Williamsburg, VA 2010

Friday, May 7, 2010

 

        We were in the middle of a house remodel project. It was not completed as I had hoped. It was only 50% done but we left it in the hands of Matt Hunyadi, Maria Rodriguez, Stephanie Metzler our decorator.

Gene Kent took us early to the John Wayne Airport. There was no stress in going through security as we were 2 hours early with no crowds. American Airlines would take us to Dallas/Fort Worth for a connection to Richmond Virginia. We were favorably impressed with DFW as being well designed, airy, light, has internet, nice bathrooms, and noise abatement. We arrive in Richmond, VA about 11 PM with the airport closed down.

I had arranged to stay the night at the Hilton Garden Inn that provided a late-night shuttle. The hotel is very nice but had no food service. We had a microwave and coffee maker but no restaurant nearby. I ate a not very good microwaved chicken pot pie from the pantry that abated my hunger.

 Saturday, May 8, 2010 (My 65th Birthday)

 We were up around 8 AM—5 AM PST. The hotel shuttle returned us to the airport for our rental car from Budget—a red 2010 Toyota Corolla. This was the days of the “Thomas Guide” maps. We followed the directions given us to restaurant row but we got lost. We followed a sign to the Visitor’s center at the Conventional center instead. The extremely helpful docent referred us to a local restaurant—Perleys—and noted that the capitol building was open today. We tried to find the Shockoe district but a marathon for breast cancer closed the main streets. (Déjà vu of Barcelona) So we went to Perley’s for lunch instead.

At the Capitol Building, we joined a small tour group.  Then we viewed St. Paul’s church across the street and the John Marshall house. With no other visitors, we had a private tour. John Marshall was the justice that made the Supreme Court an important independent branch.  Up to that time, the justices were adjuncts of the president. Virginia boasts being the home of eight American Presidents.

 Afterward, we went to look for the historic Shockoe Slip area. Not much there so we stopped at a “Starbucks like” place for iced tea and a smoothie. By now it was 3:30 so we headed to Williamsburg via Hwy #5—the scenic route. We were told there were plantations on that route.

At 4:00 PM we arrived at the Shirley Plantation. The brochure noted it closed at 4:30, so we inquired about being last-minute visitors. The last tour will begin 4:45 PM as we just missed the 4:00 tour. We roamed the grounds for 40 minutes on our own.  At 4:45 we were the only visitors so we had a private tour of the plantation house. This is the only privately owned plantation with a family descendant living there. The owner is a man about 45 years old, who lives in the upstairs private quarters.

I didn’t have a map and depended on the verbal directions of the visitor center docent for the 45-minute drive to Williamsburg.  When things got confusing, we turned on the “English Lady”, our Tom Tom GPS box. We seemed to go around in circles but finally arrived at Patriot Place Timeshare. Upon check-in we were invited to an informational breakfast with a promise 2 entrance tickets to Williamsburg.

The Blackfin Restaurant satisfied our hunger.  I ordered a dessert because it was my birthday. The young college student waiters came singing, carrying my dessert with a candle.  Rich commented, “They could be your grandchildren!” Again, it seemed we took the scenic route back to the hotel with the use of the “English Lady.”

We planned out our week as Williamburg had different offerings each day. I think touring downtown Richmond on the weekend to avoid the business crowds was the best idea. Today was a very good day.

Sun May 9, 2010 (Mother’s Day)

 AT 9 AM we went to the Wyndham tour orientation—or so they called it. It turned out to be another pitch to buy more timeshare points. We did learn though that our home timeshare in Nashville was now underwater because of the recent flood. The place will be refurbished and eventually reopened. Probably the annual fee will go up. So we were offered a “deal”. For half the price, ($12K) we could buy more points and get the benefits as original owners. Our secondary market ownership could be not traded. We signed for our free Williamsburg tickets and left.

Governors Place is also a Wyndham property where we could have free use of computers. Our location had  WIFI fees. In a conversation with the Spa lady, we learned there was a very good tour orientation on Monday at Kingsgate at 9 AM.

As planned, we headed off for Richmond. The Wyndham rep told us to go to the “slave museum.” With no such a place on the map we returned to the convention center Visitor Center for directions. The “slave museum” is in Fredericksburg. We went to the highly recommended Ashcroft Hall. We waited 15 min to be among the first there. This Tudor house was dismantled and shipped from England and reassembled here in Virginia. We lived the history of the 15th and 16th centuries and viewed the beautiful gardens in a 2-hour tour.

