A Busy Week (part 1): Colonial Williamsburg

Hello everyone!  Do you remember us?  I know it has been a while since you’ve heard from us, but let me explain!  Last week was a very busy week for the Ramblin’ Bauers!  In fact,  we saw and experienced so much that it will take a few posts (I’m thinking 4) for us to tell you about it all!  You see, last week was our vacation with my (Minnie’s) family:  The Conductor (Dad), The Cake Queen (Mom), and the Shrimp Meister (brother).  Vance family vacations are always jam-packed with fun, and this year’s was no exception!  Our agenda included:  2 days at Williamsburg, a day at Jamestown, a day at Busch Gardens, 1/2 day at Yorktown, 1 1/2 days at VA Beach, and a stop at Monticello on the way home.  Believe it or not, we even had time for some restful evenings along the way.  The good news is we are at home base this week to work on final preparations for the RV-leg of the trip, so there is plenty of excitement to fill in the gap as we tell you about our VA vacation. There is a lot to cover, so let’s commence!

After a nice anniversary at VA Beach, Bilbo and I headed to Williamsburg on the morning of June 10th.  My family wasn’t expected until late that evening, which meant that we had a day to explore the area.  The first thing we did was a quick driving tour of the city of Williamsburg. There were a few shops that boasted local goods, some colonial-themed restaurants, and the grounds of the College of William and Mary to take in.  After exhausting our options outside of the Colonial Williamsburg park, we had to figure our how to spend the rest of our time until the Vances arrived.  Here’s what happened: car maintenance, Poquoson Public Library (very nice library by the way) to post a blog, dinner and board games at Panera until closing.  That left just two hours until we were to meet the family.  What to do for two hours in a strange city, at night?  Hmmm…How about we sit in the K-Mart parking lot and listen to Harry Potter?!  So, we listened/slept for two hours until 11 pm, when the minivan bearing the Vances finally arrived and we headed to the hotel. 
Our condo was in the Wyndham at Kingsgate.  It was a nice apartment-type room with a master bedroom, one bathroom, a kitchenette, and a pullout sofa bed.  A week of sleeping on air mats in a tent can take a toll on the body, especially when an young Hobbit like Bilbo has a bad back.  So both of us were happy for the prospect of sleeping in a bed, let alone in a nice hotel room!  The hotel grounds also included 3 pools, a put-put golf course, a movie theater, and a “tavern”—we didn’t eat there but I have a feeling it wasn’t quite authentic.  The guys spent one evening on the put-put course and all of us took advantage of the pools and hot tub, but that night we all just wanted to get some rest!

Heading in to Colonial Williamsburg…

Next morning, our visit to Colonial Williamsburg ensued.  If you aren’t familiar with the history of Williamsburg, let me take a moment to give you the background.  Williamsburg was the founded in 1632, under the name of Middle Plantation, by the Virginia Company of London.  The capital of Virginia at that time was located at the Jamestowne Settlement; however, due to frequent rebellions, fires, and other such events, the House of Burgesses often found themselves meeting in Middle Plantation.  In 1699, the capital was moved to Middle Plantation to escape mosquitoes, malaria, and who knows what else.  The Royal Governor, Francis Nicholson, renamed the colony in honor of King William III; thus Williamsburg was born.  The colony served as the capital of Virginia until 1780, when the Revolutionary War prompted the capital’s second relocation to Richmond. 

The town of Williamsburg was an instrumental site in the American Revolution.  Men such as Patrick Henry and George Washington served in its government and met secretly in its taverns to oppose the British king, George III.  There are many sites throughout Colonial Williamsburg (some of which have been rebuilt) which are significant to our nation’s history.  Here are some of the sites we saw…

Bruton Parish, active in Williamsburg since 1715. Guess who attend this church: 
George Washington, James Monroe, Patrick Henry, and Thomas Jefferson…Just to name a few!

The Williamsburg Courthouse

The Jailor’s House and the Jail.  This jail once held the crew of the legendary pirate, Blackbeard!

The Magazine (aka military store house). 
It was the Governor, Lord Dunmore’s, seizing of the firearms in the magazine which finally prompted the Virginians of Williamsburg to revolt.

 

The Capital Building.
The two towers hold the two house of government—the King’s men and the House of Burgesses.

The Governor’s Palace.
It was really beautifully furnished but pictures were difficult because of the crowd.

