Day 7 - Jamestown & Yorktown

Jamestown

 

Indian village - We toured a few on the teepees, saw women molding and shaping clay into pots. We could try our hand at scraping the fur off of stretched hides to be used in baskets for harvesting food or containing water for drinking/cooking. We also got to see some men making a canoe (right) from a large tree. They were actually burning the tree little by little and scraping out the ash to carve out a place for the men to sit.

The colonists - They did a musket demonstration and had weapons and armor to see and touch. They explained the challenges of arriving in a new country and the battles between the colonists and the Indians. We saw a man making fire using carbon rich cotton to ignite the spark made from striking two rock together. He used this fire to bake bread that some of us were able to taste.

The picture (left) shows the colonists homes consisted of stacked lumber and the cracks were filled with a combination of mud and straw to keep the extreme temperatures out.




The Ships - the colonists arrived on three different ship when entering the place that is now Jamestown. The Susan Constant (right): 71 Passenger, Discovery: 12 Passengers 9 Crew and the God Speed which still sails today for some of the local schools when they go on field trips.

Yorktown

A typical colonial period farm -When the colonists first arrived from England they were given 200 acres of land of which 30/40 were farmed. The colonists lived off of the land, it was the man's job to farm the land along with any slaves that they had. It was a woman's job to preserve the harvest, dry the meat by adding a bunch of salt and smoke the meat(left). They would soak the dried meat for up to a week for cooking preparation. After each day they would taste the water the meat soaking in and when the water was no longer too salty, it was ready to cook.

The largest and best meal of the day was typically lunch and you would eat variations of the same meal for supper (reheated leftovers) and sometimes breakfast the next morning, up to a week of left overs. There were no cold storage options at that time so you would have to really plan what you were going to be eating. Salted and smoked meat could be stored for upwards of one year!

The photo (left) is a wheel and pulley system used to turn the meat while it was on the spit.



Military Encampment - There were over a dozen small tents, each tent was meant to sleep six men. (Just like tents now, if it says "sleeps 6" its really meant to sleep two or three comfortably.) Inside the encampment they had a weapons display and musket demonstration (right). We saw everything from the holes that were dug with spikes pointing upward, flintlock pistols and the cannon used to demolished enemy forces.

Stephen's favorite part of the military encampment was the surgeon's tent where he got to play with revolutionary era medical supplies. We saw the hand held, hand turned drill they used to cut open peoples skulls! The braces they used for broken bones and the belts used as tourniquets and even their travel pharmacy. None of the surgical instruments were sharp and the most worn piece was the one a man would bite on while surgery was being performed! OUCH!! This part was very interesting but really grossed me out, I'm not a fan of blood and I have a vivid imagination...
(left: the surgeon's medical kit)





Huzzah! Restaurant for dinner, lots of yummy food and probably the least expensive of the whole trip! We shared some pizza and the brisket meal. (we aren't sure if it was Huzzah! that caused it but we both experienced the revenge of something we ate the next day...)

Tavern Ghost Walk - We heard stories of the ghosts that are said to haunt Williamsburg still to this day. From ghost showing up in the Randolph house a terrifying the maid, to appearing in windows far too high for any man to stand in, the witch trail and ghosts causing mischief in the local taverns. They were fun stories but we were never very scared because the William and Mary College was having a concert the same night and it's hard to get into the story when you can hear YMCA playing in the background. :)

Drinks and Games at Chownings - Our ghost walk ended in front of Chownings Tavern and they had just started seating for the evening of drinks and games so we decided to partake. We met a lovely couple, Karl & Ellen from Michigan and we all enjoyed great conversation, playing games, making our way through a basket of peanuts and few drinks.

Day 6 - Colonial Williamsburg

Peyton Randolph's House - Randolph was a farmer and public official, he served as speaker of the House of Burgesses at the Capitol. He and his family were wealthy and were also known to have had great influence over the colonists and persuaded them to follow him politically. Patrick Henry was one of the first men in Williamsburg to oppose Randolph when it came to a few of the resolutions being considered in the Stamp Act.



