Vacation to Virigina: Day 3 - Williamsburg (at night)

For dinner we ate at Food for Thought, which we highly recommend for anyone visiting Williamsburg. The service was great, the food was spectacular with a unique mix of flavors, and the atmosphere was thought provoking. We were even able to pose thoughtful questions to each other based on brain teasers provided on the table.


After our enlightening dinner, we headed to Williamsburg to enlist in the Continental Army through the "In Defense of Our Liberty" evening program.

We arrived at Williamsburg with some time to kill before we our began our program. So, we explored our surroundings...

Jacob found some horses that didn't want to show their faces.

Jen became friends with TJ (Thomas Jefferson).

We found the Public Hospital...just in case we lost our minds while on vacation. (It's really a museum now.)

We found the archeological site of Carlton's Coffeehouse. It looks just like Starbucks, right?

Okay, so it doesn't look exactly like Starbuck's and we needed the sign to tell us it was a Coffeehouse.

We got into a little trouble while we were exploring...

Jen accepted her fate...

Jacob claimed he was innocent.

Not wanting to get into any more trouble, we enlisted in our program as soon as we were freed.

Other people standing in line waiting to enlist.

The experience of joining the army was intense but fun. Our group met at the Magazine and Guardhouse and entered the wooden fence as we prepared for our experience as 18th-century soldiers. At first our primary fear was that we would be hit with embers from the torch baskets (our primary sources of lighting). However, after being yelled at to form lines and stand straight we soon forgot our fear of the embers and directed all of our attention to our assigned Sergeants. Note: There would be more pictures but our Sergeants wouldn't allow us to take any pictures while we were enlisted...something to do muskets being more important in battle than cameras.

View of the fence and torch basket.

View of the Guard House.

We learned how to march (it wasn't pretty), take orders, and head into battle. Sadly, three of our soldiers were hit by a cannon ball and we suddenly forgot everything we had learned. Our Sergeant immediately yelled at us to pick up our flag and regroup. At which point we slowly got back into our orderly lines and continued marching into battle.

A female colonist stopped by to explain that many wives and children would accompany their husbands in the army. The wives would help out as nurses, do the laundry, cook, mend clothes, etc., in exchange they had the comfort of knowing that they were with their husband instead of being at home and possibly being forced to house British troops in their homes. We also learned that some women even posed as men and fought side by side with the men in battle.

At the end of the night we headed back to our hotel for some much needed sleep.

Vacation to Virginia: Day 3 - Historic Jamestowne

On our way to Historic Jamestowne we stopped by the original Jamestowne glass house which included a functioning replica glass house where colonists were blowing glass.

Historic Jamestowne is the archeological site of the Jamestown settlement.

Statue of John Smith

Jamestown Memorial Church which contains brick and cobblestone foundations from the 1639 church.

Glass displays embedded in the floor line both sides of the church to allow visitors to view the 1639 brick and cobblestone foundation pieces.

Times were rough when the colonists first arrived in 1607. This is the James Fort Burial Ground for the colonists who died between August and September of 1607.

Ruins of the Ambler House (a centerpiece of a plantation estate) which had been built in the 1750s.

Ruins of Swann's 1670s Tavern

After touring Historic Jamestowne, we decided to take the Jamestown Island car tour.

View of road tour from the car.

A wooden bridge along the road tour...we were a little concerned about strength of this bridge.

Next we headed back to the hotel to freshen up for dinner and prepare to enlist in the Continental Army at Williamsburg.

Vacation to Virginia: Day 3 - Jamestown Settlement Part 3

Next we headed for the Powhatan Indian Village. The Powhatan Indians were native to the region at the time of settlement.

View of Powhatan homes

Jen grinding corn

Jacob sitting on animal skin covered bed

Powhatan gardener sitting near scarecrow hut. The Powhatan children would sit in the hut to scare animals away from the garden.

After visiting the Powhatan village we had lunch at the Jamestown Settlement Museum cafe and headed for Historic Jamestowne.

Vacation to Virginia: Day 3 - Jamestown Settlement Part 2

After visiting the Riverfront Discovery Area, we headed for the James Fort. The fort was a recreation of the 1610-14 fort, which home to Jamestown's earliest colonists. At first, only men lived in the fort.

Church

Jacob standing in front of the altar

Jen sitting in the church

Jacob standing in a colonial doorway

Jen standing in colonial bedroom

Meats drying (just like beef jerky! yum!)

Would you want to get you water from this well? (Note: This water may smell bad and make you sick...and may even lead to death)

Colonial blacksmith: The blacksmith was more of a repairman who was permitted by England to make components for repairs, but was not permitted to make complete items.

Colonist explaining how the colonial oven worked. She said it makes great bread and pizza.

Colonial kitchen

Olde English Chicken and chicks (living behind the kitchen)

View of cannons inside the fort

Vacation to Virginia: Day 3 - Jamestown Settlement Part 1

We began day 3 with breakfast (we are so thankful for complimentary, hot breakfasts) and then we headed to the Jamestown Settlement to begin sightseeing.

At the Jamestown Settlement we saw replica ships of the Susan Constant, Godspeed, and Discovery.

We were able to board and explore the ships. We don't think comfort was a top priority in the 17th-century.

Privacy cabin

Open cabin (includes space to air laundry)

Luxury cabin



Ship cannon



Jacob near the ship anchor



Colonists manning the ship

Aren't you glad flying is now an option?

After touring the ships we headed for the Riverfront Discovery Area that showed us 17th-century waterfront activities.

Jacob next to a tree trunk that will become a canoe.

Jen in canoe.

Anyone need a fishing net?

Colonist making a fishing net.

Colonist in garden