Williamsburg

The main event in the historic triangle is Williamsburg. The capital moved from Jamestown to Williamsburg because it was more central to all the other settlements. Settlements weren't called settlements, they were called plantations. That word (plantation) morphed later into what we understand it to be. The first words of revolution were spoken in Williamsburg by all those historically famous people (Washington, Raymond Burr, Thomas Jefferson ..bunch more, but it all becomes a blur). The revolution really got going once news came here of the Boston massacre and how the British were treating the colonists in Massachusetts. The final straw came one night when the colonists went to the armory to secure (steal) the powder and munitions and found the British already had it all loaded in carts and were hauling it away. Timing is everything it seems in war.

Williamsburg is an amazing living history village, complete with a palace, parliament, stores, taverns, colonists, soldiers and patriots. Each day they reinact a moment in history that happened there. There is a square-mile area that automobile traffic is restricted. We took this as an opportunity to use our bicycles. Good idea. Williamsburg can not be toured in a day...we took three. Part of the village includes the Rockefeller museum and their home. We were amazed at the part this family had in recovering this town so we could enjoy it. There was an amazing tree in their back yard that I had Rose and Chris hug.

A special treat was to go at night for a ghost walk tour. These ghosts were really story tellers of that era. The walk was by lantern to several buildings that were only open for evening adventures. What a delight when the first story teller told about the Cherokee Indians that came to Williamsburg. Rose was enthralled. Having stories told by candlelight was a wonderful experience for all of us.

When we toured the palace Chris and I were rather impressed by all the weaponry that was hung in the entry way. The picture shows only one wall, but every wall had the same sort of display. Chris was thinking they should give him one sword since they had so many. I was happy to know that would not happen. The gardens (acres and acres) behind the palace kept us amused for hours. One highlight was the maze. We are getting rather good at them now...
The cellar under the palace was a surprise. Chris was looking for the restrooms and found the steps. It was very quiet down there and enough separate rooms that our imaginations could travel back to what those locked rooms could really have held.

The last event of the week was meeting relatives of Chris and Rose. We were pleased to find family living in this area and we were delighted to spend an afternoon touring the Virginia museum with them. Rose and Chris talked non-stop (as usual) and had a great time with their new aunts, uncle and cousin.

This was a very busy week and we would love to return and do it all again. I failed to adequately mention how beautiful the gardens were in all the places we went as well as the wonder of driving the Colonial Highway between the cities. The arched bridges and waterways, deer and other wild life (.. but no hope of a moose, we are now watching for alligators).
Now we are moving to the deep south, and hopefully sunshine and warmth. Next stop: North Carolina.