Thursday, August 9, 2012

Colonial Williamsburg



I spent the last week in Colonial Williamsburg. Once a year I make the trek back into the 18th century. Since I love 18th century history it's the perfect place for me to escape modern life and reconnect with the past. When I mentioned that I was vacationing in Williamsburg, again this year, I got the "Oh that's nice" response from my friends. Don't be fooled into thinking that a visit to Colonial Williamsburg is a boring waste of time. On the contrary, there are interactive programs for the whole family and children especially are invited to participate with the actors in many of the activities. The actors do a good job at portraying events so that you feel almost like you are in the 18th century. I took some photos to share with you.


Wigmaker



Colonial Gardens


Basket-makers


Inside the Capitol

Messenger delivering message for the Governor





Don't worry about being bored in Williamsburg, there are plenty of other things to do besides the Colonial activities, Busch Gardens, plantations and other historic sites and plenty of shopping.

  The Williamsburg Pottery Factory has a reputation for bargains on everything from cooking supplies and gourmet foods to frames and floral arrangements. The original Pottery was housed in large steel buildings that interconnected where you could literally shop until you dropped and since it was not air conditioned it often got very hot. The new Pottery although a lot nicer and air conditioned, doesn't have the same charm that the old Pottery did. It's laid out like a store rather than a warehouse. There are still bargains but you really need to know your prices to ensure that you are getting a true bargain. I did get a heavy French souffle dish for $14 versus $40 on line and my husband got a large crab steaming pot for $49 versus $100 on line. The Pottery does offer senior citizen discounts to those 55 and over and military personnel discounts. The Pottery is only a short ride from the Prime Outlets with brand name stores. There's a Dooney and Burke factory store with great prices and fantastic sales. They sell seconds which are often bags with slightly irregular stitching or overstocks of their first quality bags.


New Pottery


















Old Williamsburg Pottery Factory

















Since Brittany and I love to knit we had to make a stop to the Knitting Sisters on our way home from Busch Gardens.  The Knitting Sisters is a large well stocked yarn shop that is run by two sisters. The owners are very knowledgeable and helpful. We were looking for sock yarn and they suggested Mountain Colors yarn (their favorite). We liked the yarn so much that Brittany and I bought five skeins. They also helped Brittany to pick out a beginner sock pattern. Now that we are back home and knitting with the Mountain Colors yarn we are so glad that the Knitting Sisters suggested this yarn to us.

This is the sock that I'm knitting from Mountain Colors Crazyfoot  Alpine Color.