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The Epic Virginia Adventure
October 31, 2009
The biggest blog entry ever. 131 pictures. What an unforgettable vacation! Hope you enjoy this little time machine as we take you back to historic Virginia.
Thanks for stopping by!
Willy cruises on his lamby as we wait for our connecting flight in Chicago.
Life's great at Super 8, where your room smells like an ash tray and a friendly freight train passes by at midnight just to say hello! We all met up together at the airport and drove down to Williamsburg for our first night at this 5-star hotel, as you can see from Marscel's beaming face. May have been a total dive, but you couldn't beat the price!
Nothing like a little thrift store shopping when you got a cool 50 cents to blow.
Inside our awesome 2-story condo at the Powhatan. It was just perfect.
"I'll give you Kentucky, $250, and a free pass on all my properties for the next five turns ... no, six turns, for Vetnor, your get-out-jail free card, and a twenty minute back rub." Playing Monopoly with the Thomases was an experience I'll never forget. A 3-day game that never finished with dealings between players that were so long and complicated you couldn't even remember whose turn it was next. Finally, when Matthew traded me $800 and his four railroads for $150 ... everyone knew it was time to quit.
I meet with the Thomas boys for a little underhanded dealing between games, only to be double-crossed and disposed of in a nearby pool. It's a dog-eat-dog world.
Well looky looky. Somebody's dressed up for a special day.
Who are these smashing folk?
Yorktown! We just happened to visit on the day Cornwallis surrendered his army (19th) to the colonists, so everything that usually cost money to see was absolutely free. Thank you Lord! Anyway, as you can imagine, we didn't go unnoticed wherever we went. People often thought we worked at these places and asked to take their pictures with us.
My favorite part of the boys' costumes were the sagging rears.
Marscel sports Moria's wig.
Moderately nice looking chaps ... moderately.
The Niednagels. Meliss worked so hard on my costume and did such an awesome job.
Last month Meliss and I could be found descending the stairs of a medieval castle. This month it was a step forward into a time far different, yet equally nobel and splendid.
Come darling, the coach awaits.
Just so fun. :-)
Oh look, darling! A stick!
Talk about history right in front of you. That's an actual canon ball from the Revolutionary war still inside a building wall. Unbelievable.
Found this old photograph of Elias Juan Niednagel, my great grandfather, twice removed.
Tell me that isn't cool.
I would have driven the colonial women crazy.
Melanie was like a machine in carrying William. She like never got tired! I can last like 20 minutes and I'm totally exhausted. Thanks, sis.
Uncle Johnny and Ma (brother and sister).
We watch a nifty reenactment of colonial warfare tactics.
I command my men. So fun to command other people. Plan on doing it more often.
Just one of those "caught at just the right moment" photos.
I think you're supposed to stay off the canons. Thankfully we didn't know that.
I am the most honorable, all-respectable Commanding General J.P. Niednagel! All hail my awesomeness!
I was kidding!!! No!!!
Aha!!! Catch me if you can, skinny knaves!
I receive a dispatch from Colonel Nohjhead. He informs me to "please, at whatever cost, rid me of this messy-haired, badly-dressed courier."
Now that's a picture. The background almost looks painted.
Uncle Johnny and Micaiah are up to no good.
Pa just looks so vintage.
Our reaction after spotting a pathetically-clad tourist huck a loogie.
We walk Redoubt 9 and 10, a large colonial battlefield. Really makes history just come so alive. Man, the sinking feeling I would have had approaching the British in single file, just waiting to be shot down. I can't even imagine it.
General Niednagel is sick of dispatches.
Tis' another day, and we have arrived to our second destination of the historic triangle ... Williamsburg!
Baby blue eyes.
It was all just so beautiful and regal. Perfect time of year to come, with fall at its peak in old Virginia.
A handsome couple.
"Um ... do you need something?"
Folks said our costumes were better than some of those who worked there. Thomases are truly gifted!
Ello. I am Master Jordan Philip. This is my wife, Lady Melissa Lee. This is our home. Now be gone with you.
You may only use this picture by permission.
Pa
gives a lesson into the meaning of "no taxation without representation." The kids were like, 'Wha?"
Caught these two half-starved farmer boys stealing
grass from one of my seventy-nine pasture fields. Kept passing blame on the other. No matter. I'll have them both hanged.
I espy Lady Ma behind me.
Ello, Master William! Well aren't you just the talk of all Williamsburg! One would think it was named after you! Wouldn't believe how many people came up to us asking all sorts of questions. "Is that a real baby?" --- "Uhh ... no, it's a stinking Cabbage Patch Doll!"
A dutiful husband always keeps an eye on his wife's purchases.
The regrettable climax to a minor disagreement between Marscel and I over a flax cracker.
Two years from now, it'll be him placing his hand on the brim of my hat. Mark my words.
Can I hold him now?
Willy shops with the ladies.
Look, William! Papa says we can't buy that!
The colonial husband patiently awaits outside the establishment.
"Is that a real baby?"
The buildings and streets are just so intricate and orderly. Wonder if most of our founding fathers were left-brainers.
You almost can't help but be pompous in such fine attire.
Someone special is coming.
Tis' George Washington!
Love the lighting.
Enjoying the show. Sorta.
Just so many lovely pictures.
Darling, don't be vain. Oh, to pot with vanity! We're simply smashing!
It was now getting obvious why Melanie was enjoying holding William so much.
Way too obvious.
I LOVE YOU TWO SO MUCH!!!
A photographer capturing shots for Williamsburg brochures and stuff caught us talking with these cute little twins and started snapping away. He thought we worked there! Asked us later to sign slips granting him permission to use the photos in their promotional stuff. Pretty cool!
The artillery fires away as film cameras roll for more Williamsburg promotional video.
A
fine day we shall never forget.
The governor's mansion in the background was just too awesome to pass up. Before leaving, we had to snap a few unique shots.
A colonial chat.
The British are coming!
I wonder if they ever did this back then.
Or this.
'So I says to the bartender, "My good man, just let me out of these wet clothes and I'll slip into a dry martini!!!"'
I think we're tired. That wasn't even funny.
I got kicked out of town for possession of illegal firearms. One of many kicked out of town jokes the boys and I came up with during the week. :-)
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