 The parlor (at right) where guests would be seen and served tea and pastries whilst they discuss politics with Mr. Randolph. The Randolph house was famous for preparing many different appetizers and entrées in order to please anyone that would dine at the Randolph House. Many guests would stay here at the Randolph house for many weeks. Winning friends and gaining influence was at the heart of all Mr. Randolph did.

  
 

Cabinet Maker - this shop was one of the most extraordinary in Colonial Williamsburg, it looks like all of the other shops and buildings in town until you approach the walk way. Upon entering the gate you can see that a portion of the building is actually above a small creek with beautiful greenery surrounding the building. From the interior of the shop you can look through the windows and see the gorgeous creek winding it's way towards the house and on the opposite side watch the stream flow through the river rocks and down towards the Capital.

This was one of the most crowded sites in Colonial Williamsburg so unfortunately we were not able to get a good look at all of the tool and demonstrations the cabinet maker was doing, just a glimpse from the door, but the skill and labor seemed tremendous! It took the cabinet maker almost a week to make a chair and of course each and every leg must look the same, down to the claw and ball foot! Not to mention chairs are rarely ordered in singles!

Bindery - This was a very interesting trade, one I would probably enjoy. I enjoy being consistent and precise. We were able to watch the man punch and bind, which looks like a simple form of sewing. (top left of the photo at right)

Once all of the pages were bound together they would then be pressed between two pieces of wood while you would slide a sharp blade across the rough edges on the pages and cut the folds. (photo below)

Tour of Wetherburn's Tavern - This is the only tavern in Williamsburg that does not serve food or drink, this establishment is for tours only. When touring the tavern you can see the original wood work and stair case. The furnishings were simple except for that of one particular room where guests could pay a substantial sum to have private meetings and use the silver dinnerware. All other rooms in the tavern were public, you would share a table for dinner or sometimes even a bed for the night. Four to six men would sleep in each of the rooms, if you paid extra you could have a room for just your family and your servant.








Court House and Trial- The court house in Williamsburg is where general court and civil trials would be held. When we toured the Court House we were actually able to sit in on three trials. Stephen was able to be one of the selected few to pass judgment on these poor souls. ;)

Magazine - The Magazine is where all of the military weapons and necessities were stored on a day to day basis. It is not a barracks as I had envisioned as a child but merely a storage facility. Regardless, the brickwork and long winding stair case are fun to look at, and who wouldn't love a virtually unlimited supply of gunpowder, muskets, swords and various other supplies.

 

 

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Black Smith - We were able to visit the blacksmith and see them making different kitchen tools, like a pan with legs or pot (right). They also had various things to touch; like locks, keys (above) and nails (left) that they would have to make regularly for the colonists.


The blacksmith would use a forge to get the coals nice and hot and put whatever metal they were using into the coals until it was red hot. Once the metal was red hot it was now ready to be shaped, they would place the metal against a large anvil and use a hammer to work the metal into whatever shape they were going for. This process would be repeated over and over until the desired shape was achieved them the blacksmith would dunk the metal in a bucket of water to keep the metal from continuing to change shape, to kind of solidify the shape they had created.

Goal (Prison) - This was not a prison as we see these days, this was a temporary "holding cell" where people that were a flight risk would be kept until their court hearing. I believe the maximum amount of time spent in the Goal was 3 weeks. Crime was judged and punished much more quickly in the 1700s. You would either be released of the charges, pay a fine or be hanged. If the judge decided to give you mercy you would be branded on your hand, near your thumb, so that other people would know you were a criminal.




DoG Street Pub - After a day of walking around Williamsburg we had worked up quiet an appetite. We walked down to Merchant Square and did a little shopping when we saw DoG Street Pub, the place was busy so we knew it had to be good. Dinner was delicious, we ordered fish and chips and a salmon salad, the portions were large and the service was great! The cost of the meal was actually significantly less expensive than that of the taverns in Colonial Williamsburg. I would definitely recommend this place to anyone traveling in the area.



