I should’a taken that left in Albuquerque (Updated 8/16/13 Pg13)

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 4: The Peninsular Campaign

Phase-1

Operation: Glass House​

​

​

1730 hours, 22 June, 2012
The EM25 has been fully provisioned and all personnel are accounted for.
Detatchment-301 departed fortification and preceded via routes 77 & 85 toward operational area.

2300 hours, 22 June, 2012
Strike team arrived Petersburg vicinity; intended bivouac site held by enemy forces; improvising solution.​

When I was a younger man…

A much younger man…

It was completely within the realm of reason to expect that one could just hop in their vehicle of choice and head off into the great unknown confident in the fact that once you traveled as far as seemed prudent, there’d likely be some type of acceptable lodging available.

This is no longer the case.
And I’ll not be making that mistake again.

Background: not knowing precisely how late on a Friday it would be before we could get on the road, I did not know how much ground I was going to be able to cover before sleep would become a priority. As such I left to chance that I’d find a “decent” hotel somewhere in the central Virginia area. I mean it wasn’t like I was going to New York, or even as far as DC; we were just shooting for Petersburg, Virginia. It’s not like that’s a burgeoning metropolis unable to cope with an unexpected influx of the teaming masses.

Or so I thought.
Like I said, I’ll not be making that mistake again.

When we got into the area, the hotel of choice was full up. Cie la vie. I went across the street to a slightly less desirable spot and they had one room left… a smoking room. I should’a taken it. Continuing on down the road the next two places were also full up. I began to inquire as to what might be going on that was causing such a severe shortage of domiciles for hire in the greater Petersburg area but no one really had an answer other then it’s always like this.

In Petersburg! Really!

I later learned that there was a good sized softball tournament in town that weekend but I figure it probably had a good bit more to do with the sizable military base that is also in the area. In either case, three more hotels later and I was still without lodging. The last place was even rather high end and far more expensive that I’d originally planed. Still no good but the fell’a at the counter said, “If you’re not ‘that’ concerned about overall quality, I think there’s room at the place across the street”.

The place across the street turned out to be a “Quality Inn” (Code Name: Dry Gulch). They did have a room at Dry Gulch but there wasn’t much “quality” about it. We opened the door to said sanctuary and were hit by a blast of hot air similar to that received when you flip open an oven door. To save money, the folks at the Dry Gulch chose not run the A/C units in their unoccupied rooms, and left it to guests to tough it out while waiting for the unit to catch up once they’d switched it on themselves. The other unmistakable trait of the air was the harsh smell of cigarettes, which the proprietors assured me was merely my imagination (like I said, should’a taken the first room). The rooms were a might rundown. Bedspreads we a bit ratty and they and the various seat cushions came with a litany of stains and the added bonus feature of burn marks (cigarette burn marks, mind you, but I suspect that was merely my imagination as well).

Scared yet?

The bedspreads hit the floor and stayed there, the sheets seemed somewhat more acceptable, but even with the heat we slept in more clothing then normal. The room finally cooled off enough to matter somewhere around 2am. The next morning well needed showers were taken and the complimentary “Continental” breakfast was consumed (I’ve had worse, so that wasn’t too bad). We then bid good riddance to that fleabag and put it quickly in our rearview mirror.

At this point I surmised that the rest of the trip could only get better form here.
On that assumption at least I’d be proven correct.




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Crossing the James

0900 hours, 23 June, 2012
Arrived at embarkation point: Scotland Wharf, loading operations commencing
​

The “Virginia Peninsula” is just one of several such geographic features created by the numerous wide and deep river inlets that make up the “Tidewater” region of the state and also make the area so important to all things naval and marine. This peninsula however, just happens to be historically the most significant (thus the name). Created by the inlets of the York and James rivers, this is where the very concept of Virginia began over 400 years ago. In May of 1607 three ships sailed up the James River until they reached a defensible but marshy and mosquito ridden island, naturally this is where they decided to establish a colony.

Jamestown to be specific…

the oldest successful English colony in the “New World”, and the first stop on our little summer expedition. The trick is that if you are traveling into the area from the south, that very important geography also makes it difficult to drive directly to your destination. The Interstate route takes you all the way to Richmond and then back to the Southeast along I-64. I would take this path on the way back home. In so doing, determine that unless one were headed north in the first place, it’s a long way around your elbow just to scratch you back (and right rather boring to boot). The best method for getting in and out from most anywhere south of the Tidewater is the one that I chose mostly for selfish reasons…

…because there was a ship to be boarded.

(If you’ve read any of my previous writings, this decision will seem quite obvious)

The James is too wide and too heavily traveled by maritime traffic for a bridge in the Jamestown / Williamsburg area to be considered the best idea. You could build it, but given the marshy ground combined with the height and length needed the price would be horrendous and the permanent population of the area wouldn’t justify such. VADOT however has a more affordable option. They operate a ferry line that carries thirty or forty vehicles at a crack and departs from either bank pretty much on the half hour. The service also happens to be free to the public and there are some Interstates that can’t say that.

Generally two double-ended ferries cover this route; the “MV Pocahontas” and the “MV Williamsburg” (which would be providing our conveyance this day).

“Highlander” had never been of any type of ferry boat before and found this to be a unique experience (an added bonus that I was not actually anticipating)…

The rest of the team had been on numerous such ships on several previous missions but still enjoy the opportunity to repeat the experience. It was a nice diversion. A chance for everyone to get out and stretch their legs and an opportunity to experience the James River and to see our destination from the water just as those first settlers experienced it…

Of course there were no structures there at the time…
And the Island was physically a bit larger…
And the locals that had long dwelled in the area got this same view all the time…
(and weren’t all that impressed)…
But still…

It was a unique experience.




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The Settlement

0930 hours, 23 June, 2012
Tiger, Tiger, Tiger… surprise has been achieved, successful disembarkation: Glass House Point, primary objective in sight, executing attack plane Bravo, repeat: Tiger, Tiger, Tiger…​

There are actually two Jamestowns. First there is “Historic Jamestown”, the actual landing site that is now part of the National Park System. First establish as a monument site in the 1930s it’s more park then museum, but still something that needs to be explored. The original site of the fort was only recently indentified in the 1990s and is an ongoing archeological dig. For the history purist… this is the site that you need to see.

