trip report: Colonial Williamsburg

Frederick under the orange Colonial Williamsburg Courthouse maple tree

We had a great time walking in Williamsburg and enjoying the chilly autumn air with the hard slant of the sunshine's rays lighting up the colorful leaves. Blue skies and lots of orange leaves... We were treated to a great lodging by my mother at the Marriott Manors in Fords Colony in the woods. It was hard to find but worth the hunt once we got there. The gas fireplace worked great for a quick bit of cozy and the beds were like warm butter so perfectly suited to our achy bodies and warm under the nice duvets I wanted to bring the mattress home.
We ventured through Colonial Williamsburg twice during the week then once to Jamestown Island and finally to Yorktown to complete the colonial triangle of historic places. Yorktown was the site of the surrender of the English to General George Washington and French ally Rochambeau who cornered the English in Yorktown by sea and land, they were trapped with no help on the way. Oct. 17,1781 Cornwallis ended the American Revolution by surrendering his sword to the Americans and our French allies.

It was nice weather for long walks, cool enough but not too cold for a brisk pace. Since we have been down there many times we did not get into all the touring of houses and lectures and entertainments that are so magical when new. Instead we just soaked up the atmosphere and enjoyed our time with Mom and her best pal Mildred Cunningham and let them duck the cameras for all week for a change. Hence no pictures of our great ladies from this trip will be forth coming. Instead I was stingy with my camera finger and only took 63 shots the whole week. I used my eyes instead. Looked without the camera in my view most of the time. It was different for me but felt right for a change to just soak it up and let the record be inside my head. I did take a few and a few interesting shots will help give you some of the color and feel of our views.

Williamsburg the old white mulberry tree

Orange leaves in the big courthouse maple

fence patterns in Colonial Williamsburg look like quilts to me 

down the alley a special fence behind a spectacular green gates

this design makes diagonals look like a fish bone pattern 

 Jamestown Island:

Captain John Smith's monument in Jamestown colony, the first successful English colony. 

view of the river inlet making Jamestown an island

Jamestown Nat. Park full of pine needles and cones underfoot 

Black point under high tide on the James river, look closely and you see the other side of the river

Keith blustered by the stiff breeze with a smile

Black point beach cove on Jamestown island 

 Yorktown:

On the way to Yorktown, view of lake on the Colonial Parkway

Yorktown had loads of quilts in the visitor's center gift shop

I like this red and white quilt a queen sized masterwork 

One of the colonial era homes in the little port town of Yorktown and the marble 98 foot tall memorial column in the background. 

The York river from the memorial field atop Yorktown heights. I loved this huge hack berry tree Keith is there giving us some scale to measure the mammoth tree. 

 Colonial Williamsburg second visit:

back in Williamsburg the second time the fife and drum corps 

fife and drum corps sit on the curb till the clock chimes assembly for the parade

old mulberry near the capitol building fence

Williamsburg tavern and trees 

The capitol building 

Thanks to mom for a great week and Mildred for keeping mom company while we went on our long walks. We always enjoy having Mildred's company on these trips and will miss her when she moves west to Colorado.  I am happy to have accomplished some quilting on my rose star project, hand quilting evenings while listening to TV.  It's about a quarter of the way to complete.

Yorktown Va

On one day during our trip to Williamsburg we decided to drive the short drive down to the third corner of the triangle of historic areas called Yorktown. This is where the American Revolution ended and English surrendered to George Washington and the Continental American army and French naval forces that brought them down.  After a visit two years ago Phyllis and Mildred said we would enjoy it and they would come with us. We had a lovely sunny day and the drive was nice and not too long. We arrived and found the area by the York River where they had visited with my sister and brother in law and his mom.
We decided to go check out the historic area on top of the hill and the Mom's just hung out and shopped by the river.
Before we went up we saw the tall ship which was at pier seeking riders for a two hour cruise ($30 per person) it was tempting but costly. Maybe on some future trip we can go for a ride on the tall ship Alliance. I have always wanted to see how it feels to be on a big sail boat like that after reading of all the harrowing crossings our ancestors took back and forth to Europe in these small wind powered vessels.
Keith and I enjoyed a cool local gallery full of crafts from local artists. Quilts pottery even some glass work and naturally lots of watercolor and prints of historic areas and views were in the gallery. Then we just walked around looking at what was there and the many buildings that had been restored and rebuilt. Soon it was time to get back to the river side and eat a great meal with the two ladies who brought us out there. We had a view of the river in the restaurant and saw the tall ship go sailing by during the 2 PM cruise!
We also saw the coast guard doing drills at the piers. They were pulling up to the pier attaching ropes to the piers then unhooking them and driving back out and in again over and over. Three or four boats were all doing this at the piers. I enjoyed the visit and had a very good walk up and down the hill that day. We all slept well that night.
This is the end of my Williamsburg photo essays. Hope to go back and next time with a better camera and even more time to explore all the nooks and corners and museums and historic houses and gardens that are so intriguing and interesting and always evolving with new discoveries and new stories of how the new world was in the 1700's in the colonial era.

Phyllis, Keith and Mildred seated at the river walk where there were plenty of benches to rest upon.  Notice they all wear dark glasses.

Keith working hard to get a close up of a moving target

Monarch butterflies love the nectar of lantana flowers 

One of my favorite butterflies on asters by the river walk

two of the coast guard ships pulling in and out of the piers 

Three coast guard boats drilling docking maneuvers under the massive bridge 

coast guard ties up the speed boat....

Two sail boats at the piers, the little one in front only had one mast. 

the tall ship up close from the pier

the back door to the corner house 

brick wall around a big formal garden nice to a very large colonial home 

up on the hill a few historic houses 

The first sail went up on the three masted tall ship as we were heading back to eat lunch 

Finally as we were waiting on our food the big tall ship went by with full display of it's sails! Really nice way to end the perfect touring afternoon.