The week after the New York trip, DH and I accompanied his brother Lynn and his wife Karen to Williamsburg. Lest any readers think we’re rolling in dough, think again. This was a free trip, thanks to my in-laws. Part of a time share deal, all we had to pay for was the admission price to Colonial Williamsburg, and since DH opted to visit the Bass Pro Shop in nearby Hampton, VA, there was only one admission price to pay. Sure, we had to pay for food, but since we’d have eaten at home too, it wasn’t that bad. With our “deal,” we also got a $60 coupon towards dinner in a local restaurant, and the food was scrumptious. I even ate apple pie with creamy vanilla ice cream; after all, we were on vacation!
So what did we do? For starters, I took a 45 minute walk each morning we were there, and on the first morning hike I called my brother David who lives in Chesapeake. “Where are you exactly ?” he asked, and when I told him, it was neat that he knew my location and was able to point out some of the attractions around me. Being in the military, he’s lived away from SC all of his adult life, and I found it exciting to see and think about some of the things that David, Becky, and their sons have viewed for years. And it gets better. That night, he and Becky drove from Chesapeake to Williamsburg, and we dined with them at Panera Bread before going to the Williamsburg Inn for a photo op. We also browsed through the Barnes & Noble bookstore there, a favorite haunt of theirs.
Saturday was my favorite day in Williamsburg, and I think Karen would agree with me. The menfolk dropped us off at 9:30 and picked us up at 5:30 in the afternoon. While they spent their day at Bass Pro Shop and in the motel room napping, we spent our day soaking up history. We LOVED it. Talk about going back in time! I included just a few pictures that show the contrast between colonial America and current day NYC. The clothes, the traditions, the sounds, the food, the behavior, the diversity (or lack thereof)…everything was drastically different. When touring the historic area, we saw reenactments such as Order in the Court, sent some Christmas cards with an 18th century postmark from the post office, visited a millinery and a blacksmith shop (among others), and ate lunch at Shield’s Tavern. At the Governor’s Palace, we learned that restrooms were called “necessaries” and that people in Colonial America didn’t have Christmas trees.
Before the men picked us up, we took a bus ride of the periphery and then ended up in the more up-to-date touristy shopping area. There we saw a man “do” A Christmas Carol (all parts), talked to Santa, and listened to a group of women sing Christmas carols. I told Santa I wanted peace on Earth for Christmas, and he said, “Ho ho ho.” I bought a chocolate and caramel covered apple that was covered with pecans, and I savored the moments of attempting to eat it while listening to the carolers. Thank goodness for my little pink Swiss army knife that I used to cut a few nibbles off with.
And thank goodness for the opportunity to visit this reconstructed village that was so important in our nation’s history. And thank goodness for Williamsburg itself. And while I’m at it…thank goodness for America, a land that’s choice above all other lands.
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