
BIRTH OF A NATION TOUR
Chesapeake, Virginia to Jamestown
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Begin your journey back in time as you track the course of our founding fathers in their quest for the New World. To celebrate the birth of our Nation, we invite you to Chesapeake where you'll follow the same passage that our founding fathers did as they set sail from England to discover the New World. Head south to Roanoke Island; where the first English explorers landed in 1584. Learn of their attempt to survive and the mysteries that surrounded their demise. In 1607, a second attempt was made to establish a permanent colony in the New World. Visit the site of the explorer's first landing which is located on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and then continue to Jamestown, the first permanent settlement.
Day 1 Arrive at your hotel in the late afternoon in Chesapeake – located in the heart of Hampton Roads. After you check into your beautiful hotel accommodations, shop at TownePlace at Greenbrier with restaurants, upscale retail shops, and a large outdoor plaza for dining.
Day 2 Your day begins as you depart from your Chesapeake hotel and head south to the “Land of Beginnings” also known as Roanoke Island in Manteo, NC. This island is where the first English explorers landed in 1584 on their quest for the New World. At Fort Raleigh National Historic Site - the actual site of the colonists' first landing and colony location, check out the visitor's center and view a movie with background history of the Roanoke voyages and colonization efforts. In the gift shop, you can purchase souvenirs and history books. Museum exhibits offer artifacts and dress attire of the times. Hike down the nature trails and take a backstage tour of the Waterside Theater where the Lost Colony, a symphonic outdoor drama is played out.
Explore Elizabethan Gardens, a living memorial to America's original English colonists. These special gardens depict an accurately reproduced English garden. The Gatehouse, designed in the style of a 16th century orangery is filled with rare antiques.
Have lunch at the Waterfront Trellis - overlooking Dough's Creek - with a view of the Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse. After lunch, browse the unique specialty shops and discover Roanoke Marshes Lighthouse - the Outer Banks newest and smallest lighthouse. The original 1857 screwpile lighthouse that aided mariners in Croatan Sound served as both a beacon and residence.
Walk around Roanoke Island Festival Park - a 26-acre island across the Manteo waterfront. Tour the 16th century ship and the large interactive museum with a variety of performing visual arts, boardwalks through nature, and a gift shop for the souvenir enthusiast.
Dine at a local favorite, the Locks Pointe Restaurant, located at the site of the first land battle of the Revolutionary War fought in Virginia - known as the Battle of Great Bridge.
Day 3 Stop at the First Landing Cross where on April 26, 1607 the first permanent English settlers from the London Company landed and built a cross in gratitude to God and in affirmation of England's claim to the site on the newly named Cape Henry shore.
Explore the Old Cape Henry Lighthouse and Museum which overlooks the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. This lighthouse was built in 1793. This location is where colonists used to burn bonfires to guide their ships into the Hampton Roads Harbor.
Take a tour of the Adam Thoroughgood House and Gardens - one of the oldest surviving colonial homes in Virginia. Built in 1680, it is reminiscent of English cottage architecture. Enjoy the exceptional collection of late 17th and early 18th century furniture and decorative arts.
Set sail on the smooth waters of the historic Hampton Roads Harbor – rich with historical and maritime heritage. Take in lunch, then enjoy a sightseeing Harbor Cruise where you'll explore the same waters that the colonist explored 400 years ago. Don't miss Naval Station Norfolk, the largest naval installation in the world, and historic Fort Norfolk, which was erected in 1794.
Visit the Moses Myers House, built by the first Jewish settler in Norfolk. Built in 1792, notice the difference between the original 18th century English ballast bricks and the American bricks utilized for the later addition. This Federal style home retains over 70% of the original furnishings.
Take a tour of St. Paul's Church, the only authentic building in Norfolk that antedates the revolution by 50 years. A cannonball is still lodged in the wall from Lord Dunmore's bombardment on January 1, 1776. A cemetery has tombstones dating back to the early 1600s.
Drive through the Historic Freemason district and snack at the Freemason Abby Restaurant, originally built as a church in 1873. See homes dating from the 1700s and cobblestone streets. After a history filled day, take in a movie while dining at the Cinema Cafe', offering a very causal dining atmosphere.
Day 4 NEW DAY – NEW WORLD! On to Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown; the three points of Virginia's Historic Triangle where the New World's first permanent English colony sprouted in 1607. Visit Yorktown, the scene of the crucial 1781 battle that ended the Revolutionary War.
Tour Colonial Williamsburg, generally regarded as America's most brilliant and comprehensive historic restoration with 88 original buildings in the colonial city. Enjoy a one and a half hour leisurely walking tour guided by an historical interpreter. Take time to shop in Merchant's Square where shopping and dining intermingle in this exceptional architectural setting. Have lunch at an 18th century tavern.
At Jamestown Settlement, you'll learn about the people of 17th century Virginia - Powhatan Indians and European and African immigrants. Through film, artifact-filled galleries and outdoor living history, these museums will engage you in nearly two centuries of our nation's history. See replicas of the three ships that brought the settlers across the Atlantic Ocean and the re-created life size colonist's fort.
Stop by the Yorktown Visitors Center and Battlefield where American independence was won. The Visitor Center offers an orientation film and museum exhibits. Enjoy a driving tour of Yorktown. Visit the new Riverwalk Landing and shop at the various quaint shops. Dinner is served at a local favorite, Nicks Riverwalk Restaurant.