The other “Jamestown”, however is known as the “Jamestown Settlement”. This is a living-history park located right next door and is sponsored mostly by the State and the “Jamestown Yorktown Foundation”. First opened in 1957 to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the landing, it’s a recreation, but a faithful one and there are actually more things to see and interact with at the “Settlement” at this time then at the actual site. If you can I’d take the time to explore both, but if you have to pick one, you may want to start here (especially with younger kids). That’s the “Plan Bravo” we executed.


Here’s a few pictures from the museum part of the site…

There’s a theater and a fairly sprawling exhibit area delving into the native peoples first and then into the colonists focusing on backgrounds, class differences, the changes between the world they left and the new one they entered…

A lot of really interesting stuff…

None of which I took pictures of, but trust me it was well done.


I did a little better when we got to the recreation of James Fort.

First off, here’s the best guess on the original layout of the fort based on accounts and what has been learned so far at the actual site…

And here’s some of what we encountered in the recreation at The Settlement…

Inside the church…

Lodging for some of the well to do that made the voyage
(the not so well to do slept in barracks and mostly on the ground)…

Inside the main storehouse and a bit more of the grounds…

One of the three raised bulwarks built to defend the fort…

Some impromptu clowning around by the troops…

The blacksmiths hut…

That last one also illustrates something that I haven’t gotten into yet. The settlement is set up as a “Living History” experience. That means that there are docents and volunteers in period garb throughout the site available to answer questions and working at the various tasks that would have been done on a daily bases. They’re quite knowledgeable and very easy to engage in conversation.



OK… runnin’ out of room here so I’ll post this much for now.
I hope to get the rest of this part up some time this evening.

But for now, we’ll take a brief intermission and see if we can get the second reel up on the projector is short order.

My, my, how times have changed….




Next up: The naval engagement and an encounter with the indigenous peoples
​

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 4: The Peninsular Campaign

Operation: Glass House
(Continued)​

​

​

That’s one of the better Bugs Bunny / Yosemite Sam shorts (like there’s a bad one). I figured that I should put some actual entertainment in here somewhere before I get back to the main feature. But… and you did know that this was likely to happen… But, it’s time to finish off this part of the expedition.

So here’s goes…


(This is the part where you close your browser ya’ know, right?)




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Raiding the Harbor

1130 hours, 23 June, 2012
Fort secured, moving to commandeer harbor facilities, advanced scouting indicates three ships in port, one more in dry-dock.
​

After exploring the James Fort for a while, we walked down toward the river to take in the next offering at the Settlement. Specifically the ships (imagine that… I found more ships)


Specifically the three ships that the Commonwealth of Virginia thought enough of to plaster them on the reverse of their assigned state quarter…

Well… replicas of the three of them anyway. The dock area looks bit more like this…

Actually it looks exactly like that, or it did when we were there. When the first colonists arrived in 1607, it was aboard three rather small ships that were very similar to these.

The largest of the bunch was the “Susan Constant”

The original was built around 1605 but this one is actually the oldest of the reproductions and was completed around 1991. This was a small freighter known as a “Braque” (for the general usage and type of rigging used) and carried 17 crew, 54 passengers and about thirty tons of supplies.

Even though this was the largest ship, at 166 by 24 feet, space was still at a premium. It’s even tighter down below on the twen-deck…

And if those births look cramped, consider that they were reserved for officers and the bulk of the crew and passengers were sleeping in hammocks or on deck.

The next largest member of the fleet was the “Godspeed”…

An 88-foot Barquentine (three masts but only the fore and main are square riged), this ship carried a smaler compliment of onlt 13 crew and 39 more pasangers. Completed in 2006, this reproduction is faithful to the type. But there are no precise record as to the exact appearace of this small ship, so it’s as close as we’re going to get without prefecting time travle.

If you thought being aboard the Constant for four and a half months would have been a bit claustrophobic, imagine being cooped up on this one…

Now consider that there was an even smaller ship along on this expedition. The Discovery was purchased specifically for the colony to use and was the only ship that stayed once everyone had been put ashore.

This replica of a 66-foot pinnace from the era was completed in 2007 and like the Godspeed, is a best guess as to exactly how the Discover actually looked. With a crew of only nine men there was only room for 12 passengers more and what stores could be stuffed into every remaining nook and cranny…

After arriving this ship was used to explore the Chesapeake and the various rivers and inlets, but beyond a canoe, was the only transportation remaining once the rest of the “fleet” returned back to Mother England.

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The Powhatan village

1230 hours, 23 June, 2012
Harbor secured, all ships taken intact, reinforcement landing operation may begin when ready… strike team moving inland, attempting contact with indigenous peoples, will establish diplomatic relations.​

To say that the English, or the Spanish or the Portuguese, or the Italians, or the Dutch, or even the Vikings discovered the Americas is self aggrandizing at best. These folks conquered the Americas. The land had long since been “discovered” and for centuries had been the home to a large number of successful and well-established peoples. The area that we now call Virginia already had a name…

Tsenacommacah

Pronounced: “Sen-ah-cóm-ma-cah”, this meant "densely-inhabited land" in the local dialect of the Algonquian language. And that was a good description of the area as there were probable near 15,000 folks already living through out the region when the colonists arrived. The tribe that actually lived near where Jamestown was established was known as the “Paspahegh” and there is a recreation of one of their villages here at the Jamestown Settlement that can be explored as well.

The village include several “long houses” which is the name given the structures by the newbys. The locales simply called them home (just doing so in Algonquian of course).

Wood frames were covered in woven mats for the structure. Sleeping platforms were raised up off the ground and covered in furs. The walls surrounding “beds” also had extra layers of mats for insulation…

You can also see in that picture that at some points the mats were replaced by stretched skins. Being more translucent these allowed additional light inside during the day. The other thing I noticed as we looked over each of the dwellings was that despite the apparent “primitive” nature of the construction, these homes appeared to be more comfortable then the “modern” dwellings back in the fort. They may have seemed spare and lightly constructed at first, but as you looked them over, you could see that the buildings were solid, well appointed to meet the needs of the occupant and lacked for nothing that was truly necessary. What they did not need, they did not keep, what they could use had its place…

There was a slightly larger Long House on the site that was marked as being that of the tribal leader. Other then being a bit taller and a smidgen longer, the only real difference to this one was the inclusion of an additional partition just inside the entrance…

Apart from being defensible, it defined a type of hallway that let one know they were clearly entering the chief’s audience chamber…

Creating a sense of separation has long been the most effective way of denoting a leaders higher status from that of their followers. Beyond that simple wall, the structure was basically the same.

