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Back from our trip to Williamsburg


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First, there were not many homeschoolers and that surprised me.

 

We had a good time on our trip. We stopped to see the wild horses on our way. They are beautiful! We didn't get close up but close enough. That is a definite place to go. $8.00 for a car for the day.

 

We enjoyed Williamsburg alot. We have been there before. They are very homeschool friendly. :001_smile: We got a 15% discount at the bookstore.:D

 

In my opinion, Jamestown "is not" homeschool friendly. Their price was higher than usual only about $1.00 more. ;) But,you did get a hands-on and tour at both Jamestown and Yorktown...we did not do this. We walked around by ourselves and enjoyed it very much (did no go to Yorktown). I did ask the bookstore lady if they had homeschooler discounts and with a very rough voice, said "NO". Ok. :tongue_smilie:

The exhibits inside are wonderful and the kids absolutely loved walking in the longhouse and other homes. Tom liked the fort and they all liked going on the ships. FWIW, I think they needed more re-enactors.

 

All in all, it was a wonderful trip and we will be doing it again; hopefully next year.

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We went for homeschool week as well. I loved Jamestown and the class that they taught about Powhatan Indians was excellent. My son summed it up for me when he turned to me with a huge smile and said "I can't believe I am inside a longhouse" (We are finishing up our Native American studies) BUT and this was huge to me. I found the staff at Jamestown VERY rude. We did not sign up in advance for the class since it required we do so at least 3 days ahead of time. When we went we thought we would explore on our own, and if there was space in a class, great. When I asked the 'receptionist' if it were possible to attend she got a major attitude and told me we didn't have reservations. When I explained that the website said it was possible to attend if there were room she called someone on the phone. Then she said we couldn't go in because there were only 3 spaces available. I told her we would take the 3 spots and the other 3 people would walk around until we were done. Then she didn't want to give us the wrist bands. Finally I take the 2 boys into the class and it is half empty with no shows that reserved but didn't come. So my adult daughter is outside killing time, while there are plenty of empty chairs. It really soured my experience with the administration there, but I loved the actual museum and grounds. Oh and lunch was $63. For 3 adults and 3 children. But that was my mistake for not planning better.

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We went this year for the first time! So much fun. We went to Williamsburg and Jamestown. My children liked Jamestown much better. A lot more interactive and hands-on, and definitely not as crowded. I found everybody at Jamestown very friendly and polite. We did walk in, were told that the homeschool classes were full, but they were very nice about it.

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Wow it is so surprising to hear bad accounts of Jamestown. We had a WONDERFUL time there. We did the tour and class one day.. then came back the next week for a day to just walk around on our own. We found ALL of the staff to be very helpful and friendly to us. (I did not think to ask for a discount at the gift shop though LOL)

 

We also thought all the reenactors were very knowledgeable and kind. We talked to lots of them at their stations. They were so very impressive.

 

Anyway the kids and the other family we went with all thought Jamestown was out of this world.

 

I will say that half our class was empty though it was supposed to be full. That was kinda rude on the part of the people who signed up...

 

We'll be doing the Williamsburg homeschool days in Feb.. looking forward to it. Nice to live so close :)

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We were there last weekend. Williamsburg was almost empty. (It was a bit damp that day. Made it all the more enjoyable for us!) We spent our second day at Jamestown. I had mixed feelings about the staff. Most of them were exceptionally good and very friendly. However, a few were a bit past rude. It is sad that the three or four who were rude had such an impact on my overall impression. (And they did, it wasn't just when I saw someone post it here.) The kids loved the hands-onness of Jamestown though. THe man shaving a log who let them actually sit and try was particularly fantastic. So was the lady who pulled them in to help her scrap the deer hide and make a fishing net. We had a good enough time that the kids want to go back in the spring for homeschool days then. I think we just might do it!:001_smile:

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I just have to chime in here. We loved Jamestowne (with an e at the end), the archaeological dig. But we had very mixed feelings about Jamestown, especially the Powhatan village. I remember a concrete path right next the the homes. Ugh! And, looking at my photos, I see that the matting on the homes is perfect, looks almost machine made. The interpreter we spoke to, was, as she said, a federal employee, no connection to any Native Americans. And in the fort area, we saw things made with modern machine milled boards. The ships were nice, though.

 

Dc and I really noticed all these things, because we had recently been on a visit to Plimouth Plantation. The Wampanoag village was staffed by actual Wampanoag, who spoke passionately and knowledgeably about their tribe's culture and traditions. The homes were made of hand made matting, made by these same people. No concrete paths next to the homes. In the colonists' settlement, the buildings are made of hand hewn lumber -- some days you can actually see the re-enactors sawing away.

 

Plimouth seems real, Jamestown feels like an exhibit, Jamestowne is real.

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We are going to be so close next week, I wish we could fit it in.

 

The Chincoteague Pony Center offers half-hour riding lessons - it's a good idea to call ahead to get the time you want.

