Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg, VA
September 24th
We were staying a couple of miles from Colonial Williamsburg so we decided to venture there on Saturday morning. We were overwhelmed by the Disneyland-esque visitor center and $40 admission fee to the sites, so we decided to wander around on our own for a while. It was too early in the morning and the town felt a little dead, so we decided to head to Jamestown for the day. At the Jamestown National Historic Site, we felt more inspired. Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in the U.S., a venture by the Virginia Bay Colony that almost failed from the beginning. The site they chose to settle was on a swampy island and ridden with mosquitoes. It was constantly a challenge to get fresh water. They endured with the help of the Indians and the town prospered. Today, we can visit the ruins of the old settlement (uncovered through years of archaeological excavation) and a reconstructed Glass Factory. This was my favorite part of the day- we watched as a skilled craftsman made glass objects (like candle holders and carafes) in a 2,000-degree oven.
By the time we had finished visiting Jamestown, it was still early, so we went back to Williamsburg. We wanted to get a beer in one of the old taverns. We walked through some of the old historic buildings, by this time there were a lot of tourists and a lot of actors in Colonial dress. It turned out that the taverns were only open for dinner (and not for beer only), so we headed back to the motel where we drank beer and made dinner.
Tags: BIG TRIP 2011, In English 2005-2006, Virginia
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