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!

Day 4 - Mt. Vernon (Our Anniversary)

October 1, 2013 - Our Anniversary

Breakfast at the B&B- we had heard on the news that because of Obama Care there had been a Government shut-down and we feared Mt. Vernon might be closed. Luckily when we checked the website there it was in large script, "Mt. Vernon is OPEN!"

Mt. Vernon was spectacular, far better than my childhood memories give credit!
From the whimsical covered walkways and sitting areas, the wonderfully large pillar-lined back patio overlooking the Potomac River, the elegance and grandeur of the estate; it was absolutely delightful! If I could choose one of the last four presidential mansions to stay as a guest, even for a day, it would be Mt. Vernon!

The front of Mt. Vernon

 

The back side of Mt. Vernon, facing the Potomac

Washington's Tomb

 

The weather vain atop the mansion

 

The gardens and kitchen and slave quarters

While in the museum at Mt. Vernon Stephen found a receipt from one of Washington's trips to Williamsburg, the Capital at the time. The receipt total was over 200 pounds for the purchase of beer and whiskey during the time when Washington was trying to persuade the people and the House of Burgess that a revolution was necessary.


On to the Melting Pot for our Anniversary dinner.
We had both never been to a restaurant that served fondue so we decided to try it all. We did the four course meal for both of us, I've never had so much fun at a restaurant! At first, the idea of cooking your own food seemed like a waste, considering the cost of our meals, but the food was delicious and the time between bites allowed for far better conversation than if we had just come to stuff our faces.
From the cheddar cheese fondue appetizer where we dipped bread, veggies and even green apples, the classic surf and turf meat assortment with various dips (ginger, curry, teriyaki), to the dessert consisting of turtle chocolate fondue where we dipped bite sized pieces of brownies, flame roasted marshmallows, rice crispy treats and cheesecake! Needless to say we were stuffed to the gills and quiet satisfied with our choices!!

Day 3 - Monticello and Ash-Lawn Highland

It was hard waking up early, we still hadn't fully adjusted to the time change but The Inn at Court Square serves a gourmet breakfast between 8:00-9:00AM, so we made an exception.
Their in-house Chef prepared two different kinds of delicious quiche, I chose the red pepper and Stephen had the bacon (No surprise there!) ;-) The quiche was so moist and fluffy and the flavors were spectacular! They also served their home roasted coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice, fresh baked pumpkin spice muffins and yogurt (from a local dairy) with homemade granola...we were in breakfast heaven!

Monticello (Behind the Scenes Tour) - the home of Thomas Jefferson

The mansion itself is gorgeous, I loved seeing all of the inventions and designs that Jefferson came up with whether it was architectural or inventing the polygraph, the clock that also keeps track of the day of the week (even if Saturday is in the basement) or the improvements to the plow. Jefferson and Madison were definitely some of the great minds that founded this country.
I was a bit disappointed to not see or hear that Thomas Jefferson felt as strong a friendship to James Madison as Madison to Jefferson but maybe it was just the tour guide not mentioning these connections. The tour guide seemed to be more interested in discussing slavery at Monticello and the mistakes Jefferson had made rather than mention his knowledge and his innovation.

Ash-Lawn Highland - the home of James Monroe

James Monroe was not known for being a thinker and an innovator like Washington, Jefferson and Madison were. He was a good man that stood behind the cause, the revolution that is. His home was the first home of a president that has the appearance of a home not a mansion, it was a farm that wasn't exceptionally fancy. The interior had fine furnishings and you could tell the Monroe's liked to entertain but I was under the impression that Monroe was a humble man.

Day 2 - Montpelier and Charlottesville, VA

Sept 29th, 2013
Stephen and I woke-up nice and early to head down to James Madison's Montpelier and then off to Charlottesville.

