I am a colonial williamsburg groupie

**ladykemma2** · 08-01-2010, 07:58 AM

i go to colonial williamsburg every two years. this year i noticed that the same people, several days in a row, were on the same early morning house, furniture, and garden tours as me, and one of the ladies said "I am a williamburg groupie". I laughed, never having thought about it, and said " Me, too".

I am a colonial williamsburg groupie. i am not normal about any of this. stop here if you are not an avid history buff.

i go for the interiors, the intensive and noticeable research, the constant, noticeable improvement and historical accuracy, the costumes, the paint colors, the furniture, the gardens, the shops, the talks, the activities, the after hours activities, the beauty, the smell of the boxwood. every year it gets better and better.

i always come back refreshed and energized. there is a happy energy radiating from that place.

the interiors:
i noticed new bedhangings on several beds. a fine gauze green linen mosquito netting (that i know was significantly researched and funded). i noticed furniture rearrangment. i noticed the new pink vermicelli wallpaper in the wyeth house (was that there before?)

i followed the cook around from period kitchen to period kitchen over the days as she cooked various lunches and dinners. if you listened to her talks and interacted with her, she would tell you how to do things and where she was going to be the next day. i learned how to corn beef and stuff mushrooms. i observed how to use a dutch oven with coals.

costuming:
what irritates me, but has gotten a lot better, is some of the women still are wearing modern undergarments under their bodices. ruins the whole line. I also noticed, still after all these years, some employees wearing modern shoes. i will say the the shoe issue is much improved than in years past. I was very impressed with new period eyeglasses. everybody had them on.

the martha washington outfit impressed me. i know what careful research went into its fabric weaving and construction. (i saw a video about it)

The food:
lunch in the expensive king's tavern consisted of peanut soup, and a salad with virginia ham and a chicken breast with goat cheese on top, on a bed of salad greens, viniagrette. a syllabub for dessert. expensive but divine. the second days lunch was mediocre - pulled pork on a bun, cole slaw, and fries. meh. the third day's lunch - i wised up -and discovered the cafe in the museum, half the price, air conditioning, and no one was there. my friend and i had the place all to ourselves. i had the bread loaf filled with homemade chili. yum.

next biennium, i will eat at the expensive king's tavern and the museum cafe.

after hours activities:
the tavern ghost stories walk was hilarious and fun, led by a volunteer telling employees' stories of what they had seen or observed that freaked them out.

the "cry witch" witch trial was fabulous. (good early costuming too...) I was one of the burgesses sitting on the stand (got there first...) the audience was the jury.

i did not like the play at the kimball theatre, boring and a real squirmer. there was an eye rolling actor who repeatedly warned us to skip the play and go to the tavern and he would meet us there and have a drink. (it was part of the schtick). it was a period play, but dull. mercifully short. i was very sorry i wasted 12 dollars on that.

the glass armonica demonstration at the kimball theatre was very good.

what saddens me is i saw a lot of people who don't "get it". they were complaining about the food, the manure in the street, the scheduling, the heat, they were bored (whine), they didn't buy a ticket and couldn't get in (duh). they didn't grasp that behind all the closed doors were things for you to do and see. they didn't grasp that there was a schedule and you have to plan your visit. they wanted a more passive experience?

edited to add: i wanted to tell them, but refrained, didn't you know that they wove the fabric for her outfit and even spun the frickin thread? aargh. look at the handstitching on the bedhangings. aarggh. they want disneyland.

when i got home, i was looking on the internet. i read people's reviews, negative and positive. I observed that people who planned two hours (omg !) for a trip to colonial williamburg instead of an immersion experience, or didn't buy a ticket, or plan their day, were the ones posting very negative stuff on various travel review sites.

it takes three - four days to do colonial williamsburg well. to do it well, you need to peruse the schedule of events and pick and choose what you want to go to and plan your week. if you look closely, the activities, guided walks, and open/closed buildings repeat every other day. there should be no way to be bored, as you run from event to event and tour a house or a shop in between. there are planned childrens learning activities and accountability for them to learn certain things- that they have to get checked off by the docents.

i have now rearranged my wyeth house/octagon house "pepto bismol pink" bedroom to look more like theirs. what an enjoyable saturday.

i want:
a large trunk or box with brass tacks (prentis shop $800- one will come my way)
two brass candlesticks (ebay, hunney)
to replace my chipped mustard yellow, spotted, pottery candlesticks (ebay)
a chippendale blanket chest with bracket feet (salvation army, here i come)
a room painted wyeth house dining room green /palace supper room green (sherwin williams "grasshopper").
more leather spots (make myself)
and a tiger or curly maple "box on stand" with dovetail joints.

**Saule** · 08-01-2010, 08:04 AM

I've been there several times - we love historical sites, have visited many of them. Williamsburg is great, I agree about the tavern, many years ago I bought the cookbook and that's pretty good.

