Even though Peyton Randolph is a historical unknown to the average person, it doesn't mean that he…read morewas a lightweight by any means. Speaker of the House of Burgesses, Attorney General of Virginia and 1st President of the Continental Congress. That last one to me is the biggie. Would things have turned out differently for the colonies if Peyton doesn't die in Philadelphia while having dinner with Jefferson in 1775 versus John Hancock taking over after his death? By that's for another time. If you visit CW one of the must see stops is his house which is located at the corner of East Nicholson and North England Street (the Yelp map marker is wrong - the house is on the other side of East Nicholson). While the main house is one of the original 88, the breezeway-kitchen-assorted outbuildings are all reproductions. One of the larger historically inaccurate things that CW sort of fixed was when they moved the windmill that spent 50-ish years on the property over to Great Hopes Plantation. No evidence has ever been found that a windmill was on the property and the thing had been inoperable well over a decade by the time it got moved. Of course CW bungled that one as well by also closing Great Hopes to any kind of active interpretation not long after the move. So while the windmill in essence got a nice paint job, it still doesn't work and is marooned in CW Siberia with potential plans to convert that area to parking or some kind of future entertainment space. But that's also for another time. Over the years CW has changed how touring is done at the house. In the past, a few years ago, the house was only open on certain days or only for a 1/2 day with the staff then moving over to the Wythe House for the other 1/2. Thankfully that changed and of late the Randolph House has been open more or less daily. With that said, they still do timed tours which start (??) twice an hour. Sometimes you begin at the side entrance on the street corner but when the crowd is larger you are sometimes herded into the breezeway that separates the house from the kitchen until it's go time. Aside from the house tour that you would expect at CW, recently they have further emphasized the slavery angle at the house. Randolph was a very wealthy individual and he and his wife owned in excess of 100 slaves during his lifetime. That story gets told more as you get to the outbuildings at the end of the tour. The other thing that the house is known anecdotally is that supposedly it's very haunted. That's not covered on the official house tour unless someone asks but every ghost tour company in Williamsburg, including when CW offers them, makes a stop here. I think that has something to do with people dying here during the Civil War when the house gets used as a hospital for a brief time. Like the Everard House or the Wythe House, any time you can tour one of the 300+ year old CW originals it's a must do.

The Peyton Randolph Home is one of the 88 original structures on CW property and was home to the…read moreprominent Williamsburg resident Peyton Randolph. He served as president of the first Continental Congress. He resided in the home 1721-1775. The large two story house is unique for its seven paneled rooms which was a sign of wealth. It's size is deceiving from the front. Each room has been decorated in period time, however there are few items that are authentic to the Randolph's. The rear of the property has outbuildings. The home is open for guided tours on selected days. This is my favorite guided tour in Colonial Williamsburg.

The Wren Building on the campus of The College of William & Mary, named after its supposed…read morearchitect Sir Christopher Wren, is one-of-a-kind. It is the oldest college building still standing in the United States, built prior to 1700 (when Jamestown was still the capital of the Virginia colony). I appreciate how it welcomes you to campus, sitting at the end of Colonial Williamsburg's Duke of Gloucester Street. The building is steeped in history, as can be seen by the numerous marble plaques adorning its walls. One one side of the building is a triangular grassy area facing the Capitol building. On the other size is the College's sunken garden. The building itself has numerous rooms still in use today for classes. The great hall has a beautiful large hearth with paintings of William & Mary throughout the room. And Wren Chapel - the other wing of the building - is the site for many weddings plus it has a crypt underneath that contains the graves of a handful of important American revolutionaries. It's such a neat structure and one worth visiting when in Williamsburg.

Free to visit and tour, this incredible building is the oldest academic building still in use in…read morethe US today. While there is a focus on the students, the main focus of the building is the tourists who come through Colonial Williamsburg. Its mission is split in three directions. It serves as an academic building during the school semesters, it serves as a landmark historical attraction, and it serves as a the center of many traditions for the College and the surrounding area. While this may be a lot of different goals for one building to achieve, the Wren building accomplishes all three. Having visited in early May, and all through out this past year, there could not be a more majestic building. I gave the site 5 stars because not only does it stand for centuries of tradition, but it continues to be a place where new traditions are made every year.

Such a cool place. I mean, who's ever heard of a Sunken Garden before!? Great place to meet…read morefriends for a game of soccer or frisbee. My kids LOVED coming here on a visit so they could work their way into a game with students. It's also just beautiful, surrounded by boxwood and stately brick buildings.

