Williamsburg

Sometimes, in the midst of July swelter that--dragging on and on--begins to melt your enthusiasm and sap your energy, you just need a Mid-Summer pick-me-up. A little get-out-of-town, scenery-change, shake-up-the routine interlude. In short: a Mini-Vacation! And for us, what could be better than combining a chance to experience some history...with an opportunity to ride some thrilling rollercoasters? Keeping those things in mind, we planned a weekend excursion to Williamsburg, Virginia. Colonial re-enactment, Busch Gardens amusement park, sign us up!

First, of course, we had to get there. And no matter how many times I ramble through Virginia, apparently I always block it out immediately afterwards, because over and over again I forget how much I LOATHE the highways (and drivers) of our fair Southern neighbor.  The inexplicable backup at Lorton. The Fredericksburg nightmare. And the tourists. (I know, I know--technically we belonged to this group too—but we seemed to be able to understand and execute the rules of “navigating a major interstate” much better than the Floridians and Carolinians and…Quebequians weaving cluelessly in and out of our way.) But, we had road drinks (Diet Pepsi and Gatorade) and car snacks (trail mix and applesauce and energy bars) and tunes, so we toughed it out and eventually rolled into Williamsburg.

Then it was time to get all Colonial and whatnot. Well…with conditions, that is. You see, in order to relive all of the hands-on activities and tours and such, you needed a ticket. Which would have cost our family of 4 about a hundred and twenty bucks. Given that we were already paying even more than that for Busch Gardens the next day, we made the easy decision to walk around and soak in as much of an authentic Pre-Revolutionary atmosphere as we possibly could…for free. So we meandered about on the cobblestoned streets, watching costumed riders on horseback, carriages clattering up and down the block, various craftsmen at work, a mock militia drilling visitors. (With the aforementioned pass, you could be ordered around by an Army Officer with a musket! Um, nevermind.) We were somewhere in the middle of admiring the quaint brick storefronts and churches and taverns….when the rains came. Showers, really. On second thought, we’re actually getting pretty wet…oh, look! Souvenir shops!  We have a (new, inside) mission! (Of course, after all, Riley was with us, right?) I’m sure this is just like when the colonists went to the marketplace in the 18^th century—and swiped a credit card to buy mementos of their trip. Then to balance out our consumer spree, we strolled through the serene, dignified campus of William and Mary, under stately old trees and past ivy-covered halls of academia. (We felt calm…smart…and slightly drier…)

Having satisfied our historical needs for the time being, we returned to the hotel for a brief respite (before having to feed the boys again). To kill two birds with one stone, we headed toward the Outlet Mall conveniently located near the downtown area. A bit of successful shopping completed, we turned our thoughts to dinner…and the skies really opened up. Thunder, lightning, buckets of rain, we got it all. (Yippee!) Fortunately, we had spotted a promising, cute little college-town-type restaurant earlier near W&M, so we pointed ourselves in that direction and hoped it was open even during Summer Hiatus. The very bored (and therefore happy to see us) employees assured us it was (and we would be the only customers)…and between the car and the door (50 yards, maybe?) we got SOAKED. But our dinner at the Pita Pit was delicious nonetheless. Another mad mud-and-puddle-dash back to the car and we were d-o-n-e for the night. Day one in Williamsburg was (repeatedly) damp, but quite enjoyable (and we have the purchases to prove it). Now to rest up for tomorrow’s thrills!