October 14, 2012 -- West Virginia and home

My GPS has a bad habit of getting me off an exit too early and it obviously did that the previous night causing us to have the full tour of Beckley, West Virginia. It had me rather unnerved wondering where in the world this hotel would be. Seeing that it was next to a very packed IHOP and its own parking lot was full (apparently the bar at the Quality is the place to be on a Saturday night in Beckley), somehow didn't sway my concerns. I made Kent let us keep the light on (yes, I know I'm childish). Luckily no stink bugs.

Anyway, the next morning a bright blue sky greeted us. Sadly no make-you-own-waffles (maybe that's what we should ask for for Christmas, except then I will want waffles ALL the time), but there was good food and caffeine to send us on our way.

Seeing Charleston, West Virginia's capitol gold dome made me know we were in the home stretch and could then enjoy seeing the changing leaves, that on that day seemed to be just beginning, but now keep falling.

October 13, 2012 -- Norfolk, Virginia

There are three videos for this entry below.

Ah, the last day at Colonial Williamsburg. Yes, we did go there in the morning. Yes, I regret it. It seemed fine at first, surprisingly even getting very close parking on a Saturday, but then the shuttle driver decided that way more people than certainly would be legally allowed could ride. I haven't been that cramped in a tight moving vehicle since the London Metro. The difference is that I love London and HATE Colonial Williamsburg. This brought about a pretty intense near panic attack. My apologies to the two middle-aged women who I pushed past on my way getting out the back door.

Luckily by lunch time we were off to Norfolk, Virginia. It's not quite to Virginia Beach, but close. We did get to see the Chesapeake Bay on the way and go through a wild long tunnel ride on our way there.



The reason for going is that I checked out a Virginia guidebook for the trip and spotted the Chrysler Museum of Art, which has one of the largest glass collections in the country, as well as their own hot glass facility that has daily demonstrations. Their very friendly staff greeted us upon arrival and Kent was even able to get staff coffee from the guard since the cafe was closed and the coffee machine not working (we are far from Colonial Williamsburg). After drooling over their gorgeous Tiffany collection, we quickly went through their paintings before heading over to see some glass being made across the street. They have some of the traditional items like pumpkins to make or buy, as well as many non-traditional. It was a very cool facility and I wish we could have stayed longer.



Sadly we needed to hit the road in order to make it to our hotel in West Virginia, in order to split the trip going back in half, so we weren't able to walk around the lovely Ghent historic district near the Museum and the Hague River. Next time, if for no other reason than to ride the tunnel. Very interesting clouds that evening on our drive.

October 12, 2012 -- Richmond, Virginia

Thankfully we didn't spend all of our last three days at Colonial Williamsburg, or I'd be needing more than time to heal my wounds (and other people's wounds). On October 12, we parked near the Merchant's Square area to be closer to the the folk art museum. After taking it in, we were off to Richmond. We chose to the visit the Edgar Allan Poe Museum. It actually isn't a home of his, although he did grow up in Richmond. The museum doesn't allow photography or video inside, but I can tell you it has a large number of manuscripts, items of clothing he wore and furniture he used, along with other personal items. There is a great deal of history about his personal life and development as an author. It's a charming small museum, which was amusingly enough preparing for a wedding as we left. There was sadly no time to visit the Richmond Capitol, designed by Thomas Jefferson, so, once again, there was a drive by only.

We then met Kent's cousin and his family at Pizzaro's, which was very yummy. There was a final stop at Whole Foods after dinner, as I was tired of seeing bananas for $1.50 each at Colonial Williamsburg (I guess it would have been a luxury for the colonists too). Then back to the resort and bed.

October 11-13, 2012 -- The Colonial Williamsburg Saga

There are two videos for this blog entry.

They say time heals all wounds. Well, about a week after our vacation to Colonial Williamsburg, I have calmed down mostly, but I still HATE Colonial Williamsburg. I'd never been before, but it seemed like something one should do. Kent had visited with his family twenty years ago and enjoyed it, and hoped I would too. Sadly that did not happen.

I'm still trying to sort out why. I love historic buildings and decorative arts. I think its partially due to the fakeness of it all. Yes, there are a few historic buildings, but mostly its just the basements or fragments. The rest is all a re-creation. Basically it's Colonial Disney, with the overpriced tickets, horrible overpriced food (except for the baked goods at the Raleigh Tavern Bake Shop), and rude employees wearing costumes and who don't want to be there. The trick is that at Disney the costumes mask their faces so you can't see them rolling their eyes at you. Granted my slight food poisoning (or at least I think that was what it was) at the King's Arm Tavern, with our unbelievably surly waiter, did not make the first day there a good start. Mostly I think it was disappointment over what should be a serious and important part of our country's history being turned into such a crass commercial venture.

