THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, June 30, 1996 TAG: 9606280054
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: STEPHEN HARRIMAN
LENGTH: 122 lines
YORKTOWN seems like a nice place, an appropriate place, to spend the Fourth of July. It's not where American independence began, of course. It was just a sleepy York River tobacco port on July 4, 1776, and the town's main man, Squire Thomas Nelson Jr., was off in Philadelphia that day putting his name on some sort of declaration.
But Yorktown is the place where the Revolutionary War that cemented the newly minted United States ended, for all practical purposes.
On Thursday there will be a parade saluting the U.S. Armed Forces, who have helped establish and preserve independence for 220 yards. It starts at 1 p.m. with a flyover of F-15s from Langley Air Force Base.
The current USS Yorktown, a guided missile cruiser, will be open for tours from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the U.S. Coast Guard Station docks. At 8 p.m. there will be an Air Force band concert at the Yorktown Victory Monument, followed by fireworks over the York River, produced by the famous Boom-Boom Zambelli.
Additional info: (757) 890-3300 or 898-3400.
Other Fourth of July celebrations with historical connections:
Open house at Stratford Hall, Westmoreland County on the Northern Neck, honoring Richard Henry and Francis Lightfoot Lee, the only brothers to sign the Declaration of Independence. Hours: 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Info: (804) 493-8038.
Independence Day at Colonial Williamsburg, where the fife and drum corps begin the day with a march to Bruton Parish Church. An evening garden party, a salute and fireworks conclude the celebration. Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: (800) 246-2099.
On Saturday and Sunday there will be a ``Town Unchained'' re-enactment of when Continental troops, under the command of the Marquis de Lafayette, marched into town, relieving the citizenry of British martial law.
Independence Celebration at Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson's ``other'' home near Lynchburg. Living history, period crafts, demonstrations and a reading of the Declaration, written by Jefferson. Hours: 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Info: (804) 525-1806.
Other local Fourth of July celebrations:
Norfolk is hosting the 14th annual Great American Picnic and Independence Day Celebration, with a naturalization ceremony, old-fashioned activities and traditional foods at Town Point Park. Hours: 5 to 10 p.m. Info: (757) 441-2345.
Virginia Beach will host a Family Fun Day, with stage entertainment, etc. at Mount Trashmore. Parking or buses from Pembroke Mall. Hours: 3 to 10 p.m., although some activities open at noon. Info: (757) 471-5884.
Up the Eastern Shore at Chincoteague, the 71st annual Volunteer Fireman's Carnival runs Thursday through Saturday and again July 12 and 13 and from the 15th onward as a prelude to the famous pony swim and auction July 24 and 25. Hours Thursday to Saturday: 7 to 11 p.m. Info: (757) 336-6161. HIGHLY ROMANTIC
American Historic Inns, which publishes bed-and-breakfast guidebooks, has announced its most romantic inns for 1996. The top 10, in no particular order: L'Auberge Provencale, White Post, Va. (between Front Royal and Winchester; phone 800-638-1702); Rose Inn, Ithaca, N.Y.; Manor House, Norfolk, Conn.; Mainstay Inn, Cape May, N.J.; the Inn at Depot Hill, Capitola-by-the-Sea, Calif.; Maison Fleurie, Yountville, Calif.; Ann Starrett Mansion, Port Townsend, Wash.; Durham House B&B, Houston; School House B&B Inn, Rocheport, Mo.; and St. James Hotel, Red Wing, Minn. DALLAS DOES LIGHT RAIL
Dallas has opened the first 20 miles of a 53-mile light rail system. Among the 23 stations in service are those near such tourist destinations as the Arts District, the restaurant-rich West End and the Sixth Floor Museum (devoted to the John F. Kennedy assassination). Base fare for the system is $1. Trains are to operate every five to 10 minutes during rush hour, 10 to 20 minutes during off-peak. Plans also call for a commuter rail line to downtown Fort Worth in 1999. No inter-city quibbling there. PRIZE-WINNING VACATION
Best Western International, to mark its 50th birthday and the auto industry's 100th, invites families to enter ``Best Western/Plymouth Voyage Across the Country Sweepstakes.'' First prize is a Plymouth Voyager minivan, gas money, itinerary and two weeks' lodgings. Mail a postcard of a Best Western hotel from 1946 to 1996 in an envelope, with name, address, day and evening phone numbers to: 50th Anniversary Postcard Contest, Best Western International, 6201 North 24th Parkway, Phoenix, Ariz. 85016. Deadline is Nov. 1. CONTINENTAL MOVES UP
The 1996 Customer Satisfaction ratings for domestic airline flights are in the current issue of Frequent Flyer Magazine. The winners:
For long flights, 500 miles and longer, Continental Airlines, which ranked at the bottom on last year's survey, came out on top. Continental's dramatic rise was attributed primarily to improvement in on-time performance, bolstered by an ability to give passengers the seats that they want on most flights.
For short flights, 500 miles and less: Northwest Airlines won, again for on-time performance.
Runners-up and their individual strengths included American Airlines, cited for condition of aircraft; Trans World Airlines, seating comfort and food service; United Air Lines, fleet condition, food service and flight accommodations, and Southwest Airlines, for on-time performance, flight attendants and airport services. FLY ON THE WILD SIDE
Air New Zealand wants to get you on the wild side in places like Fiji, Tahiti, Tonga and the Cook Islands. The airline has put together 24 airfare-inclusive vacation packages for out-of-the-way locations. Priced from $899 for an eight-day Tahitian getaway (including most meals) these packages include round-trip airfare from Los Angeles, accommodations and airport transfers. Ask for a brochure from a local travel agent; if they don't have it call (800) 571-1101. The New Zealand Tourist Board is offering a colorful 120-page Simply Remarkable Vacation Planner. For a free copy, call (800) 388-5494. YOUR MONEY'S WORTH
Phoenix Park Hotel in Washington, just a new steps from Union Station and a short walk from Capitol Hill, offers daily summer rates through Aug. 29 starting at $88 per room per night. Called ``America's center of Irish hospitality,'' it has 88 deluxe guest rooms and suites. Info (800) 824-5419.
Free, a Belize 20-page color catalog. Call (800) 447-2931.
Free, the 80-page ``Welcome to Germany, Summer 1996'' and a 103-page lodging guide, from the German National Tourist Office: (212) 661-7200 or fax (212) 661-7174. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
TOM GRAVES JR.
Visitors can watch demonstrations of period crafts at Thomas
Jefferson's Poplar Forest Independence Celebration on July 4. by CNB