Williamsburg, Virginia

We left Virginia Beach yesterday morning between showers. The sites in the rv park were very close together, and we were worried about getting out of the park.

But we were soon on our way. Following a maze of surface streets to avoid I-264 though downtown Portsmouth, we finally managed to find I-664 going north to Williamsburg. Kinda funny: we drove west on I-64 east, then north on I-664 south...But once on 664 we dipped under Hampton Roads and entered the MMMBT. The Merrimack Monitor Memorial Bridge Tunnel commemorates the Civil War battle between the two iron-clads that took place just a few yards down river.

In Williamsburg, we checked into the Anvil Campground. This is a small campground, but nicely maintained. The interior roads are all paved, but the sites are gravel and very out of level. The first site assigned to us somehow just didn't look right when we backed in. I allowed the auto leveling system to do it's magic, only to find the entire front of the coach off the ground about 8 inches! I would have had to build a set of stairs just to get to the coach steps!  We moved to another site where I only had to crib up about 4 1/2 inches to support the front wheels. Better. Not to self: Stay away from sites 70-77. They are labeled "premium" but they are not....

Today we visited Colonial Williamsburg. This mile long area in the center of Williamsburg maintains the look and feel of 18th century America. Costumed docents provide a deep insight to life in the mid-1700's in Williamsburg. The buildings have, for the most part, been maintained or reconstructed. Much of the original wood and brick has been saved, with only things like stair treads being replaced. The streets are maintained as gravel surfaces, with a minimum of sidewalks.

The market place, the Armory, and the Govenor's Palace highlight the area, with costumed entertainers providing musical background.

Some of the rifles in the Armory are reproductions, but the weapons in this rack are genuine 18th century muskets.

The Governors Palace lies at the north end of the Palace Green. This is where young Colonel George Washington socialized with his good friend, Governor John Murrey, 4th Earl of Dunmore, prior to the Revolution. In post-Colonial times, it was also home to Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson, before the state capitol was moved to Richmond.

Just a few doors down from the Parish Church, on the west side of the Palace Green, stands the Wythe House. George Wythe was the first American law professor, a classical scholar, and a Virginia judge. Admitted to the bar in 1846, he was the first of seven Virginia signatories of the Declaration of Independence. He was a mentor to Thomas Jefferson, John Marshall, and Henry Clay, as well as being a steadfast friend to General George Washington. When Washington arrived in Williamsburg on his way to his significant victory at Yorktown, Wythe offered the use of his house to the General and his aides.

Several documented articles of clothing from the period lend an air of authenticity to the homes furnishings.

 In the Capitol Building at the east end of Duke of Gloucester Street, an old carpenter was focused on the woodwork. The panels over the windows actually warp from a slight angle along each side of the window to a flat top in the center of the window. Remarkable! We visited the carpentry shop and looked at the planes and saws that were used, and marveled even more that such intricate joinery could be accomplished!

The "Dentils" around the top of the walls is phenomenal in that the dentils are precisely spaced, starting at the same point in each corner. The room must have been built to precise measurements to make that all work out.

Docents in the Capitol told of the debates held during the Colonial period, and of the Court that held session four times a year to try felony cases.

About one o"clock, the heavens opened up and the rain started. For three hours it rained as if there was no tomorrow. It wasn't cold, mind you, so once we got our feet soaked, we decided to keep on keeping on...A large blue umbrella helped out a lot! We noticed that the streets emptied, the horse drawn carriages disappeared, and pretty soon we had the place to ourselves!

The quaint homes and business's along Duke of Gloucester Street were all the more pretty for the rain.

And what visit to an old city would be complete without a visit to the Jail?

On our way to the trolley stop, we noticed a small building with moss growing on top. It's been there awhile!

Just as we were leaving, The local fire department put on a demonstration near the Armory. A host of young people were enlisted to work a bucket brigade that filled the tank on the 18th century fire pump. Imported from England in the 1850's, it was "top o' the line" at the time.

With eight volunteers manning the pump bars, the fire was soon extinguished. The pump could project a stream of water up to 75 feet, depending on who was manning (or womaning) the pump.

With a fond look back and a round of people telling us Good Day!, we boarded the trolley and headed back to the main entrance.