DC Day 8 (Williamsburg & Travel to Manhattan)

In our darling little Williamsburg cottage, we had no internet IN the cottage... and our Colonial Williamsburg (CW) day was L O N G... so I had no time to bring the computer somewhere to get wireless. Now that we finally made it to NYC, we have it for a mere $17 per day. (Why is it that cheap hotels have wifi free and expensive hotels - marriott marquis/time square- charge you a TON???)

Anyhow, CW was H O T and H U M I D. Everything felt like a lot of effort and sticky and HOT. We got up and into town kind of early. We saw the gunsmith and the Magazine (weapon and ammunition storage), silversmiths, black smiths, & millinery before the Revolutionary City "show" started. This was good and interesting but felt really LONG standing in the heat.

After an hour, we left for our carriage ride. They said it would only fit 4 people so we bought just 4 tickets and planned to send just the kids. However, the driver said he could fit all 6 of us so we all piled in for our reserved 15 minute ride.

After, we all had lunch together at Retros then the kids went back to the cottage and D and I powered through more history.

Just the 2 of us saw the brickyard and the cabinet maker and toured the Capitol and a Tavern (Inn) and the Gaol (jail). It was all SO informative and interesting.

Definitely fun!

At 5:00, we met the kids at Shield's tavern for our reservation. (I keep stressing our "reservations" because I am so proud & happy I actually planned in advance and made reservations!!! Normally, I would be one of the people going "Hey! We want to ride a carriage. Where do we do that?" and people say "Oh... you had to do that in advance, it is all sold out... you'll have to do that next time you are here." - which may be exactly NEVER!)

So I am SO excited!!!

Anyhow, we ate our reserved dinner at the Tavern and it was mediocre, expensive, not that worth it.

Afterwards we had 2 (also reserved in advance) evening programs.

"In Defense of our Liberty" had us signed up in the first Continental Army. We had to learn to march and learn how to be soldiers as new recruits. (The kids were SO mad at me when they were marching around in the sweaty, buggy early evening heat - haha!!!)

We also did a Ghost Stories tour which was kind of stupid but had us walking around the town at night which was fun!

Oh... and we all saw our first fireflies - EVER!!!

Jade met a girl and went out with her and some of her friends (Lando went along strictly as a "wingman").

We all got up at 6:45AM to hit the road for Manhattan.

We made good time, made very few stops, drove in 7 states in 8 hours (Virginia, DC, Maryland, Delaware, Philadelphia, New Jersey, New York)

and even got lost!!!

WHY - I ask you - are there TWO 95 freeways?????????????????

We didn't realize we were lost and were driving the wrong way on the wrong 95 for FORTY MINUTES.

By the time we turned around, it added a good 1.5 hours onto our drive UGH!!!

We eventually entered Manhattan very close to rush hour and tried to make our way to our hotel... this process took about an hour (most of the kids had to PEE desperately!).

We got checked in and have adjoining rooms on the 17th floor with a nice view of Times Square.

The kids are getting cleaned up and I am blogging before we hit the town for dinner.

(Oh, and poor Lando is SICK. Please PRAY for a speedy recovery for him... he has been SO looking forward to being here :o(

xo

DC Day Seven (Monticello & Travel to Williamsburg)

MONDAY -

Today we woke up kind of early and headed out to Williamsburg. (Our Comfort Inn was overall not a terrific choice. The employees were SUPER nice and helpful. It was far from town and not terribly close to Monticello and the mildew smell was OVERPOWERING.)

We toured the house which was MUCH smaller than you would think. It was fascinating to hear about Thomas Jefferson - "TJ"as our kids called him. He was beyond brilliant.

* His adaptations of inventions he saw in Europe,

* His desire to place things about the rooms to inspire interesting conversation,

* His placement of the workings of the household as much out of sight as possible (the working areas of the plantation and the servants bring food & wine etc.).

* His desire to not live alone and therefore inviting his eldest daughter and her husband and 11 children to come live at Monticello with him.

* His love for vanilla ice cream.

* His adoration of books.

* The fact that he believed in liberty and freedom and that owning "enslaved workers" was evil, and yet the fact that he owned a couple hundred slaves who worked at his homes... and he even fathered at least one child (probably several) with one of his slaves.

We walked the grounds; the garden, the "dependencies", the lawn, and the trail down to his cemetery and his grave. We also went and spent time in the Discovery Center where we could sit & lay on some reproductions of his furniture and dress in costumes and learn in a more hands on way. It was more for younger kids, but we had fun with it any way!!!

(Jade sitting on a replica of TJ's bed)

(sitting in Jefferson's "siesta chair"... Lando playing a colonial game)

(Working making nails)

(Our little slave boy)

We packed up the car and then before embarking on our 2 hour drive to Williamsburg,

we stopped by a Charlottesville barber shop where Jade got a beard trim!!!

We arrived and checked in to our lovely little cottage with the white picket fence.

We walked around, had ice cream (D had a blueberry milkshake, Deevs had a chocolate dipped custard cone, and Jade & I had rootbeer floats - my diet is a little on hold this trip... ugh! I'm going to have to get back on my "A game" - as D would say - when I get home!).

The boys/men found a beanbag game and played for about an hour.

Miss M stayed back at the cottage & rested, I walked the town a little more.

Tomorrow is the big Williamsburg day. The kids aren't really looking forward to it (they have their eyes locked on Manhattan), but I am hoping they will still be able to enjoy it!

xo