Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

What an enjoyable and interesting day we have had today in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia! The rain let up this morning, and, though it was cool, we have walked all over the historical area, immersing ourselves in 18th century Virginia. Though none of my ancestors lived in this specific area, this day has helped me imagine the life they led in the New England colonies (and later states). Much of what we saw today--the governor's palace, the Randolph home, the old capitol building--were not the kinds of places my ancestors would have spent much time in, but we have seen other places where they might have been--the joinery (the carpenter's shop), the cooper's workshop, the silversmith and the wheelwright shops. Like most of the population of the colonies in the late 18th century, my ancestors were farmers and craftsmen. The women, as we all know, were "keeping house," a very time-consuming and labor-intensive occupation. (It could take up to three days just to do all the laundry for a household.)

A highlight of our day was our afternoon visit to the two museums, the DeWitt Wallace Museum (lots of beautiful antique furniture, pottery and paintings) and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Museum (folk art paintings and objects). I think my new favorite Colonial item is the folk art portrait. I also loved the farm paintings and the weather vanes.

Tonight we took the Williamsburg Ghost Tour, where we followed our guide by candlelight to three of the historic homes and heard ghosts (in the form of very good actresses) tell stories researched from early Colonial newspapers. If you ever get to Williamsburg, this is a tour not to be missed.

Just a couple of more side notes to the day: Randl wants me to be sure to write that I got so befuddled (and just plain tired) at one point during the day that I followed him into the men's restroom (true story); and, as we were going back to our room at the Williamsburg Lodge late this afternoon we saw two men just checking in and one of them was none other than one of the Keno twins from Antiques Roadshow. On our way back to the Lodge tonight, these same two men asked us if we knew where the Kings Arm Tavern was. Of course, I was happy to give them directions. And yes, he looks just like he does on television (only maybe a little older) and you can't miss his very distinctive voice.