Virginia

So now we are in Virginia, one of my favorite states. Why? Because, number one, it is one of the first colonies established in America, two, the landscape is amazing, and three….they have good ham. But, really, there are a lot of cool things to see here, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown, and others. The first one we saw was Williamsburg.

If any of you have been to a renaissance festival, just imagine that, but colonial times. Colonial Williamsburg is exactly that, with costumed re-enactors, shops, and even merchandise, just as it was back in Revolutionary War times. First, of course, you have to buy your tickets. But once you do, if not for all the field trip groups, you feel like you are back in 1774. You can either walk to the village or take the bus. We took the bus, because we wanted to spend as much time as possible in the village itself . When we arrived, we immediately started to look around. There are plenty of things to see, for anything you might want. There is of course the Governor's Palace, which is very impressive. Inside are hundreds of swords, guns, and other weapons lining the walls as decorations. The size is not overall very large, but it makes up for the lack of size by having lots of windows and mirrors. Once iside, it makes you feel like you are in a very large house. Yet, in every room, there is the royal seal, always above you, to remind you that the king is always more important than you are. There are shops for shoes, clothes, kitchen tools (such as silverware, dishes, etc.), and furniture. Then there are also educational places such as the shoemakers, blacksmith, magazine (no, not Life magazine, it's a weapons armory), and more. I liked the blacksmith shop, and the shoemaker, but my favorite was probably the book maker. If you don't already know, I am somewhat of a book fanatic. So anything that has to do with books is something I'm interested in. The book makers don't print the books, they make the bindings, probably the most important part. Back then, a book was a significant investment, so you wanted your book to last. Thus, the bindings were important. The bookmaker showed us how he makes the bindings, and designs the cover. Then, after we had finished looking at all the shops, we headed over to the main street for the re-enactment. The re-enactment is where they illustrate what the people felt like and did at the time of the Revolutionary war. It was very interesting, the only problem was that it was held wherever that event took place in the village. So when one act was finished, we would all get up and follow the actors to the next place. So we decided to skip a few of the performances we weren't really interested in (for example, some of the things that sounded like a soap opera, "Can their love withstand this trial? Or will they be split…forever?" I half expected someone to be handing out Reader's Digest, "Someone. Will. DIE. Who will it be this time?") but overall it was a very good and educational show.

Then we went to Jamestown. Jamestown is reputed to be the oldest English settlement in the original 13 colonies. First, we looked around the museum until it was time for the movie. The movie was very interesting, explaining the reason the English took interest in establishing colonies in the Americas. Then we headed to the fort, where they demonstrated the hardships the English colonists went through. I got to try on some armor (photo) and we also watched a matchlock rifle firing (photo). Then we headed to the ships, where we saw where the colonists traveled and lived for months (with no shower and almost no living space, by the way). But on our way out we heard about an exhibit called military through the ages, where volunteers demonstrate the weapons and tactics used from Medieval times through the Vietnam war. So, the next day, Dad and I went back. I felt like I was in heaven. There were weapons, armor, and guns galore (photos). But then, after all our fun, we had to leave. I had to be dragged away from the flails and maces, but such things must be.

Then, finally, there was Yorktown. Yorktown was the final battle of the Revolutionary War. George Washington and Lafayette's armies engaged Cornwallace at Yorktown, trying to trap him against the French fleet. Cornwallace placed half his men across the river, serving as cover in case he lost and had to retreat. He did lose, but he couldn't retreat. The French fleet had blockaded the river, preventing either side from meeting and making a defense. Cornwallace surrendered, ending the Revolutionary war.

The first thing we did was go to the museum. At the museum, they have interactive exhibits that tell you the stories of all the people during the Revolution. They also have a very good movie that tells you the stories of the American soldier living in the trenches at Yorktown. Then, we looked at the exhibits some more, which included an actual printed copy of the Decleration of Independance, an in-depth look at all the battles of the war. And, finally, there was a cannon firing demonstration. I was just in the middle of telling Mom how they should allow people who demonstrate knowledge of how to fire a gun to do so (being myself one of these people), when they called for volunteers. I was selected for Primer, the man who primes the powder hole and pours the powder. Now, unfortunately they did not give me real powder. But the package that I had to open with my teeth sure tasted like black powder (sputter cough hack wheeze). Then, after we were done with our non-powder demonstration, they fired the gun for real. Then we headed to the surgeon's tent. A nice place to be. That's where they tell you exactly why and how they amputate limbs (seeing as that was the response to a lot of things, "Hey, where are you injured?" "Oh. I got a cut on my leg." "Where's my saw?"). But, no, really they were surprisingly well-equiped for some things. In fact, some of the medicines that they used we still use today, even though they were unaware of the existance of bacteria.

After we were done, we headed out of Virginia. The climate is agreable, the people are relatively nice (there are always a few meanies), and the landscape is beautiful. There are also many historical places to see, along with those I just mentioned. I would highly recommend a trip to this state.