Day 30 & 31 of 166 Days of RV Adventures in the Summer of 2026

On Friday June 5th, we RV caravanned from Williamsburg to Greenwood Virginia. Again, not much opportunity for pictures, but I will share the history I shared with the caravanners as we drove west. We left American Heritage RV Park and got on VA 30 to US 60, which runs generally close to and paralleling Interstate 64. I-64 was under construction for the entire 30 miles we were on it to get to the campground!

We passed through New Kent, WOW, this little place packs a big punch! Established in 1654, it is one of the oldest and most historically significant localities in the US. It played a pivotal role in the Colonial era, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War. New Kent's roads served as a major artery for French, British, and American forces. General George Washington and French General Marquis de Lafayette frequented the historic New Kent Ordinary, a colonial tavern built in the 1690s. During the 1862 Peninsula Campaign, the county saw heavy military movement along the Old Stage Road. Union General George B. McClellan utilized the New Kent Ordinary as a critical communications point, while federal cavalry used St. Peter's Church as a stable.

New Kent is famously the backdrop for major milestones in the lives of two US First Ladies, Martha Washington and Letitia Christian Tyler. Born Martha Dandridge Custis, she grew up at Chestnut Grove. She is widely believed to have married George Washington in 1759 at St. Peter’s Parish Church, an active historic site often called "The First Church of the First First Lady". Letitia Christian Tyler was the first wife of President John Tyler was born at Cedar Grove plantation in New Kent, and her family's historic cemetery plot remains accessible today.

The Tredegar Iron Works is a historic 22-acre industrial site located in downtown Richmond, Virginia along the James River and Kanawha Canal. Founded in 1837, it grew to become the largest iron manufacturer in the South and served as the primary industrial arsenal for the Confederacy during the American Civil War. Tredegar was the only facility in the South capable of producing heavy artillery and munitions at the start of the Civil War. It supplied roughly half of the South's total artillery (nearly 1,100 cannons) and rolled the heavy iron plating used to build the famous ironclad warship, the CSS Virginia. When Richmond fell to Union forces in April 1865, retreating Confederate troops burned most of the city’s industrial districts. Tredegar was saved from the fires because employees and armed guards stood watch to protect the facility. It continued producing iron products through both World Wars before finally closing its riverfront doors in 1957. Today, the beautifully preserved National Historic Landmark serves as the home to The American Civil War Museum at Historic Tredegar and a National Park Service visitor center.

The White House of the Confederacy refers to the historic mansion in Richmond, Virginia, that served as the primary executive residence for the sole president of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis, and his family from August 1861 to April 1865. The City of Richmond purchased the home and leased it to the Confederate government. It hosted key political meetings, military strategy sessions with Confederate generals, and family life. After the Civil War, the house was used as the headquarters for the federal military occupation of Virginia (1865–1870) and subsequently served as Richmond's Central Public School (1870–1890). It was saved from demolition in 1890 and turned into a museum.

St. John's Episcopal Church in Richmond, Virginia, is famously known as the location where American Founding Father Patrick Henry delivered his immortal "Give me liberty, or give me death!" speech. On March 23, 1775, Henry addressed the Second Virginia Convention inside the church, delivering a fiery call to arms that successfully convinced the delegation to vote in favor of raising a defensive militia against British tyranny.

We saw a sign for Gum Springs, so I did a bit of research for a caravanner that asked about it. Gum Springs is a historic neighborhood. Established in 1833, it holds the distinction of being the oldest free, sustained African American community in Fairfax County. Today, it is home to over 2,500 residents, hundreds of whom are direct descendants of the original founding families. The community was founded by West Ford, a freedman who had been enslaved by George Washington's family at the nearby Mount Vernon estate. He was released from slavery in 1805. Ford became a highly skilled carpenter and manager at Mount Vernon. He utilized the proceeds from land left to him by Hannah Washington to purchase the initial 214-acre plot of farmable marshland in 1833, naming it after a local gum tree.

The Trevilian Station Battlefield was the site of the largest and bloodiest all-cavalry battle of the American Civil War. Fought on June 11–12, 1864, the clash pitted Union Major General Philip Sheridan against Confederate Major General Wade Hampton. General Ulysses S. Grant ordered Sheridan to destroy the Virginia Central Railroad and link up with Union forces in Charlottesville. Hampton's Confederate cavalry intercepted the Union advance, leading to fierce, often dismounted hand-to-hand combat. Brigadier General George A. Custer's brigade was temporarily surrounded and nearly destroyed here before being rescued by Sheridan. The battle ended in a tactical Confederate victory. Hampton successfully blocked the Union forces, protecting Robert E. Lee's vital supply lines.

We arrived at Misty Mountain Camp Resort, our home for the next 2 nights. Decades ago, the property operated commercially under the well-known Yogi Bear's Jellystone Park franchise system. It catered primarily to family campers with basic themed amenities. 

The property eventually dropped the franchise affiliation. It was renamed Misty Mountain Camp Resort, leaning into its scenic mountain location near Charlottesville. In 2023 they expanded adding 53 new RV campsites to bring the total layout to 179 sites.

