june-2010

034
TRAVEL REPORT: VIRGINIA’S HISTORIC PENINSULA
IN BRIEF
ILLUSTRATIONS BY FRANCK JUNCKER
GO MAGAZINE JUNE 2010
Sea &
Be Seen
Nearly 3,000 years of mankind’s experiences on the world’s waters
are documented at the Mariner’s Museum in Newport News. The
more than 35,000 artifacts on display include the oldest toy boat in
the world, meticulously created model ships, 17th-century navigation
tools and carved figureheads. Within the museum, the USS
Monitor Center is dedicated to preserving artifacts from the historic
ironclad vessel that sank near North Carolina’s Outer Banks.
Visitors can walk through a full-scale USS Monitor replica and peek
into the conservation area, where the ship’s turret and 30-ton steam
engine are being reconditioned with low-voltage electrical currents
and alkaline baths. marinersmuseum.org; monitorcenter.org
IT’S ALIVE! Fierce alligators, fish with no eyes and extremely rare and
endangered red wolves are just a few of the animals visitors will see at Newport
News’ Virginia Living Museum, which is dedicated to native Virginia
flora and fauna. Through Sept. 6, the exhibit Dinosaurs & More! adds robotic
dinosaurs and Ice Age mammals to the mix. thevlm.org
BY THE
NUMBERS
23
Length (in miles) of
the Colonial Parkway,
a scenic—and
bikable—byway that
links Jamestown,
Williamsburg and
Yorktown.
175
Military uniforms,
including one worn
by Colin Powell,
on exhibit at the
Virginia War Museum
in Newport News.
2,080
Minimum temperature
(in degrees F)
of the furnace at
the Jamestown
Glasshouse in Historic
Jamestowne. (It takes
12 hours for the
pieces to cool down.)
60,000
Cases of wine
produced per year
at the Williamsburg
Winery—25% of all
the wine made in
Virginia. Sample some
on a $10 guided tour
and tasting, which
includes a keepsake
wine glass.