History's Variety: A Day in Richmond

Richmond, VA--close but far.  It's an easy drive from the Roanoke Valley, and it is a whole different place.  It's also full of treasures--multiple museums, National Parks sites, just plain interesting places. J had heard that the Virginia Historical Society was running a fun special exhibit on toys, and we had to go see what overlapping things we own or with which we played.  Really.

The Toys of the 50s, 60s, and 70s exhibit alone was worth every effort to visit.  This is a grand display of true life as it was often imagined from a Sears Wish Book, complete with period living rooms and commercials to watch.  Items on display range from Raggedy Ann dolls to Barbie Dream Houses, early Legos to lawn darts.  The interpretation makes it easy to understand changes in toys related to changes in parenting styles and popular culture overall.  In the back of the exhibit, there are a few play spaces including a Nerf ball area in a simulated garage that will remind you of the Brady Bunch backyard.  There's a modest cost ($10 per non-member adult).   We're often flattered to be asked how to help young people interact with museums and understand their relevance--it isn't hard to engage kids in conversation about personal and family history here.

The Virginia Historical Society itself is a free museum (excepting special exhibits) to visit with interesting galleries.  There's a large exhibit of Virginia's story, prehistory to the present, that includes many interesting artifacts and some interactivity.  Other exhibits focus on various firearms, silver, interesting Virginia homes, and the like.  The Landscapes of Virginia exhibit is an excellent primer on Virginia geography, too.  If you have a student in Virginia and US History (usually about 4th/5th grade), everything here is on point with the curriculum expectations.  Additionally, part of the museum was once known as the "Battle Abbey" and pays tribute to the US Civil War, including through lovingly-restored large murals.  The gift shop is splendid, featuring a good selection of academic resources as well as more popular-press histories at various price points. Our least-expensive buy, a book on Jewish history in the Commonwealth, was just $1.

After the museum visit, we took our National Parks Service Passports and went over to Tredegar Iron Works, a site at which many Civil War-era cannons were made.  Interestingly interpreted, the Iron Works is a site of American history as well as industrial history.  The interpretation includes information about Richmond, about the Civil War, and about industrialization in the region.  E completed the Junior Ranger program here to his enjoyment and at no cost.

At the Virginia Historical Society, there's free onsite parking--and the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (also free) is right next door.  At Tredegar, you'll pay to park--but a pretty modest $5/day.  Just take the parking times seriously--you have to have your car out before the lot closes for the evening or pay a hefty $50 fee to have the gates opened.  If you go and do this same trip, take some snacks and eat dinner as your main meal.  We headed out to the Short Pump area for a bunch of options.

Science Reinvented: Science Museum of Virginia, Richmond

Recently, we were in Richmond for a special event (congratulations new Lay Ecclesiastical Minister Melissa!) and decided to exercise our ASTC Passport membership again and visit the Science Museum of Virginia.  It had been a long time since I'd visited--probably honestly since the 1990s--and I'd heard they'd done some renovations including some updates this year.  The museum had a decidedly fresher look--and better yet, it was a ton of fun.

Visitors are immediately welcomed to the highly-interactive Speed gallery, a new set of exhibits that feature physics concepts in a way that engages most everyone.  Well-staffed by volunteers and others, the gallery allows visitors to race virtual mice and to play table hockey with a robot.  As we were told, the robot, advantaged with calculations about trajectories, always wins.  In the same gallery, there's a new Science on a Sphere theatre, and the presentation there, included in the cost of admission, was fuller and more interactive than any similar presentation we've seen.  For E, it was great fun to see the sphere "become" various planets he's studied.

Other areas in the museum include a small collection of living specimens including snakes and spiders and an interesting (if a bit more worn) exhibit about the human body.  We also enjoyed a brief performance of trained rats playing basketball.  Yes, you read that correctly, and any adult who has ever completed a behavioral science class of any kind shouldn't miss it...and the kids still find it funny.  We didn't explore the full museum--there are other exhibits and, for additional charge, Dome theatre movies.  If travelling with younger kids, don't miss LightSpace, the new exploratory area downstairs for those 5ish and under.  There's a place to climb!  The only drawback is that the area is not gated, which can complicate supervision.  While at the museum, visit the outdoor area where the trains in this restored stations used to arrive.  It's easy to imagine the glamour of travel in another century there among the platforms, a fabulous possible event venue.  Don't worry, previous visitors--the giant pendulum still hangs in the 5-story rotunda!

