Experience Historic Colonial Virginia

“The cook will be pleased as punch to find you in his bed, he will.” Such an interesting way to begin my experience of historic Colonial Virginia.

Finding myself alone below deck on one of the replica ships moored at Jamestown Settlement in Virginia, I couldn’t help myself. The sleeping quarters looked cozy and comfortable and I had to try it out.

I will say that it was quite nice and comfortable. Actually, between the surprisingly plushy bed, the warmth inside after being in the November cold of Virginia and the gentle rocking of the ship, I could’ve fallen asleep. In my opinion, this was an awesome start to experiencing historic Colonial Virginia.

My husband and I had decided it would be valuable to give the kids a history lesson by visiting the first English settlement founded in North America, Jamestown (early 1600’s), before heading to Colonial Williamsburg which became the capital of the Virginia Colony in 1699.

We set out early from Richmond and arrived at Jamestown Settlement in about an hour. Not a bad drive at all. Hotels In Richmond

Jamestown proved to be a treasure trove of fun hands on experiences for all of us. One of the coolest was the three ships sitting on display and open to the public along the beautiful James River.

The Discovery, the Susan Constant, and the Godspeed are part of a living history open museum at Jamestown Settlement and can be boarded and explored at your leisure. This is a perfect opportunity to see first hand the conditions the settlers lived in on their voyage from England to Virginia around 1607.

Along with these incredible replicas of the actual ships, you can also explore a re-created colonial fort and Paspahegh Town depicting a Powhatan village where dressed historical actors go about a typical day in the early 1600’s.

This was a super fun and provided eye opening education for the entire family. You are allowed, and encouraged, to enter the dwellings, participate in the activities and to ask questions of informed demonstrators at your leisure.

Jamestown settlement is open year round except for Christmas Day and New Years Day. Admission rates for adults are $18.00. Youth tickets (ages 6-12) are $9.00. We purchased our tickets onsite.

You can easily do Jamestown settlement in a day. We spent three to four hours here before heading to Williamsburg, Virginia.

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Our next stop was the historic and quaint town of Colonial Williamsburg which is only an 18 minute drive from Jamestown, and a very pretty drive at that. We found Williamsburg to be a gold mine for the senses!

Dating back to 1632, Colonial Williamsburg is a time travel experience. Walking the old streets as the first colonists once did is both enlightening and enjoyable.

Charming era shops and buildings line the sides, townspeople work their trades and go about their 1600’s chores, churches are flanked by ancient cemeteries and oh…I hear horse hooves clomping somewhere behind me! Transportation to another era is complete!

I felt like a colonist.

And just to add butter to bread, while we were turning a corner, we stumbled upon a live reenactment with horsemen, yelling statesmen (some things never changed) and onlooking town folk. At another location, we happened upon marching colonists playing era drums and fifes.

All along this time travel lane are colonists of the time out performing their daily work and play. Women hang up clothes to dry or work in the courtyard garden. Soldiers stand along the edge of the road debating and men riding horses or driving horse drawn carriages extend greetings to neighbors and friends. This is such an authentic experience of historic Colonial Virginia that you can truly gain a glimpse into America’s past.

TRIPADVISOR TOURS AND ACTIVITIES IN COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG

Carriage rides, ghost tours, museums and either scheduled reenactments or the ongoing daily representation of a functioning colonial village are perfect ways to interact with the town. The leisurely vibe and friendly attitudes were the icings on top of an already delightful adventure.

@ holl7510

The grounds are open to everyone for free so take your time strolling the streets and exploring the buildings. Concerts may be going on throughout the area, especially in the summer months.

Colonial Williamsburg is open 365 days of the year. Most sites open at 9AM and close at 5PM but there can be an Evening Program occurring that will extend the evening hours.

The best part of the day was yet to come when suppertime led us to the selection of historic taverns along E. Duke Of Gloucester Street. There are several exquisitely charming taverns to choose from and I highly recommend this historic high point of the trip.

After a lengthy debate, they are all excellent choices, we ended up at SHIELDS TAVERN where we dined as the colonists…by candlelight and firelight while feasting on authentic 18th century cuisine.

Feeling warm and cozy in this lovely tavern that first opened in the early 1700’s, my joy increased when suddenly, I heard the beautiful melody of Greensleeves being played on a fiddle. As I stuffed my face with my delectable dinner, this wonderful man and his fiddle serenaded my family and me with beautiful renditions of colonial era music.

Truly one of the best dining experiences to add to the memory vault. Shields Tavern is definitely a restaurant I would recommend but there were others that also appeared to be quite nice as well:

Josiah Chowning’s Tavern is also along E. Duke Of Gloucester Street.

King’s Arm Tavern is on 416 E. Duke Of Gloucester Street.

Christiana Campbell’s Tavern is on 101 S. Waller Street

Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg made for astoundingly fun, interactive experiences of Colonial Virginia. I applaud everyone involved for their efforts in producing a living history that captures the essence of historic America.

My kids had a great time. They learned a valuable lesson about our nation’s history without them even realizing it.

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