Williamsburg

We decided to wake up early and get going quickly so we could get on the road to Williamsburg. It was about a two in a half hour drive north of Kitty Hawk. I got up a bit earlier than everyone else. I wanted to see the sunrise over the ocean and take a couple pictures of it. I was rewarded with a beautiful scene! I think this is one of the reasons why I like going to the beach. There is such peace in a sunrise or sunset. I think it is one of Heavenly Father's special gifts to his children!

I was able to get some nice pictures, but ironically enough, one of my favorite shots was taken with my phone!

We made it to Williamsburg a little later than we had planned, but we still had most of the day at the historical sight.

When we purchased our tickets, the attendant asked if our boys wanted to participate a free spy game, Rev Quest, going on at Williamsburg. The boys consented and were given a blue hanker chief and a top secret envelope to start the game.

From the visitor center you can take a shuttle bus or you can walk for about 10 minutes to historic Williamsburg. Since we were running a bit behind, we decided to take the shuttle. Austin was in heaven - he loves buses!

The first place we visited was the capital building. We went on a little tour led by a costumed guide, She talked about the role of England and what the government was currently like. The decor and artwork were beautiful. Sadly, builders just don't build like that anymore. It was also interesting to hear about some of the laws back then.

One of the boys took this picture!

When we were done with the tour we made our way to the rondeau point to start the spy game. We were met by an undercover agent. She took us to a hidden place behind some of the buildings so we wouldn't be seen. She explained that we would be helping to solve a mystery. They knew that our enemies were planning to hurt someone important, but they didn't know who, when, or how. That was our job.

She showed us how to show the proper respect when talking to people, so they would be helpful in giving us information. When she was done giving us instructions, we all had to leave in different directions (there were several other spy families there with us). Once on the street again, we started following our clues.

The game was fun, but it took up most of our day visit. It also kept us zigzagging back and forth in mainly the same area all day. Chad and I joked that this was a pretty expensive scavenger hunt we were on!



After searching for clues for a little while, I started getting pretty weak, so we decided to stop in at one of the local restaurants for lunch. We enjoyed a nice relaxing lunch.

Once energized, we hit the trail again. We got stumped a couple of times, but we solved the mystery in the end.  As a reward each of the boys got a special Rev Quest coin.  Chad and I just laughed and shook our heads! All that work for a little coin?  But hey, we saved George Washington from being assassinated, so it was worth it!!

One of the things Devon really liked was the horses.  While Chad and the other boys worked on some clues Devon and Austin checked out the horses.  Devon was not afraid to go right up and pet the horse.

Devon took all of these pictures!

Austin, on the other hand, was happy to check out the horses from afar.  He did finally warm up to the idea and was willing to pet the horse if I held him.

The boys all really liked the stalks and had to try them out for themselves.

Tanner really liked all of the carriages. He wanted me to take pictures of all of them.  Luckily, for you, I will only share a couple with you.

We also liked seeing all of the people dressed in period clothing.  At the end of the day we watched a the townspeople do act out things that would have happened back in the day.  It was interesting, but by this time the boys were pretty hot and tired.

So we decided to go back to the visitor center and call it a day.  We did stop by the gift shop to get a Christmas ornament.  While Chad was waiting to buy the ornament Austin, Devon and Trevor tried on some hats.  They also showed me the proper way to address someone.  You take off your hat and and lower it while you bow.  They are naturals!