 

ETA OOps! I see that you are talking about the visitor center at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, not the Chincoteague Pony Center, but I can't figure out how to delete this post.

Edited by Alessandra
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We just went, too! I wish more hs'ers had been there. We did have quite a few hs'ers in our classes at Jamestown/Yorktown. I should have allowed another full day for Williamsburg. We didn't have a chance to go to Mt. Hope at all....

 

We did still manage to get a lot more covered there this trip than we ever have before. I'm sure this was because we only had one child with us and he's older now. We also really enjoyed the evening tours and taverns this time.

 

I was amazed at the exhibits on display in both Jamestown and Yorktown's museums, as well as at the visitor centers for the actual historic sites. We did do both the classes and the tours they offered for hs days and toured on our own, too. These places each took a FULL day for us (hence, less time for Williamsburg) and my son would have liked another day just to hike the lines at Yorktown. As it was, we left so late in the day from Yorktown to return home that I was up driving half the night, LOL..... I'm gettin' just a little too old for that.

 

We pass right by Monticello on our way to Williamsburg, so we stopped there on the way in. I've always loved that place, but I was a little disappointed in our house guide this time. He really didn't talk much about Jefferson the inventor, which is what I was hoping for.... The grounds and those tours were great, however, despite all the dusty, dry weather....

 

No one mentioned any sort of hs discount to me when I was buying books! I didn't even think to ask! OY.... We were given great service by the ranger on duty at historic Jamestown, but when we got to the ranger station at Yorktown, the person was not so nice ("You may obtain a fee waiver IF you are studying something related to Yorktown...." Ummm, no, we're not studying that; we're just here from another state in the middle of the week during hs days for the heck of it.....) I guess anti-hsing feelings permeate every area of society, LOL....

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OH!! How was Plimouth Plantation? I have been talking about that to dh and my mom. ;) The pictures online look beautiful. Can you give me a somewhat cost amount?

You are right about Jamestown. The houses do look to perfect. Dh and I were at Jamestown(e) a year or so ago...loved it!

Williamsburg had an archaeological dig there. At the moment I can't remember where; maybe behind the black smith? Anyway, I wanted to get right down and dig, so did Katie (7). :D

 

I just have to chime in here. We loved Jamestowne (with an e at the end), the archaeological dig. But we had very mixed feelings about Jamestown, especially the Powhatan village. I remember a concrete path right next the the homes. Ugh! And, looking at my photos, I see that the matting on the homes is perfect, looks almost machine made. The interpreter we spoke to, was, as she said, a federal employee, no connection to any Native Americans. And in the fort area, we saw things made with modern machine milled boards. The ships were nice, though.

 

Dc and I really noticed all these things, because we had recently been on a visit to Plimouth Plantation. The Wampanoag village was staffed by actual Wampanoag, who spoke passionately and knowledgeably about their tribe's culture and traditions. The homes were made of hand made matting, made by these same people. No concrete paths next to the homes. In the colonists' settlement, the buildings are made of hand hewn lumber -- some days you can actually see the re-enactors sawing away.

 

Plimouth seems real, Jamestown feels like an exhibit, Jamestowne is real.

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Hmmmm, we had a good experience signing in at Jamestown (but were already signed up), but the Yorktown sign ins were very confused and they didn't provide us with any directional info. We just happened to walk right into the class area or we would have never found it! I think some never did find it and half the class was really late. We also happened to get the same gentleman at Yorktown that we'd had for the class at Jamestown, so that also made the process simpler for us....

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The Chincoteague Pony Center offers half-hour riding lessons - it's a good idea to call ahead to get the time you want.

 

ETA OOps! I see that you are talking about the visitor center at the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, not the Chincoteague Pony Center, but I can't figure out how to delete this post.

 

 

I believe we went past the pony center and it looked closed. :confused:

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We enjoyed the exhibits and the island drive around Jamestowne, too. The other really is just meant to provide an idea of what life was like for the Powhatan groups. I think their inside exhibits do a much better job of that than the outside village. There are few native groups related to the Powhatan that live in that area now. I'm sure it would be difficult to find folks practicing more natural lifeways. Even the nearby Pamunkey are long assimilated. I think there may be some Pamunkey museums in the area and those might give a more realistic view (but I haven't ever had a chance to visit any of them).

 

Here's a link to one such museum: http://www.baylink.org/Pamunkey/2fr_museum.html

 

For those in Virginia (or closer), here's the VA pow-wow schedule, too:

 

http://virginiaindians.pwnet.org/today/pow_wows.php

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I didn't mean to give the impression that we didn't enjoy Jamestown. We loved it! We spent the majority of our time in the indian village because that really related to our studies. We had just finished reading the Birchbark House and the kids understood and reenacted just about every tool and experience in there. The reenactors were fabulous, and the woman working with clay was from the Pamunkey tribe nearby. She taught the kids how to say hello and goodbye in their language, and spent a good bit of time with us, showing the kids how they made pots. The young man who created fire probably wasn't Native American, since he had flaming red hair, and very pale skin, but he taught my son to make fire with a stick and seemed to enjoy kids.