Though this is referred to as the Powhatan Village, there was not one single person named “Powhatan” or even a Powhatan tribe per say, it was more of a place name. Dozens of tribes already lived in the area and each of them in turn was part of a larger organizational structure that came to be known to the English as the Powhatan Confederacy. In truth it was not so much a collection of independent tribes in alliance with one and other as that name would suggest, but rather a chiefdom where there was clearly one central ruler. At the time this was a fellow named “Wahunsenacawh” but he was more popularly referred to as Chief Powhatan (among various other names) and that basically meant: leader of all. Each individual tribe had its own ruler who acted in what they saw as the best interest of their people, but these individuals were all subservient to the will of the chief.

As for the Paspahegh tribe that was in the most direct contact with the settlers… within five years of the landing, they were completely destroyed. Done in by direct conflict, but likely also by exposure to infectious diseases. In either case, they disappeared from the historical record by 1611




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Success




It is interesting to note that Jamestown almost failed as a colony. Most of the colonists and even their initial replacements died within the first five years. The first group included no farmers and few that truly knew manual labor. The site was chosen for defense with no regard to hunting or even drinkable water. Things were so bad that the second winter became known as “The Starving Time” and recent discoveries indicate that cannibalism was very likely employed. It ended up being one of those nick-of-time type stories where supplies arrived just as all hope appeared to be snuffed out. And it went that way several times over. Stubbornness did finally prevail though and the English had acquired that toehold that they needed to ultimately control the Mid-Atlantic portion of North America.


As for our expedition to the Jamestown Settlement…

That was also a success. There was much to see and we saw nearly all of it. Had I not made other plans, we’d have also gone to the actual landing site, but now I have reason to return so that’s not so bad either. We walked around the gardens and nature trails here and then grabbed a bit of lunch back in the main building before heading on to our next destination.

We’d already done much, and it was only the afternoon of the first day.



Despite what the troops might think about it…

I’ll call that a success.




Next up: Recon and inelegance gathering
​

 

[KatMark]

Great update, Rob.

I am going to show Mark this last update (when he gets home from his 11 games this weekend 90 minutes away...or maybe I'll wait until tomorrow ).

Mark keeps talking about a road trip sometime and I know this is just the kind of thing he loves.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

It was completely within the realm of reason to expect that one could just hop in their vehicle of choice and head off into the great unknown confident in the fact that once you traveled as far as seemed prudent, there’d likely be some type of acceptable lodging available.

This is no longer the case.
And I’ll not be making that mistake again.

Yeah, I'm with you. It's a lesson that only needs to be learned once.

I began to inquire as to what might be going on that was causing such a severe shortage of domiciles for hire in the greater Petersburg area but no one really had an answer other then it’s always like this.

In Petersburg! Really!

When we're headed for Myrtle Beach we usually try to make it at least as far as Emporia. I'm always amazed at the number of exits for Petersburg on the way down.

The place across the street turned out to be a “Quality Inn” (Code Name: Dry Gulch). They did have a room at Dry Gulch but there wasn’t much “quality” about it. We opened the door to said sanctuary and were hit by a blast of hot air similar to that received when you flip open an oven door.

Ugh. Sounds like it was not the Quality Inn of Emporia, but it does sound like it matched the "quality". We were given a room with dog poo on the floor.

In May of 1607 three ships sailed up the James River until they reached a defensible but marshy and mosquito ridden island, naturally this is where they decided to establish a colony.

Because no bear caves were available?

The best method for getting in and out from most anywhere south of the Tidewater is the one that I chose mostly for selfish reasons…

…because there was a ship to be boarded.

Next you'll tell me Kathy stopped at a Starbucks.

The service also happens to be free to the public and there are some Interstates that can’t say that.

Oh, it's free? Carry on, then.

Highlander: "I'm on a boat!"

Some impromptu clowning around by the troops…

They're doing it all wrong. You have to check the barrel for obstructions.

That last one also illustrates something that I haven’t gotten into yet. The settlement is set up as a “Living History” experience. That means that there are docents and volunteers in period garb throughout the site available to answer questions and working at the various tasks that would have been done on a daily bases. They’re quite knowledgeable and very easy to engage in conversation.

Sounds like a fun visit. We'll have to cross this off the list someday.

After exploring the James Fort for a while, we walked down toward the river to take in the next offering at the Settlement. Specifically the ships (imagine that… I found more ships)

Great. More boats.

Even though this was the largest ship, at 166 by 24 feet, space was still at a premium. It’s even tighter down below on the twen-deck…

I wonder if the bonine that did wonders on the Disney Cruise would help on this vessel.

Probably not.

Now consider that there was an even smaller ship along on this expedition. The Discovery was purchased specifically for the colony to use and was the only ship that stayed once everyone had been put ashore.

This was called "the Dinghy" and was used for punishment.

After arriving this ship was used to explore the Chesapeake and the various rivers and inlets, but beyond a canoe, was the only transportation remaining once the rest of the “fleet” returned back to Mother England.

Because, you know, why would you want to be able to move?

The area that we now call Virginia already had a name…

Tsenacommacah

Gesundheit.

Wood frames were covered in woven mats for the structure. Sleeping platforms were raised up off the ground and covered in furs. The walls surrounding “beds” also had extra layers of mats for insulation…

Now these guys knew what they were doing. I'm going to ask my DW if she goes for the dead raccoon accents in decorating.

Though this is referred to as the Powhatan Village, there was not one single person named “Powhatan” or even a Powhatan tribe per say, it was more of a place name. Dozens of tribes already lived in the area and each of them in turn was part of a larger organizational structure that came to be known to the English as the Powhatan Confederacy.

Interesting. I had always assumed they were all independent.

It is interesting to note that Jamestown almost failed as a colony. Most of the colonists and even their initial replacements died within the first five years. The first group included no farmers and few that truly knew manual labor. The site was chosen for defense with no regard to hunting or even drinkable water.[/QUOTE]

Hmmm...drinkable water, or a cool fort and a place to mount my gun? These guys were American before Americans existed.

Things were so bad that the second winter became known as “The Starving Time” and recent discoveries indicate that cannibalism was very likely employed.

We’d already done much, and it was only the afternoon of the first day.

Not too shabby at all.

 

[afwdwfan]

This is no longer the case.
And I’ll not be making that mistake again.

Live and learn.

“If you’re not ‘that’ concerned about overall quality, I think there’s room at the place across the street”.

Funny how you go to a "Quality Inn" if you're not too concerned about Quality.