If you go, know you are very, very close to the Children's Museum of Richmond's Broad Street location, a fun stop for the littles, and are also conveniently beside a McDonald's if you are feeling fast food. There are also picnic tables available at the back of the science museum's outdoor area. If you will be travelling back west on I-64 later, stop at Tom Leonard's Farmers Market on the way home.  It's just plain cute--and there tend to be free samples of good food and solid deals on local produce.

Returning to the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts: Napoleon and More

As our blog regulars are aware, Kim and kids E and G made a trip to see a special exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts this spring, taking in Terracotta Warriors.  While this exhibit has moved on, the VFMA is still a great day trip for anyone visiting Richmond or within driving distance to it. 

As part of our anniversary celebration, Kim and Justin took on the museum as adults with a highlight being the summer special exhibit Napoleon: Power and Splendor.  It closes September 3--so if you are still looking for something to do this weekend, here's a great idea!  It's headed to Kansas City, MO, next.  In Richmond, the exhibit is in an immersive space and will occupy serious museum goers as long as you'd like in multiple galleries.  There is plenty to ponder by way of the ways both wealth and visuals affect the way we perceive power, and you'll enjoy portraiture, sculpture, and decorative arts.  We were delighted to find teachers were admitted free to this special exhibit, a tradition continuing from Terracotta.

As always, the VFMA main galleries have free admission. Host to a large collection, the museum is definitely a place you can spend a day.  On this visit, we particularly appreciated opportunity to spend time in the area devoted to Russian art, including the Faberge Eggs.  The collection of older pieces, including items truly from the ancient world, is simply pretty amazing.  Their website features an interactive map that will help you focus on art from particular areas of the world if you wish.  You can also eat on site with two quality options.  We chose Best Cafe--a little stop with clear references to the former Best department stores.

If you go, allow time to be outside on the grounds if at all possible. There are interesting sculptures, and we found a Civil War commemorative chapel to explore unexpectedly.  Lots of Richmonders seem to walk, work, and generally relax here, which is lovely. Also consider taking in the Virginia Museum of History and Culture.  We were disappointed that their admission structure had changed, but we still had a great time and particularly enjoyed the work of folk artist Queena Stovall of Lynchburg, on display now til October 14.

Travelling and Pausing: Edward Hopper and the American Hotel

Travel is such a gift to me.  I'd rather travel than do or have most anything, and I make my best memories with others when I am "out and about," typically.  Business travel focuses me; solo travel begets adventure; kid/couple/friend travel makes the best memories.  Travel removes distraction, creating bursts of both activity and rest.  I do better with both the extremes and the balance it ironically creates.

Will I take the opportunity to travel to see an exhibit that explores American travel and transience?  Of course.  Enter Virginia Museum of Fine Arts (Richmond, Virginia) and its current special exhibit Edward Hopper and the American Hotel, open until February 23, 2020.  The exhibit, curated by VMFA staff and at its only East Coast venue, is worth a look for anyone interested in twentieth-century American culture, hospitality, and/or art.  Western Motel and Hotel Lobby are both included, as are some artifacts of Hopper's connection to Richmond and the VMFA.

Wonderfully curated, the exhibit gives attention to Hopper's art, of course, including paintings and sketch studies.  It incorporates information from the Hopper road trip diaries, mainly completed by Jo Hopper, as well as period postcards and hospitality trade periodicals.  It juxtaposes similar works of art for your reflection, including several three-dimensional pieces by others.  Recreations of two areas of Hopper hotels, including a room you can book a stay in and a reconstructed lobby, add both realism and fun.  (Did you catch that in the image of Western Motel above and the images of Hotel Lobby below?)  The interpretive signs are equal parts art analysis and American culture.

You'll have time and space to think about travel, escape, Durkheim's anomie, and cultural change.  It's a great exhibit to take in alone or with a good conversational partner.

Things to Know

• VMFA is always free to enter.  Parking is $6, unless you are a member.  Roanoke area friends, if you are a member at the Taubman Museum of Art, your membership is reciprocal here.  You are actually in the VMFA database as a family membership, and you park free!  Watch for periods during which the Taubman sells annual memberships at a bit of a discount -- we caught a sale in April 2019.  The helpful staff was even willing to look up my membership for me -- although traveling with a card would have been easier.  
• Special exhibits at VMFA have timed tickets.  I was able to walk up and access a time slot, but this is not always true, so consider planning ahead.  Virginia educators are free with ID as are VMFA members (including Taubman members as mentioned).  
• You are very close to the Virginia Museum of History and Culture, and it's a good idea to plan to take a break on the VMFA grounds.  It's a good spot for a picnic and includes a collection of sculpture.  VMFA is large enough for a day trip easily depending on your personal museum preferences.  I easily spent about two hours in the Hopper exhibit.
• It's worth knowing the VMFA special exhibit calendar.  I'm looking forward to Treasures of Ancient Egypt: Sunken Cities in 2021, and we very much enjoyed Terracotta Warriors and Napoleon.  

