Williamsburg, Virginia

On Wednesday and Thursday, May 14-15, we went to Colonial Williamsburg to soak in the old time charm of the 18th century. We were surprised by how well they had preserved the past: multiple horse 'n buggies trotting around, men in uniform marching or galloping through town, actors dressed in colonial garb talking and working and creating an ambiance that was meant to spark your imagination. We attended a few of the planned presentations about life in Williamsburg during the Revolution, but we seemed to gather more information by simply wandering from house to house, touring what was open and watching the laborers attend to their duties. There was always someone looking the part and willing to describe their part. We watched the blacksmiths hones their iron tools of hot, hot fires. We watched a carpenter chisel a large canopy bed and spoke with another about how they made a harpsicord. I challenged Aaron to find the hidden drawers inside an 18th century dresser, and he only needed a little clue. We learned from the gunsmith how they made rifles and pistols, while across the cobble street a woman was sheering a sheep and teaching passerbys how to make different kinds of the material from the wool. At the forgery, we learned how they made pewter spoons and buckles and all sorts of metalwork. And by attending a meeting at the Courthouse, we gathered a little bit about how they enforced the laws of the land. At the Old Capitol, it was interesting to see how the building's very design divided the British leadership from the colonial government. And the Constitutional history that took place there was remarkable.

I'm certain that Christopher enjoyed the Governor's Palace the most. I've included a picture of it at the top of this blog, taken from the back while walking in the gardens. After being trapped in a stroller for most of the day, Topher appreciated the chance to tour the luxurious rooms and climb the many stairs. Because he wouldn't stay quiet, we lingered behind the tour group and found our own private guide in a man dressed as a colonial servant. He followed us into whatever room Topher wanted to wander, patiently explaining the historical significance of the things we were seeing. I was fascinated by the 450+ swords and shotguns mounded on the entry wall, and Christopher delighted in the English gardens at the back of the Palace. There were tunnels of vines, mazes of shrubbery, and dozens of rows of blossoming flowers. Topher spotted a small cottontail rabbit as we emerged from one of the tunnels, and he delightedly started running after it on his short, awkward legs. Laughing all the while, he chased that bunny across the flower garden to the tunnel on the far side, where the rabbit took off on a long, straight stretch through the tunnel. Topher chased him all the way, pausing only at the end of the tunnel to see where the rabbit had disappeared to. We found him in the mazes of bushes, so Christopher started chasing him down the twisted pathways, till on the far side of the garden, the rabbit vanished in a tangle of thick green ivy.

That night we ate dinner at a colonial restaurant in Williamsburg where I ate a stew made with venison, rabbit, and duck. It was in a thick brown sauce and surprisingly tasty. Topher only calmed down from playing with his utensils long enough to each when the minstrels came in, playing their old songs on antiquated mandolins. The only thing more charming was Topher as he flirted with every waitress that happened by. Honestly, every time we stopped to eat, Christopher had to do one of three things each time a waitressed passed us: He would either show off his muscles (which he's doing in the attached picture), or he would fold his arms to pray, or he would announce as loud as he could his newest favorite word--"Crap!" He kept us laughing.

And by the end of the two days in Williamsburg, our feet were sore and our legs were tired and we were ready to rest. So Aaron and Topher cuddled up on the couch to do exactly that.