 

As far as the Fort side, I can't say, because we live so close and are going to go back when we get to that part of our studies. Same with Williamsburg and Yorktown.

 

I would imagine that they have the sidewalks in the village, because of the crazy weather we get here. It can pour and then the sun come back out, but it would create a real mess without them.

 

I didn't let the staff ruin our day, but the receptionist was very rude, and I don't usually notice most people's attitudes, but it was surprising. I also think that it is a case of the people on the ground not knowing what the website said, and a lack of planning on their part for not getting a head count on how many actually showed up. If their database reflected that, then walk ins wouldn't have had a problem, and it clearly said walk ins were welcome if there was space. I don't feel like I was asking for anything that was above and beyond. It even would have made sense to say, let me put you on the waiting list and if people do not show up then you are welcome, but if they do their reservations take priority.

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I didn't mean to give the impression that we didn't enjoy Jamestown. We loved it! We spent the majority of our time in the indian village because that really related to our studies. We had just finished reading the Birchbark House and the kids understood and reenacted just about every tool and experience in there. The reenactors were fabulous, and the woman working with clay was from the Pamunkey tribe nearby. She taught the kids how to say hello and goodbye in their language, and spent a good bit of time with us, showing the kids how they made pots. The young man who created fire probably wasn't Native American, since he had flaming red hair, and very pale skin, but he taught my son to make fire with a stick and seemed to enjoy kids.

 

As far as the Fort side, I can't say, because we live so close and are going to go back when we get to that part of our studies. Same with Williamsburg and Yorktown.

 

I would imagine that they have the sidewalks in the village, because of the crazy weather we get here. It can pour and then the sun come back out, but it would create a real mess without them.

 

I didn't let the staff ruin our day, but the receptionist was very rude, and I don't usually notice most people's attitudes, but it was surprising. I also think that it is a case of the people on the ground not knowing what the website said, and a lack of planning on their part for not getting a head count on how many actually showed up. If their database reflected that, then walk ins wouldn't have had a problem, and it clearly said walk ins were welcome if there was space. I don't feel like I was asking for anything that was above and beyond. It even would have made sense to say, let me put you on the waiting list and if people do not show up then you are welcome, but if they do their reservations take priority.

 

:lol:He was flint knapping while we were there. Very, very nice kid. Can't be sure he doesn't qualify as Native. Technically, my siblings and I qualify, and two of them are pale-skinned red heads! The Irish part just shows up more.:lol:

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OH!! How was Plimouth Plantation? I have been talking about that to dh and my mom. ;) The pictures online look beautiful. Can you give me a somewhat cost amount?

You are right about Jamestown. The houses do look to perfect. Dh and I were at Jamestown(e) a year or so ago...loved it!

Williamsburg had an archaeological dig there. At the moment I can't remember where; maybe behind the black smith? Anyway, I wanted to get right down and dig, so did Katie (7). :D

 

I've been to Plimouth twice and have been very impressed both times. When Plimouth was first founded, it was a typical historical recreation, with perfect little gardens and picket fences. The it became one of the first (the first, perhaps) villages to try for more authenticity. The staff there build the houses in the manner and with the materials that the 1627 colonists did. The clothes and other dress are traditional materials -- no polyester, no zippers, no lipstick. Some of the houses and gardens are neat, some fairly messy. Plimouth has long had a project of breeding back farm animals to try to recreate 17th century breeds.

 

The re-enactors in the 1627 village all play specific people -- there is enough documentation to do this. Each speaks in an accent of the part of England that settler was from. And you cannot trip them up by asking about King Charles I -- "There only be one King Charles." Any original furniture from Plymouth is in the local museum, and the pieces in the houses are very faithful reproductions. That meant that my dc were invited to try out the beds, chairs, etc. The only thing they had to stay away from was the fire!

 

The Wampanoag village was unexpectedly moving for me. the people there do not act out roles of 17th century people, They simply tell you about them -- but since the people in the village are Wampanoag, they talk to in a way that is more authentic than any wannabe Native American could possibly do, IMO.

 

It takes at least a day to see Plimouth. You will want to allow more time to visit the Mayflower, the local museum, cemetery, and other monuments and old streets in the town.

 

Plymouth also has other attractions -- a town beach. pirate ship for little kiddies, whale watching, a real penny candy store, lots of ice cream places, stunning views of Plymouth Harbor ... and delicious, inexpensive lobster rolls everywhere.

 

We went in early fall -- there were no crowds anywhere, yet the weather was warm enough for swimming. BTW, the people at the local tourist board were extremely helpful -- I called before we went.

 

Can you tell I really like Plymouth?

 

ETA Be sure to watch the orientation film. And visit the shops -- they are divided into an educational shop and a regular shop; also a shop in the Craft Center. Lots of teacher materials!

 

http://plimoth.org/

http://www.visit-plymouth.com/

Edited by Alessandra
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