Living History

After the ferry ride from New Jersey and a long drive (on which we tried to get some sleep)

from Delaware to Virginia, we've spent two days living through the pages of history. We went to the actual site of the James Town Colony and then to Colonial Williamsburg. It was the number one thing I wanted to do while on this side of the nation, and I am glad we took the time to see the exhibits and museums. My hope is that my children will better remember and retain what they learned here than reading about it in a book.

The governor's mansion was a favorite for all of us.

Outside the house there were real stage coaches with footmen riding around.

Mr. Right, are you reading this? This is the table I want. Seats 12 and it 250 years old. Perfect for us.

Look at this architecture!

The woodwork is amazing. This never goes out of style. Looking at the old houses was by far my favorite activity.

We got to see how the Jamestown colonists would have blown glass. It's a beautiful art. They have a four year apprenticeship on site, what an interesting, yet hot, trade to learn.

One of the things that I know my husband would have been most interested in if he were here is the archeology of the actual site where James Town sat. They've pulled up all sorts of things out of the ground there. Pottery and guns, tools and other clues to their lives. This is where they found the original well and all of the so called garbage that was thrown in to it when it was closed off. We watched them dig and then went in the building to see some of the things they'd found on display.

This was one of my dad and Macho Man's favorites. The ships are reproductions of the ships that brought the original James Town colonists from England.

Do I need to say anything here?

This was Macho Man's favorite place of all. The Both the Governor's mansion and the magazine in Williamsburg are decorated with all sorts of weapons. This is the entry way, he was in awe.

There are people dressed up all over the park (as well as Jamestown) that act like they are living in the 1700's and can give you information about the time period or architecture. These folks were playing "the bones" and a "penny whistle" it really was beautiful music. The woman asked us where we were from but acted confused when we told her Seattle... Washington wasn't even a territory in the 1700's.

Everyone was wearing these hats in Williamsburg. I wanted to buy Sissy one but she thought she looked ridiculous. I say adorable.

Your traditional baby-in-a-mob-cap picture.

These are the colonial dresses my mom and I would have bought if we'd had an extra $200 in our historical outfit fund.

The historic triangle at Williamsburg is a wonderful, family oriented place to go. It is pricey, but I am sure not as expensive as some place like Disneyland but with far more educational value. The children can see things they've only read about and experience what life was like in the 16 and 1700's. It would be a perfect wrap up field trip for a year of American history for homeschooling!