The place across the street turned out to be a “Quality Inn” (Code Name: Dry Gulch).

Quality Inn is one of those chains that I just don't stay at if it can be helped. I've been in a few of them that have actually been very nice hotels, but I've seen as many (if not more) that have been dumps. That's always the problem with a chain that basically buys hotels abandoned by other chains.

The best method for getting in and out from most anywhere south of the Tidewater is the one that I chose mostly for selfish reasons…

…because there was a ship to be boarded.

Somehow, I knew this was coming...

They operate a ferry line that carries thirty or forty vehicles at a crack and departs from either bank pretty much on the half hour. The service also happens to be free to the public and there are some Interstates that can’t say that.

Ok... so what's the catch?

“Highlander” had never been of any type of ferry boat before and found this to be a unique experience (an added bonus that I was not actually anticipating)…

A lot of really interesting stuff…

None of which I took pictures of, but trust me it was well done.

You didn't take pictures??????

Some impromptu clowning around by the troops…

Looks like someone has been reading a Captain Oblivious TR.

Specifically the ships (imagine that… I found more ships)

Shocking...

After arriving this ship was used to explore the Chesapeake and the various rivers and inlets, but beyond a canoe, was the only transportation remaining once the rest of the “fleet” returned back to Mother England.

Talk about a feeling of abandonment...

Tsenacommacah

Sure...

Pronounced: “Sen-ah-cóm-ma-cah”

Still trying to figure out how to say this one...

They may have seemed spare and lightly constructed at first, but as you looked them over, you could see that the buildings were solid, well appointed to meet the needs of the occupant and lacked for nothing that was truly necessary.

The "primative" cultures tended to be very good about knowing their surroundings and environments and living within their means. It would have been interesting to have seen it back in their prime.

We’d already done much, and it was only the afternoon of the first day.

Nice job!

Next you'll tell me Kathy stopped at a Starbucks.

Find a ship with a Starbucks on it and you'll find Kathy and Rob.

They're doing it all wrong. You have to check the barrel for obstructions.

Nah, the barrel is too small to fit his head in it.

Hmmm...drinkable water, or a cool fort and a place to mount my gun? These guys were American before Americans existed.

That. Mark just won "best comment in this TR."

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Great update, Rob.

I am going to show Mark this last update (when he gets home from his 11 games this weekend 90 minutes away...or maybe I'll wait until tomorrow ).

Mark keeps talking about a road trip sometime and I know this is just the kind of thing he loves.

If he’d like this much of it, there there’s plenty more in the area to keep him entertained.
I knew I’d enjoy the trip, but was surprised by how much more I encountered then I expected. And we skipped a lot of things as well. I need to go back up there at some point.

Yeah, I'm with you. It's a lesson that only needs to be learned once.

Yah but I should’a learned it from listening to others rather then making the mistake myself.

That was a direct violation of Rule-13.

When we're headed for Myrtle Beach we usually try to make it at least as far as Emporia. I'm always amazed at the number of exits for Petersburg on the way down.

Obviously it’s bigger this I realized.
Another reason I should’a called ahead.

Ugh. Sounds like it was not the Quality Inn of Emporia, but it does sound like it matched the "quality". We were given a room with dog poo on the floor.

**taking notes**
Do… not… stop… for… the… night… in… Emporia…

OK, got it.

Because no bear caves were available?

These fell’as were a bit single minded about the defense portion of the equation.
Consider that their prime directive was: get it, get organized, search for and acquire gold, use force if need be.
The notions of food and water weren’t even on that list.


It worked for the Spanish a bit farther south.
The English figured it would be the same here.


It wasn’t until after they learned that gold was not really a local commodity that it occurred to them that just maybe they didn’t have exactly the most correct skill sets represented in the colony at the time.

Next you'll tell me Kathy stopped at a Starbucks.

That would be a revelation now wouldn’t it?

Oh, it's free? Carry on, then.

Well, the citizens of VA are paying for it, but as a traveler…
It’s hard to beat a free river excursion.

They're doing it all wrong. You have to check the barrel for obstructions.

Being the expert…
I’ll defer to your wisdom on the subject.

Sounds like a fun visit. We'll have to cross this off the list someday.

I’d say yes
Maybe next time you go the Myrtle Beach, you stop here and spend a day rather then returning to beautiful downtown Emporia.

Great. More boats.

So, have you taken your young’ens up to Philly to see the USS Olympia yet?
Given its age in particular, that’s one that is very high on my rather extensive list.

I wonder if the bonine that did wonders on the Disney Cruise would help on this vessel.

Probably not.

Got’s me doubts on that one as well.

This was called "the Dinghy" and was used for punishment.

“Hey, Smails! My dinghy's bigger than your whole boat!”

Because, you know, why would you want to be able to move?

They figured the gold would just come to them.

Gesundheit.

That joke works well for nearly any Algonquin worm.

“Rappahannock!!”
“Chickahominy!!”

“Gesundheit.”

Now these guys knew what they were doing. I'm going to ask my DW if she goes for the dead raccoon accents in decorating.

I appreciate your initiative.
Let us know how that conversation goes.

Hmmm...drinkable water, or a cool fort and a place to mount my gun? These guys were American before Americans existed.

I might have to question even Homer’s choices on that one.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Live and learn.

Better then the alternative.




Much better…

Funny how you go to a "Quality Inn" if you're not too concerned about Quality.

It’s about like “hitting the Roof” or “The Six”
Unless you can verify the condition,
It should never be your first choice.

Quality Inn is one of those chains that I just don't stay at if it can be helped. I've been in a few of them that have actually been very nice hotels, but I've seen as many (if not more) that have been dumps. That's always the problem with a chain that basically buys hotels abandoned by other chains.

That pretty well explains it. The best “Quality Inn” I’ve stayed in was actually in Indianapolis. I wouldn’t have chosen it then given a choice, but it tuned out to be better then I expected.

Except for the whole “nearby house exploding in the middle of the night” thing, but hay at least that room was free.

I’ll explain that one a bit more in the next chapter…
Assuming I get to the next chapter…
And assuming that y’all are still reading along at the time…

Somehow, I knew this was coming...

Care to lay bets on whether we’ll encounter any more on this trip?

Ok... so what's the catch?

Beat’s me.
In my book that counted as an attraction

You didn't take pictures??????

Looks like someone has been reading a Captain Oblivious TR.

If you’re going to purloin something
Make sure it something “quality”.

Talk about a feeling of abandonment...

