Adventure off the Farm - Berkeley Plantation

Step back into time as you step onto the grounds of the Berkeley Plantation in Charles City, Virginia. The year is 1619 and is Berkeley is the site of the first Thanksgiving in America. ( Yes, for many of us this goes against the history we were taught in school, but many interesting facts that we not taught in school were learned on this trip.)  Berkeley Plantation is a must see for visitors going to Williamsburg, Virginia. The scenic road that leads you out of town and to this plantation is a relaxing break from the hustle and bustle that we lead in our daily lives.

The mansion is the birthplace to Benjamin Harrison, signer of the Declaration of Independence and the birthplace to William Henry Harrison, who became the 9th President of the United States. The plantation also has the rights to say that "Taps", a familiar tune that is played at many military funerals and other services was written on these very grounds by  General Daniel Butterfield and first played by O.W. Norton, his bugler. 

Being that the plantation sits on the James River, the scenery is simply breathtaking and you can only imagine what it would have been like to have visitors arrive to this home and see the beauty of the plantation for the first time. 

A guided tour is given daily here by a guide dressed in era clothing and is very informative and fun. The tour takes about 45 mins and then you are allowed to tour the grounds on your own. There is a nice display of items in the basement and a video that shares more about the plantation. I highly recommend that visitors spent a few hours here to take in the beauty and history. 

Also, located on the property is a family cemetery where you can see tombstones of Benjamin Harrison and other members of the family. I personally, love to tour old cemeteries so I found this to be quite interesting. 

I highly recommend this as a point of interest to anyone traveling here. I think that you will find it to be one of the most historical plantations that you can tour here as well as one of the most informative.