USA east coast #4: Virginia

I’m coming back after a small break because I lost my grandpa less than 2 weeks after I published this blog post about Besançon, in which I’ve talked to you about him (I can’t believe this picture is my last picture of him)…

Well, let’s talk about something happier like the last step of our American road trip in Virginia where the mother’s Boyfriend comes from.

After we left our B&B in New England countryside, we had a lot of time to spend on the road before arriving to Yorktown where the grandma’s Boyfriend lives so we stopped in Philadelphia. We only had time to have dinner in an Asian fusion restaurant (Sampan – 124 S 13th St, Philadelphia) and to go see the liberty bell and the Independence hall (this is where the declaration of independence was signed and where the American constitution were adopted) the next day for a quick visit before going back on the road.

Independence Hall

In Virginia we visited 3 cities that are part of the America’s Historic Triangle: Yorktown, Jamestown and Williamsburg.

Yorktown :

We arrived in Yorktown, a small town where the grandma lives. In this quiet city there are so many beautiful American houses. I loved living the real American experience, you know when you are with native people, far away from the tourist trails, it’s so much better! And I also loved grandma’s handmade food like banana bread or fried chicken, so yummy!

Grandma’s house were completely redone and decorated by my mother-in-law, this is why it might remind you of the house in Milan that I’ve talked to you about so many times. Isn’t super nice and cosy?

And at the back of the garden, there is this typical American barn, I love it!

Jamestown :

Jamestown is the location where the first North American English colony was. In Jamestown Settlement, you can discover debris of houses, taverns and industrial buildings and also the last findings of the archaeologists. We were given a guided tour, it was interesting but a bit too long so I had fun spying on the deers walking in the forest.

Williamsburg:

If you come in Virginia state, there’s a place you cannot miss: Williamsburg! This is where is Colonial Williamsburg, a restored town made up of 80 original public buildings, 50 other restored buildings (houses, shops, public buildings) and 36 hectares of gardens. It’s the period from the 18th century that is represented through furniture of the period and residents dressed like in the old times. It’s a wonderful open-air museum which takes us right to the heart of the first hours of the American History.

Anne Durrieu dress

You will also finds coffee shops to grab a bite to eat like this wonderful apple pie on the picture below and restaurant like the King Arms Tavern where we had dinner one night. To be able to eat good food surrounded by old furnitures, candle lit and with a woman wearing a period costume singing and playing an old instrument was quite an experience!

King Arms Tavern – 416 E Duke of Gloucester St, Williamsburg

It looks amazing no? We really have the impression to be back in the 18th century. I absolutely loved this place, this architecture is breathtaking but it’s too bad the shops all look alike.

Colonial Willamsburg – 101 Visitor Center Dr, Williamsburg, VA 23185, United States

Let’s go out from Colonial Williamsburg to see the rest of the city. We had a drink in this amazing place but I’m sorry I don’t remember the name… shame on me!

It’s also in Williamsburg that the uncle’s Boyfriend lives in this beautiful house you can see on the picture below. We admired his antiquities collection (yes it’s a shared passion in the Boyfriend’s family), ate a delicious pulled pork and played with his dogs. What a wonderful day we spent!

York river state park:

The last day was finally very sunny so we took this opportunity to go on a canoe tour in York river state park with a tour guide who talked to us about fauna and flora around us. It was a perfect day to end our rainy holidays!

Now here there are some random pictures.

The delicious pancakes of Cracker Barrel.

If you like to hunt antique, goods, you will be happy in Virginia because there are so many antique malls and they are huge!

And for shopping, go to Williamsburg Premium Outlet to buy clothes at factory prices. You will find brands like J. Crew, Levi’s or Gap (the top below is Gap’s). It’s so worth it, for example we bought Levi’s jeans at 40€!

Williamsburg Premium Outlet – 5715 Richmond Rd, Williamsburg, VA

Virginia beach

I’m so happy I finally visited Virginia and discovered its wild landscapes and lived like an American for a week with the grandma and my mother-in-law. Thank you again for this amazing week!

The Boyfriend and his mother

After all these years we finally could do this American trip to go see the Boyfriend’s family but what’s nice is that he has family everywhere in the world so maybe our next destination will be on another continent to go see some other member of his family…

Anyway, you can reread the previous steps of our road trip here:

– 1st step in NYC part 1 and part 2

– 2nd step: New Haven & Newport

– 3rd step : Martha’s Vineyard & Boston

And here is the video about NYC. The 2nd video will be about New England and Virginia and will be online on Youtube soon so don’t hesitate to subscribe to my Youtube channel so you won’t miss it. ;)

So what part of this road trip did you like the most: NYC; New England, Virginia? I hope you liked these blog posts and that it makes you wanna go visit this area if it’s not already done.

Newt Friday I will take you to another continent because I will talk to you about my experience in Singapore.

Have a good weekend guys!