Me on the Susan Constant. You can see the lovely James River in the background. 

Day 1: Camping(?)

Today, my mom and I embarked on our spring break adventure to Williamsburg, Virginia. Well, more specifically, the historical village of Colonial Williamsburg, a living history museum that sends visitors back in time to America’s Revolutionary War Era. It took nearly eight hours to arrive at our campsite close to the attraction from Fairlawn, Ohio, and we spent most of the car ride listening to musicals (“Hamilton,” “Waitress,” “Legally Blonde…” a lot of good ones!).

When we got to the campsite, we set up the Tent of Doom©️ (seriously, it took us an HOUR to get things sorted because our site was on an incline and we brought a big ol’ tent), then we went shopping for dinner. Luckily there was a Super Wal-Mart close to our campsite*, so if we needed groceries, charcoal or ice, there was a place nearby.

The sun set around 7:30 p.m. and it got super dark super quick, so we had to rush to get the inside of our tent set up, including cots and a table for our convenience. Water and electricity weren’t a problem, as the campsite provided them. There just wasn’t enough light to see by at night. Did I mention it was cold as heck? I was wearing a hoodie and it was still chilly! But anyways, for the first day, which was mostly traveling, it was pretty fun. The rest of it should be far more entertaining!

*Side note: Kampgrounds of America (KOA) sites are awesome most of the time. Most. This is foreshadowing.

Day 2: Our first steps into Williamsburg

Plot twist: Camping didn’t exactly work out for us. It was too cold the night before, even in our sleeping bags, and the air mattresses we set up for extra comfort were insufferable. So, we packed up the car and disassembled the Tent of Doom©️, and my mom booked us a nice hotel near the attractions we came out to see. It’s a little embarrassing to admit that we quit the camping aspect of the trip, but why should we suffer on a trip that’s supposed to be fun?

We took our first steps into the historical village today. Well, our first in a while. We started off at the art museums, and we began picking our way through the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum. I took tons of pictures of old Revolutionary-Era artifacts, including a clay cooler that resembled those found near Akron, Ohio. My favorite room we explored was one filled with Edward Hicks paintings, including his famous “Peaceable Kingdom” series and the painting of the signing of the Declaration of Independence you may have seen in history textbooks over the years. There was also an extremely detailed carousel, with animals other than horses, including a beautiful ostrich and a black cat with a fish in its mouth.

After spending an hour or so in the museum, we ventured into town. We ended up near the magazine, which holds weapons and gunpowder, and across from it was the courthouse. We listened to a short talk in the courthouse about how trials worked during the time period. Then, my mom and I decided we were hungry, so we got lunch at the Chowning Tavern next door, which was delicious. My mom ordered a beef trencher (brisket, toast and a pickle) and I ordered a shrimp boil (shrimp, sausage, bread, potatoes and corn). The food at Williamsburg is no joke; most everything is period-accurate and tastes amazing.

Once we finished lunch, we walked around a bit, taking pictures of whatever we found interesting. We stopped at the Peyton Randolph house for a bit, though. The house is a carmine red because it was a sign of the Randolphs’ wealth; in fact, their riches only rivaled the governor’s. The beetles used to create the carmine color were expensive to grind up, and the Randolphs had five acres of land and 27 slaves. So yeah, very wealthy. I also got to say hello to the chickens being raised on the plantation! They were very cute.

My favorite part of the day was watching a half-hour presentation at the Playhouse Stage. It included audience participation; certain benches had cards with names on them of actors who once performed on the stage in Williamsburg, and when an audience member’s card’s name was called, they stood up and the presenter told us a bit about the person. It was an interesting presentation, especially for theater buffs like me.

My mom and I then decided we were bushed, so we moseyed back to the car and checked in to our hotel. It was set up almost like an apartment, with a kitchenette and a washer/dryer. It had tons of amenities, like a pool and multiple sports courts for basketball and volleyball, as well as a variety of activities we were tempted to explore. After setting up our room, we just relaxed for the rest of the evening.

