The trip home

We left DC on a Saturday afternoon and the traffic was just as we had grown to expect in Virginia. It wasn't an easy leave since Emma was staying there. Of course she was. But it wasn't fun leaving her behind. I like my people all together.  

I can't even remember where we spent the night but it was somewhere in Virginia. That state feels like a second cousin to Texas. It drives like it's too big for it's britches.

I've already posted some of these pics on a snapchat post, but a few are worth a second look. 

Finishing the trip strong.  

There was a wiseacre in the way back seat. 

This may have happened before we left for Louisiana, but it's a hall of famer and worth a second laugh. 

I suspect we are somewhere in Tennessee. 

Looks like some Smokey Mountains in the front view. 

We took off down some back country roads. Some people in the car were happy about it, some were not. 

That's a sweet view. 

I love the way that looks. 

What must it be like to live on the side of a mountain? 

You have to be up high to see the sunset though. 

Owen does NOT like to ride through mountains and he cared not for the back country road riding. 

They really are smokey.

Can't remember if those are turkeys or guineas or something else. 

As we were riding through the backroads of either Virginia or Tennessee, Caitlin and Olivia saw the strangest sight ever and we have no proof of it. As we were whizzing by a house, I say whizzing because John thinks mountain roads are roller coasters and he's the conductor of the crazy train he's driving. But I digressed...on the front porch of a house we passed was a large group of fully dressed mannequins. You read that correctly. It was a large number of fully dressed mannequins standing on the porch of a house. 

Why mountain people? Why? It was so weird and I'd love to be able to ask them why. In a public setting. Where there was a crowd. No way would I knock on the door and ask the weird people why they were so weird. 

I feel like this is out of place in the line of pics, but I don't care.

I do think there were times we never thought we'd be out of the car again.

Yes Owen, that is your eye. Beba's bringing it from the backseat.

I have no idea where this is, but I took five pictures of it, so I left one in. Maybe around Chattanooga.  

Georgia is welcoming us.

Then Alabama did. 

He IS the best son I have. 

Don't lose heart Beba, we will make it home. 

When boredom set in...

We snapped.

And snapped. 

And just like that....

After 2,975.6 miles, we were back home.

I love a good road trip. I love to see America and I want to see as much of it as I can. Washington DC is a great place to visit and while it's not cheap, all the memorials and most of the museums are free. 

Lord have mercy on our country and Washington DC especially. Men do not run us or our country. It's God's plan we want and need.

In Jesus name. 

Williamsburg and the Historic Triangle

I'm happy to say we have a new president. It was time for a change. I want to live in a country where I know God is first. I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I pray for all people to come to know Jesus so they can spend eternity with him. It's my prayer for even the worst of humanity. I cannot imagine being persecuted for being a Christian in a foreign land. I don't think anyone in present day America can say they've experienced awful treatment as other Christians have in foreign lands. Jesus please protect those who cannot protect themselves.   

I've stepped off my soapbox and am determined to finish our trip to DC this past summer. But I will say, this is me and I love Jesus and I'm not ashamed to say it. And if you did love Jesus and don't anymore, or have a nonexistent relationship with him, it grieves my soul. 

I put the soapbox back in the closet.

Back to our trip...

While we were there Emma had to work the first part of the week, so when she finally got some days off, we hit the country running. And I'm not even kidding. The day we went to the White House in the morning, then to George Washington's Mt. Vernon that afternoon, we left DC and drove to Williamsburg Virginia. I'm talking a jam packed day. 

The drive between DC and Williamsburg was not great. The traffic was insane both coming and going. Full of cars and several slow downs and wrecks hither and yon. It was somewhat stressful. As a whole, the driving while in the state of Virginia was awful throughout our trip. If you want more details than what I'm giving here, I'll sum up: too much traffic and many wrecks. Get it together Virginia. 

I haven't traveled extensively in my lifetime, but in the last two years I've been to DC twice, New York City, Pittsburgh and Williamsburg. You could say I've stepped up my game. On a side note, I've been to a lot of burgs. You'll find lots of burgs in Pennsylvania. They seem to love a burg. I've also now seen many landmarks and LOTS of college campuses I've always heard of. I've always known of the College of William and Mary, but never seen it. I have now been there too. If you didn't know, it's in Williamsburg. 

No offense to William or Mary, but it must not have impressed much because I took no pictures of it.

Once off that horrid highway we saw some lovely scenery.

All the peeps in the car looked thrilled to be there. 

This is were the "end of the road" literally happened and we ended up on the ferry. 

It was a lovely sunset that day. 

On the James River.

Those are my people inside the ferry boat waiting to use the restroom. 

After our ferry ride we found our hotel and settled in for 8 minutes of sleep. OK, that's not true, but it FELT true. We had to sleep fast so we could get up the next day to explore Colonial WIllaimsburg and the rest of the city. The next morning we drove around Williamsburg, found some places to buy souvenirs, and then went to Colonial Williamsburg, where it was quite quaint and very old school. 

Here's a little history about the city...

Colonial Williamsburg, was the largest, most populous town during the colonial period of the United States, and was once the capitol of Virginia. Near the end of the Revolutionary War, Thomas Jefferson was influential in moving the capitol to a more centrally located Richmond Virginia. After that it's most famous claim to fame was being the home of the College of William and Mary. 

