Fantastic Nature, Wildlife & More In Beautiful Coastal Virginia

My wife and I traveled to Coastal Virginia on Valentine's Day Weekend. We stayed in historic Williamsburg between Colonial Williamsburg and the College of William and Mary. Now, come along on the journey with me. I'll tell you what you can find between the York and James Rivers in Coastal Virginia.

Visiting Coastal Virginia

First, let me say that I would love to spend more time exploring this area. Here are my impressions.

To begin, the nature and wildlife are incredible. I'm sure it's even more exciting when it's warmer. Coastal Virginia is a bucolic and lush landscape even in the dead of winter. This is due to the amount of parks, woodlands, swamps, and other natural areas.

However, the focus on Colonialism is way too celebratory. Too, there is a distinct lack of acknowledgement of the harms caused by colonization. Now, I was only there briefly. So, they may recognize said harms more at different times of the year. That said, February isn't one of them. At least, as far as I know.

 Learn about online photography classes near Virginia Beach.

Impressions of Williamsburg

Williamsburg sits between the Richmond and Norfolk Metro Areas. You can drive to both Richmond and the coast in about an hour.

Williamsburg is a cool college town anchored by the College of William and Mary. In addition, it's the home of Colonial Williamsburg. The later of which is a tourist attraction. Here they capitalize on Williamsburg's historic place as an early Colonial capital of Virginia.

You can easily walk around Williamsburg. It's packed with shops and bustling with activity from the college. Additionally, they have an Amtrak station which offers twice daily trains to Washington DC.

Colonial Williamsburg

My wife and I walked around Colonial Williamsburg on Saturday. The Farmers Market looked amazing. Quite a lot of vendors were selling goods even in the middle of February.

Crime and Punishment

I was struck by the pillory. It's used as a photo-opportunity. Kids stuck their heads and arms into the holes. Then, their parents laugh and take photos.

Working class people were tortured and abused with those devices. I encourage them to rope the pillory off. Too, explain to people what a terrible thing it was and represents.

A Lack of Working Class History

The gap in working class and slave history is massive. That said, I understand that a foundation who manages the attraction. Presumably, some benefactors descended from the wealthy land-owners who lived there.

So, maybe I shouldn't be surprised. After all, if true, their fortunes come from abusing the working classes and holding those of African decent in bondage. Too, they're therefore maintained through continued exploitation of working people.

Impressions of Jamestown

While in coastal Virginia we explored Jamestown. Jamestown was the first permanent settlement the English established in what is today the United States.

The English created Jamestown in 1603. Interestingly, this is the same year England officially gained control over Ireland.

It was a banner year for colonialism.

Language Matters

It's hard visiting Jamestown as an anti-colonialist . They use language at National Parks Service (NPS) managed site which disturbed me greatly.

For example, in the displays and film they say things such as, "conflict arose between the Virginia Indians and the English."

In addition, they say, "Africans arrived" and "laws evolved over time to take away rights from the enslaved Africans." This language is terrible.

In fact, my stomach turned the way they explain the conquest of Virginia. The language they're using at Jamestown is clearly deliberate.

No Room For Rebellion

A portion of Jamestown is managed by a nonprofit. They control the original settlement and then some. Again, wealthy benefactors can influence what get's discussed. So, unlike the NPS site, I wasn't surprised that they don't tell the whole truth.

Bacon's Rebellion

For example, they don't mention what caused Bacon's Rebellion. Too, they don't discuss how enslaved Africans and working class Europeans joined forces.

They fought side by side against the Landed Gentry. The oppressive conditions and poor treatment affected them all. As a result, they fought against it together. They were united. The ruling class was horrified. Sadly, it didn't last.

Ultimately, Bacon's Rebellion is a critical event in American history. Along with smaller rebellions helped cement the concept of race.

Of course, the landowners eventually won. In fact, by spliting the rebels along color-lines the ended the rebellion and created a system we're still fighting today.

As a result, Blackness and Whiteness were born. The ruling class took note of the power of race. Therefore, the ownership class took this social construct to power their ability to divide the working class.

Nature & Wildlife in Coastal Virginia

Costal Virginia is packed with nature and wildlife. In fact, the estuaries, preserves, and parks make it a nature photographer's dream. If you love nature and wildlife then make sure you visit the area.

I visited two amazing parks. If I were there for longer then I would have explored a lot more. However, the two I went to were both incredible.

York River State Park

First, I went to York River State Park. This massive park sits along the banks of the York River. Here you'll see eagles, osprey, kingfisher, so many waterfowl, and incredible coastal landscapes. Too, hiking in York River State Park was amazing.

Greensprings Interpretive Trail

The second area I visited was Greensprings Interpretive Trail. This park is close to Jamestown. In fact, you can walk from here to Jamestown via another trail. Of course, I stuck to the loop around the marsh. If I had more time I would have explored the entire area on foot.

I saw and photographed a huge variety of birds. Plus, I heard far more than I saw. If you want to see some of my photos visit my Youtube channel, TikTok, or Instagram.