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VA Exit 74C: As we celebrate our Independence on July 4th , we tend to forget the real people who fought in the Revolutionary War with their words and their lives in order to make our freedom possible. There is a special place on I-95 where you can still see and hear the stirring feelings of those times. On July 4th (and Sundays throughout the summer), you can see history in the very spot where it took place.

We know the famous words "I know not what course others may take, but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!", which were uttered by Patrick Henry and which lit the fires of revolution in 1775. St. John's Church in Richmond was the site of the clandestine Second Virginia Convention, where he called his comrades (Benjamin Harrison, Thomas Jefferson, Richard Henry Lee, Edmund Pendleton, Peyton Randolph, George Washington, George Wythe and others) to arms in a rousing speech.
Re-enactments of the convention are held on the Fourth of July and on Sundays at 2 p.m. from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Traditionally after the speech on the Fourth, there are readings of certain parts of the Declaration of Independence. Get there early (at least 1 p.m. for the speech at 2 p.m.) for the pre-show music and to make sure you get a seat. Admission is FREE
So, did Patrick Henry get liberty or death?...... Answer: Liberty
Church Hours: Mon-Sat 10 am-3:30 pm Sun 1-3:30 (summer daily til 4:30). 2401 E. Broad St. www.historicstjohnschurch.org Tel: 804-648-5015.

CT Exit 90: What's the best way to learn about the sea? Go there! Live and work together on the water. You take the helm. You raise the sails. You make it happen. There are a few ways to achieve this at Mystic Seaport: Family Community Sailing, Adult Community Sailing and Sailings on the Schooner Brilliant.

- Family Community Sailing: You and your child (or children) will learn water safety, boat controls and basic sailing maneuvers through shore and on-the-water activities. Session: five days. Price for one adult and one child is $290 ($250 for members). Each additional child (up to 3 total) is $25.

- In the beginner Community Sailing class, you'll be introduced to the theory of sailing (why and how a boat sails), terminology, rigging and de-rigging a Dyer Dhow, equipment stowage and care, personal safety, knots, safety, points of sail, small boat handling, right-of-way rules and capsize and running aground procedures. Sessions: Summer, two 8-hour sessions. Fall, six 3-hour sessions. Price $250 ($220 for members).

- As part of the oldest sail education program in the country, Schooner Brilliant has been used to teach nautical skills to more than 9,000 program participants who act as crew under the direction of the licensed captain and mate. Wooden Boat magazine hailed the boat as "one of the best maintained and sailed classic yachts in the country - if not the world." You must be physically fit, agile and a competent swimmer to participate in this program. Typically, they sail to Block Island, RI or Shelter Island, NY and usually dock in the evening.. Each two-day sail begins at 9 a.m., returns at 4 p.m. the following day and includes an overnight aboard. Cost is $410 ($360 for members). Prices include all food. There are only a few sailing dates left in the Fall. www.mysticseaport.org Tel: 860-572-5322 or 888-973-2767 

 

Look ahead exit by exit to see which motels (with 800 numbers), gas stations, restaurants, campgrounds, 24-hour pharmacies, auto mechanics, radio stations or radar traps are there, and where you can stay with your pet. We share our stories of the road : history on I-95, museums, trivia, towns to explore or places to run the kids. These can be read for entertainment during the drive, and may entice you to stop, stretch your legs and discover someplace new.