East Coast Trip Sept 2011 - Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown and some Grandkids!!

After a long flight, and an even longer drive from Baltimore, Md to Williamsburg, VA - we made it! Due to flooding from Tropical Storm Lee, we had to alter our travel itinerary and go to Colonial Williamsburg first, rather than start out at Jared and Debbie's in Lancaster, PA. Jared's family joined us there, and we all managed to arrive safely into Williamsburg within 5 min of each other. We both got delayed by road closures coming out of Washington, DC. When we got to the hotel, we piled into our beds and got a good night's sleep, before we began our adventures in the Historical Triangle of Williamsburg, Jamestowne and Yorktown. The towns were lovely and quaint and the museums were well-done and informative. All Americans should, sometime in their life, make the journey to the earliest settlements of our nation to pay homage to those who settled our great land. This was truly a trip of a lifetime. We saw so much - we're still overwhelmed. I should have journaled daily, because now so much of it's a blur. I broke our trip down into several posts. We've never been gone from home this long - but it was so much fun and it all went so well.
So here goes . . .


Ben was beyond excited to go aboard the Susan Constant sailing ship, but disappointed to find we weren't actually going to set sail. I was relived!




Jamestowne Settlement, VA. The living history site of the original settlement gave a good flavor of what the earliest settlers had to endure. Those folks were made of stronger stuff than me. I can't imagine sailing for 3 months and landing in an unknown/hostile land without a store nearby! Ben didn't mind going inside the huts, but Hannah wasn't too keen about all the animal hides and the smell! Caleb liked grinding some corn!





Grandma and Hannah stroll in the formal gardens of the Governor's Palace, Williamsburg, VA




Having some 17th century lunch at Chownings Tavern, Williamsburg, VA




We got into a bit of trouble in Colonial Williamsburg and had to spend some time in the stocks!



After our few days together in Williamsburg, Jared's family headed back home to Pennsylvania, and we began the DC leg of our trip. Our plan was to then head up to Jared's, after DC, to end our vacation with them. Bud then headed for home and I stayed for a few more days at Jared's, then met up with Emily and Courtney in New York City. I was gone from home almost 3 weeks. Unheard of for this homebody.