We coordinated the delivery of a pizza and salad dinner from Sal's Pizza. It is a family-owned and operated Italian restaurant in Crozet, VA. Established in 1987, this multi-generational eatery is well-loved by locals and guests. We had Sicilian Pizza. A thick, pan-baked dough that is crispy on the bottom with an airy, pillow-soft center, using the old-fashioned Italian family recipe. The pizza is cut into thick square slices and layered with the seasoned family-recipe tomato sauce, 100% whole-milk mozzarella cheese and topping galore!

We even were treated to an outdoor concert by Shane Click. He is solo acoustic musician specializing in Oldies, 70s and 80s, Southern Rock, Easy Listening, Country, 90’s Rock, and today’s hits. Shane delivered an engaging performance. 

  

  

 

Shane’s music created the perfect atmosphere—relaxed and enjoyable. He was named the Best Band/Solo Act of 2024. Shane ensured that each show is uniquely crafted to left a lasting impression on all of us. All the caravanners had a great time!

On Saturday June 6th, we caravanned in our cars to Jefferson's Monticello. It was the primary neoclassical plantation home and architectural masterpiece of Thomas Jefferson, the third president of the United States and author of the Declaration of Independence. 

The iconic 5,000-acre estate is the only private presidential home in the US designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Jefferson spent over forty years designing, tearing down, and rebuilding the house, famously calling it his "essay in architecture".

The architecture features a unique blend of Roman, Palladian, and French Neoclassical design elements, centered around its famous octagonal dome.

Mulberry Row is the area that explores the daily work and lives of the free and enslaved workers who built and sustained the plantation.

The Entrance Hall was designed by Jefferson as a museum space to showcase maps, European art, and Lewis and Clark expedition artifacts.

It was a very rushed tour, they take a group through every 5-minutes. Our guide was knowledgeable, but he spoke so fast that it was difficult to follow him.

We enjoyed a group lunch at Michie's Tavern. We quickly learned that it is pronounced Mick-ee, not Mich-ee. The tavern was established in 1784 by Scotsman William Michie. It originally operated as a bustling social hub and hostelry in Earlysville, Virginia. 

William Michie inherited the property from his father, who originally purchased the land in 1746. Responding to the frequent travelers knocking on his door for food and lodging, Michie built an adjacent tavern in the 1780s and received an "ordinary" license to host guests in 1784. The tavern served as the beating heart of the community. It provided lodging, meals, church services, political debates, and dances. Founding figures like Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe are known to have visited.

The tavern stayed in the Michie family for over a century until it reverted to the Commonwealth of Virginia in 1910. Visionary local businesswoman and preservationist Josephine Henderson bought the structure in 1927. To save the historic building and place her antiques on display, she carefully dismantled it beam by beam and relocated it 17 miles to its present site near Monticello.

Today, it functions as a popular 18th-century dining and museum complex. The tavern is famous for its all-you-can-eat Southern Midday Fare, served buffet-style by staff dressed in period clothing. You drink out of traditional pewter mugs in a rustic setting. 

The heavy lunch buffet includes renowned home-style fried chicken, hickory-smoked pork barbecue, buttermilk biscuits, mashed potatoes, gravy, and peach cobbler.

After lunch we headed to James Monroe's home. It was formerly known, for decades, as Ash Lawn-Highland. It was the estate of the fifth US President, James Monroe. Located adjacent to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, Monroe purchased the initial property in 1793 and made it his family's official residence from 1799 until 1823. 

Monroe purchased the initial 1,000-acre estate in 1793 at the strong urging of his close friend and mentor, Thomas Jefferson, who wanted Monroe to join his local social circle. Jefferson even helped select the home site so that it was within view of Monticello. The Monroe's permanently moved into their newly built, single-story home in November 1799. Monroe affectionately referred to this primary residence as his "castle cabin".

Highland grew into a 3,500-acre working plantation reliant on the forced labor of up to 40 enslaved men, women, and children. Enslaved craftsmen, including carpenters George Williams and Peter Mallory, were responsible for much of the estate's production, maintenance, and building construction.

In 1818, during Monroe's presidency, a separate two-room guesthouse was constructed on the property to accommodate the influx of political visitors.

Accumulating personal debt forced Monroe to sell Highland's core acreage to Edward Goodwin in 1825, officially leaving the property by 1826. When the farmland was broken up, many of Highland's enslaved families were tragically divided or sold to the Deep South.

In 1837, the property was purchased by Alexander Garrett, who officially renamed the plantation Ash Lawn, likely inspired by the abundant, prominent ash trees on the landscape.

Sometime between the mid-1830s and early 1850s, Monroe's original 1799 "castle cabin" main house was completely destroyed by a fire, leaving its exact location forgotten for generations. In 2016, groundbreaking archaeological discoveries completely rewrote the history of the site, revealing that the standing main structure long believed to be Monroe's home was actually a presidential guest house built later in his tenure.

These days were filled with so much history! Stay tuned for more Two Lane Adventures!