For Further Exploration

• An exhibit book, available for about $40, provides a good exploration of content of the exhibit.  Additionally, you can take an audio tour of this exhibit and several others -- bring your device and earbuds!  
• There are some interesting works by others included -- my favorite was the Robert Cottingham photo-realistic oil painting below.

• And in the category of "just so nifty," this exhibit is one of Fifty Reasons to Travel This Fall from Forbes Travel Guide.

Hidden History: Petersburg National Battlefield Park

For Labor Day weekend, we visited Petersburg National Battlefield Park, an excellent destination for families of all interest levels in the US Civil War.  We had been impressed by the park on a previous visit, and it continues to be a well-interpreted, surprising, and off-the-beaten path site.  This time, we found extremely friendly rangers, a simple-and-effective Junior Ranger badge program, and no entry fee (it was small before but has been dropped).

The history of the site is simply impressive.  Petersburg is the start of modern trench warfare (and provides a contrast to the understanding of earlier trench warfare you can obtain in nearby Yorktown, just 45 miles away "as the crow flies").  This is also one of the best sites we've found in Virginia for African-American Civil War History. Of course, no visit is complete without seeing the famed Dictator mortar, a huge cannon of sorts with about a 2-mile range, incredible for the time.  Also not to be missed?  A visit to the Crater site, now even more approachable thanks to some resurfacing of the direct path to the tunnel.  The Battle of the Crater, part of the 9-month long siege interpreted at the park, will tap your interests in military tactics, spying, infighting, and more. Our sense is it is little studied in most history classrooms, but it is one of the most interesting historic sites within driving distance of Roanoke, Virginia, period--and regular readers know that we have a good frame of reference for our rating.

While you are there, we highly recommend finding the recently-restored Poplar Grove National Cemetery.  Much smaller than Arlington, visitors can feel as if you have fully seen this site within a relatively short time.  Take time to wander and reflect, and if you read grave markers carefully, you will find soldiers from both the US Civil War and the Spanish American War, interesting placements of Confederate dead in a national cemetery, rows of US Colored Troops who died quite valiantly, and numerous unknown soldiers.  There is an interpretive leaflet available from boxes at the site that will help you understand the context of the cemetery.

If you go, start at the Visitors Center and take in the introductory film that plays on the hour and half-hour.  Get out and enjoy nature while you visit, which will also afford you a better understanding of what the area's land was like 150 years ago. Good news: It won't be hard to take a walk in the forest on a standard visit.  There are two small "hikes" we particularly recommend for families--the path to the Dictator mortar near the visitor's center that also help guests understand the features of the earthwork trenches, and the very accessible (flat) .5-mile trail into the woods at stop three on the driving trail.  Consider taking a snack lunch or picnic (there are plenty of picnic tables at driving tour stop four) so that you do not need to leave the site for a break, which may require a bit of driving.  If you are combining trips, you are also very near Richmond National Battlefield Park and will even find signs for the park on some of the routes in to Petersburg.

Cemetery-As-A-Park: Lynchburg's Old City Cemetery

It was time to take a brief trip out of town, and we went searching for something unique to do that wouldn't take tons of time or energy in honor of Justin's birthday.  Kim hit the Roanoke Valley Convention and Visitors' Center, and upon picking up a pamplet featuring Lynchburg's Old City Cemetery, the where-to-go decision was easy.  We've been to Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Virginia, and we've read all about how the Gettysburg, Pennsylvania, area developed as a park/burial ground.  Our little trip to Lynchburg provided similar fascination--and a quick getaway from the Roanoke area as we awaited baby Gwen.

In short, the cemetery is a delightful place for an interesting garden walk.  There are civil war period graves, there's an ash garden for pets, and there's a pretty little garden pond. The cemetery also features several "museums," perhaps better termed displays and exhibits, that are worth a stop to hear the associated audio.  We especially enjoyed the Pest House Medical Museum, an interesting glimpse into hygeine and health in early Lynchburg, and the Hearse House and Caretakers' Museum, a memorial of sorts to those who've maintained the impressive cemetery grounds.  Expect to see some minor archeological digging and to be welcomed by friendly staff in the Cemetery Center (do plan to go when the center is open, typically 10-3 Monday-Saturday).  Think about the number of staff and volunteers dedicated to the site--it's impressive!  One challenge: parking, especially on the prom weekend we visited--many teens were on site to be photographed with their dates.    Consider planning your visit when you can most enjoy a nice walk, probably in the Virginia spring or fall. 

