In my last post I looked at 5 historical places for kids to learn about American history. In Amy Whitley’s (Pitstops for Kids) article, the first place she mentioned was Colonial Williamsburg. She said to “skip the theme parks and water parks and stay in the historic colonial village.”
Generally, I am a fan of skipping theme parks, but I do catch Disney once in a while for races and the soft magic of politeness and efficiency. I have learned to navigate the tinsel character world to find gentle places near the fireplace such as The Wilderness Lodge in Orlando. Nonetheless, with my eye on history, and a small kid in tow, I like as much authenticity as possible most times.
So, I agree with Whitley’s notion of avoiding the theme parks in Williamsburg. In my search I visited the official site of Williamsburg and saw a wrought iron gate, a large colonial mansion, and massive fireworks behind- Wow! I thought, now that is both authentic and super cool. So I followed their link to find out more– Looks like they have a big event this Sunday, December 6, with the Grand Illumination. Fireworks, bonfires (ohhhhh), and family fun. Perfect!
And since I am a “cool Dad” I found an app– got to have it- that counterintuitively has old fashioned print as an icon, and a dramatic circular picture of a carpenter applying his trade in old-worldy joy. I simply cannot wait to go now.
C’mon, they also have an app called the Daily Dispatch, which has a Word of the Day: today’s word “Wench” -also today in 1770.
This is all simply too much. I am going to have to play with these apps now and come back later. Rock on Colonial Williamsburg.
-Joe
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