I thought that as well.
Overseas travel during that era was certainly an adventure.
And a dang risky one.

Sure...

That one I didn’t make up…

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsenacommacah

Still trying to figure out how to say this one...

We’ll now there you’re on your own

The "primative" cultures tended to be very good about knowing their surroundings and environments and living within their means. It would have been interesting to have seen it back in their prime.

Makes one have to step back and reconsider that “primitive” label.
Turns out, they weren’t primitive at all.
Just not near as heavily armed.

Technology generally beats out wisdom.
(that ain’t right, but it is true)

Find a ship with a Starbucks on it and you'll find Kathy and Rob.

The “Charbucks” might make me consider not getting aboard…
But in the end I suspect that you’re right in this assessment.

Nah, the barrel is too small to fit his head in it.

And I didn’t even have to say it.

That. Mark just won "best comment in this TR."

I d believe that you’re correct on that one
+1

 

[afwdwfan]

That pretty well explains it. The best “Quality Inn” I’ve stayed in was actually in Indianapolis. I wouldn’t have chosen it then given a choice, but it tuned out to be better then I expected.

Except for the whole “nearby house exploding in the middle of the night” thing, but hay at least that room was free.

I’ll explain that one a bit more in the next chapter…
Assuming I get to the next chapter…
And assuming that y’all are still reading along at the time…

That whole house explosion is turning out to be an interesting, although still very tragic, story. A whole lot of layers to that onion...

 

[KatMark]

Next you'll tell me Kathy stopped at a Starbucks.

Live and learn.



Find a ship with a Starbucks on it and you'll find Kathy and Rob.

You two are in big trouble with me.

The “Charbucks” might make me consider not getting aboard…
But in the end I suspect that you’re right in this assessment.

Yes you would, Rob. Because then you'd be one up on Andy...you would have met the ever popular Kathy; and we could talk about Mark behind his back about what a chicken he is for not riding TOT!

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Looks like someone has been reading a Captain Oblivious TR.

We're almost up to double digits!

Find a ship with a Starbucks on it and you'll find Kathy and Rob.

That. Mark just won "best comment in this TR."

I d believe that you’re correct on that one
+1

You two are in big trouble with me.

Oh, like you've never heard that one before.

Yes you would, Rob. Because then you'd be one up on Andy...you would have met the ever popular Kathy; and we could talk about Mark behind his back about what a chicken he is for not riding TOT!

Once again, we must correct the erroneous reporting. A chicken would not ride it. I rode it. I'm just not dumb enough to ride it again.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 4: The Peninsular Campaign

Phase-1 (Continued)

Operation: Home Plate​

​

​

1430 hours, 23 June, 2012
Home Plate established NW of Tinder Box, recon operation will commence on the hour​

Speaking of home plates…






We hope you enjoyed our introductory cartoon…
We will now rejoin this battle report already in progress.



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Base of Operations



Home is where the heart is…

Or is it just where you hang your hat?


For the traveler, the second one is more the truth. It certainly applied to us. Being as we’d be spending the next few days on the peninsula, having a decent and consistent place to come back to at the end of the day was a must. And something comparable to the “Dry Gulch” wasn’t going to cut it. That brings us to the Hampton Inn on Richmond Road in Williamsburg (Code name: “Home Plate”)

As motels go I like Hamptons. They’re middle of the road expense wise and consistently offer good lodging. I’ve yet to be surprised by one and rarely find much that disappoints me. This particular Hampton had an additional bonus… space.

They offered suites as well as rooms. This fact enabled us to move into the equivalent of a one bedroom apartment including a full kitchen and an extra sleeper sofa for less then a Disney Moderate during the off season.

Granted it’s not on property at WDW, but sill a great situation. This also meant that the boys had their own entertainment space and the adults got control of our own television devoid of video games, MTV and all traces of the various toon networks.

Ahhhhhh…

Additionally, the young’ens didn’t have to share a bed and that was a benefit for everyone as well.

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Tickets… Tickets Please…




Once we got settled the next thing that needed to happen was to get our passes straightened out. As I mentioned earlier on, we had acquired “Bounce Passes” for this trip that would afford us unlimited access to Colonial Williamsburg, Bush Gardens and the local water park for several consecutive days. Well, acquired isn’t a precise statement. They’d been purchased via the “inter-webs”. What I had in my possession was printed receipts for said passes. To convert them into the bona fide article was going to require another sortie on the part of our strike team. So we loaded up the EM25 Urban Assault Vehicle and headed for the “Welcome Center” to find out just how welcome we actually were going to be.

Turns out that our adversaries were quite welcoming and unaware of the pending carnage to come. We got all the paper work done in short order and access cards issued with no trouble at all. We didn’t even need a forger for this mission.

Next objective… start gathering a bit of “Intel”. As you’d expect for a welcome center of any type, this one was filled with small exhibits and displays designed to give you an idea of what lay ahead. There is a theater showing a historical overview film and of course, the prerequisite and amply stocked gift shop. We chose not to terry for any length at this time though. There was reconnoitering that needed to be done.

At one end of the building you’ll encounter this soothing fountain that also doubles as a tribute to the various philanthropists that helped make the history museum that we were about to descend upon possible in the first place. At the foot of that “monument” was this bit of good fortune…

A cast bronze scale map of the entire battleground in three-dimensional relief. Very kind of our foes to so prominently offer up such a valuable reconnaissance tool and place it unguarded in plain sight where any invading force could access it so readily.

Fools! They’ll soon be regretting that mistake.

Bwwwwwhaaaahaaahaaahaaa!




= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =
The Time Machine



The actual site that is Colonial Williamsburg is about a half a mile away from our current position. You could drive yourself over there but parking can be a bit of a pain in the flanks (is you catch my drift). A better solution is to just park here at the Welcome Center (for free). With that mission accomplished, there are two ways to then access the actual site from here. Either use the convenient free bus service, or take the time machine.

The What?

Did you say time machine?

Yes I did…


On the other side of the official welcoming center there is what looks at first glance like an innocent pedestrian bridge and walkway…

But appearances are deceiving. As you start walking across this bridge, time begins to reverse itself. You’ll encounter warning markers embedded in the structure that alert you to the momentous historical changes that are taking place with each step you take…

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Recon

1645 hours, 23 June, 2012
“Tinder Box” accessed, recon underway​

The pedestrian time machine dropped us in mid July of 1776 on the outskirts of the old capitol of Williamsburg (code name “Tinder Box”). Shortly thereafter we located the Town Green…

Time wise, the time was just about five in the evening and a crowd was gathering around the courthouse to hear a reading of some decree that had come out of Philadelphia a week or so before.