**ubumartin** · 08-01-2010, 08:12 AM

I went about 10 years ago with my husband and children. We enjoyed it but really couldn't get the whole experience. We actually went because one of my oldest loved colonial times from reading Felicity and American Girl. We only spent the day but at the time it was enough for children 10, 8 and 2. I would love to go back and have the experience you so eliquently described!

**ladykemma2** · 08-01-2010, 08:43 AM

i forgot to say that if i were running the show, some of the workers really needed to remove overtly modern cz earrings and jewelry.

**Ceashels** · 08-01-2010, 11:32 AM

I love Williamsburg too and would love to go every 3 years. (Hint to Greebo) I received a beautiful pin made by the Silversmith a few years ago and it is one of the lovelier pieces I own.

I don't think I would notice all of the little changes that you mentioned but I could so easily get into the cooking and following the person from kitchen to kitchen.

If I'm remembering correctly, the wardrobe is self supplied, yes? Do staff earn a living wage? I know it is a labour of love to work in most living history sites but I don't know the details of the day to day costs and schedules. I'd love to know more if you care to share?

**ladykemma2** · 08-01-2010, 01:46 PM

the foundation supplies the costumes, unless they want to make their own.

**mauimagic** · 08-01-2010, 03:58 PM

What wonderful memories you've brought back for me!!

When we lived in New Hampshire, my parents and I always spent spring break in Williamsburg - that was back in the sixties!! I remember my dad checking out the reconstruction of a building - he was thrilled they were use square nails!!

My aunt and uncle celebrated their 50th anniversary there when DD was in 5th grade. She and I took a long week and flew from Maui to help them celebrate and introduce her to Williamsburg!! Still want to take DH back - perhaps your thread will help that process!!

**Luckybustert** · 08-01-2010, 07:38 PM

I used to go to Williamsburg quite a bit when we lived on the east coast. It's a truly wonderful place to visit!

**Greebo** · 08-02-2010, 08:26 AM

Originally Posted by Ceashels

I love Williamsburg too and would love to go every 3 years. (Hint to Greebo) I received a beautiful pin made by the Silversmith a few years ago and it is one of the lovelier pieces I own.

Now I can't tell if the hint is to go back, or to go back and buy her more silver...

Or maybe she wants us to look at a timeshare...

**Annie Nonimous** · 08-02-2010, 02:17 PM

When you go home at the end of the day with tears in your eyes because your legs and feet hurt so much from standing, walking, climbing up and down stairs, up and down the street on shells and rocks, then YOU can comment on other people's footwear.

However, you have absolutely no right to comment on the undergarments worn by others -- modern or otherwise. Why do you consider underwear worthy of your observation and commentary?

If you wish to be in pain, that is your choice.

Some of your comments make me very, very, VERY uncomfortable.

**Greebo** · 08-02-2010, 02:40 PM

Originally Posted by Annie Nonimous

When you go home at the end of the day with tears in your eyes because your legs and feet hurt so much from standing, walking, climbing up and down stairs, up and down the street on shells and rocks, then YOU can comment on other people's footwear.

However, you have absolutely no right to comment on the undergarments worn by others -- modern or otherwise. Why do you consider underwear worthy of your observation and commentary?

If you wish to be in pain, that is your choice.

Some of your comments make me very, very, VERY uncomfortable.

Last Activity: Today 02:17 PM
Current Activity: Viewing Thread I am a colonial williamsburg groupie
Join Date: 08-02-2010

So you apparently just signed up today on FV after seeing this post so you could make an issue about how you, a complete and total stranger to us, felt singled out by this post?

You'd come across as a lot more sympathetic if you *explained* the discrepancies between the authentic garb and what the employees wear w/o making it a personal one like you were attacked somehow when you only just joined.

**Annie Nonimous** · 08-02-2010, 04:53 PM

There is no reason to be shocked by a response to your comments. Why else would they be publicly posted?

You made a statement. You got a reaction. The reaction was based on what was stated. There is nothing else to analyze here.

**ladykemma2** · 08-02-2010, 10:32 PM

uh, what is this? are you an employee?

ok, i'll bite.

employee footware that would be passable and not overtly modern would be birkenstock black london shoes. it's better than sneakers.

pairs of bodies (tubular shaped corsets) (stays) are more comfortable than modern brassieres.

i also do living history for a hobby and i know what it is like to go home with hurting feet after a day of this. in an effigy paire of bodies and in 900 degree weather. i'm also an award winning costumer (elizabethan).

**annymoll** · 08-04-2010, 12:58 AM

I really enjoy attention to detail,and I would notice discrepancies as well! I appreciate the hard work of these living history preformers! It sounds so interesting when you describe it ladykemma2!!!I would enjoy visiting there, and will note the tips you have given.Wanted to add that we have a small colonial living history village in the area.We were immersed in the daily activities during a visit and this is no joke....... down the dirt road came a CAR!!! It clearly stated the parking area was away from the village, but sure enough, here drives a carload of older people, and they were asking directions to a nearby eatery!! WTH!!!!!!!!!!!