Thursday, March 8, 2012

The Wayback Machine

I like Williamsburg in winter. The smell of manure in mid-summer may be more authentic, but I enjoy the doors decorated with fruit wreaths, the crisp winter air, and the smell of wood fires providing some warmth to the re-enactors in their shops.

This was the day before Grand Illumination before Christmas, so the place was, unfortunately, mobbed. The lovely weather brought out the locals, including William and Mary students, so the streets were often packed.

The museum had an exhibit on early American maps which provided a fascinating look at the way mapmakers helped shape political opinion by their choice of boundaries, labels, and symbols on the maps. There was a little anti-colonial preaching, but this was kept to a tolerable level.

The Lodge is a convenient place to stay, as it is close to the Williamsburg Inn and only a block from the historical area. However, it has one drawback: the thinnest walls I have ever encountered. I could hear the woman next door speaking in a conversational tone as though she were in the same room with me. Several of the wooden boards on the floor in my room squeaked badly. I can only imagine what the people directly below thought...

(All pictures taken with an iPhone. I experimented with going without a dedicated camera for the trip.)

Williamsburg  Governor mansion 2

The Governor's Mansion

Williamsburg Christmas tree

Christmas tree in the museum.

Williamsburg model train

Miniature train and village display in the Lodge

Williamsburg street

Hmm…spiked hot chocolate?

Williamsburg  house door

Door with fruit wreath

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