I did enjoy our visit to the two museums there, especially the folk art with its carousel with a cat. We listened to a beautiful pipe organ and harpsichord concert at one of the original churches still standing (until my stomach seized up -- sadly I didn't think to film it as I was feeling quite ill at that time). We did notice a difference between week day and weekend performers. The weekend ones were a bit more knowledgeable and actually seemed to want to be there.



My advice, if you wish to visit, is to just do the free stuff. You can park at the Visitor's Center for free and then walk over the bridge to the "historic area" (there's also fairly cheap garage parking close to the Merchant's Square area) and just wander through, stop and get some gingerbread cookies and apple cider at the Raleigh Tavern Bake Shop (yes, the staff aren't friendly, but the food isn't too over-priced there and it's good), then get the hell out! Don't go to the taverns, instead stop at one of the restaurants in Merchant's Square or near the College. The staff won't be wearing dorky costumes, but that means the prices will be lower, the food will be edible, and the servers won't slam the plates down in front of you (yes, that is what the server did to us at the King's Arm Tavern). Go to the museums, and then escape from the land of unpleasant people.

October 10, 2012 -- Washington, D. C. -- day 2

Thankfully my back was better by the morning, so after more make-your-own-waffles and other yummy food, and a minor annoyance at the Metro, we stopped at the National Museum of American History. I'm still riveted by that machine making the papers fly like birds and would have loved to actually step inside Julia Child's glass enclosed kitchen.

We continued our trek past the Washington Monument, yet again, and this time made it to the Martin Luther King Memorial (Lincoln will have to wait for the next trip). Even in stone I found him full of strength and determination. Walking back over the bridge, we looked on at the Jefferson Memorial, and then found our way to the National Museum of the American Indian. I could barely stop taking photos of the building. I can't even explain how much I love that building. Finally hunger drew us in to their Mitsitam Cafe, which was crazy expensive for lunch, but one of the best meals we had. They have food from all the Indian tribes in different stations and you're able to choose what you'd like. Kent chose the Great Plains dessert fry bread and that was a good choice.

We had a few minutes to see a little bit in the National Gallery. Unfortunately the Roy Lichtenstein show hadn't opened yet, but they hadn't blocked it off completely, so we could see a few images behind the ropes. I did stop at the gift shop (ever the tourist) after admiring the connection to the East wing. There were cool fountains everywhere we went it seemed.

October 9, 2012 -- Washington, D. C.

I hadn't been to D. C. since the last Democratic president was in office, so I was excited to go back. We decided to spend a few days in D. C. while in the area. After driving up to our Arlington hotel we took a short trip on the Metro, got a quick snack on the Mall, then began walking, and I do mean walking. I had forgotten how few and far between the Metro stops in D. C. were and how much walking you need to do to get to where you're going.

I ended up taking more still shots than video. I'm not quite sure why, but glad of it. There is a definite excitement there, even with all the bad politicians.

I filmed a bit on the Smithsonian Mall, taking in the carousel and the Hirshhorn sculpture garden before we spent the bulk of the afternoon at the International Spy Museum (no video or photography allowed, so you'll have to go yourself). It was very cool, but could have used more sitting areas. I keep forgetting about my back issues when we travel. Mostly it hasn't been a problem when we've been away, but we hadn't walked this much before. After having a lovely dinner with Kent's sister at Aria we attempted to make it to the Lincoln Memorial. The Washington Monument blinked out its lights to try to guide me in, but half-way down the reflecting pool I could go no further. I probably should have tried hailing a cab, but martyred myself to the walk back to the subway stop and then a steaming hot bath after much pain killers.

October 8, 2012 -- Jamestown & Yorktown, Virginia

There are three parts to the videos in today's blog below.

More rain came our way, but we trudged through it. It wasn't too bad in the morning as we visited Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in the Americas. The James River was quite lovely, but the sky gave a very overcast and slightly ominous feel to the place. It seems they really liked the pointed column monuments in this area. We made sure to shake hands with Pocahontas for luck and even got to listen to "John Smith" talk about those early days in America. After a quick bite to eat and some ginger ale at their cafe, we went through their museum.



We then headed over to Jamestown's hot glass facility, which was very cool to see. It wasn't quite the full authentic colonial way, but things haven't changed too much. After seeing the artisan make a vase, we then went back to the resort for lunch and for me to get some much needed work done.



After a short nap, Kent was ready to take us to Yorktown. We got there just as the visitor's center was closing, but were able to get a map, as the Yorktown battle sites, even in good weather, are apparently more a driving tour. The town is most famous as the site of the siege and subsequent surrender of General Cornwallis to General George Washington, and the French Fleet during the American Revolutionary War on October 19, 1781. Although the war would last for another year, this British defeat at Yorktown effectively ended the war that most Americans don't know about. Years ago I went to Denmark and visited a Viking battle site and felt rather unnerved. I felt even more so at Yorktown, probably due to both Revolutionary and Civil War sites in many of the same locations. After finishing our tour, we went over to the Riverwalk area, but as it is October and a bit past season, only Ben & Jerry's were (thankfully) open. We got free close parking and were able to get Green Mountain Coffee and in-store only ice cream and sorbets. There was a bit of a beach in Yorktown, but sadly it was not beach weather (just like last year in Scotland).

