Day 30 - 7/20

As we left D.C. for Williamsburg we said many good-byes to the many memorials and monuments. We also saw many giant puddles left over from the extensive thunder and lightning storm the night before. We spent the rest of the day by seeing some of the buildings and attending programs. Some of the places and events we went to were the court room, the stocks, the Palace Gardens, a game of trap ball and a presentation by Patrick Henry.

The court room was cool because it was in the British style with more than one magistrate and the British coat of arms proudly displayed. There was a program in which they held fake court hearings. Dad got to be an attorney for a boy because he was the only attorney in the room. Apparently a patent attorney can also be in court.

A place which the kids enjoyed very much was the stocks. Of course, when they were in use, I'm sure no one would enjoy them. We got to take a couple pictures of us smiling as we were locked in a wooden trap that exposed us to public humiliation and torture. Emily had a little bit of a struggle reaching her head through the hole, but she was determined.

The Palace Gardens were cool because it had a long green lawn in front of it. The building was where the Governor would be watching the people of Williamsburg below. Many times, the people would be protesting the British crown instead of praising it. They also had a game of trap ball set up. One would place a ball on a lever on the ground and stomp on the lever to project the ball up. Then, the flat, cricket-like  bat would hit the ball and send it into a field where someone would try to catch it. It was a lot trickier than I thought. Nathan tried to develop a strategy of hitting it from behind, but that didn't work out so well.

We also got to hear Patrick Henry speak about why we should join the revolution. He was very passionate and very persuasive. After his speech the audience could ask him questions about his life and ideology. It was fun to ask almost anything and be able to have him answer. The interactive experience of Williamsburg is awesome. They also had a musket firing and a marching band play. We also got to go to a museum of Williamsburg artifacts and color pictures.