Wanting to take the scenic route to Montpelier we took the back roads that paralleled the highway. We saw some amazing houses, even the smaller houses were so quaint looking with their brick structure, adorable painted shutters and large front porches. Each lot looked to be no less than 10 acres, some with clean cut meadows framed by their own personal forest of trees, some with fields of tobacco, others with rolls of hay (not stacked and cut hay bale as you'd find in CA.) Also, a majority of these properties don't have a single fence...this is quiet different than properties in California.

At Montpelier we had the pleasure of having Bud be our guide through the mansion, not only was he very knowledgeable in regards to the Madison family and friends but you could tell he truly cared about presenting an accurate account of the history that laid before us.
James Madison was a very intelligent man, small in stature and he was a hypochondriac. Mr. Madison did an enormous amount of research of history, politics, civilizations, the rise and the downfall of many a government and king. He created the Virginia Plan which later became the groundwork for the Constitution. Mr. Madison was also the fourth President of the United States.

The Mansion itself is very beautiful, the structure, the pillars, the brick it was so lovely to look at. Inside the mansion the wall coverings and curtains are so ornate and vibrant in color. Interestingly, in the drawing room, paintings cover almost every inch of the available wall space. (unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take pictures of the interior)

James Madison's Montpelier

Since travel was difficult in the late 1700's guests visiting the Madisons (such as Thomas Jefferson, close friend of James Madison) would be staying for weeks or months at a time. I can't imagine trying to entertain guests for that long. That must be one of the reasons why the garden at Montpelier is so large and gorgeous with several intimate spots for conversation and relaxation. There are so many different things to see and discover at Montpelier, I'm glad we had a whole day to explore.

Entrance to the Gardens (it became more of a flower garden in the 1900's when Mrs. duPont became the owner of Montpelier.)

 

 

The Temple - beneath it lies an ice well where the Madisons kept their ice cream and other perishable items cold (they were famous for being one of the first families in the US to have ice cream)

 

Slave Quarters in the South Yard (they are still being reconstructed)

On to our B&B in Charlottesville... The Inn at Court Square
This was by-far one of the most wonderful places we have stayed, on any vacation!
Built in 1785, the Inn at Court Square is the oldest existing house in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia. We stayed in the Susan B Fowler room, it had a king size four poster bed, adorable sitting area with a fireplace a dressing room with vanity and an amazing whirlpool tub!

I wish I could describe every detail, this room along with the rest of the B&B was like you stepped into the late 1800's with the latest in French fashion and décor and the hospitality was beyond measure!

Day 1 - Anniversary Trip to Virginia

Sept 28th, 2013 - After getting off of work at Midnight, Stephen and I packed up our last minute items, toothbrushes and chargers, and headed out the door. Our flight was leaving SFO at 6:15 AM and we had to find long term parking and head-out to the airport on the shuttle. Luckily check-in and baggage check were virtually painless...we always expect to have a few delays.

Our long flight seemed shorter than expected, maybe it's because we were sleep deprived but we were both able to sleep a bit on the plane. We had a short lay-over in Atlanta, just long enough to grab a bite to eat at one of the airport restaurants. The flight to Richmond was only about an hour long from there, once we landed we grabbed our bags, (yay, they were there!) got our rental car (thank you, Mark from Advantage for being so helpful!) and headed out to the Courtyard Marriot. It was a very nice clean hotel and the gentleman helping us at the front desk was very friendly. So far people from Virginia have exceeded my expectations for great customer service!

Stephen and I decided to take a quick nap before doing any site seeing...5 hours later we woke-up and it was about 11PM Virginia time, hardly anything was still open for dinner, we found a 24 hour diner in the city, 3rd St. Diner and decided to give a try. From the outside this place doesn't look fabulous, in fact neither did the inside, it smelled of Windex and still looked dingy...I was hesitant to even try the food. Unfortunately, we didn't have many other choices. To our surprise the food was good, quiet satisfying and no adverse after shock.