Getting on/off a motorcoach. Walking about 2 miles on cobblestone, pebble, and brick paths; on our feet approximately 2 hours; few opportunities to sit and rest.
In our private dining area, start the day with a breakfast buffet offering choices such as eggs, breakfast meats, cereals, sides, breads, seasonal fruit, milk, juices, coffee, tea, water.
With a local expert, we’ll take a more personal look at Yuletide across time by considering the words of people living in Williamsburg during three centuries. We’ll also have an opportunity to share our own family traditions, inherited or newly begun. This look at holiday observances will help tie the old to the new, bringing a deeper and richer meaning to our own holiday observances. Next we’ll join a talented chocolatier in our hotel classroom to learn about the history of this popular treat during colonial times. By the middle of the 18th century, hot chocolate, flavored with a variety of spices, had become a favorite drink in both Europe and America. Our instructor will provide us with some background about how this New World concoction originated and found its way into the courts of the Continent. You will have the opportunity to assist in the preparation of a chocolate treat, which of course, you will also be able to sample! We’ll next walk to Colonial Williamsburg from the hotel, then walk the length of historic Duke of Gloucester Street in the company of a local expert. We’ll focus on the homes, shops, and public buildings while, at the same time, investigate the remarkable decorations that adorn those buildings. Our expert will describe historical local events and the roles of average townspeople while also teaching us about the materials and techniques used to create the wreaths and sprays.
At a colonial tavern we’ll enjoy plated meals with salad, entrée, dessert, soft drinks; other beverages available for purchase. In the colonial era, public houses were gathering places for residents and travelers. Though this building has been reconstructed, the atmosphere — though not the contemporary menu — is similar to what patrons such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry would have known. Strolling musicians and personalities from the past enhance the experience.
Continuing our town exploration, we will walk to the historic Wren Building on the campus of the College of William and Mary to attend a concert of colonial and Christmas music performed on the chapel’s 18th century pipe organ, one of the four oldest pipe organs in the U.S. We’ll have a unique opportunity to learn about the instrument from our organist, a talented musician from the staff of the Music Department of the College. Next, we’ll walk to Bruton Parish Church in the Restored Area for a private visit led by a local historian and church member. Bruton traces its roots to an unnamed parish of 1633, with the current name adopted in 1674, upon the consolidation of several older parishes. The present church was completed in 1715, although it has undergone many alterations, including a reversion to its colonial glory during the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg. Our expert will outline the history of the church itself, along with the building's architecture and how it changed over the centuries. At the conclusion of our field trip, we’ll walk back to the hotel. In our hotel classroom, we will again be joined by the church historian who will detail the importance of religion in the Colonial period. Her discussion will include the religious history of the time and various customs and celebrations of the gentry, the “middling class,” and enslaved populations.
At the hotel.
We will follow dinner with a private performance where we will enjoy the talents of a costumed musician as he plays and explains instruments, both familiar and unusual, of the 18th Century, and hear Christmas music popular in colonial celebrations. Be prepared to join in on a familiar song or two before the performance ends!