The next day will bring more fun for the two of us, especially since we’ll be well-rested!

Day 3: Jamestown

Today, my mom and I had a leisurely morning at the hotel, and over breakfast we made plans to visit Jamestown, the very first colonial settlement in America. We later found out that what we had visited was just a museum and replicas of Fort James and not the original island, but we still had a good time.

When we arrived, we saw that in the middle of the parking lot there were all 50 state flags, all in chronological order from when they joined the union. I took some pictures of myself in front of flags belonging to states I’ve lived in in the past. I also snapped a picture of the lovely fountain out front of the visitors’ center, depicting one of the passenger boats carrying new colonists to Jamestown.

Our first stop once we entered the museum was the special exhibit, simply titled “FOCUSED.” The exhibit featured photographs and artifacts left behind or donated by Native American tribes living in Virginia, including the Pamunkey, Mattaponi and Paspahegh tribes.

Then, we stopped in the recreated Paspahegh village, where we explored a Powhatan yehakin (their houses) and learned how dugout canoes were made: by burning logs and chopping wood away with a hand axe. There was also a wild bald eagle in town, its giant nest up in a tall tree!

Our next destination was the recreated Fort James. My mom and I explored various buildings there, including a church, a kitchen and a recreation of Governor de la Warr’s home. Fun fact, the state of Delaware is named after Jamestown’s governor, Lord de la Warr! We also got to observe a demonstration of how a musket is loaded and fired.

After a hike back to the car for lunch and a tailgating “party,” we went back out to the outdoor exhibits to look at the three ships that brought colonists to Virginia: the Susan Constant, the Godspeed and the Discovery. The line for the Susan Constant was LONG, but luckily there were some friendly bumblebees there to keep us company. The ship was lovely, especially with the picturesque James River in the background.

Finally, we looked at the exhibits on the ground floor of the museum, which held artifacts and recreations of items used and brought to America by colonial settlers. Unfortunately, photography was not allowed at any of the indoor exhibits we toured, so I was not able to get any pictures of cool things I saw.

Tomorrow, we’re headed to Yorktown!

Day 4: Yorktown

Ah, Yorktown. The battle in which the tide of the American Revolution was turned, and where the world turned upside down. That is where my mom and I journeyed today.

The first thing we did once we arrived was visit the encampment, where soldiers slept and were sheltered when not on the battlefield. As you may know, a majority of American soldiers were untrained in the art of battle, many of them being farmers or common citizens. Slaves and Native Americans, as well as some French men, were involved in the war too.

Next up was a farm. It was interesting to see how farming families lived during the Revolutionary Era; most homes were quite small, yet they averaged six to eight people. Most of the time they were out in the fields, so they had no need for a large house space. Also, the kitchen was often kept separate from the living space, as it got very hot in there and families did not want the constant smoke smell in their homes. The best part of the farm was the chickens and ducks near the tobacco barn. They were pretty friendly, though they wouldn’t let me touch them.

After a quick lunch, my mom and I explored the museum. The highlight of that was the copy of the Declaration of Independence, one of the broadside copies printed before the original one was officially signed by the delegates of the Continental Congress. As a journalist, it was neat to read about how the broadside copies were printed and delivered across the colonies. Another favorite display included a set of pewter dishes belonging to a Jewish colonist family, including a seder plate, a kiddush cup and a menorah. Like at Jamestown, I was unable to take pictures, which is a shame because I liked this museum slightly better.

Once we had finished exploring the museum, my mom and I drove to the true site of the Battle of Yorktown, to the battlefield. We took a walk over the Tobacco Trail to Historic Yorktown, looking at all of the old houses and visiting the Victory Monument, which was topped by a beautiful stone Lady Liberty.

Tomorrow, we return to Williamsburg!

