Hello! I've so much to tell about our four days in the "Historic Triangle" of Virginia, I'm going to split up the posts some. We left last Thursday for a mini-vacation, some learning, some fun. Between Jamestown, Williamsburg and Busch Gardens, I think we each learned several valuable lessons and perhaps a little history.
Lessons I learned included:
- don't hesitate to linger in places where the kids are engaged and happy. Making clay pots with a Powhatan Indian reenactor or rolling hoops with a stick leave a lasting impression!
- interactive exhibits are much more interesting to mommy and to kids than displays and placards. don't worry if you skip some of the "educational material" and go straight for the active stuff.
- think twice...no, think three or more times, before taking kids on an amusement park ride that might be scary. Whoops. Still hearing about the "Dark Castle" days later.
- down time is important! Especially for young kids. Oh, and mommy too. I think daddy held up ok. We did a lot, and by the end of the trip we were whooped. Must remember this one when we go to Colorado for 9 days!
- as my brother once taught us, "Feed the bear!" Grouchy people are often hungry people. Stop for a snack or move mealtime if whining and grumpiness start up.
Enough of the lessons. On to the photos! Our first day in Virginia we went to Historic Jamestown, and then up the road to Jamestown Settlement, which is a recreation of James Fort and the Powhatan village. Your history refresher is this: Jamestown was the first permanent English settlement in North America. Lots of talk of Pocahontas, Captain John Smith, and a lot of dead people. Because dead people are fascinating to kids, and the reality is, lots of people died in those first years at Jamestown.
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| Captain John Smith |
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| Birthplace of Virginia and the U.S.A. |
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| Walking with Pocahontas |
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| Modeling 17th century Armor |
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| Happy boy on a cannon, right before we got yelled at by an employee for climbing! |
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| Abord the Susan Constant, also seen below |
I love the pic of you and the kids on the Susan Constant! And I cringed when I read that the kids are still mentioning Dar Castle. It was so wonderful seeing you, I find myself smiling a lot about that great family day.
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