Williamsburg and Yorktown, Virginia. Our history lesson continues.

We are now heading south and our last big history lesson involved coming to Williamsburg, VA, which has preserved a portion of it's downtown to teach about revolutionary history.  The entire working force and small town is in the original colony form, including the governors manor, Capitol, homes, taverns and even the slave houses and plantations that would have existed.  I had to remember that we the colonies were BRITISH, not American.....yet.  The British flag flies clearly all over the colony.

On the plantation.  Crushing the corn for corn meal.

A slave lets us in his house and explains what he does for every day and how he lives.

Inside the abode, we learn that 15 or more slaves lived here. Children on the ground, many without blankets. If you walked, you worked.

Outside, another slave gave the kids a GREAT talk about how everyone in the house contributed to the family and sat to the table with grateful and thankful hearts.  If they did not do chores with a grateful heart, they did not eat.  He then asked them if they were grateful helpers.  I liked him A LOT.

Beautiful original tunnels into Williamsburg

Transportation!

Exploring the governors house which was very showy with lots of guns and swords.

A great actor in colonial dress gave us a tour of what the British governor's house looked like and how he and his family fled as the patriots and British began to near the point of war.

Near the end of the tour in the ballroom

Walking the streets to shop, eat and talk to the colonists!

The Declaration of Independence read out loud!

The canons are fired!  Notice how scared the people are. 

A local girl showed Matt how to whip the ox when they are working.

The yoked oxen were hauling wood across the grass.  Alex tried to pet one, but was told to step back as they were "working"

She likes riding on her brothers shoulders

Very friendly colonist

A certain change in the weather brought rain all night and drizzle the next day.  We discovered an outlet mall near by us and to my surprise, Matt wanted to go.  I know, I had to ask twice if he was feeling well.  It was a fantastic outlet though with all the goodies;  Nike, Adidas, North Face, Columbia, Ann Taylor, Gap etc...  We stocked up on jackets and new shoes.  We have walked right out of our shoes.  We headed out to Yorktown, in hopes of biking the battlefield, but it was too cold! Quite a different day from yesterday. Our new coats helped.

More canons at the battlefield of Yorktown

Will she be an actor or a soldier??  Or just a ham....

 End of Day 75.  We are officially two days away from beating our old record of lasting 77 days in the RV.  Interesting enough, even with our adventurous days, our boys would return home in a heartbeat.