We traced our route back to a Two Guys hamburger we saw on the way. Soch had said it was her favorite. We got 2 hamburgers and small fries which turned out to be a mountain of food.

The Confederate Museum is surrounded by Virginia Medical Center and shares its parking lot. After going around in circles trying to get into the parking lot, we were in time for the last tour at 4:15 PM. We roamed the exhibits before the tour of the Jefferson Davis House, called the Confederate White House.

At 5 PM we headed back to Williamsburg. For dinner we bought groceries of soup, crackers, cheese, fruit, eggs, and ice-cream to last us for the week. The scrabble challenge was on. Marcia holds the crown.

Monday, May 10, 2010

The tourist orientation at Kingsgate gave us tips on how to make the most of our time in Williamsburg. We were advised to visit in historical order so today would be Jamestown. Tour first, then visit the exhibits. We got a tour just as we arrived. The guide was very knowledgeable and interesting with history and anecdotal stories. The weather was beautiful and no crowds. The guide mentioned it was an unusually slow day with no crowds. Our kind of day.

After lunch in the cafeteria then went back to see the museum display and the films. We noticed the documentary was filmed in Agecroft Hall which we saw just yesterday. At 3:30 we went to Historic Jamestown National Park. We remembered to bring our National Park Senior card so the entrance was free.  The fort and the meeting house are now archeological sites. We drove around Jamestown island picking up the free ferry to Surry. The Surry House would be a good place for dinner but it was closed on Mondays. We returned to Jamestown to eat at an Italian restaurant.

Today we have seen and heard more American history than I ever knew or thought I wanted to know. Pocahontas, Africans, English, John Smith, etc.

Tuesday, May 11, 2010

8:45 AM at the visitor center started our first day at the historic Williamsburg. By upgrading our tickets to the annual pass we would take off the pressure of seeing everything in 2 days. The orientation film was an old one (1957) featuring Jack Lord but the content was still applicable. (He ought to be in Hawaii.) It was quite a good portrayal of what we were to see.

The tour of the Governor’s Palace started with a narration of the attitudes of Virginians. We saw the house and the lifestyle that Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson would live in as colonial governors after the revolution. The house was left as ruins after it burned. Years later it was then covered over to build an elementary school and a high school.  Later, the archeologist who suspected it was the site of the governor’s palace, removed the elementary school to start a dig. The palace was rebuilt and the high school was razed.

 Just down the street from the palace was the Evard House where wealthy  Mr. Everard lived. Though looking grand the house was very small with only two rooms downstairs and two upstairs.  The kitchen and WC were separate away from the house.

The Wythe House was the home of Mr. Wythe, a lawyer who taught at William and Mary College, and mentor of many prominent patriots such as Thomas Jefferson. The estate had many workhouses and the main house. These estates needed many slaves for maintenance, so wealthy men owned many slaves. Slaves were a part of life. Mr. Wythe gave the house to his 17-year-old daughter who married a young lawyer.

The oldest Episcopal Church is still active. It was in the old style with the pew boxes.

 We had lunch indoors at a tavern as it was threatening rain. The air conditioning was so high, it was cold inside too. We had a hot stew and a sandwich for lunch.

 The Randolph House was home to the wealthy Mr. Randolph who had over 150 slaves throughout his city home and plantations in the country. The British governor promised freedom to slaves who would leave their masters to sign up for service in the British army. Mr. Randolph’s personal slave learned about business, politics, and social proprieties by observing Mr. Randolph. He ran away and after his master died, he was able to pass himself off as a free white because he was light-skinned. Mrs. Randolph’s personal slave also ran away.   When she was returned, she was sold because she could no longer be trusted. The irony of it all was that slaves heard the leading men of Virginia talk about freedom, liberty, and independence but none of it applied to them as there were laws made keeping slaves oppressed.

 The apothecary, silversmith, and bakery were major stores. The coffee house was where the men discussed business & politics informally. We had a taste of the coffee and the chocolate.  By the end of that tour, the street drama began.

 The street drama today was a town incensed over the stamp act. The Stamp Act required a British stamp on all legal and important documents. The irate colonists declared independence. We followed the drama around the town and ended up at the capital with a parade of fife and drum and cannon firing. We joined in with cheers and boos. The whole drama brought life to those history lessons.

 This was a full day and we were ready for dinner at the Jefferson House then head home to warm up, check our email at Kingsgate, then retired to our condo for the evening.

