On Tuesday, May 24, Dad and I flew from SLC to Baltimore, rented a car and drove to Fairfax, VA. All to be with this cute little guy, Olin!
Oh, and of course his great parents, Dave and Margaret, too!
On Wednesday we enjoyed hanging out in Fairfax. Dave took us to the NRA gun museum which had a truly enormous collection of weapons, old and new. We also had a lovely walk along a creek about a block from their home. Everything back here is so green and lush. And warm, which we loved coming from all the chilly weather we've been having in Utah.
On Thursday we loaded up our big rental Mercury Marquis with the five us (plus luggage and stroller) and headed to Williamsburg. We stayed in the Williamsburg Lodge, right next to the restored village. This allowed for naps at the hotel and even for a nightime stroll through the village after all the tourists had left.
Doesn't Dad look great in his new three-cornered hat?!
My favorite part: At 3:30 costumed performers started mingling casually with the tourists, telling about how unhappy they were with the stamp tax. Gradually we were drawn into a full out dramatization of the village's role in the build-up to the declaration of independence. Here some American patriots are confronting the Governor. Actors portrayed people who were both for and against the revolution; it helped me to understand what a difficult decision it was to choose revolt. We also heard the stories of Black slaves, who were told they would recieve their freedom if they helped the British. The presentation closed with a reading of the declaration of independence, started by an official from the balcony of the House of Burgesses, but then each of characters took up the reading, contributing a sentence or two each, showing how everyone was impacted by the Declaration.
Friday we spent the morning at Williamsburg (hearing "Patrick Henry" give a speech about the revolution, and touring the Governor's Mansion). Then we drove back to Fairfax, where we met the Dunns!
They had just returned from their trip to Europe and had a day before their flight home to San Antonio. We had a great time together! Olin and Lizzie were very cute together.
Friday night we had pizza at Dave's and chatted after Lizzie and Henry sacked out on the couch. They were so tired after all their travels!
Saturday morning we had breakfast at a pancake house, and then the Dunn's left for the airport.
Then Dad and I went with Dave and Margaret and Olin to see their new townhouse. I don't believe it, but I forgot to take photos. It is in a lovely development filled with huge leafy trees, lots of green space, and red brick homes. Margaret's brother lives just through the block from their new place. There's a swimming pool, tennis courts, and a playground just across the street. The house is light and open, with hardwood floors and granite counters. There are two bedrooms and a large bath on the second floor, a nice living room, dining room, and kitchen on the main floor, and a rec room, bathroom, and study in the basement. I think they are going to love living there.
Saturday afternoon we went out to the Bull Run /Manassas Battlefield Historical Park. We heard a fascinating ranger talk about that disastrous battle, the first of the Civil War. Both sides went into the battle expecting to win it easily and end the war. After the battle, 3000 were dead and both North and South realized this war would not be over soon.
In this photo you can see what a happy traveler Olin is. He is able to hold a sippy cup of milk in his teeth, freeing his hands to hold cars!
Sunday we went to Dave's ward and really enjoyed getting to meet the good people there. Everyone was sad that Dave and Margaret will be leaving soon.
On Monday, Memorial Day, Dave had a bit of cold, so Margaret and Olin went with us to the Chesapeke and Ohio Canal boats. This an Historical Park that recreates the canal boat experience of the 19th century. In the canal's heyday hundreds of these boats plied the canals, carrying heavy loads of coal and other goods. Mules pulled the boats along the shore, often led by the children of the boat owners. This boat was pulled by two mules, harnessed together, front to back so they could go single file along the tow path.
In the evening, we all went out to dinner. Olin loves it when a clerk or server makes a happy face on the receipt. As soon as our waitress came to the table he started asking "happy? happy?" When we explained what we was talking about, our kind waitress went off and returned shortly with this extra-beautiful "happy." Olin was very pleased indeed!
We loved Mystic. All the staff are incredibly knowledgable and passionate about the time period. In the boatmaking shop, a young man told us all the inside info about the ships in the pirate movies. Evidently their research was very good. And the line from Blackbeard "If I didn't kill a man once in a while you wouldn't know it was me"--totally true. Blackbeard said that, after shooting a couple of colleagues under the table, evidently just for the heck of it.
Wednesday we moved forward several centuries when we toured the first nuclear powered submarine, the Nautilus, at the submarine base at Groton. It was fascinating to see how the ship was engineered to function underwater for long periods of time.
