The Wandering Disciple

Towering over the street, the Governor's Mansion at Colonial Williamsburg was once the home of the most powerful man in British America.  The palace was home to seven governors of the Royal Colony of Virginal and then two post colonial governors until the capital was relocate to Richmond.  The original house burnt down in 1781 but was reconstructed in the early 1930's.  Today it is one of many colonial buildings that can be toured as part of the Colonial Williamsburg living history museum.  (Photo: April 25, 2004)

A field of colorful flowers brightens the ground in front of a home in the historic district of Williamsburg. Much of the historic district is preserved to spotlight the events surrounding the American Revolution. (Photo: April 25, 2005)

The flower are in full bloom in the palace gardens at the Governors Palace at Colonial Williamsburg. (Photo: April 25, 2004)

A musician plays in Market Square at Colonial Williamsburg.  The clock is turned back to 18th century to show visitors what life was like during the American revolution. Restored buildings and historical interpreters help to make history come alive. (Photo: April 25, 2004)

A tunnel take drivers of the Colonial Parkway underneath the historic district of Colonial Williamsburg. The 23 mile Colonial Parkway connects Virginia's history triangle. The Colonial Parkway starts in Jamestown, passes through Williamsburg and ends in Yorktown. (Photo: April 24, 2004)

A historical interpreter leads guests on a tour through the Governor’s Mansion at Colonial Williamsburg. History comes alive at Colonial Williamsburg through stories told by historical interpreters, transporting visitors from present day to the colonial era under the British crown. (Photo: April 25, 2004)

Step back in time to the day when the British Crown was in control and a revolution was building. A trip to Colonial Williamsburg is like a time machine, transporting you back to the American Revolution. Travel the streets in a horse drawn carriage and envision what life was like during these times. (Photo: April 25, 2004)

Williamsburg, Virginia: During the American independence from Great Britain, Williamsburg was the forefront of the efforts. Though careful historical research, much of the area has been preserved and operates as it would have during the 1770’s. Today the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation operates a living museum where the past comes to life, allowing visitors an insight to life during the revolution. Following the European’s settlements in Jamestown, they settlers began to move further north resulting in the colonization of Williamsburg area in 1638. It became known as Middle Plantation. During Bacon’s Rebellion in 1676 the capitol in Jamestown was burnt down, so leaders decided to temporarily relocate the House of Burgesses to the Middle Plantation. After the Jamestown capitol was destroyed for a second time in 1698, the House of Burgess decided to permanently relocate the capitol to Middle Plantation and the village was renamed Williamsburg in honor to King William III. The col...

Williamsburg, Virginia: Today we spent the day touring Colonial Williamsburg. We began our tour at the visitor’s center. We chose the Governor’s Key to the City Pass, which allowed us access to all the historic buildings along with a tour of the Governor’s Palace. We hopped on a bus to the historic district and began our tour of the city on foot. With the passes, we took inside tours of the Governor’s Mansion, Wythe House, Capitol, Courthouse, Jail and more. In addition to the inside tours, we also toured many of the building from the exterior. The historic district really comes to life with the history interpreters on staff. They act as if it was April 25, 1775 rather than present day. All talk and acting from the staff is recreations of events that occurred during that time. After a while you forget that you are in the present day. After a long day with lots of walking. We boarded the truck and headed back to Delaware. There we will get some rest before hitting the road a...

Williamsburg, Virginia: Located just outside the historic district of Williamsburg, the Days Inn Historic Williamsburg is just minutes away from the attractions of the historic triangle. Close proximity to all the tourist attractions makes this hotel a safe choice for those trying to maximize their time. The hotel features 120 guestrooms with a few suites and deluxe rooms. There is a heated swimming pool, fitness center and game room to keep everyone entertained while they are at the hotel. The key feature of the hotel is the lobby area. The lobby features a sitting area with a fireplace reminiscent of homesteads of the colonial era. The lounge also has fresh coffee, tea and cookies throughout the day. The hotel is a twelve time winner of the Chairman’s Award, however is definitely showing its age. It is a great stay for the value but a facelift is desperately needed. A renovation in 2008 added pillow top mattresses to all the rooms so hopefully they took the opportunity to cle...

Jamestown, Virginia: We hit the road early in the morning enroute to Williamsburg, Virginia. We hit the road early as we had a five hour drive in front of us. Along the way, we crossed through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel. The twenty three mile structure features two tunnels that connects the eastern shore of Virginia with the mainland. Once we arrived in Williamsburg, we headed over to Busch Gardens Williamsburg. However we did not remain there long, actually never making it past the front gates. The number of people and large lines already at the gates combined with the unorganization of the staff sent us back to our truck looking for a new plan. We are season ticket holders for Busch Gardens Tampa and receive discounted admission to the other parks, however while trying to get our discounted passes, we were sent from line to line then to guest services and back into line several times without even getting tickets. So we left the park and headed to the hotel to check...