When in the Lynchburg area, we always have to direct families with kids to Little Dickens, a fabulous book-and-brainy-toys store that also features a small cafe and a wide selection of used books for various audiences.  One can find local interest books here as well.  Too bad their website does not seem to be accessible as we blog--but do GPS their address, 2236 Lakeside Drive. 

Relevant Twitter Handles:
@visitlynchbrgva 

Pop Art and Huntopia: Back to the Taubman Museum of Art

We are proud members of the Taubman Museum of Art, a museum that always delights with unique and frequently-changing exhibits.  In the displays, there's something "modern," something "traditional," and something unexpected -- what a collection.  On a recent weekend, we stopped in to see the special exhibit Pop Power from Warhol to Koons.

I did need to give the kids a little context on the emergence of modern art, but even with a light treatment of the topic, they enjoyed the exhibit.  We found a sculpture that looked like it could have inspired Funko collectibles, a cool composite portrait of Seinfeld girlfriends, and collections of dots that made E ponder the definition of art.  G's favorites were Warhol images; E appreciated Gazing Ball (Koons).  There are selfie opportunities and cool events (sample here) associated with the works to explore, and the Leiber handbags currently on display are pop-art themed.  Speaking of photo ops, didn't E wear the perfect shirt?

We were also so very glad to stumble upon Huntopia, a world of color, delightfully replicating themes, and novel combinations.  As I put it, I wanted to live in the fanciful yet homelike exhibit which also features furniture and even has some elements on loan from Black Dog Salvage.  I just found this exhibit so delightful, and it ranks with Play, a previous special exhibit, and the amazing piece Corrugated Fountain among my favorite Taubman experiences.

In other exhibit news, both kids were pretty amazed at the works of Julie Speed, which are reminiscent of Hieronymus Bosch.  G was also quite immersed in the Giuseppina Giordiano: Please, Teach Me the Language of a Rose space.

Things to Know

• If you have kids with you, allow for playtime in Art Venture.  On our recent visit, 10-year-old E enjoyed the ample supply of Legos while G made new friends, putting on a play and painting leaf rubbings.  One of the great benefits of Art Venture is the amount of supplies and playthings available -- and the staff takes care to create enriching extension activities associated with the works on display.  

• General admission (exclusive of special exhibits and Art Venture) is free!
• It's worth your investment to become a member of the museum, even with the free admission to the main galleries, especially if you have kids or live close.  We maintain a family membership, catching renewals on sale through social media promotions.  This allows free access to Art Venture, special exhibits, and fun after-hours events for members only. Taubman members also enjoy reciprocity with the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond.  They have a similar model for free general admission, but members get free parking and special exhibit entry as a perk.  
• The museum is close to several unique restaurants in the Roanoke Market area.  On our recent visit, we were very pleased to eat at Cedars where the kids tried Lebanese food.  Speaking of the market area, we can't wait to return and check out the Chimes public art installation this February.
• We usually park at the Tower Parking Garage (Roanoke City public parking) -- Coupon Kim gets excited free days on the weekends.  

Merry Christmas, Williamsburg!

By far, one of the most beautiful Christmas sites in Virginia is Williamsburg. Colonial Williamsburg's creative decorations demonstrate ingenuity in as much as they are attractive. A walk through the colonial area (which does not require a visitor's pass) is an inexpensive delight that lasts long into the season, as Williamsburg marks Christmas through Epiphany (January 6). The tours offered by the Foundation help one to appreciate the "how" of the decorating--and encourage walks off the beaten path--and are valuable if time permits. If you have visitor's passes, visit the Rockefeller home sporting its 1950s Christmas decor, too!

Now, Christmas visits are also possible at gorgeous Busch Gardens Williamsburg, a real festival of Christmas lights in Christmas Town. The park, which is open in the late-day/evening seasonally, impressed us with a twinkling Peace on Earth display and a skycar ride over above thousands of holiday lights. Elijah enjoyed the Christmas on Sesame Street show, a perfect length for a toddler's attention span. We hit a small artic animal exhibit called Polar Pathway right before park close, resulting in sharply-reduced wait times and good "look time" for a young child. Know that Christmas Town is a time for taking in shows and decor more than rides.