 Wednesday, May 12, 2010

 After breakfast of fruit and toast, we were off to historic Williamsburg again. We were on the 9:30 AM shuttle to the capitol building. At the capitol, I learned how the colonial government resembled the British government. The guide explained the difference between rights and privileges. Voting and paying taxes were connected privileges because only those who paid taxes were allowed to vote to give the representatives authority to vote on taxes. People can only agree to tax themselves. The burgesses represented the people.

 In the court system, verdicts for major crimes were made immediately and the subjects were either freed or condemned to the gallows. There wasn’t much in between. The jail had only 4 cells that may have housed 4-8 persons each. The jail never really was overcrowded because it was swift justice. Prison terms were never given as punishment. The jail was only a pre-trial holding place for probably a maximum of 2-3 months.

 We visited the wigmaker, milliner, and shoemaker shops that we missed yesterday. Only the rich wore wigs and it was a way of showing your wealth and position in society. A wooden model of your head had to be made for the custom wig, hence the term blockhead. The wig fitted over a shaved head.. There were wigs for different occasions from the daily to the evening formal one. The Milliner sold “a thousand things”. The tailor sewed men’s suits and ladies riding outfits. The seamstress sewed dresses and undergarments for ladies. These trades required apprenticeships and years of learning the trade. The fabric came from England and so did the sewing tools.

The Shoemaker scoffed at cobblers because the cobbler repairs shoes but the shoemaker makes the shoes from raw materials. The average person gets 3-4 pairs of shoes a year. A custom made mold was made for unusually shaped feet. The recommendation for leather shoes was to have 2 pairs and wearing them alternately so they will dry out.

 There were also many more people here today.  After a quick lunch of hamburger & salad under an arbor in the warm weather. we stopped at the Black Religion museum that told about the Negro Christians and the start of the 1st Baptist church. The first preacher was Gowan Pamphlet named after his master and the fact that he handed out pamphlets. The services took on the nature of African gatherings of singing, clapping, dancing, and shouting.

 The old mental hospital connected with the Rockefeller Folk Art museum showed how the insane were treated at that hospital through those years. They were like prisoners then later provided more “homelike” accommodations. The use of drugs was introduced.

In the back were three floors with collections of china, furniture, quilts, paintings, silver, etc. I never knew there were so many silver nutmeg graters. Because we were interested in different things, Rich and I agreed to meet at the elevator in an hour. Wouldn’t you know, he waited on the 3rd floor and I waited on the 2nd. Fortunately, he looked around and found me.

 At the Revolution City, area. the afternoon’s drama was about the Declaration of Independence, followed by Benedict Arnold’s taking over of the city for the British. Slaves were deciding whether to defect to the British or not. Lafayette led the French to blockade the British at Yorktown as they moved to the decisive battle. We then followed the fife and drum band up to the green and watched a drill with rifle firing and cannon firing. Just as the program was ending, it started to sprinkle rain. We hurried to the car just before it poured down rain.

We stopped at an Asian buffet we saw advertised. Afterward, we checked our email at Kingsgate Resort and headed “home” to do laundry. We plan to visit Yorktown and Friday maybe back to Williamsburg to see William & Mary Museum. We’re headed home on Sat.

We keep saying how we are so happy the Lord chose to put us in the 21st century USA. Life was full of hard labor and very little conveniences for the average man. The average person lived in a one-room home with a dirt floor and labored sunup to sundown.

 Thursday, May 13, 2010

   

    Slow start today. Ate a small breakfast at the condo then headed out for Yorktown. We missed the first turn but thought we could get on Colonial Parkway at another entrance according to the map. We went round in circles and was finally lost in the Williamsburg downtown area. Bring out the English Lady (GPS)! She got us turned around and on the only entrance to Colonial Parkway so we could make the 13-mile drive.

The Battlefield Visitor Center is under the National Park Service. We cruised through the museum and watched the film on the battle of Yorktown. The walking tour of the battleground was a very detailed and entertaining lecture on the battle of Yorktown. The Ranger information was gathered from diaries, messages, and memos of those in the war. We stood on the battlefield looking at the battle lines. After the tour, we drove to the historic Yorktown.

  Lunch was at the Riverwalk Restaurant with river view seats over an elegant lunch. I had she-crab soup, with crab cakes, crab salad & oysters, accompanied by a paper-thin slice of salty Virginia ham. Rich had a turkey hot brown. He saw Bobby Flay do a throw down on that dish so he had to have one.

 We then walked through the five blocks of historic Yorktown. The historic buildings are now shops and a few houses are open as museums. Today there were very few people on the streets. The weather was cool so it was a nice walk.

