Fort Monroe VA 09/15-09/17 2019

The first stop on our New England/Maine excursion was Fort Monroe Virginia.  We picked this place because it was close to both family and friends.  Linda's nephew, Tom is stationed at Fort Eustis and one of Nikki's friends since first grade, Marcie, lives in Newport News.  In addition to that, the RV Park and surrounding area was really cool and packed with history.  We stayed at The Colonies RV Park which is located on the peninsula north of the fort.  We had the ocean on one side and the James River on the other.  It was a fantastic place except for the hordes of mosquitoes that the host said arrived right after Hurricane Dorian. 

Our site at The Colonies RV Park.  

 We explored the fort and found it really fascinating. After the War of 1812, we figured we needed a plan for coastal defense.  Construction started in 1819 and was completed in 1836.  Robert E. Lee was stationed there and directed the final phase of construction.  Here is a snip about the fort during the Civil War:

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From 1861-1865, most of Virginia became part of the Confederate States of America; however Fort Monroe remained a Union stronghold throughout the war. During that time, the fort became the birthplace of the Civil War-era freedom movement when 3 enslaved men escaped the Confederate Army at Sewells Point and fled in a small boat to Fort Monroe. Union commander General Benjamin Butler refused to return the slaves calling them “contraband of war.” General Butler’s contraband policies led to the Emancipation Proclamation and earned Fort Monroe the nickname “Freedom’s Fortress” or the “Freedom Fort.”


President Abraham Lincoln visited Fort Monroe and spent 4 nights in Quarters 1 and the USS Monitor and the CSS Virginia fought their epic battle off the shores in Hampton Roads well within view of the Fort. Following the war, former Confederate States of America President Jefferson Davis was incarcerated at Fort Monroe in Casemate 22, currently part of the Casemate Museum.
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You can drive right into the fort across the moat.  We drove around exploring and also visited the museum. Here are some pics:

One of the entrances.

The room where Jefferson Davis was held.

Aerial view - RV Park is at the top right just out of the picture.

Unfortunately, Tom was away at a leadership school but we were able to enjoy a nice dinner in Newport News with his wife Megan and their beautiful daughter, Evie Rae.  

We were very pleased that Nikki's friend from childhood, Marcie and her daughter, Hanne came out to meet the doggies and visit at the RV Park.  We had a nice walk down by the ocean and then met Marcie's husband, Jack in town for a great Thai dinner.  

Hanne and Pablo

Hanne and Priscilla