Back in Time

We had what was quite possible the best family vacation ever for the last half of break. We set off Wednesday morning for Williamsburg! We took the little extra time to arrive via ferry:

  The kids absolutely loved it! I drove up so Brad could work, and that will be the first, last, and only time I drive a vehicle onto a ferry. They pack you in like sardines, and I like a bit more room to negotiate. But, the ride was beautiful!

We started our vacation in Jamestowne exploring the first permanent English colony:

 I love that it is truly a living museum. Nothing was off limits. The kids were not too sure about traveling to the New World as a passenger, but they thought they might be able to do it as officers based on the beds:

 The highlight there was definitely learning about the English soldiers that settled the fort. Issa tried on the armor:

 And we all loved watching the flintlock musket demo. We were so captivated we took no pictures, but we did spend nearly an hour listening to the soldier and learning so much!

Wednesday night, we ate dinner at one of the taverns. The kids loved the entertainment--especially the story teller. Brad loved hearing the doctor speak. The kids also discovered tavern root beer is amazing. Evan also decided he was over pictures:

 I did capture this moment:

 Because why not sleep with your musket?

Thursday and Friday we explored Williamsburg:

 We all loved every moment. We participated in the storming of the palace, and by the end we weren't sure whose side we were on anymore.

We also had lunch at the Cheese Shoppe, which is incredible. While I loved my sandwich, Issa fell in love with their pickles:

 The highlight for me was touring the capital:

 To think we were sitting where Jefferson and Henry and Washington stood was amazing.

We also got into a little trouble:

 The other highlight was watching the mustering of the militia:

It was the first time any of us had seen a cannon fired:

 We were continually impressed by the knowledge of the people everywhere we went! The kids spent a lot of time learning about trades and our history. Brad and I were challenged to think about history in a new way. We even had lunch at one more tavern!

We ended our day with one last visit at the Cheese Shoppe with tavern root beers:

It was truly a perfect trip, and we can't wait to go back!