We just returned from an amazing historical trip! We are in Cycle 3 with Classical Conversations, which is American history, so for several years we had been planning to visit the Williamsburg area this fall. As it turned out, we visited Virginia's historic triangle in chronological order, too! It was homeschool days at Colonial Williamsburg, and also at Jamestown and Yorktown, so we were able to get very reasonably priced tickets to all of these places. We left early last Tuesday morning, arriving in Williamsburg around 5 PM. The following day, we visited Jamestown Settlement.
At Jamestown (1607), we arrived just in time to join a 10:00 guided tour, which was just fantastic. The instructor (Mr. Jason) asked the kids lots of questions, which was a great way to make them think! The kids got to break up the fibers to make fire starter and watch the living history actor create sparks with flint and steel. When he blew on the fibers and tossed the resulting flame into the clay oven, a kid asked, "How did you do that?" Hahaha. I think he thought he'd just witnessed a magic trick.
Grinding corn in the Powhatan village and helping the interpreter make tools from animal bones
We toured the replicas of the ships that came to Jamestown.
Scavenger hunt that awarded us with beaded bracelets.
Trading game for which we couldn't talk, because the settlers didn't speak Algonquin, and the Powhatans didn't speak English.
The following day, we set out for Colonial Williamsburg (1638). We rode the shuttle around to the museum stop, because I'd seen an ad for keyboard instruments from the colonial period. We were not disappointed! There were about 50 period keyboard instruments and a diagram on the different actions (German and English). We also got to see a neat dollhouse display and toys that children would have played with. The gift shop had some really neat music books, one for keyboard with dancing minuets of the time, and another with recorder trios.
Precious and I in front of the *actual* double-manual harpsichord that George Washington purchased for his wife's granddaughter "Nellie," whom they adopted and raised as their own!
Strolling Gloucester Street, playing "Shut the Box" (math game), and discussing 18th century transportation, shirt materials (linen was cheaper), and shoe making with shop owners.
I had gotten a reservation for a special program: "Work and Play with the Powells", but the wait for lunch at Chowney's Tavern was so long, we were worried that we might be late for our 2:45 session. We got seated and told the waitress that we were in a bit of a hurry. She was awesome and rushed everything for us, and we ate quickly and jogged to the Powell House. We made it with some time to spare!
At Chowney's, I had bangers and mash, and New Daddy had the crab cakes. Bubby was feeling a little under the weather, so he had a broth-based ham and veggie soup. I ordered the corn chowder for Cutie, because she eats like a bird, hahaha. Precious and Tater both had the pulled pork sliders from the kid's menu.
At the Powell House, the kids learned about mending- a necessary skill for all children back then, regardless of gender. They learned how to sew pillows and fill them with sheep's wool. Then, they took on an apprentice's contract and performed tasks as part of their "interview." Tater had to shingle a slanted roof-like surface with some other kids, and the older children tried to put together a wooden wheel. Lastly, they got to play with a hoop and stick. Again, we had a wonderful instructor!
After Powell House, we hopped back on the bus and rode around to the Governor's Palace. There, we accidentally went into an educational building instead of the palace! But we were politely redirected and got to see the splendor of the interior and the gardens.
The ice house with a north-facing door
Everyone loves the stocks, right?
We left the palace right before 5:00, hoping to catch the fife and drum corps. And we were not disappointed!
After that, a little shopping (colonial garb for the girls, maple fife for Bubby) and back to the hotel.
Friday morning, the kids played in the water at the hotel for a while, and we finally got underway about lunchtime. After lunch, we drove to Yorktown (1781), which was where the last (and rebel-winning!) battle of the Revolutionary War took place. We had gotten a combo ticket from the Jamestown-Yorktown foundation, so this was another great value on an exceptional museum! There was a 180-degree theater that had 4D effects. Tater's comment after that film was "If I was an egg, I'd be scrambled in that battle!" But all of the exhibits were so well-done, as well. Just a wonderful museum.