In 1926 Reverend Dr. W.A.R. Goodwin, along with the financial help of John D. Rockefeller Jr. began the process of preserving the buildings that were in decline. The place that was once part of a thriving colonial community was in terrible disrepair. The two men played an integral part in preserving 88 buildings, or 85% of the original structures. Some of those buildings aren't on their original site and some have undergone extensive restoration. The area where the structures stand encompasses more than 300 acres. It's considered the largest living history museum in the world. 

On the day we spent there, it was a warm sunny day. Not unbearable, but I was often looking for a shade tree. What we discovered as we were walking through the colonial village was that you have to buy tickets to get inside most of the houses. It's a whole thing about buying tickets to be able to go anywhere you wanted to and pop in any place available to pop in. Well, because we didn't have tickets, there was no popping. None. There were a few stores open to all visitors, but most of the ones we saw required a ticket. I enjoyed what I saw and I think it would be a fun place to go back to during a cooler time of year and take it all in. But I'm not sure I want to go watch a weaver weave on a weaving loom. I'm NEVER gonna weave anything.  

Lets go see the lovely village of Williamsburg. Or town. Or city. Or whatever they consider it.  

People were wearing the colonial period dress. It was a little weird.

The capitol of Williamsburg. It was the site of the seat of Virgina's colonial government for 75 years. Patrick Henry denounced the Stamp Act in this building. 

Another side of the capitol building. 

Another building I liked. No idea what it is. 

I tried really hard to find the names of all these buildings and I could not. I don't feel defeated, I feel like, "Eh whatevs."

This is Whetherburn's Tavern and is one of WIlliamsburg's most carefully and thoroughly restored buildings.  

A colonial treefrog. 

A lovely back or side yard, maybe part of the tavern. 

Beautiful. 

Picturesque. 

This is the main street called the Duke of Gloucester street. 

A lovely walkway. 

The Mary Stith House. She was the daughter of the president of William and Mary College. 

Another lovely walkway. 

These are 6 hot and weary people.

One more.

We were finally able to pop in a shop and Emma found this bonnet. She did not buy it. 

Neither did she buy little red riding hood's cape. 

Then Emma afforded me the pleasure of these photos. 

I feel certain the people in olden times...

Did not wear sunglasses...

Or flash the peace sign.

In 1783 Benjamin Waller stood on the steps of this courthouse and read the Declaration of Independence. The war had just ended and they celebrated in that manor.  

This is the Governor's Palace. 

Bruton Parish Church was the first Anglican church built in 1660. Some of the men who attended this church were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry. That's quite the name dropping congregants.  

Later on in the day it got rainy.

The gang's all still here.

In my defense Carlie, I'm not sure this hat would look good on anyone. 

We were headed to Jamestown after we finished at Williamsburg but it was closed. Two attempts to see it and two attempts failed. It was not meant to be.

Not sure what body of water this was, but it was lovely. 

This was the drive to Jamestown. 

Two peeps checking out the James River close up.

Getting that bun shuuzzed up for the photo. 

Perf.

Caitlin and Owen refused to get out of the car for the close up look at the James. 

When we left the Jamestown area we headed to Yorktown, the area where the Battle of Yorktown was fought. This was the final battle of the Revolutionary War. George Washington was involved. I went and looked up info about the battle at Yorktown and decided I'm not a history teacher and this is not a history blog. OK, that sounded harsh. But there were just so many intricate details to type, I decided not to. But go look it up if you want to read about it. It involved the French in boats, George on land and a trapped British General Cornwallis. The take away from all of that is, the U.S. prevailed with the help of the French and the British knew they were defeated. Boom. The United States was officially official.  

I gave no quizzes at the end of the trip.

It was the loveliest of places that day. You'd never know a war had been fought there.

This was a hint though. 

But that looks like any normal pasture. 

I had a hard time taking out photos. 

This cross signifies the burial place of 50 unidentified french soldiers . 

What I think to be true is some of these canons are original and some are replicas. 

A depiction of the French artillery. 

The Victory at Yorktown Monument. 

Don't know, but love.

This house was built in 1691.

This was built in the 1730's.

This is not an old windmill but a reconstruction as far as I can tell. 

A HUGE bamboo forrest. HUGE.

Looking for the bamboo forrest?

After we left Yorktown we had to drive back to DC because we were leaving for home the next day. The weather was awful, the traffic was awful and the drive was awful. 

One of the horrid highways in Virginia. 

Once we were back in DC it was time to pack up and get ready for the drive home the next day. We took some time to hang some things and decorate some things in Emma's room. Look how cute. Oh wait, she had to move. 

The cuteness can be recreated though. 

Home is where the heart is and I think hers is still mostly in Louisiana.

And that my people is a wrap on our family trip to Washington DC. It was fun and fab and I'm so glad we did it while Emma lives there. 

Now....I started this last week and it's taken me forever to look up facts and make sure to the best of my ability all this info is correct. If not, I'll find out later because I'm so sick of this post I could scream.

I don't feel good. My ears are so stopped up I can't hear thunder and I have to go to the doctor in the morning because of it. I'm very sad about that and really worried about my ears. I pray for my hearing in Jesus name that it will all be well. I've never had such a stuffed up head in my life. 

I'm off for now, don't know what's next on my blog. 

Jesus heal our country please. We need some help real fast. Protect us all in Jesus name.

Amen.