Virginia 2018: Day 3

Even though we changed our travel plans to avoid the snow, snow was in the forecast for Richmond on the day we needed to leave the city. We decided to visit the Virginia State Capitol, which was walking-distance from our hotel before heading out of town.

The Capitol, of course, was designed by Thomas Jefferson.

We also found statues of George Washington

and Sam Houston! 

After our quick tour of the Capitol, we drove to Colonial Williamsburg, arriving just in time for lunch at King's Arms Tavern.   

The food and atmosphere were phenomenal!

After lunch, we wandered around Colonial Williamsburg. It was a chilly, rainy day, so there were hardly any visitors out and about. It was actually an ideal time to visit!

Wig shop

Jail

with Henry in chains

The Capitol -- Will was so fascinated that he didn't want to leave!

After spending all afternoon at Colonial Williamsburg, we went back to our hotel (we stayed onsite at the Woodlands Hotel) to relax and do some laundry. As I was taking our clothes to the laundry room, I peeked out the window to see that it was snowing! It started snowing aroun 4:30 pm and continued for about three hours. It ended up being beautiful and magical and absolutely delighted Henry! 

We ate at a restaurant next door to the hotel, and after our meal, the boys played in the snow, making snowmen and pelting each other with snowballs. 

After trying to avoid the snow, the snow found us after all!

Virginia 2018: Day 2

We changed our travel plans at the last minute to avoid getting stuck in the snow that was forecast for Virginia during our spring break, and ended up in the cute little town of Fredericksburg. Our first stop was the Fredericksburg National Military Park, where some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War occured. 

The Union, under General Burnside, suffered a stunning defeat in December 1862 after thousands of troops were mowed down as they tried to cross an empty field to attack the Confederates.

From their strong position on Marye's Heights, the Confederates were able to win victory and force the Union army to retreat across the Rappahanock.

The statue below honors Richard Kirkland, a young Conferderate soldier who brought water to the wounded Union soliders behind the wall. He became known as the "Angels of Marye's Heights."

Over 15,000 Union soldiers, mostly unknown, are buried here at the Fredericksburg National Cemetery.

After visiting the battlefield and cemetery, we headed into downtown Fredericksburg and toured the Hugh Mercer Apothecary Shop and Rising Sun Tavern, both of which were fascinating.

If your wig got mussed during your doctor's visit, you could stick your head through the opening in the door to the powder room, and a servant would powder your wig.  

Brunch at a Spencer Devon, a local craft brewery

After spending most of the day in Fredericksburg, we drove an hour south to Richmond, where Gene's cousin Ed and his family live. They invited us to dinner at their house and drove us around Richmond, pointing out the highlights. We ended the evening with dessert at the historic Jefferson Hotel. We had such fun catching up!

Ed was showing off his electric car to a very horrified oil-and-gas lawyer. 

What a delightful way to end our evening!

Virginia 2018: Day 1

This year for spring break, we headed back east to Virginia. Gene was in DC for work the week before spring break, so the boys and I joined him on Friday evening for a vacation with a focus on history! 

The boys are pro travelers now and are so easy to travel with. 

We arrived late in the evening and got a slowish start on Saturday morning, driving to Manassas National Battlefield Park, where we learned all about the two battles fought there (1861 and 1862). 

The Union line

Panoramic shot

The Confederate Line

Stonewall Jackson earned his nickname at the First Battle of Manassas because he stood like a stone wall against the Union attack.

The park is huge with miles of walking trails. It was a beautiful day to be outside exploring and learning about the Civil War.

After a couple hours at Manassas and lunch in town, we headed south to the National Museum of the Marine Corps near Quantico. We had some extra time in our schedule and decided to try out the museum because it was on our way to our next stop and it was free, so we lost nothing if it wasn't great. We were all pleasantly suprised to find ourselves in a beautiful, fascinating new museum dedicated to the history of the Marine Corps.   

Tanks galore 

This is the flag that was raised at Iwo Jima! The flag shows so much damage because of the high winds on Mount Suribachi.

This room depicts the Battle of Choisin Reservoir during the Korean War. When you walked into the room, the temperature dropped, giving just a taste of the chilly conditions during the battle.

Marine gear over the years

Famous quotes about the Marines fill the top portion of the lobby.

I would never in a million years have thought that I would find a museum about the history of the US Marine Corps to be interesting, but this museum was really well done and absolutely fascinating. 

What a fantastic start to spring break 2018!