Meg's great ambition is to be an archaeologist. Several months ago, I found an archaeology camp run by the National Parks Service at Jamestown, Virginia. Jamestown, of course, is the site of the first permanent English settlement in North America. Jamestown is part of the historic triangle in Virginia, which also includes Colonial Williamsburg and the Revolutionary War site at Yorktown. With these fun offerings, we began to put together a family trip around the archaeology camp. I rented a dog-friendly cabin at a campground in Williamsburg. We invited my parents to join us. I began to research all that we could do. This past week everything came to fruition and we went on our adventure.
First, I will say Meg's camp was all that she hoped it would be. I will allow her to tell you about in another post. As a parent, I can say that I was thrilled with how efficiently and enthusiastically the camp was run. Meg came home every day with exciting tales of her discoveries and she undoubtedly learned a great deal about archaeology.
Second, there is too much to tell about this trip in one post. I had hoped to provide an update during the trip each day, but we were too exhausted. The heat certainly contributed to that. In this post, I will discuss Williamsburg. In a following post, I will discuss Jamestown and Yorktown.
Williamsburg was the capitol of Virginia during colonial times. The capitol was moved to Richmond in 1780 because Williamsburg was too close to the water and was an easy target for the British. Williamsburg turned from the center of politics into a small, quiet Virginia town. Then, in the early 20th Century, with the help of the Rockefellers, the town was restored to what it was like in its colonial heyday. Some of the still-existing buidling were restored. Other buildings were rebuilt entirely. The result is the opportunity to walk through a living, breathing colonial town.
In planning our trip, I found the official website www.colonialwilliamsburg.com extremely helpful for determining our best ticket options and for finding unusual events. There is also a very useful app available from Colonial Williamsburg that includes a map that will help visitors find their way around the town. It should be noted that one can walk around Williamsburg without purchasing a ticket and go into restaurants and shops. Tickets allow visitors to enter the living history areas as well as buildings such as the Governor's Palace and the House of Burgesses.
Prior to going to Williamsburg I secured tickets to two evening events: the Junior Ghost Walk and a period music concert in the House of Burgesses. No pictures were allowed at the concert, but I can tell you it was wonderful. The instruments included a violin, a viola, a flute and a harpsichord. A soprano was also featured. The musicians themselves introduced the pieces, which were all written by composers who had narrowly escaped being forced to practice law. It was an unusual theme to choose for a concert, but added a certain humor to it. It truly was an enjoyable evening to spend in the House of Burgesses. I will note we left 5-year-old Anne back at our cabin with my dad. Both Meg and Clare enjoy classical music and are accustomed to concert settings. This would not be an easy place to handle a child who did not enjoy such concerts.
We joined the Junior Ghost Walk on our first night in Williamsburg and this outing certainly helped the girls become excited about Williamsburg. The storyteller was excellent and, as promised, told stories that were only slightly scary and did not produce nightmares. Due to slight rain, we began the evening under the shelter of the marketplace, but eventually were able to walk around town. My favorite spot was under the shade of an enormous tree where benches have been placed. Here are some pictures from the Junior Ghost Walk.
First, I will say Meg's camp was all that she hoped it would be. I will allow her to tell you about in another post. As a parent, I can say that I was thrilled with how efficiently and enthusiastically the camp was run. Meg came home every day with exciting tales of her discoveries and she undoubtedly learned a great deal about archaeology.
Second, there is too much to tell about this trip in one post. I had hoped to provide an update during the trip each day, but we were too exhausted. The heat certainly contributed to that. In this post, I will discuss Williamsburg. In a following post, I will discuss Jamestown and Yorktown.
Williamsburg was the capitol of Virginia during colonial times. The capitol was moved to Richmond in 1780 because Williamsburg was too close to the water and was an easy target for the British. Williamsburg turned from the center of politics into a small, quiet Virginia town. Then, in the early 20th Century, with the help of the Rockefellers, the town was restored to what it was like in its colonial heyday. Some of the still-existing buidling were restored. Other buildings were rebuilt entirely. The result is the opportunity to walk through a living, breathing colonial town.
In planning our trip, I found the official website www.colonialwilliamsburg.com extremely helpful for determining our best ticket options and for finding unusual events. There is also a very useful app available from Colonial Williamsburg that includes a map that will help visitors find their way around the town. It should be noted that one can walk around Williamsburg without purchasing a ticket and go into restaurants and shops. Tickets allow visitors to enter the living history areas as well as buildings such as the Governor's Palace and the House of Burgesses.
Prior to going to Williamsburg I secured tickets to two evening events: the Junior Ghost Walk and a period music concert in the House of Burgesses. No pictures were allowed at the concert, but I can tell you it was wonderful. The instruments included a violin, a viola, a flute and a harpsichord. A soprano was also featured. The musicians themselves introduced the pieces, which were all written by composers who had narrowly escaped being forced to practice law. It was an unusual theme to choose for a concert, but added a certain humor to it. It truly was an enjoyable evening to spend in the House of Burgesses. I will note we left 5-year-old Anne back at our cabin with my dad. Both Meg and Clare enjoy classical music and are accustomed to concert settings. This would not be an easy place to handle a child who did not enjoy such concerts.
We joined the Junior Ghost Walk on our first night in Williamsburg and this outing certainly helped the girls become excited about Williamsburg. The storyteller was excellent and, as promised, told stories that were only slightly scary and did not produce nightmares. Due to slight rain, we began the evening under the shelter of the marketplace, but eventually were able to walk around town. My favorite spot was under the shade of an enormous tree where benches have been placed. Here are some pictures from the Junior Ghost Walk.
Another favorite outing in Williamsburg was a meal at a tavern. We ate lunch at The King's Arms and dinner at Josiah Chowning. The setting is colonial, the wait staff is dressed in period costumes, and the food is a mixture between Southern and British. We had two surprises during our dinner at Josiah Chowning. First, a fife and drum band passed our window as we waited for dinner. Second, a musician serenaded us during our meal.
One of Clare's favorite activities in Williamsburg was visiting the craftsmen. We visited the print shop and the tin shop twice. She loved the bookbinding. All the girls were fascinated by the cobbler and the weaver. The artisans tell interesting facts about their trade and are happy to answer any question.
While it was Meg who focused on archaeology all week, Clare got her own chance to dig. On certain days, kids can sign up to dig beside the Prentis Shop. During the restoration of Williamsburg, the site had been dug to reveal old foundations. Architects documented the foundations, but no archaeologist were present. The original dirt was then backfilled into the site. Therefore, all the original artifacts remain in the dirt, but they are not in an order that would prove particularly useful to archaeologist. It is a perfect spot to allow children to assist in discovering what artifacts remain.
The final highlight of our trip was touring the well-known building such as the Governor's Palace, the Courthouse and its stocks and the House of Burgesses. The very last thing we did in Williamsburg was take a carriage ride. We felt like royalty as everyone waved and snapped pictures of us as we rode through the town.
The trip to Williamsburg undoubtedly added to the girls' scope for imagination. Clare and Anne attempted to dress colonial almost immediately upon arrival. While Anne suffered the most from walking in the heat (and complained a lot due to it), upon our return home she was pretending to be a cobbler and a seamstress. Despite her complaints, she clearly enjoyed the activities. Meg spent this past year studying Virginia history at school and this trip undoubtedly made everything she studied come alive for her. Several times on our last day she hugged me and said, "Thank you so much for planning this trip." Who could ask for more than that.
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