Day 5: Williamsburg day 2, electric boogaloo (featuring the King’s Arm Tavern and a ghost tour)

This morning was a leisurely one; my mom and I didn’t really get going until 10:30 or 11 a.m. We parked in front of the art museums and ventured back into Williamsburg, making a beeline for the Governor’s Palace, our first stop. The line was SUPER long (we had to wait an hour or so), but we eventually got in for our tour. The foyer was filled to the brim with guns and swords; it was both beautiful and intimidating. We then made it into the ballroom, then we wandered out into the lovely gardens in the back. There was a hedge maze to walk through, and a graveyard settled near a canal. We sat on a park bench and ate lunch near the canal.

After lunch, we continued to walk around town, taking a look at whatever we found interesting. We stopped at the Indian encampment and listened to Native Americans talking about their cultures and traditions. One was discussing how treaties and agreements were made and upheld, through “belts” made from deer sinew and shells. The other was demonstrating a sport called stickball, the ancestor of our modern game of lacrosse. We also went to the Charleton Stage to listen to another Native American speak, this time about family and community traditions.

Following that, we caught the last tour at the Capitol. In one of the courtrooms there was an original chair, one the head of congress would sit in. For reference, the rest of the building was a recreation, as the original one fell to a terrible fire.

Then, there were the stars of today’s show. The first was dinner at the King’s Arm tavern, probably the fanciest tavern in Colonial Williamsburg. Both my mother and I ordered the Hunter’s Game Pye (yes, they spelled it with a ‘y’ back then), which had duck, rabbit and venison (deer meat) inside, topped with a buttery, flaky crust and Ye Olde Grape Jelly©️ (probably just Smucker’s, let’s be real). It was delicious! The meats in it aren’t ones you would typically find, so it was interesting to have them all in one dish. For dessert, we shared a chocolate torte, which was topped with dried cherries, a red wine syrup and vanilla ice cream. It was rich and very chocolatey, almost like a brownie, and the cherries went really well with it.

We then moseyed on over to the Playhouse Stage, the site of our ghost tour. This was my favorite part of the evening. Our tour guide walked us through the town lit with only her lantern (so we had to be EXTRA careful not to step in horse “evidence”), and at each stop she told us stories about supernatural happenings witnessed by security guards and other employees. My mom and I both love freaking ourselves out with ghost stories, so hearing them was both creepy and fun. And after that, we returned to the hotel and immediately crashed. What a fun-filled evening.

Tomorrow, we head to Busch Gardens!

Day 6: Busch Gardens

My mom and I had another lazy, loungey morning, and we left the hotel around 10 a.m. enroute to Busch Gardens, a theme park with the reputation of being the most beautiful in the world.

All of the pavilions were gorgeous. Each one is themed after a European country (and then Canada?), featuring decorations and architecture from each country.

The first thing we did was head to the animal enclosures in Scotland and Ireland. I got to meet and pet one of their Clydesdale horses, Dakota, and my mom snapped a few pictures of me with him. We then walked past the eagle, wolf and hawk enclosures, visiting with those animals for a bit. Then we headed over to the lorikeet enclosure. We got a little cup of nectar before entering, and when we did, the birds climbed up my arm to try to drink the nectar. They were so, so cute!

I then went on a riding spree. I first rode Le Catapult, a ride that spins and whips riders around. Next was InvadR, a rollercoaster. I love rollercoasters, but not super crazy ones with loop-de-loops, so this coaster was really the only one in the park I felt I could handle. Next, after a quick funnel cake break, was Wirbelwind in Germany, the swing ride. That was my favorite ride of the day. We then rode the carousel, and after that, bumper cars.

We left the park after that. Because of COVID-19, nothing was open—no shows, no restaurants, no nothing. So while the rides were fun, and the animals were absolutely adorable, the overall experience was somewhat underwhelming. Before heading back to the hotel, my mom and I ate some Thai food. We called it a night after that.

Tomorrow, we’re heading back to the art museums at Colonial Williamsburg!

Day 7: More Williamsburg!