 The Victory Museum was huge with information and exhibits on the Revolutionary War. I was on overload by then. There was a troop camp, rifle & canon demonstration, and a post-revolution farm. The documentary related descriptions of the war through the eyes of those involved gleaned from their letters.

One more thing to see--the battlefield drive with a stop at Moore House where the terms of surrender were worked out. We learned that certain protocols give the losers honor in defeat. The Americans did not grant the British the honors because the British did not give the Americans the same honor in an earlier battle that was lost in Charleston.

This was a self-drive tour with signposts throughout. We have been out all day in Yorktown learning about the final battle. It seems Yorktown was formerly a thriving port town for tobacco. However, when the capital was moved to Richmond where ships could access, Yorktown lost its importance. Also, when the colonies quit trading with Britain, trade stopped. By 1781, Yorktown was just a hamlet but strategically located for the British to build a stronghold. But once the French blockaded the Chesapeake Bay, the British were hamstrung. The Revolutionary War was fought by the French and British, as there were several battles that Americans didn’t take part in. Women followed the troops to help care for the sick, mending, cleaning, laundry, etc. They got no pay or compensation. These are men and women who sacrificed so w can have freedoms.

 It’s interesting how slaves had to make decisions on who they were going to support. Some were ordered to fight with their masters. Some volunteered. Some took up the British offer of freedom if they signed up for the British army. Their promised freedom was dashed when the British lost. After the war, many fled north, even to Canada for fear they would be returned to their masters.

 Time to head home to relax.

 Friday, Mary 14, 2010

         This area is so green! This is spring and the flowers are in bloom and the trees are full. It just reminds us that we live in a California Dessert. The weather for today is predicted to be hot—over 90 degrees. This will be our third day in Williamsburg and we have just a few things we want to see. We essentially have seen everything.

Each morning we have had a simple breakfast at the condo but we decided that since we have seen numerous pancake houses advertised all over the place, we must have at least one breakfast out. We asked for a recommendation at the Kingsgate desk. One said the International House of Pancakes. Well, we can get that in California.

Rich checked Trip Advisor and got the recommendation of Sammy’s. This seemed to be on the other side of town so we put on the “English Lady.” It was good she took us there as there were streets that changed names 3 times without even turning. Sammy’s is locally owned across from a Best Western hotel. There was only one other customer in the restaurant. Sammy himself greeted us and kept talking so that we could not read the menu. We didn’t want to be rude so just listened.  Finally, a very shy waitress came to take our order. She was very polite but she didn’t know the difference between Virginia ham and country ham. In any case, we wanted the non-salty one. We shared the full combination breakfast with fresh blueberry pancakes. By the time we were served, we were the only patrons. As we left, I asked if the business was slow or we were just late. The young waitress said things were very slow but she expected it to pick up when Busch Gardens, just down the road, opens daily after Memorial Day.

 Now we wanted to go to historic Williamsburg to see the few things we had missed. Of course, since we did not know where we were, we let the “English Lady” guide us to the park visitor center. Now being 2-day veterans, we knew exactly where to park and got to the bus stop just as the shuttle pulled up.

 The Barret House was where John D. Rockefeller stayed when on the site.  He bankrolled the initial restoration. It thought we were the first there, but we discovered it closed today. 

Carpenters built shelves, houses, and did heavy carpentry at the joiner shop. We learned how much hard work and sweat is involved in building in those days as everything was done by hand. There were no power tools. 

The shuttle took us to the Merchant Square where we browsed the craft and art shops, I decided to check out the women’s clothing for some ideas for a dress for Charles’ wedding. Needless to say, the first shop said they did not have anything my size. The second shop said they had a few. I choose about 6 items to try on but everything was way too big. This is not the place for me to shop.

 The Wren Building was the first building of the William and Mary College that still serves the college today. The original building was one third the size it is now.  It burned down 3 times and rebuilt.  It served as a hospital and barracks for the French in the Revolutionary War, and the Union Army during the Civil War. If the foundation could talk, it would have some very interesting stories to tell.

The wheelhouse and the weaver shop were the last two to see. We learned about wheel making. At the weaver’s shop, the woman was dying yarn. Dyes were made out of vegetables and other plant dyes. Red was the most difficult color to make. Yellow doesn’t keep its shade. Blue was the most available, and brown very easy to get. The color of clothing depended on what was available. They made bleach to bleach out the clothing for cleanliness but also to re-dye to update the clothing. The people were fashion-conscious.

