Day 5 - Colonial Williamsburg

Again, we got up early, enjoyed our delicious breakfast and this time packed our bags, onward to Williamsburg!

The drive to Williamsburg was beautiful and the weather was fantastic! In two hours we arrived in Williamsburg and made our way to the Woodlands Hotel of Colonial Williamsburg. The hotel itself was nothing fancy but the service and proximity to Colonial Williamsburg were great. After dropping off our bags we decided to go into Colonial Williamsburg and grab some lunch.

It's only about a half mile walk from our hotel to the Historic Colonial Williamsburg, the first thing we saw when entering Colonial Williamsburg was the Governor's Palace. They were about to begin a tour so we decided to slip in to 1774. If you have never been to or heard of Colonial Williamsburg it is a must see! There are hundreds of people dressed in colonial period attire and acting as if they are in the late 1770's living their lives preparing for the revolution! It's magnificent!

 

The Palace was meant to project British authority and wealth. From the large display of swords and muskets to the elegant décor and grand ballroom, the Palace was built to impress but today (1774) was a hectic day. Lord Dunemore, Governor of Williamsburg, had just stolen all of the gun powder from the Magazine (the place where all military weapons and necessities are stored) taken his family and fled. The revolutionary war is at hand and being a representative of King George III he was feeling the pressure from the colonists.

 

The exterior of the Governor's Palace

The swords and muskets covering the walls of the Entrance Hall

 

The entrance to the gardens and maze.

Stephen and I had both independently been to Colonial Williamsburg around the age of 13. When I was here with my Grandparents and cousins in 1997 we ate at Chowning's Tavern for lunch and I remember it being very tasty and a lot of fun.

After our fabulous tour at the Governor's Palace we were off to get some food at Chownings.  When Stephen and I got there we had just missed the lunch service but they were serving small plates in the back garden. It was pretty pricey, and the food was good but not as amazing as I remembered. Not the experience I was hoping for but we were no longer starving.

 After lunch, Stephen and I explored Colonial Williamsburg and the shops along Duke of Gloucester St. We visited the Post Office, James Craig the Jeweler and admired the historic buildings. We got to see Patrick Henry give his speech, "Give me Liberty or Give me Death" and we were also able to witness George Washington and the Artillery Review of the Canon and light infantry. (picture below)

A fantastic first day in Williamsburg and we haven't even scratched the surface!