After another relaxing morning, my mom and I drove out to Colonial Williamsburg to continue looking through the museum. I got to finish walking through and reading the plaques in the metal room of the Folk Art Museum, and I slowly transitioned to sections with silverware, teapots, coffee pots and chocolate pots, as well as cups and punch bowls. The dinnerware ranged from simple to ornate to bizarre; the rococo designs from the 18th century were especially strange. My favorite artifact in that section was a teapot that looked like a tree stump overgrown with moss.

Once I had finished up in that section, we moved on to a section filled with earthenware and porcelain. Beautiful plates, cups, figurines and other artifacts were kept in there, and my mom and I had fun deciphering what all of the figurines were. One looked like a lobster or crayfish, and there was a whole collection of figurines portraying monkeys playing, singing and conducting music. An odd choice, but the details were exquisite.

Next was the textiles exhibit, filled with fabrics, clothing and needlework samplers. Not too much to note here, but the suits and dresses featured in this room were beautiful. After that was a room of paintings of monarchs from the 17th and 18th centuries. My mom, being an art major, was pointing out how the style of art changed from a more medieval style in the 17th century to a more hyper realistic portrait style in the 18th century.

The two of us were feeling a bit peckish, so we got our lunch and hopped on the shuttle bus to scope out a place to eat. We ended up eating at the bus station near the Capitol. Afterwards, we stretched our legs and walked around town, stopping by a couple of shops to browse.

We then made our way to the Charleton Stage to listen to an interpreter speak in-character as Patrick Henry, one of America’s founding fathers who is most famous for saying, “Give me liberty or give me death!” He was a wonderful speaker; he shared some stories from Henry’s life, highlighting his time as a lawyer and his term in the House of Burgesses at the Capitol Building. We were going to stay to listen to some women speak about what life was like for them in this era, but it began to rain, so we called it a day.

Tomorrow is our last day here! Back to Williamsburg and the museum!

Day 8: The final day

Today, my mom and I got an early start and made our way to Colonial Williamsburg by 9 a.m. Our first destination was the Wythe House, one of Williamsburg’s buildings that is not a recreation, but an original structure. As a member of the gentry, Mr. Wythe and his wife would often entertain guests, whether they be students or neighbors. The garden out back was lovely, filled with tulips and budding vegetables.

We then took a short walk around Williamsburg’s public garden, which also hosts a variety of flowers and veggies. Afterwards, we decided to start touring buildings that were open, but we hadn’t had the chance to tour yet. We listened to the milliner at the Raleigh Tavern, walked through the William Prentis shop and listened to the tinsmith, blacksmith and shoemaker at another building talk about their respective trades.

After a break for lunch and resting our feet, we watched another play at the Playhouse Stage. It was called “Ladies of Llangollen,” and it was a sweet love story about two lady poets who run away to Llangollen, Wales to live the life they want, together. It was very cute and heartwarming.

Then, we headed back to the museum and blitzed through the Decorative Arts section and the remainder of the Folk Art section we had missed. There were tons of portraits; my mom pointed out a lovely one with a little boy with bright auburn hair. He was a handsome lad and that was probably our favorite of the portraits.

We hopped on the shuttle and rode to the Capitol stop so we could head to Charleton Stage, where we listened to a presentation about the struggles of being a woman in 18th century America. It was a powerful story, showing how both ladies of the gentry and slave women, as well as every kind of American woman in between, had their own gripes, problems, complaints and sorrows. The performance was captivating.

We then decided to call it a day, as we had pretty much seen everything we had wanted to. Before heading back to the hotel, we stopped to listen to and watch the weavers talk about what they do.

What an amazing trip this was. I was so lucky to have the chance to do this. Shoutout to my mom, Amy Klein, for being an amazing person who is both an awesome traveling partner and someone who is very knowledgeable about this time period. 

Love ya, Mom!

George Wythe’s dining room. He would entertain guests and meet with students here. 

The giant oak tree in Colonial Williamsburg. According to our tour guide for the ghost tour, it’s haunted by the ghost of a former interpreter who died from illness.