Tench Tilghman- go look at this poem! He rode 300 miles, sick, to Philadelphia to announce the end of the war. In the car, we read the Clinton Scollard's poem about Tilghman's ride-- ahem, twice because we loved it so much. The kids can now all recite "Cornwallis' ta-en! The world turned upside down!" in a pretty convincing cockney accent.
We left Yorktown at 5:30 arrived home Saturday morning at 3:15 AM! A few stops on the way for food and fuel.
And New Daddy touched down a few hours ago in Orlando for Microsoft Ignite. I'll be joining him on Wednesday (grandparents are going to be kid-sitting the second half of the week). We're starting to feel a bit like jet-setters, haha!
At Jamestown (1607), we arrived just in time to join a 10:00 guided tour, which was just fantastic. The instructor (Mr. Jason) asked the kids lots of questions, which was a great way to make them think! The kids got to break up the fibers to make fire starter and watch the living history actor create sparks with flint and steel. When he blew on the fibers and tossed the resulting flame into the clay oven, a kid asked, "How did you do that?" Hahaha. I think he thought he'd just witnessed a magic trick.
Grinding corn in the Powhatan village and helping the interpreter make tools from animal bones
We toured the replicas of the ships that came to Jamestown.
Scavenger hunt that awarded us with beaded bracelets.
Trading game for which we couldn't talk, because the settlers didn't speak Algonquin, and the Powhatans didn't speak English.
Precious and I in front of the *actual* double-manual harpsichord that George Washington purchased for his wife's granddaughter "Nellie," whom they adopted and raised as their own!
Tater trying to convince the shop owner that it would be really easy for him to get a car :D
At Chowney's, I had bangers and mash, and New Daddy had the crab cakes. Bubby was feeling a little under the weather, so he had a broth-based ham and veggie soup. I ordered the corn chowder for Cutie, because she eats like a bird, hahaha. Precious and Tater both had the pulled pork sliders from the kid's menu.
At the Powell House, the kids learned about mending- a necessary skill for all children back then, regardless of gender. They learned how to sew pillows and fill them with sheep's wool. Then, they took on an apprentice's contract and performed tasks as part of their "interview." Tater had to shingle a slanted roof-like surface with some other kids, and the older children tried to put together a wooden wheel. Lastly, they got to play with a hoop and stick. Again, we had a wonderful instructor!
After Powell House, we hopped back on the bus and rode around to the Governor's Palace. There, we accidentally went into an educational building instead of the palace! But we were politely redirected and got to see the splendor of the interior and the gardens.
The ice house with a north-facing door
Everyone loves the stocks, right?
We left the palace right before 5:00, hoping to catch the fife and drum corps. And we were not disappointed!
After that, a little shopping (colonial garb for the girls, maple fife for Bubby) and back to the hotel.
Friday morning, the kids played in the water at the hotel for a while, and we finally got underway about lunchtime. After lunch, we drove to Yorktown (1781), which was where the last (and rebel-winning!) battle of the Revolutionary War took place. We had gotten a combo ticket from the Jamestown-Yorktown foundation, so this was another great value on an exceptional museum! There was a 180-degree theater that had 4D effects. Tater's comment after that film was "If I was an egg, I'd be scrambled in that battle!" But all of the exhibits were so well-done, as well. Just a wonderful museum.
Tench Tilghman- go look at this poem! He rode 300 miles, sick, to Philadelphia to announce the end of the war. In the car, we read the Clinton Scollard's poem about Tilghman's ride-- ahem, twice because we loved it so much. The kids can now all recite "Cornwallis' ta-en! The world turned upside down!" in a pretty convincing cockney accent.
In the battle camp outside, learning about then-common medical practices like bloodletting and putting vinegar on everything
We left Yorktown at 5:30 arrived home Saturday morning at 3:15 AM! A few stops on the way for food and fuel.
And New Daddy touched down a few hours ago in Orlando for Microsoft Ignite. I'll be joining him on Wednesday (grandparents are going to be kid-sitting the second half of the week). We're starting to feel a bit like jet-setters, haha!
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