East Coast

The spark of inspiration for this trip came after reading about "Jane" the 14 year old girl whose partially eaten remains were discovered at the historic Jamestown archaeology site in Virginia. (If you're rusty on American History like I have been, Jamestown was the first successful English colony established in Virginia in May of 1607 - 13 years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock in the Mayflower.) After cooperative relations with the local Indians broke down, they went through "the starving time" with their numbers decreasing from about 500 to approximately 60. Jane's remains were discovered a couple of years ago. I was so intrigued by the history of the early colonial experiences, when survival wasn't a reality show.

And yesterday I actually got to see Jane's skull with the little hack marks from some hungry civilized Englishmen and women!

Approaching the site where they set up camp on arrival,
bordered by swamps and the Chesapeake Bay

The footprints of the first structures with a statue of John Smith in background

Recreation based on recorded measurements and descriptions 

Great museum with hundreds of artifacts which continue to be uncovered

Of course I couldn't be on the Colonial Parkway without stopping in Williamsburg for a stroll in the muggy heat. Hannah got so tired that I had to carry her. People ask if she's a service animal but really I'm her service human.

Just a typical day in Colonial Williamsburg

To avoid urban traffic, I took the scenic Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnels from Virginia Beach toward Delaware based on recommendations of some wonderful folks in North Carolina. With my sister in mind, I stopped at Assateague Island National Seashore and started looking for the wild horses ...

Wonderful Atlantic Ocean breeze and minimal humidity!

No one is sure where these wild horses came from but they've been on the island since the 1600s

I woke early and was on the road north by about 5:30, with a brief stop to appreciate Ocean City, Maryland before the crowds. Delaware had a few interesting historical stops but I didn't linger as my goal was to get through New Jersey and New York City early Sunday morning. I'm happy to say I made it and am now comfortably camped near the beach in southern Connecticut. I'll continue my way up the coast from here. I've got a few spots in Rhode Island and Massachusetts to check out and will continue towards Maine and Acadia National Park.

Ocean City, Maryland before the crowds arrive

Traffic on the George Washington Bridge stopped long enough for me to
gets this picture of NYC down there in the haze. 

Lost in thought about an earlier time when her ancestors sailed the Atlantic for a better life