The town also functions as a living museum with shops and workshops in which skilled workers practice colonial trades.  When you enter the shops, the workers are more than happy to tell you about their trade, how the tradesmen lived, and what the tradesman’s goods meant to the community.  The workers within  Colonial Williamsburg practice their trade as their colonial counterparts would have.  They use the same type of tools, the same methods, and the same materials.  Their work is not in vain, either, as all of Colonial Williamsburg is supplied with, built with, and maintained by their goods.  Bilbo was most excited to see the blacksmith’s shop, but it was closed for reconstruction.  Poor Bilbo!  Here are the shops that we did see…

The thread maker, weaver, and dyer’s shop.

The silversmith’s home and shop.

The shoemaker’s shop.

The tailor’s shop.

The wig maker’s shop.

The joinery.  This was Bilbo’s favorite!

 

The coffee shop, where we got to sample coffee, hot chocolate, and tea.

Colonial Williamsburg also offers what they call traditional cuisine with respect to modern tastes.  Basically, they have 4 or 5 taverns decorated as they would have been in the 1600’s or 1700’s, which serve colonial-like dishes that have been dolled up to meet our modern palates.  The Raleigh Tavern (I think it has been rebuilt) was the site of many meetings between patriots, the likes of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson, before and after the beginning of the Continental Congress.  It is also where the House of Burgesses, mostly made up of the same men, met after being disbanded by the Governor.

The Raleigh wasn’t open when we were there, but we did sample some of the local fare.  The Kings Arms Tavern was our first evening’s dinner destination.  We were informed that it was the custom of the time to unfold your extremely large napkin and tie it around your neck in order to protect your fancy-smancy clothes.  The meal began with a basket of fresh baked bread and some peanut soup.  Then can our entrees.  We forgot to take pictures for you, but I’ll tell you what we had.  Bilbo had oyster pie.  I had a fruit and cheese plate. The Conductor and the Cake Queen had a sampler type platter with a roasted chicken and a variety of veggies, including creamed spinach.  There were a few other things on the sampler but I forget what.  I don’t remember what the Shrimp Meister had for dinner, either.  I guess this is what happens when you don’t take pictures.  For dessert we had bread pudding, handmade ice cream, and a strawberry/meringue/ice cream dish.  Everything was very good, but we felt it was a little over priced.

 

 

During the meal, a musician kept popping up to play 17th and 18th century tunes.  The only one we had ever heard of was Yankee Doodle, which happens to have more than one verse.  Go figure!  Towards dessert he reappeared announcing, “I hear it is someone’s birthday.”  Everyone in the restaurant looked around puzzled as nobody reacted to this.  No pointing at family members, hiding of a face in their hands, blushing, or protesting.  Well, except for the Shrimp Meister who told the singer it was the Cake Queen’s birthday.  That was a lie and we told the poor fellow, but for lack of another victim he sang to her. 

Speaking of notable moments by the Shrimp Meister, I have a funny story.  As we walked down the Williamsburg’s main street we saw a man in the traditional colonial garb.  Unfortunately for this actor, his costume included a green coat making him look a bit Irish.  The Shrimp Meister looked at him and said, “Hi Leprechaun!”  Luckily, the actor couldn’t understand him and just replied, “Hello, good sir!”  The rest of us were stifling laughter as we scurried out of sight.  

 

The next day, we had lunch at Josiah Chowning’s.  It seemed a little less “traditional” than the Kings Arms as it had sandwiches with chips on the menu.  Maybe this was just because were were there for lunch.  Here’s what we ate…

 

In the afternoons, actors move from site to site throughout the park to portray events, such as the eradication of the House of Burgesses, which occurred there during the revolution.  Each day has its own agenda for the reenactments, the agenda we saw highlighted the events leading up to the citizens of Williamsburg’s involvement in the revolution.  All of the announcements and proclamations are capped of by the entrance of the drum and fife corps as the residents announce their intent to revolt against King George III and England.  Muskets are shot to enhance the excitement and the Virginians shout “Huzzah!” 

Our next blog will present the bread in the sandwich of Virginia’s colonial history.  First, we will tell you about our visit to Jamestown, the site of the first successful colony in the new world.  Then we’ll wrap it up with a visit to Yorktown, the site of General Cornwallis’s surrender to General Washington, which ended the Revolutionary War.  Grab your American flag, your waistcoat and your musket!  As we remember what makes our country great!

Passed out on the Palace Green after a long day…