Being as we now knew that the notion of time was a relatively controllable variable and the actual assault on the town was not scheduled for two more days by our clocks, we moved on. There was additional reconnaissance that needed to be accomplished and we were burnin’ daylight…

OK, that’s just the cover story for the official report that had to be turned into the high muckety-mucks in the office of the chief’s of staff. The truth is, that we got there just as everything was closing up for the day. But it is true that we already planned to come back in a couple of days so this wasn’t a great problem. We figured just to take a look around and get the lay of the land for now. This would give us a decent idea of what to expect later on. Basically, we actually were conducting a recon mission.​

The next objective was to locate the town armory and began searching for weaknesses in the structure that we could exploit …

From there the team move cautiously up “Dog Street” toward the capitol noting and cataloging the various businesses lining the main drag…

At the end of the stree… Wait what?
Did I hear a question from the audience just then?

“Dog Street”?… did I say “Dog Street?”

Yes, yes I did… and I’ll explain that, but not right now. So you’ll just have to wait on that one (I need to maintain at least some sense of mystery here ya’ know).

Now what was I droning on about just then?

Oh yah, heading up Dog Street making note of the various unguarded and unfortified entrance points…

At the far end of this main artery is the location of the Colonial Capitol Building…

The decision was made that the first objective of the assault would be to take and hold this structure and then to fan out and take control of the commercial and industrial sites before moving on tackle the judicial and executive institutions.

We had a plan, we had confirmed the accuracy our maps and coordinates, and we were now prepared for the battle to come.

Rather then retracing our steps it was decided that we’d return to Point Alpha via an alternative mode of time travel… namely the complimentary bus service that makes stops along the perimeter of the old town and returns back to the Visitors Center. One of these useful flux capacitor equipped devises just happened to waiting on us. Moments later we were aboard, the driver kicked it into overdrive, the crucial speed of 88 mph was reached and we were instantly returned back to our own point on the time line. It was very foolish of our adversaries to offer us such a convenient method of transportation. And rest assured…

We would exploit that catastrophic error in judgment to great effect.

Next up: Invading the Old World
​

 

[KatMark]

Wow, that is one roomy Hampton Inn. I tend to agree with you...we've never stayed in a bad one.

Love the area that you toured this day with the Capitol Building, etc.

Love your transportation at 88 miles an hour back to the Welcome Center.

 

[afwdwfan]

Judging by this graphic, it looks like you're getting ready to breach the perimeter of the Pentagon.



Good luck with that one.

As motels go I like Hamptons. They’re middle of the road expense wise and consistently offer good lodging. I’ve yet to be surprised by one and rarely find much that disappoints me.

Agreed. They're pretty much a known commodity... although I have been surprised by a few to the pleasant side of things.

About the only negative I can ever find towards a Hampton Inn might be location, but even at that the hotel itself is always nice enough.

They offered suites as well as rooms. This fact enabled us to move into the equivalent of a one bedroom apartment including a full kitchen and an extra sleeper sofa for less then a Disney Moderate during the off season.

Great find!!!!

We didn’t even need a forger for this mission.

Well that takes all the fun out of it.

We chose not to terry for any length at this time though. There was reconnoitering that needed to be done.

Good call. The free stuff at the welcome center is like the free bread in a restaurant. It may be great, but it is really just a filler to keep you away from the good stuff.

A cast bronze scale map of the entire battleground in three-dimensional relief.

Try folding that one up and sticking it in the glovebox.

Did I hear a question from the audience just then?

No

“Dog Street”?… did I say “Dog Street?”

Um.... yes.

Yes, yes I did… and I’ll explain that, but not right now. So you’ll just have to wait on that one (I need to maintain at least some sense of mystery here ya’ know).

I'm sure we'll have an upcoming bonus feature on this.

Now what was I droning on about just then?

I don't know, I kind of dozed off when the time machine turned out to be a pedestrian bridge.

Rather then retracing our steps it was decided that we’d return to Point Alpha via an alternative mode of time travel… namely the complimentary bus service that makes stops along the perimeter of the old town and returns back to the Visitors Center. One of these useful flux capacitor equipped devises just happened to waiting on us. Moments later we were aboard, the driver kicked it into overdrive, the crucial speed of 88 mph was reached and we were instantly returned back to our own point on the time line. It was very foolish of our adversaries to offer us such a convenient method of transportation.

There's just something wrong with this paragraph. I've never seen a complementary shuttle bus that will go 88 mph.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Speaking of home plates…

We hope you enjoyed our introductory cartoon…
We will now rejoin this battle report already in progress.

I think I'll perplex him with my slowball.

As motels go I like Hamptons. They’re middle of the road expense wise and consistently offer good lodging. I’ve yet to be surprised by one and rarely find much that disappoints me.

I like Hamptons too. Give me a clean bed, clean bathroom, and free breakfast and I'm happy. I tend to slightly favor the Holiday Inn Express, though, because...well, cinnamon buns.

Additionally, the young’ens didn’t have to share a bed and that was a benefit for everyone as well.

Did you see the Bears game last weekend?

Turns out that our adversaries were quite welcoming and unaware of the pending carnage to come. We got all the paper work done in short order and access cards issued with no trouble at all. We didn’t even need a forger for this mission.

Sounds like your cover story is holding up just fine.

A cast bronze scale map of the entire battleground in three-dimensional relief.

Cool!

On the other side of the official welcoming center there is what looks at first glance like an innocent pedestrian bridge and walkway…

But appearances are deceiving. As you start walking across this bridge, time begins to reverse itself. You’ll encounter warning markers embedded in the structure that alert you to the momentous historical changes that are taking place with each step you take…

That's a very cool idea, too. I like the one about not paying income tax and not receiving social security. It appears that by the time I retire, I will pay income tax and still will not receive social security.

Time wise, the time was just about five in the evening and a crowd was gathering around the courthouse to hear a reading of some decree that had come out of Philadelphia a week or so before.

Attention! All of our sports teams are still crappy!

“Dog Street”?… did I say “Dog Street?”

Yes, yes I did… and I’ll explain that, but not right now. So you’ll just have to wait on that one (I need to maintain at least some sense of mystery here ya’ know).

That seems like a dirty trick.

