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It’s Yorktown Battlefield day. I play the song Yorktown, from the Hamilton soundtrack, as I get ready for
today’s adventure.
The creative arts fascinate me. How writing, music, acting, and visuals, can make
information, that dully washed over you in history class, come alive. I know the musical backwards and
forwards, so today, instead of just names and facts, I feel like I’m connecting with the experiences of
friends.
The first stop of any National Park exploration, is the Visitors’ Center. After securing our Yorktown
Battlefield stamp,
we stroll around the indoor exhibits. There’s a recreation of the inside of a ship that
makes for a neat walk-thru.
Downloading the park-provided audio tour app, we settle into the car to head out on the Red Route.
The Red Route contains the major sites of Revolutionary and Civil War battles.
There are cannons, redoubts, and trails you can wander, to soak in the whispers of the past. At each stop, we play the
corresponding audio piece that enhances the significance of each building and field.
We walk through the cemetery, silently, per the request on the gate, noting the individual names and
positions. Rows and rows of sons, husbands, fathers, friends, laid to rest, fighting for something they
passionately believed in.
A lover of all things historic daily living, I’m disappointed to find The Moore House closed. We, along with
another group of visitors, peak through the windows, attempting to get a sense of what we would see if
we could roam around the restored rooms.
We won! We won! We won! We won! The world turned upside down…..
The last stop on the Red Route, at Yorktown Battlefield National Park, is Surrender Field.
A short trail leads to a well-designed overlook, where General Lord Cornwallis, was supposed to surrender to General
George Washington. Cornwallis just happened to be sick that day, so he sent his second in command
instead. The laying down of weapons commenced none-the-less. Visitors can still view the “trophies of
war” on display.
As I gaze across the vast sea of green, I wonder what my now-considered-friends felt. Joy and
excitement of course, but perhaps also the anxiety and apprehension one gets, after achieving a long-
fought- for-goal, having no idea what comes next.
The Red Route at an end, we set off on the Yellow Route. The Yellow Route is mostly comprised of sites
that used to be, but have been claimed by tall field grasses and woods. There are some
beautiful nature spots,
so if you’re into encountering an interesting tree or a friendly creature or two,
the yellow route is still worth touring.
If you’re short on time, or have traveling companions with short
attention spans, you may want to stick to the Red Route,
and skip Yellow.
I wish there were more trollies in the world.
The Yorktown Trolley operates daily, late spring, through late fall. And, it’s free.
We hop on at the National Park Visitors’ Center stop, and hop off in town proper. As we explore
Yorktown’s downtown, we hop on and off the trolley several times. It’s a brilliant strategy to
encourage tourists to support downtown business.
Though small, the beach is lovely,
with several beach view places to rest for a bite.
After all the Yorktown Battlefield learning, we grab some sustenance at Larry’s. Feeling the heat of late afternoon, the lemonade slushees bath us in refreshment.
The remainder of our visit is spent meandering down streets, dotted with historic buildings. It’s a
pleasant way to end our Yorktown Battlefield day.
With theme parks and more touristy locations, taking center stage, Yorktown Battlefield is an often-
overlooked location on a Williamsburg, Virginia, trip-itinerary. However, if you plan on history being
stage center of your trip, or if you are a huge fan of Hamilton on stage, I recommend taking time out to
visit this significant-to-United States-history National Park.
If you want to know about other National Park Sites in the area check out
Places to Stay when visiting Yorktown Battlefield
Comments are closed.
Dawn Byrne
atNice post. Looks wonderfully educational, relaxing, and fun. Thank you.
And I always love your photos.
Suzanne Fluhr
atI’ve joined you in chronic illness land and have to use a rolling walker, but I really miss traveling and I’m a history nerd. I live in Philadelphia, so I get some history fixes here, but Yorktown sounds like a place I’d like to visit. We really like self-guided “go at your own pace” audio-tours.
obligatorytraveler@gmail.com
atI’ve come to appreciate the parks where you can drive and stop whenever you like. There was one section in the Everglades that was our favorite because you could drive and stop all day if you wanted.