This was definitely one of the stops I was personally looking forward to the most. And if I were clever enough to through in a couple more -ly suffixes in that first sentence, you know I would.
Because we had gotten in late after a long drive and an exhausting, but tremendously fun pool time, and because the day was going to be hot and long, we took our time getting out the hotel in the morning. Consequently, we got in the van at 10:24. It was already 85 degrees and sunny.
While the Jedi checked us out of the hotel. I took pictures of the kids. Cause that's what I do.
In the parking lot of the visitor's center, we drove up and down the rows spotting license plates for our traditional state license plate spotting game. Between the ones we had spotted on the highway over memorial day weekend and the ones we found in the parking lot, we only needed seven or so plates to have spotted all fifty states.
This has nothing to do with license plates, but someone was nice enough to get a picture of the four of us together in front of the visitor's center. It's the only picture I have of us together from the whole trip, so it's precious...
Colonial Williamsburg was indeed hot. But it was also way cool. I loved it. (I think it was a little hot, and a little too long for the kids to completely love it.)
Trip tips for others planning on visiting (things we had wished we had known).
- Hats are a must. Get a sun hat or a ball cap for each person in your family. Wear them. There are lots of big shady trees, but on a bright sunny summer day in a southern state, you will want a hat to shade your eyes and head.
- Sunscreen is also a must.
- Water bottles are allowed in the village. Bring at least one for each person and plan on refilling it. Carry a backpack or two to put them in.
- Admission tickets are expensive BUT, if you are traveling on a tight budget, tickets aren't required to walk around the town, enter some of the shops, or watch the outdoor dramas. Tickets are required for the shuttle bus, most of the participatory and demonstration shops, and any indoor tours, dramas, or events. We did tickets and I found them worth it, but if tickets were outside of our budget, a partial experience would be better than none.
- Food is also expensive. I don't know what the rules or regulations are about bringing in food. Certainly no one inspected any of our bags at any time. A huge cooler on wheels wouldn't work on the crushed shell walkways anyway, but some lunch items in backpacks would probably go unnoticed and be fine.
- The cool stuff closes at 5. (And well before 5, you and your family will be beat.) Plan on getting there early and take a mid day break if needed.
Sweetling got a tri-cornered hat to add to her collection. (Photo in the gardens of the Governor's Mansion. We started our time in Williamsburg with a tour of the mansion. I highly recommend it.)
Toa of Boy, and Sweetling too, got to help stomp the mud for bricks. (There were lots of trade craftsmen demonstrating how things were made and done at the time. We visited many of them...but this was, for obvious reasons, a boy favorite.)
Mommy loved the costumed characters.
The Jedi loved the fife and drum parade at the end of the day. (Which we only have a video of. Videos don't load as gracefully on my blog as I would like, so I'm just going to save myself the frustration of messing with.)
We left Colonial Williamsburg at 5:58 and found a Dairy Queen to get some Blizzards (and a few chicken fingers and onion rings as a light dinner.) I couldn't manage even a small blizzard, so I ordered a "mini" Blizzard. Toa of Boy patted me on the back and said, "That's ok, Mommy. You are just a cute little thing."
(Read from the beginning.)
(Go back to day three.)
(Go on to day five.)
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