Carl's Blog

Today is June 16, 2026. I don’t think I’ve stated the date at the start of my blogs. I’m writing these mostly as a method so I can remember what happened when I look back on these posts. Ok, on to the post.

I started the day with a nice walk around the resort and then drinking a few cups of coffee while listening to the birds discuss their plans for the day. Since my villa has a kitchen, and I bought groceries yesterday, I cooked myself some bratwurst egg tacos.

With a solid breakfast and 3 cups of coffee consumed, it’s time for today’s adventure… Jamestown.

I started the morning at the Jamestown Settlement which includes a nice museum that tells the story of Jamestown as you walk through the exhibits. You get background on the Native American tribe, the Powhatan, the English settlers, and I as surprised to learn of the Angolans, from west central Africa. I was not aware that first African slaves arrived in Jamestown in 1619, with two English privateers, the White Lion and the Treasurer, in the Gulf of Mexico capturing slave ships headed to Vera Cruz, Mexico. You can learn more about all this history here at the website, Jamestown Rediscovery.

After leaving the museum, you will head outside to the reenactment settlement, ship dock and the Powhatan reenactment settlement.

I didn’t take a picture of the church, but I do have a funny story. While I was waiting my turn to look at the altar area, a mom was trying to get her son to climb the pulpit and pretend to give a sermon. He finally got in the pulpit, ok I need to let you know this kid was like 8 years old that is important if you are up with current silly trends in 2026. He didn’t know what to say, so his mom suggested the Lord’s prayer which he did start but ended it with six-seven. He came off the pulpit laughing and giggling, repeatedly saying six-seven, while his mother just groaned. I was laughing. It was just so perfect.

If you wish to visit the reenactment site and museum you can purchase tickets and learn about which reenactments are happening the day of your visit here at Jamestown-Yorktown website. Oh, and yes those are live chickens that are wandering around the reenactment site. Don’t try to pet them, they don’t like to be touched, but they don’t seem to mind humans that don’t try to touch them.

After a quick visit to the gift shop I left the museum after spending about 3 hours and headed down the road to the archaeology site of Jamestown.

Let me explain the next site. At this site you will have to purchase 2 tickets, one is to access the Federal National Park, (if you have a National Park Pass it will cover this fee), and a 2nd ticket good for 5 days from the private archaeological site. I was a bit confused but I was happy that I bought my National Park Pass back in June 2025 because it was still valid until the end of this month. On with the tour.

After purchasing your tickets, head to the right and you can tour the first of two museums at this site. The first museum is very similar to the one at the reenactment site I visited first, so I skimmed through this one. The history is the same history, yes there are some different artifacts so it’s worth a look.

Walking from the entrance to the archaeology site, you will walk down a long board walk over some very swampy looking water. You will see why turtle shells were found in the refuse heaps of both the Jamestown colony and the local Powhatan community.

Now this is the site if you want to stand in the actual location of the Jamestown fort. During my visit there were 4 active archaeology digs happening. I only took pictures at 2 of them.

The first site pictured is close to the church with is being rebuilt. They are excavating an area that will soon be covered by a walking path. The great thing about all the digs, is one of the archaeologists will come over and talk to you and answer any questions you have. At the first site, those of us standing by the boundary rope were shown a rock that had been split by extreme heat, most likely as a stone that was heated in a fire and used to heat water.

The second site is withing the boundary walls of a Confederate Civil War fort that was located here. The archaeologists are hoping to find evidence that will help them date the bricks and let them know if they found part of a barracks from the Civil War or something else. The hole in the left, that is partial filled is a post hole that they believe is “modern” and probably used as signage for tourist visiting the site.

If you want to keep up with current finds, the try to post an update each month here at the JamestownRediscovery YouTube page.

The second museum is down along the water front around the church. There is a large glassed museum built on top of the Jamestown great hall.

Something I do want to make you aware, there are skeletons of 2 of the colonists on display and a few skulls. The first picture above is history of Captain Bartholomew Gosnold. He was one of the captains of the ships and died from illness. In the picture you can just make out the edge of a glass display case. If you guessed that his skeleton is there, you were right. Now, the skeleton is labeled with an archaeological ID number but using evidence from records of the colonists they are pretty sure the skeleton is his.

I had another picture, but it came out all blurry. So I didn’t upload it, but it was of an artist’s facial recreation of another colonist, a 15 year old boy, with you guest it, his skeleton right there in the glass case.

I personally found it a bit creepy, but these displays really connect you to the reality that the history you had been reading and walking through was lived by real individuals.

The last picture is just something I found interesting and helps explain why people were willing to risk their lives to settle in a very limited explored world. Yep, the chance to get rich, and one of the commodities that could make you lots of money was tobacco. Look at the variety of clay pipes and you can see the opportunities.

Also, I need to explain the QR Code in picture 2. Throughout the exhibit there are QR Codes that will link you to a video allowing you to hear about the discovery in the case from one of the archaeologists or historians that worked with that artifact.

As you follow the path back around the church you find this very modern looking house with an interesting garden. According to the plaque, the garden is a recreation of the herbs one might find. I found the use of the oyster shells as borders to be very practical.

Well, enough of that… If you want to check out more of the archaeology, visit this link — > Archaeology of Jamestown Rediscovery

Tomorrow, I think we will visit Yorktown and save Williamsburg for Thursday.

Oh. I almost posted this before I uploaded one video; however, me that is typing at 6 PM is going to have to wait until the sunsets and it gets dark. To you reading this it’s just going to be a click. I think it will be worth it. I enjoyed hearing it last night as I was unloading and moving into my room.

I hope you enjoy the chorus effect.

Back tomorrow.