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Monday, December 24, 2007

Colonial Williamsburg

On Saturday, we decided to go spend the day in Colonial Williamsburg. Williamsburg is an actual real life modern day city for the most part, with cars, traffic, electricity and shopping centers, but a large section of it was kept and set aside to be as it was back in the late 1600's. There are several blocks of streets, shops, businesses, a church, an armory, governor's mansion, various out buildings, stables and grounds that are just like stepping back in time to when it was the main hub and capital of Virginia.




We went to the visitors' center first to get our bearings, buy our passes and to get maps of where to go and what to do. Our passes are good for a year, so we can go back several times and have access to all the main buildings and shops in town. We walked (very slowly) up and down the streets snapping photos of people in historic clothing, horse-drawn carriages and the colorful, quaint architecture of all the houses and various buildings. We would like go back in the springtime when all the trees and flowers are in bloom. There were some beautiful gardens around the mansion and a English style hedge maze in the front.



Watch your step!













When we got hungry for lunch, we set out to find a tavern. We decided to go to the "Kings Arms Tavern" where Dan got a wonderfully generous portion of beef and vegetables served upon "a goodly amount of mashed potatoes." I got a big pottage pie made with chicken and vegetables and a spiced apple cider to drink.





Most of the shops are at the mercy of daylight, so they close up earlier in the winter than they do in the summer months. But before we left we were able to see a working kitchen, a woodworking area near the stables where they made wheels and other parts for the carriages, and there were bakeries and restaurants here and there as well as a wig maker shop and millinery store. Now that we have a better idea of what there is to do there, the next time we go, we'll be pros and hopefully better guides to any of you who can come out for a visit.









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