If you go, know that you will also encounter outlet shopping in the Williamsburg area, adding to the holiday potential of such a trip. Merchants' Square in the colonial area boasts specialty store shopping including an upscale toy store and the Peanut Shop of Williamsburg, a great place to snack on samples and buy stocking stuffers. Additionally, there's excellent Christmas ornament shopping at Bassett's and Christmas Mouse. As frequent visitors to the area, we recommend eating at Food for Thought, a unique American restaurant, and Milano's, a quiet Italian place, both on Richmond Road. For lodging, try Colonial Williamsburg's Woodlands (nice walk to the historic area), the economical Governor's Inn (quick walk to Merchants' Square), or Embassy Suites Williamsburg (for a less-pricey suite-style room).

Relevant Links:
Colonial Williamsburg
Busch Gardens Williamsburg

Another Labor Day in Bedford

For two years in a row now, Justin and Kim have gone to bed on Labor Day Friday with intentions of driving to Richmond on Labor Day Saturday. Each time, Saturday has become an opportunity to sleep in with a day trip to Bedford instead. This year, we took Don and Nita to the D-Day Memorial and to Liberty Station for lunch. Kim is not usually one on gardens, but the flowers--and the accompanying butterflies and bees--were beautiful at the memorial this year. At present, the controversial Stalin bust remains installed as well, providing an interesting stop for conversation. If you are in Bedford, Liberty Station is always an appropriate stop for lunch. Kim recommends the quiche of the day or the fried green tomato BLT. After lunch, do an antique shop or two in Centertown--Bob's is the best local stop for postcards, and Bella Books has some reasonably-priced books creatively displayed with some serious collectibles.

Following Bedford, Justin, Kim, and Elijah drove out to Downtown Moneta. Downtown is actually a new, upscale-looking mini-mall with the typical small businesses. The Mayberry Antique Mall there includes an outpost for one of our favorite dealers When Toys Were Fun and also has an area featuring Black Dog Salvage.

Keep driving a bit, and you'll find the Booker T. Washington National Monument. Elijah thoroughly enjoyed the grounds here, especially the very large pigs on the site's farm. The interpretation at the site is set for an upgrade, as the visitor's center is being improved at present. If you are interested in tourism history like Kim is, do some research on how this site came to be preserved, comparing and contrasting to Mount Vernon and Monticello.

If you are in the area for very long, Trinity Ecumenical Parish, one of Kim's favorite churches, is nearby, home to a Presbyterian-Episcopal-Lutheran congregation. We hear the Westlake Country Club Friday night buffet is back--and yummy--as well.

Related Links:
National D-Day Memorial
Booker T. Washington National Monument

Welcome Back: Historic Masonic Theatre, Clifton Forge, VA

K remembers fondly high school days of being in plays at the Stonewall Theatre in Clifton Forge, VA.  She was Hallie May Clifton in "The Lost Cause," a Civil War play, and also narrated "A Christmas Carol" as produced by a group of locals.  The expansive theatre building was fun to explore--and she's retold many a ghost story she's heard there.  Go further back, and she can tell you about seeing Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, as well as a Benji movie, on the big screen--her first real movie experiences.  For a long time in K's youth, the theatre was a place of mystery, fun, and possibility--but in another way, she stood somewhat forgotten.  No longer.

Thanks to the very recent activity of a well-organized local foundation, as well as to the early work of folks like former Alleghany High School teacher M. Ray Allen in the 1990s, the theatre has been renovated and restored to her original glory as the Historic Masonic Theatre.  Today, K, J, and G took in a showing of The Wizard of Oz on its new big screen.  The mood was celebratory with a Wizard cast in costume present and an audience that clapped at scenes such as Toto's escape from Ms. Gulch's basket.  It was wonderful to see the community gather and appreciate the performance--and even more delightful to hear the names of many from out-of-town (Richmond, Winston-Salem, Roanoke) among the door prize winners.