Rather then retracing our steps it was decided that we’d return to Point Alpha via an alternative mode of time travel… namely the complimentary bus service that makes stops along the perimeter of the old town and returns back to the Visitors Center. One of these useful flux capacitor equipped devises just happened to waiting on us. Moments later we were aboard, the driver kicked it into overdrive, the crucial speed of 88 mph was reached and we were instantly returned back to our own point on the time line.

Man, they must be making quite the profit on those bounce passes. How do they generate 1.21 gigawatts of energy?

 

[afwdwfan]

I like Hamptons too. Give me a clean bed, clean bathroom, and free breakfast and I'm happy. I tend to slightly favor the Holiday Inn Express, though, because...well, cinnamon buns.

Those things are phenomenal.

That's a very cool idea, too. I like the one about not paying income tax and not receiving social security. It appears that by the time I retire, I will pay income tax and still will not receive social security.

Thanks for that little reality check to make us all feel better about ourselves.

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Judging by this graphic, it looks like you're getting ready to breach the perimeter of the Pentagon.

Those things are phenomenal.

It's the little things.

Thanks for that little reality check to make us all feel better about ourselves.

Sorry. Every time I check on my retirement savings, I start to do the math to see what the Social Security payment will be, and then I realize it'll be out of money by then.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Wow, that is one roomy Hampton Inn. I tend to agree with you...we've never stayed in a bad one.

Love the area that you toured this day with the Capitol Building, etc.

Love your transportation at 88 miles an hour back to the Welcome Center.

Hampton and H.I.Express are the most reliable.
Just remember to actually make a reservation first

I’ll do a lot more on the actual Old Town in a couple of chapters when we get back over there. This day we just walked through. There is much to see and experience here.

Judging by this graphic, it looks like you're getting ready to breach the perimeter of the Pentagon.


Good luck with that one.

Mehhh…
We stormed that castle back in 2010 before I started writing TRs.
Ain’t you glad you didn’t have to read that one?

Agreed. They're pretty much a known commodity... although I have been surprised by a few to the pleasant side of things.

About the only negative I can ever find towards a Hampton Inn might be location, but even at that the hotel itself is always nice enough.

They can be out of the way depending on the city in question.
But I’m usually driving anyway

Good call. The free stuff at the welcome center is like the free bread in a restaurant. It may be great, but it is really just a filler to keep you away from the good stuff.

Or salad at a buffet…
Same concept.

Try folding that one up and sticking it in the glovebox.

We just photographed it then blew up the original.
Part of our scorched earth policy

I'm sure we'll have an upcoming bonus feature on this.

Actually… no.
It’s really a pretty simple explanation, I’m just bein’ an SOB.

You could look it up yourself if’n ya’ like.

I don't know, I kind of dozed off when the time machine turned out to be a pedestrian bridge.

Your loss…
It may be merely a “pedestrian” artifact, but it accomplished the trick of time travel quite effectively.

There's just something wrong with this paragraph. I've never seen a complementary shuttle bus that will go 88 mph.

Again… time travel was achieved.
So I’m not questioning the illusion.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

I think I'll perplex him with my slowball.

Maybe they need to try a bit of that in Philly…

That was a bit mean spirited…
“Ain’t I a stinker?”

I like Hamptons too. Give me a clean bed, clean bathroom, and free breakfast and I'm happy. I tend to slightly favor the Holiday Inn Express, though, because...well, cinnamon buns.

I like The Express as well…
But I admit that I’ve not tried the cinnamon buns.
I prefer savory over sweet that early in the day.

Next time I’ll put one away for later on in the day

Sounds like your cover story is holding up just fine.

A solid plan, well executed.
Either that or their internal security missed us completely and therefore obviously leaves a lot to be desired.

Attention! All of our sports teams are still crappy!

Oh…
Well, if you gonn’a rag on ‘em, then I don’t feel like such a “stinker” after all.

That seems like a dirty trick.

OK… you got me.
I am a “Stinker” then.

Man, they must be making quite the profit on those bounce passes. How do they generate 1.21 gigawatts of energy?

“Soylent Green”

If someone offers to give you a ride “Home”…
Turn it down.

That's a very cool idea, too. I like the one about not paying income tax and not receiving social security. It appears that by the time I retire, I will pay income tax and still will not receive social security.

Thanks for that little reality check to make us all feel better about ourselves.

Sorry. Every time I check on my retirement savings, I start to do the math to see what the Social Security payment will be, and then I realize it'll be out of money by then.

That one in particular catches most folk’s attention.


As for “not receiving”, consider this…

I’ll be “not receiving” a decade and a half or more before y’all.
I expect there to be a mass die-off due to starvation and exposure among the folks my age that might (and I stress the word: might) shock the remaining youngsters into facing reality and their own responsibilities. Being dead already, that won’t do me a bit of good, but if that “might” thing actually happens, you young whipper-snappers should benefit from the catastrophe to befall us.

Either that or your kids will vote for mandatory euthanasia and then vote to repeal it once they get older.

 

[GoofyIsAsGoofyDoes]

Chapter 4: The Peninsular Campaign

Phase-2

Operation: Old Country​

​

​

0830 hours, 24 June, 2012
Bypassing “Tinder Box” by the right flank, moving on “Well Spring”, intend to take “Old World” and complete encirclement of main objective by end of day…
​

Control of the water is vital in all undertakings. Be it offensive or defensive, civil or military, industrial or agricultural, nothing much gets accomplished without effective control of the water. Whether it’s a matter of who’s on it, who’s in it, who’s consuming it or who’s cashing it, all strategies must first consider the disposition of the local liquid resources (just ask the first colonists at Jamestown as they chose poorly at first when considering this fact). Today we were going to choose wisely. Wisely choosing to make “maximum use of the recreational facilities of this port”… errr… I mean city.

And yes… “That means Liberty!”





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The Well Spring Skirmish




We purchased the Williamsburg “Bounce Passes” mostly to get unlimited access to Bush Gardens and we did that with the boys in mind. The fact that they also included full access to Colonial Williamsburg simply clinched the deal. But there was a little extra bonus feature tucked into those passes that we really hadn’t considered at first; access to Water Country USA (Code name: “Well Spring”). Since it was basically a freebee, we figured that it deserved at least a little bit of our time, so this morning was carved out for its exploration. Being a bit of a side trip, I wouldn’t call this stop and “operation” as much as it was more of a “skirmish” (or was it a squabble?).



Harvey "Blind" Pew: It sounded as though there was a bit of a squabble.


Mr. Moon: Squabble?... They're all dead!