October 7, 2012 -- Colonial Williamsburg -- the good day

After Monticello and the University of Virginia, and a late dinner near campus, we arrived very late at our holiday resort. Kent was convinced we needed to buy the seven-day Historic Triangle pass for the trip, which would get us admission to Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. I felt the shorter pass made more sense, as we had plans to spend two days in Washington, D. C. and some time in Richmond and perhaps Norfolk, plus our first day would be spent mostly at Monticello. I wisely called the resort beforehand to see if they offered any deals other than what was online and was told we should wait for arrival and talk with their concierge. She was quite friendly and helpful, and did present us with the opportunity for two free three-day Colonial Williamsburg-only passes. The catch -- we had to sit through their time share presentation (hard-sell). The whole reason we were there was because Kent already is part of a vacation time share, but this resort had their own as well.

Since the weather forecast appeared rainy that next day, and the session wasn't until noon, that did allow us to sleep in, so we went. We had been told the session would be only 60 minutes and we'd receive lunch. Well, we were there an hour and a half, and that was mostly due to my glares at the sales guy at the end (he did not want us to go without selling us), and the food was horrible (a sad trend of the trip). I kept wanting to just tell the guy to get to the pitch. The growing hunger and boredom caused me to not be able to quickly tally how much the deal was. I kept thinking that what he was saying couldn't possibly be correct, but when he finally got to more paperwork it showed my math skills were better than I thought. They wanted $66,000 or more! I kept thinking how well we could travel on that kind of money. It also caused all the minor design flaws of what before that had been our perfectly acceptable suite. Anyway, we got our tickets, but since we were going to D.C. Tuesday and Wednesday, it made since to use them later in the trip.

Since the rain had thankfully ended, we decided to at least see what we could see without tickets at Williamsburg. The parking, very nice of them, is free at the Visitor's Center. We checked out the very large gift shops, used the facilities, then walked over the bridge (you need a ticket to ride the shuttle), which allowed us to see some of the area you don't normally see on the shuttle ride. With it being a Sunday in October, and a slightly rainy one, there were sparse crowds. We wandered around a little, then made it to the Merchants Square area, with more shops, an arts fair, and, most importantly, coffee.

After checking out the shops and buying some chocolate (what touristy place doesn't have a chocolate shop?) we walked over to the College of William & Mary. It was very quiet too, with only a handful of students hanging about. I've never seen a college with cannons. I saw them near castles in Denmark pointed at Sweden, but at a college it seemed quite odd, but much of the South I was reminded is still fighting these past wars.

After the college tour, we headed over to The Crust for some very good wood fired pizza and got to experience a group that had their own karaoke singer serenading all us with 60s and 70s songs. I still can't get a few of them out of my mind.

October 6, 2012 -- Monticello -- Charlottesville, Virginia

Thankfully there were no live stink bugs in our hotel room overnight. Kent told me not to look on the closed patio, which he said had many dead ones. After our make-your-own waffles breakfast that is all the rage, we left Lexington, Virginia behind. Off to Monticello we went.

Not surprisingly on a Saturday, it was busy, and we were waived in to the furthest parking lot, actually the staff parking. Yes, there was a line at the ticket desk, but it went quickly, the staff was quite friendly and welcoming, and the food at their restaurant was tasty and not horribly over-priced (more to come when I go in depth on this issue with Colonial Williamsburg later).

With the crowds and the valuable objects in the home, it is by timed tour only. We had a very knowledgeable tour guide. I couldn't take pictures or film inside, so you'll have to go yourself. I loved the library and his bedroom with the bed in a nook (which functioned better than the bed in the guest room). His grounds made me think of Biltmore with their rich variety and lushness. I was struck by how large his gravestone was compared to all the others in the family burial site, but I suppose that's to be expected.

After seeing all we could see at Monticello, we went in to Charlottesville and did our own tour of the University of Virginia, which Jefferson designed and looks a whole lot like Monticello. It apparently is in the midst of historic preservation, but that didn't stop a wedding couple from having their photos taken near the arcade.

October 5, 2012 -- On the road

Kent and I took a late vacation this year, to the Colonial Williamsburg area. Since we decided to drive, and since it's so long a drive (about 12 hours), we went up a day earlier and stayed in Lexington, Virginia in order to get to Monticello early on Saturday before arriving at our resort in Colonial Williamsburg that evening.

The skies in the West Virginia/Virginia area were very intense that night.

Finding out from the hotel clerk as we arrived that stink bugs had invaded the area made me more than a bit unsettled.