Trip to Virginia, Starting with Williamsburg

Two of my nephews turned eight in July and as a result they were getting baptized.  With some encouragement from myself, I was able to get my siblings to organize the baptisms to be on the same day.  With the baptisms on the same day we decided to take a trip out to Virginia to attend them and to throw in a vacation on the side.  

We flew into Norfolk which was a very nice airport that felt like it was in the middle of the woods.  And for my first time, I rented a car.  We rented a brand new Ford Focus which took a little getting used to but it fit our needs.  We stayed with my friend Liesel.  We grew up together and then she moved away.  We reconnected in college and hadn't seen each other in several years. It was a lot of fun to see her and her family.

Our first day of our vacation was spent at Colonial Williamsburg.  We toured houses, visited trade shops, ate in a pub and watched reenactments.  

The first house we toured was the Governors house.  The first thing I learned from this house was that there were many titled individuals living in America.  I just assumed they would all live in England.    

Over 500 weapons were on displayed in the house.

Burton Parish church is a still operating church.  George Washington and Thomas Jefferson were some of the parishioners and they have a record of which were their boxes.

Sean sitting in Thomas Jefferson's box.

Sean got a little tipsy.

The most interesting house was the Peyton Randoph House.  I really liked this tour and I learned a lot.  He was the wealthiest person in Williamsburg and he was the president of the Virginia congress and he was also the president of the Continental Congress.  He unfortunately died of a heart attack while in Philadelphia.  Historians argue that if he were alive he would probably been the one to become the first president.  That really stood out to me.  I have never heard of this guy and he was so influential he could've been president?!  The tour of his house was also interesting because it focused on the slaves in Williamsburg.  We were lucky too, because our tour guide was the lead interpreter and he had been at Williamsburg for 35 years.  

I told Sean I really wanted to eat at one of their pubs.  Their menus included meals that were popular in the 18th century.  Sean had a Virginia Ham sandwhich (a classic) and I had a crab cake salat.  I also ordered their homemade root beer.  We even had a minstrel entertain us.

There were picturesque scenes around every corner.

This harpsichord was made by Williamsburg carpenters last year.  It was really interesting to play it.

Military Camp.  We learned how muskets were better than rifles and I was surprised to learn how accurate the musket could be.

The Declaration was read from this balcony of the State House.

 The jail was interesting.  Not so interesting was the pack of stinking scouts that left the rooms totally unberable to be in.

The first public Insane Asylum.  It was interesting to read about how the profession changed over the years.

George Washington inspecting the troops.

Sean the Drummer Boy

We took a side trip and went to see the Wren building at William and Mary College.  William and Mary is the second oldest college in America.  I've also been to the oldest (Harvard).  My parents told me that there is a portrait of one of my ancestors in their art collection.  I didn't have time to see that.

This green area totally reminded me of Longfellow Park in Cambridge.  Oh how I miss Boston.