Saturday November 14th
So, this is it. Our last day. We walk outside, and guess what? No rain! That figures! As soon as we realize this we start going, and we don't stop. We got everyone on the bus and departed for the Capitol yet again. This time we were going to talk with Richard Henry Lee. This was an awesome experience for our students. It took a little while for them to get warmed up to the idea that were actually seeing him in person and dialoguing with just him and no one else. However, once they cleared the sleep from their eyes and realized that they could ask him questions and even debate with him their passions ran wild as they began to intellectually spar with one of the most influential figures in United States History.
After our session with Richard Henry Lee at the Capitol, we decided that we were going to go to Jamestown. We were finally going to be able to see where it all started. Jamestown was, as advertised, swampy, probably a little more so now given the recent weather. However, the historical significance of Jamestown is prominent everywhere you look. We had a great tour guide who really did a good job of explaining why the settlers chose Jamestown to settle and what difficulties they faced in doing so. We were able to tour the church which doubled as the first House of Burgesses and the birthplace of American Government. Overall, Jamestown is loaded with history and we were fortunate to have been able to experience it first hand.
Given the fact that the weather had finally broke, the students received some much needed free time in Williamsburg to explore everything, and they did! They explored everything from the Governor's Palace, to the magazine where all the weapons were stored-and even tried to fire colonial weapons but were denied, thank goodness, to the court house, the Capitol and all the various historical houses throughout Williamsburg. This was good, because of the fact that we had already toured the most historical locations, and this gave them to chance to either go back and see them again or to explore and find new points of interest, as well as lunch.
After a few hours of exploring, we were a bit split on who wanted to go back to the hotel and rest up for the night program and who wanted to stay in town. So, half of us stayed behind, and half went back to the hotel. The half who stayed behind were able to seek out some of the "haunted" places they had learned about the night before on the Ghost tour, including the Peyton Randolph house, a tavern bathroom, and a spooky underground tunnel connecting one of the taverns to the barn behind it. This was really cool!
When the two groups met back up at the Capitol it was time for our night program- Dancing, better yet- Colonial Dancing! This was fantastic! Even though Colonial Dancing is significantly different from dancing in the the 21st century, it was particularly beneficial for some of the boys who learned how to properly greet a lady and dance like gentlemen (lots of skipping). By the end of the program, many of the students were impressed at the fact that so much effort and emphasis was placed on how well you could dance during the Colonial era.
It was now time to return to the hotel and settle in to rest in preparation for our long journey home on Sunday with a 6:00 am departure. This has been a fantastic educational experience for our students, one we can only hope they will not soon forget. Thank you to everyone who was a part of helping this journey become a reality for our students. Thank you also, to the students who were so well behaved, polite and respectful to everyone, we received many compliments on our students, which is nothing short of what we expected from our students here at Taylor High School. Thank you again to everyone for all of your continued support of all the great opportunities we try to provide for our students.
Friday November 13th
Today, we were supposed to go to Jamestown and Yorktown, but they are both closed because they are under water. Once again, our plans have changed, but we are going with it - what else can you do when you get stuck in one of the worst storms in Virginia in the past decade?
We decided to go in to town to visit the Governor's Palace, Peyton Randolph's house, and the Geddy House. After lunch, we went to Bruton Parish Church for a short tour. We got to see the original baptismal font that came from Jamestown to the Church in the early 1700s. Many famous people, including George Washington, have stood beside that baptismal font.
After returning to the hotel to dry out a bit, we returned to the historic area for our Ghost Tour - it was Friday the 13th! It was cool!
Thursday November 12th
Rain, rain go away...OMG it won't stop raining! We've never seen this much rain. I would like to say we're not defeated, but it's certainly dampening our plans.
Today we started out at the College of William & Mary. Our visit was moved in doors and we met with a panel of 4 college students. We received lots of information, from tips about college applications to what life is like on campus. After our visit, we came back to the hotel to dry off and get ready for our next adventure.
We decided to brave the elements for a little bit...we went to the historic area to visit the Capitol and Bassett Hall. The juniors had a great time - 2 very good tour guides. The seniors didn't have the same luck. They found themselves on a "special" 75th anniversary tour of the Capitol - sorry guys!! oops :) At least we got to see something.
After lunch, we came back to the hotel to dry off and get ready for our night program. We left early to stop at Walgreens and Target. We had to find some rain gear and new shoes (the ones we have are really wet). It was when we entered Target that we realized - Virginia hates us. As soon as we walked in the door the power went out. Fortunately, after about 10 minutes, it did come back on and we were able to make our purchases.
So, off to "Cry Witch" we went. As members of the court, we heard the evidence at hand and convicted her by a vote of 24-22. Tara and Emily were discussing the case and "forgot" to vote - they're the reason she was found guilty :) Well, they are convinced of that anyway. Overall, everyone seemed to like it...and then we had to go back out in the rain.
We're back at the hotel now, playing games, eating pizza...and you guessed it...trying to dry off!
Wednesday November 11th
Hey everyone! I'm sure you may have heard that Virginia's governor has just declared a state of emergency for the entire state of Virginia because of Ida. Please do not worry - we are safe. Moms - Lori says no worries - we're not near the water.
As for the rest of today...we went to the Colonial Williamsburg (CW) Veterans' Day celebration at the Court House. After dinner, we went to our first night program - Pirates Among Us - it was a big hit. We had to walk through torrential wind and rain, but it was totally worth it!
For parents who may be concerned about what they are hearing - we will be modifying our plans because of the weather. They are forecasting 100% chance of rain with wind gusts over 50 mph - there will be coastal flooding here, but we don't plan on leaving the Williamsburg area at all tomorrow. They have closed schools and colleges in the area and are advising people to be careful if they are on the road. We are aware of this and will plan accordingly - we will stay safe and dry!!
Wednesday November 11th
Ida, Ida, Ida!!! The rain won't stop, but it's not stopping us. We went to Monticello this morning and have just arrived in Williamsburg. We just checked in to our hotel and are trying to dry off a little bit before heading over the historic area for the Veterans' Day parade. After that, we're off to our night program - Pirates Among Us.
Tuesday November 10th
We left this morning at 8:05 a.m. (you know who you are) and have arrived safely in Charlottesville, VA. On the bus, we watched movies and ate some really good Montgomery Inn BBQ chips - thanks for sharing Shawn! Hot Rod is a must see (not really) - "chick flicks" ruled the day. Since we spent 9 1/2 hours on the bus today, we don't have much to report. But, we are here safe and sound. Tomorrow we will visit Monticello and then we're off to Williamsburg.
Sunday November 8th
So excited to be leaving on Tuesday morning - Virginia, here we come!
11/16/2009 12:14:48 AM - 001005521079
Our kids are very lucky to have Miss Bowen and Mike Voynovich. They give to our students lifetime memories. What an adventure they had!! Kudos to the kids too. You should be very proud of them. They were very respectful everywhere we went. I received many compliments from various Colonial times speakers. The kids are always in great hands with them.
11/13/2009 5:16:34 PM - 002099615077
Even though it is raining it still looks fun!
11/12/2009 9:57:27 PM - 002099401166
Have fun
11/12/2009 2:04:14 PM - 002098639484
it is cold wet and rainy
11/11/2009 3:46:56 AM - 002098639484
we are having a great time
11/10/2009 6:45:41 PM - 001028574010
Have a great time!!
11/10/2009 3:14:47 PM - 002098645700
Have fun and behave yourselves!
11/10/2009 4:23:39 AM - 002098639484
lets get ready to rumble