Return to Washington D.C.

We departed our Williamsburg hotel at 8:25 this morning & began the journey north to Washington D.C.  We made good time other than a little heavy traffic & short period of roadworks, so arrived in D.C ahead of schedule.

This allowed extra time for sightseeing, so we decided to visit the Smithsonian Museum of American History today instead of tomorrow, allowing time for lunch inside too.  We had to stand in line to get inside the museum, but this is normal for Washington D.C because it is so popular & because of the security checks everywhere!

After lunch we rode our bus the short distance to the United States Capitol.  After a quick photo stop we  walked around the building to visit the Library of Congress before it was time for our guide tour of the Capitol.

Dinner this evening was at Union Station, a beautiful reminder of the great days of the railway in the early 20th century.
This evening we took a tour of the memorials & monuments along the National Mall, including the Jefferson, FDR, MLK, Korean War, Lincoln, & VietnamVeterans memorials.  Then it was time to check into our D.C-area hotel for a 2 nights stay.

Jamestown (founded 1607) & Busch Gardens (founded 1975)!

This morning we continued our explorations of Virginia's 'Historic Triangle with a visit to the Jamestowne Settlement.

A Day in the 18th Century!

After some heavy rain showers as we drove to Williamsburg last night today dawned bright, clear & warm.  A high of 91 is expected so Summer has finally arrived in Virginia.

Today we are spending our entire day in Colonial Williamsburg, just a short distance from our hotel.

We began by meeting our walking tour guide, Shirley, then we rode the shuttle to the colonial Capitol building where we began our morning tour.  We have seen the jail, the Capitol, Duke of Gloucester Street, a colonial milliner's shop, the Court House & armory, & the Governor's Palace.  We even took part in historical reenactments along the way.

This afternoon the group had free time to divide into smaller groups & explore on their own, then we returned to the hotel so the students could enjoy the great pool at the hotel before we rendezvoused later for dinner in a colonial tavern, Colette with historical characters!  A great end to a really great day.