The atmosphere of the renovated building is elegant but not stuffy--a true tribute to the theatre's 100+ year history.  The box seats, so long covered by drywall and sort-of accessible via makeshift dressing rooms used in community theatre, are gloriously redesigned.  The "basement," previously only with a dirt floor, has been reconstructed as a gorgeous small performance venue and concessions area.  What K knew as the "apartment" is now a conference room, and the beautiful skylight and wood trims are still intact.  The open, expansive studio room on the third floor that K remembers for its dated 1980s Kings Dominion cast audition posters is transformed into a classy ballroom with great views.  Even the bathrooms were decked out in Art Deco glory, and there's a chandelier made from salvaged parts that's obviously one-of-a-kind.  We bought two books to contextualize our experience even more: local photographer Chuck Almarez's month-by-month photo book of the restoration and a book of stories, collected in part by J's former colleague Joan Vannorsdall, that tell the story of the theatre through vignettes from individuals, several of whom K knows.  This book will be the first in a series called What's Your Story that will focus on the region--we can't wait to read more!  If you have stories of the Masonic or are just plain interested, we'd recommend you catch the "Remembering the Masonic" story-sharing event July 16.

If you go, make a day of the Clifton Forge area and/or the greater Alleghany Highlands.  We'd also recommend the C & O Railway Heritage Center, Humpback Bridge (by 2017--it is challenging to reach post the 2016 floods), and Douthat State Park among other attractions.  In town, you can eat at the upscale "destination restaurant" Cafe Michel, casual Vic's Family Restaurant, Cheers-like Jack Mason's Tavern, or welcoming sandwich shop The Club Car, all within walking distance of the theatre.  Our pic is from Jack Mason's, G enjoying lunch with story collection project director Joan and her friends.

We're proud of your renaissance, Clifton Forge.  Keep going.

New Experiences: More of the Williamsburg Area

Most of our friends and followers have probably realized our interest in Williamsburg, Virginia.  We visited this spring break, taking in a few new or new-to-the-kids places.

Finally, we took the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, a free ride across the river on the unique transportation of a ferry boat.  In any kind of reasonable weather, it's fun to get out of your car on the ride and enjoy the fresh air, views of Jamestown Island, and the classic nature of the "upper deck" of the ferry, a small enclosed viewing platform that's also home to many of the life jackets.  It was actually J's first ferry trip, too.  He remembers his mom telling stories of buying nabs (crackers) on the ferry--you can't do that any longer, but it is still a delightful little trip!

You don't have to have a purpose in riding the ferry, but we did: to arrive at Surry and see Bacon's Castle.  We'll have to return to Bacon's Castle, as it was closed on the day of our visit and we hadn't picked up on the hours.  We did wind through the countryside to the site (GPS recommended), saw the brick house known as the castle, and still hope to return in the fall.

We returned to Jamestown Island and detoured to the Jamestown Glasshouse, part of the Jamestown National Park Service site and home to its own passport stamp.  We'd not spent substantial time there in a while, so it was good to take the short path through the woods to the glasshouse and watch glass blown for a short while.  The gift shop here is a good stop for true artisan glass pieces made on site.

E and G are finally of an age where they can at least somewhat understand the value of a good meal with new flavors and a little ambiance.  We were so proud of them at Kephi Greek Kitchen, a new restaurant in the former Milano's location on Richmond Road.  Kephi serves authentic Greek food including G's new favorite, lemon chicken and rice soup, and a great selection of reasonably-priced desserts including ekmek, a new-to-us treat with shredded wheat and cream.  

We also took them to the Old Chickahominy House, a classic restaurant at which we'd never stopped but that J had seen in old tourist books.  Casual, reasonable, and somehow still elegant, it was also a great stop for traditional southern food.  It's a breakfast/lunch place with delicious, albeit interestingly flat, biscuits.

We also did two walking tours with Williamsburg Walking Tours.  We started with their ghost tour, which was a nice outing with more thoughtful treatment of history than some ghost tours in the area provide.  We returned the next day for the African-American History Tour and were absolutely delighted with our guide Trish's sincerity.  She was very knowledgeable and had clearly studied primary as well as secondary sources. She was also able to help all of us on the tour connect to each other and truly enjoy our time together--what a gift!   There's a $1 off coupon in the Go Williamsburg guide, too.  

If you go, check out our other blogs on Williamsburg, including one on Christmastide in the area.  We always recommend a ghost tour or similar tour for a taste of local history--whether you think you enjoy spooky stories or not.  We do steer clear of the "gadget-y" ones and recommend you do the same unless you have a particular interest.  Our picks of value-laden (nothing fancy) places to stay are Colonial Williamsburg's Governor's Inn and the Best Western Historic District--both allow you to walk right in to the colonial section of town. Virginia residents interested in visiting the Colonial Williamsburg buildings (going inside), there's a special on passes right now!  You can purchase the passes online and use them later in the season.  If you are in coastal Virginia right now, we also recommend you not miss Lantern Asia at Norfolk Botanical Garden.