The United States were once colonies of our mother country England. If you have ever wondered what life was like back in those days, then I invite you to take a trip to Colonial Williamsburg.
by Harvey Barrison via WikiMedia Commons
Colonial Williamsburg is a living history museum within the historic district of the city of Williamsburg, Virginia. Here you will find buildings that date back to 1699 up through 1780. During this period Williamsburg was the capitol of colonial Virginia. It is a part of the historic triangle along with Jamestown and Yorktown.
The area that we now know as Colonial Williamsburg came about through the efforts of the Rev. Dr. W. A. R. Goodwin and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. The idea for the restoration and recreation of the early colonial town started in 1926. While many of the buildings you will see in the town are recreations, there are actually 88 original buildings. One of these buildings is the Bruton Parish Church. A favorite among the reconstructed buildings is the Governor’s Palace. Williamsburg was the capital of Virginia until Richmond became the capital in 1780.
by Tonamel via WikiMedia Commons
Colonial Williamsburg sits close by the campus of the College of William and Mary. The college was founded in 1693 by letters patents issued by King William III and Queen Mary II. The city was named in honor of King William III of England.
Some of the taverns in Williamsburg have been restored or reconstructed and are open as restaurants and inns. There are several to choose from, but we will touch on a couple of each. If you would like to stay in the historic area you should consider the Williamsburg Lodge or the Williamsburg Inn. The historic Williamsburg Lodge places you right in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg. The Williamsburg Inn is considered the crown jewel of historic Williamsburg. It was built as a luxury hotel in 1937 by John D. Rockefeller, Jr.
If you are ready for a nice meal, you might consider Christiana Campbell’s Tavern which was George Washington’s favorite tavern for seafood. If you are looking for Williamsburg’s premier tavern you will want to head for the King’s Arms Tavern.
by Albert Herring via WikiMedia Commons
We have traveled to Colonial Williamsburg on several occasions. I’m not sure if our first trip was in spring or summer, but I do remember it was before we had children. I also remember sitting at some outside tables at one of the taverns.
The trip that always comes to mind when I think of going to Colonial Williamsburg is a visit we took during the Christmas holidays. For some reason, I had decided that Williamsburg would be a great place to see Christmas lights. I had visions of tall trees inside the historic homes. I pictured all sorts of lights twinkling and blinking in the cold night air.
I’m really not sure if I was thinking these lights would be candles or if I was thinking of things electric. Whatever my thoughts, you can imagine my surprise to find Colonial Williamsburg filled with traditional colonial style Christmas decorations, using fresh greenery and fruits and vegetables, but no electric lights! I guess I learned I would need to travel to Disney World if I wanted to find a brilliantly lit Christmas!
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