Harvey "Blind" Pew: Oh! Must have been more of a tiff then.


In any case, we arrived at our destination shortly after it opened for the day…

Now, “Water Country” (as the name would suggest), is a Water Park
(well duuuuh…)

…and one of the larger ones on the east coast. It also ranks consistently high among outdoor water parks in the US; a fact that we were unaware of being as we were just considering this a bonus stop along the way. The first thing you’ll notice about this place is that it is build into the countryside rather then having replaced the countryside…

There are near a dozen major slides and attractions and several separate splash-n-play areas geared to various age groups. And yet the place feels intimate and at times even quiet.

That is an effective deception though. Trust me, the place is popular and you’ll find the crowds pretty quickly once you get in line for any of the slides or try to find a place to set up camp. We got there fairly early and headed all the way to the back toward an area known as the “Hubba-Hubba Highway”

Here we found us a spot under those awnings over there to set up a base of operations. From there we cut the boys loose on a search and destroy mission while the officer corps began a detailed inspection of “The Highway” (which is basically a fairly long and fairly swift “lazy river”. There are not a lot of pictures of the place beyond what you’ve seen. Water and (most) cameras don’t mix all that well (as I’ve learned the hard way on previous expeditions).

One could easily spend a whole day here and probably two without deciding that you’d had enough. If we were to return to the peninsula in the future, we may well come back here and get wet again, but on this trip we had other objectives. By lunch time the boys had knocked out most of the ultra intense drops and various racing slides, while the Boss and I has accomplished some major relaxing time and even hit a couple of the tube related family slide offerings. Considering these favorable conditions, we felt that it was the right time to initiate a charge on the enemies other flank.




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Banbury Cross

1320 hours, 24 June, 2012
“Well Spring” taken and held with minimal casualties, advancing on “Old World”, direct confrontation imminent…​

As far as the boys were concerned…
We were about to hit the highlight of the expedition. Not that they weren’t interested in seeing the recreations and demonstrations at Jamestown or Williamsburg, it’s just that those places offered up mere history. But this place had Roller Coasters!

Welcome to Bush Gardens Williamsburg!


First opened in May of 1975 this particular diversion covers 383 acres of rolling forested countryside and is consistently ranked as one of the most beautiful amusement parks in the US (and I’ll agree with that assessment). Originally named: ”Busch Gardens: The Old Country”, the general inspiration for all the architecture and design features are the hamlets and sights of Europe. The first place everyone hits upon arrival is storybook recreation of Elizabethan England…

For the most part this section is where you’ll find food, souvenirs, guest relations and any last minute items that you may not have remembered to pack before heading out that morning. Here’s a map of this part of the park to give you an idea of what all is going on…

The most iconic sight in this area is a scaled down version of St. Stephen's Clock Tower (colloquially known as “Big Ben”)…

There is one other theater style attraction in this area, but we were on a different mission today so I’ll come back to that at a later point on the story arc.

Other major offerings in this vicinity include a steam train and sky cars (both useful for getting to the back of this fairly large and hilly park), a young’en friendly area designated as the “Sesame Street Forest of Fun” and a “shoot-the-chutes” type of boat ride called: “Escape from Pompeii” (think of a scaled down Splash Mountain but you get considerably wetter on this one).

From the main junction of these three areas our strike team decided to split up. We’d all be headed for Germany ultimately but the commandos would be headed there via the “Soft Underbelly” that is Italy while the rest of the ground forces would reach the destination by way of Ireland and France.




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San Marco

Once you reach the main crossroads beyond “England”, a left turn will take you to “Italy” (at least it will in this alternate reality).

themed along the lines of the Renaissance era, this spot features a number of classic “Boardwalk” type rides with names derived from sketches by Leonardo da Vinci. There is also a slightly separated area called “Festa Italia” that contains several carnie rides and a sizable collection of midway type games of chance (for an extra fee of course). The big attraction for the boys though was the coaster.

“Apollo's Chariot” is a steal “hypercoaster” first opened in 1999. Hypercoasters follow a general “out-and-back” design but start off with an extremely high initial plunge and are designed primarily for speed. For this particular example, that first drop is 210 feet and the top speed is around 73 mph. On the official ten point Teenage-Guy-Scale (from here on to be referred to as the: TGS Rating) our young’ens gave this one a seven. It’s not that is wasn’t a great ride, its that they’ve ridden a slightly smoother and better version of it (in their opinion). You see back in our hometown there is actually a fairly good-sized park called: Carowinds. Currently operated by Cedar Fair Amusements, “C-Dub” has a decent collection of costars in its own right and the newest one happens to be a hypercoaster called “The Intimidator” which at 232 feet and up to 80 mph, is just a bit taller and just a bit faster. Now both of these “Hypers” are beat out by newer models in other parks, but is any case, the guys would recommend that the enthusiasts among you should definitely hit this one at least once (most will do it more then that).




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Killarney

While the kids were slogging their way through the heart of central Europe, the rest of the force was being a bit subtler and supporting the resistance movements through out the occupied territories. The first incursion was into Ireland. This is one of the newer sections of the park and most certainly lives up to the “beautifully themed” reputation that BG has cultivated.

Here’s a look at the recon map for the area…

If you’re looking for thrill rides, don’t head off in this direction. There is one attraction and a theater show, but again, I’ll come back to those later on. What we got into first was just on the other side of the village; BG’s own small wildlife reserve…

You’ll also encounter knowledgeable naturalists and animal behavior folks that will gladly give you a closer look and answer questions about some of the critters being looked after and nursed back to health in this part of the park…

One other note about this section of the park… it’s a might hilly.
Actually that’s not quite right. It’s more like one remarkably steep hill descending down from “Ireland” toward the “Wolf Haven” and then another great big ol’ hill headed back up the other side toward “France” (and traversing it would be worse if you were headed in the opposite direction). There are a couple of decent spots along the way here to stop and catch you breath though. But being as I’m running out of room here, you’ll just have to wait for the next update to hear more details





Next up: Entertaining the troops…
Dropping behind Enemy lines…
and the Great Communications Breakdown
​

 

[Captain_Oblivious]

Maybe they need to try a bit of that in Philly…

That was a bit mean spirited…
“Ain’t I a stinker?”

Not when it's true.

Actually, I think the the problem is they are throwing too many slow-balls.

I like The Express as well…
But I admit that I’ve not tried the cinnamon buns.
I prefer savory over sweet that early in the day.

No problem--more for me!