I surprised Richelle with a week’s vacation to Colonial Williamsburg for her 30th birthday. We haven?t taken a week vacation since our honeymoon, five years ago, and we were due for some time away from it all. Williamsburg fit the bill. I don’t think it could have turned out nicer.

The historic area was a short walk away from where we were staying, the Williamsburg Hospitality House. We had one of their standard rooms, and except for the lack of a high-speed data port, which was a good thing, it was just about perfect for its affordable price. The place had an old world feel to it, which lent itself to the experience. We had three days of bad weather, so the room was definitely “lived in” by the time we left. The Hospitality House did not let us down. We’ll probably be back next time.

I haven?t been to the historical sites in Philadelphia for a while (we’re planning to soon), but the time here made me jealous. The organization behind Colonial Williamsburg truly has built a living museum. No cars are permitted into historical area, which was the first thing that struck me, but upon walking onto its main thoroughfare, Duke of Gloucester Street, it made perfect sense. We saw visiting families sitting on benches, relaxing from their exploring, kids from various school groups goofing off or just hanging out, students from the College of William and Mary jogging or playing ball on the Palace Green, while others were waiting in line for a lunch at one its historical taverns. It was alive. A real public space. And I think that was partially due to the lack of cars.

Richelle came up with an excellent plan to divide up our exploration. There is a bus that runs on the outskirts of the historic area that we used to ride to the far ends of town, and then leisurely walked back towards our hotel, taking in various tours and sights. Leisurely is the word. How strange it was not to be bombarded with the sights and sounds of modern life! I think I had some kind of internet withdrawal at first, but then came to appreciate just how natural paced everything seemed to be. Even with the thousands of people that were there with us, on those same streets, it felt intimate and warm.

I’ll post more tomorrow….