 The New Town Mall was new with very few people. It seemed deserted. We found a small café on a corner with a shaded patio and settled in for lunch of quesadilla & salad. While waiting for the shuttle, I had a conversation with a lady who told me about the Pottery factory having everything for cheaper prices.

We decided to venture there. Sure enough. It was several warehouses of kitchen goods, craft, Christmas, garden, framing, gourmet foods, lamps, and linens--a very unassuming place and no great display. Everything is just there. We picked up a few items we could pack home—nothing big. Having to go home on an airplane is a good deterrent for collecting stuff.           

 At the Williamsburg Outlet Mall, Rich found a hand sander on sale for half price at the Black and Decker store. It was small enough to fit in his suitcase so he bought it. Then we went to the Premium Outlets to shop. I found the perfect dress in Ann Taylor but they do not have it my size. Then I found a possible one on sale at Ann Klein—but too large. Struck out again. By now I was hot and tired. We decide to go home and relax then think about dinner.

 For dinner, we went to the upscale Seafarer Restaurant. Unfortunately, the food read better than it tasted. It was ok but nothing to rush back for. It’s been a long full day and we need to pack for home tomorrow.

 Saturday, May 15, 2010

 The weather is warm and humid and for some unknown reason, I was up at 4 AM not able to go back to sleep. Nothing is accomplished by tossing and turning. I was mentally redecorating our bathrooms. I got up to do some reading. By 7 AM we were up and about. Still full from dinner, we had toast and hard-boiled eggs for breakfast. We realized we had to have an early lunch to see the Fife and Drum parade in Williamsburg at noon.

Packed and checked out, we started our last day in Williamsburg. By 9 AM we were at the visitor center. Took the walk over the bridge to the Hope Farm that had just opened with no crowds there. Such a farm required continuous work. We learned about the slaves’ living conditions and work, how to smoke meat, how to cut wood for building, how to manage animal pens, and even how to store corn and dry tobacco. 

 After this tour, we took the shuttle to see the Bassett Hall which was closed yesterday. There was already a group of about 10 peopled waiting. We arrived just in time to see the end of the film and join the tour. John D Rockefeller, Jr. financed and oversaw much of the restoration of Williamsburg. Bassett Hall was his home there in May and October. He was philanthropic in causes of humanity building schools, restoring hospitals, universities, museums, and of course Williamsburg.

The family gave the house, and contents to the Williamsburg Colonial Foundation. John D Rockefeller, Sr., created Standard Oil and was the richest man in the world. His son John, Jr., used his wealth in philanthropic ventures. John Jr. had 5 sons—John III, Winthrop, Lawrence, David, and Nelson, who were also prominent philanthropists. The grandchildren and great-grandchildren are keeping the family tradition going.

 We wanted to have lunch before the noon Fife and Drum parade.  Lunch began at 12 in the restaurants so we were sent to the golf club café.  We sat on a shaded terrace, overlooking the beautiful, manicured golf course. It was beautiful. The view was only outdone by being on the terrace in Princeville, Kauai.

We arrived at the historic area just as the grand parade with Fife and Drum Corps was beginning. Some participants were young children, a mix of adults and kids. They were all dressed in period military costume and marched up the street. The last group was the most advanced. Their uniforms were elaborate, they wore wigs, and played with fifes and trumpets with drums. Following the parade, there was a ceremony honoring the armed services with the national anthem and cannon firing.

We left before it was over as it was getting very hot in the sun and we had to head for the airport in Richmond, 45 minutes away. We stopped at Wawa gas station to fill gas.  Airport check-in was easy and we were 3 hours early.

We considered trying to catch an earlier flight to IAD but the earlier flight had just left so we would just wait. This has been a very good, educational, vacation. We were glad there were no evening events on our annual pass as we would probably chase around to do it all every night. As it was, each day was a full day of touring with rest in the evening. We are ready to go home to CA.

I have my house remodel to complete and Rich has some assignments at work waiting. It is only a matter of weeks before our house guests arrive for a week and we will be packing up again for Hawaii for Charles’ wedding.

 Yesterday morning, I was considering when I should call the plumber, Jesse Navarro to put the faucets in the baths. I was trying to calculate a good time to call as we were on Eastern time. While walking around Williamsburg, I got a call from him saying Gary told him to call. I explained I was not at home and would know the situation better by Monday. He was willing to drive 2 hours from San Ysidro to Tustin on Saturday to put in the faucets. Meanwhile, Matt wrote to say he canceled his trip so our baths will be complete on time. He would be there.

 We couldn’t ask for more.  What wonderful friends we have.