At the heart of the College of William and Mary's old campus lies this gorgeous lawn. A remaining…read moreproject from the work relief programs from the Great Depression it lies several feet lower than the campus around it. Free for anyone to visit it is intended for students and community members to come and relax. It exists to beautify the campus and remind those who visit of the strength our country had coming out of the Great Depression, it serves both of these purposes well. Having visited earlier this week I could not imagine giving the Gardens any lower of a rating. It ties the campus together and is an integral part of the William and Mary that exists today.

You could argue that out of all of the buildings at Colonial Williamsburg both original and…read morereproduction, Bassett Hall is the most significant. Why? For starters it is an original building that dates back to the 1750's but most importantly is that it was the home of Rockefellers during the initial planning and building stages of the CW that we have today. It was during their visits to meet with Dr. Goodwin and to stay here that Colonial Williamsburg took its shape. While Dr. Goodwin had the vision and was very persuasive, but he needed someone with deep pockets in a way that only a select few men of the day could fit the bill (in 2019 dollars, Rockefeller's net worth would make Jeff Bezos look poor). Rockefeller while initially reluctant, was bitten by the history bug and the idea that he could shape this place the way how he wanted. It's a simple math equation: No Rockefellers = No $$$ and No $$$ = No CW restoration I'm not going to get into the history of the house. If you care, the below links will tell it to you far better than I ever could. The below is a good timeline for the property www.history.org/almanack/places/hb/hbbassett_chron.cfm More house history and a floor plan with pictures www.history.org/almanack/places/hb/hbbass.cfm research.history.org/DigitalLibrary/view/index.cfm?doc=ResearchReports%5CRR1714.xml&highlight= Moving forward to today, if you want to tour Bassett Hall you need to remember two things. 1. The house is off the beaten path a little bit. Head towards the Gunsmith then turn left and continue walking along Francis Street. You will see a small crosswalk. Go down the two steps and cross Francis Street then walk down Bassett Hall's main driveway. If you're driving go a little further down Francis and there is a small driveway that leads to the parking lot. 2. Bassett Hall is only open three days a week year round so plan accordingly. 9-5 on Wednesday, Thursday & Saturday. In the building to the left of the house is where you start the tour. You watch a short movie that offers a very interesting look into the Rockefellers and what made them tick. If it's possible to humanize a couple that today would be worth around $400 Billion dollars, the movie does it. After that it's off to the house. For our tour it was just us. Saturday morning in March at 11am and this place is a ghost town. Our guide, who was blind, was probably the best guide I have ever experienced in my life. Engaging and knowledgeable not just about the home but about the Rockefellers and CW and about many other notable historical places. He was a great guy and clearly loves what he is doing. The tour was a little over an hour and it takes you through the 1st floor morning room-parlor-dining room-flower cutting room-pantry-kitchen. Then up to the 2nd floor for the master bedroom and a guest bedroom. The house reminds you of the Eisenhower Home in Gettysburg where it's fully furnished still with their actual things in period and it looks like they could be coming home any minute. I've been coming to CW for years and either forgot about Bassett or it was a day when the house was closed but it is definitely worth a visit.

Bassett Hall is not a ticket sales location so you will have to purchase your tickets elsewhere…read morelike the Williamsburg Visitors Center. Admission to Bassett Hall is included with your purchase of a Colonial Williamsburg Pass. It is located near the south end of Francis Street not far from the Capitol. It is not open everyday. Now through December 31, 2016 it is open Wed, Thursday's and Saturday from 9-5. You start your tour in the adjacent Reception Building where you will meet your tour guide. Our tour guide was exceptional. I only wish I could remember her name. At the Reception Building you will find a small museum and a brief video in the theater which will explain the history of Bassett Hall and particularly John D. Rockefeller and Abby Aldrich Rockefellers contributions to Bassett Hall and Colonial Williamsburg which were enormous. Did you know that George Armstrong Custer stayed at Bassett Hall for 10 day during the Civil Was Battle at Williamsburg. From the Reception Building you will be escorted by your guide to Bassett Hall. The two story house is an 18th century frame building. There are 585 acres of gardens and rolling woodlands which extensive trails. In large part the home reflects Abby Aldrich Rockefeller's tastes in furnishings and art. She loved "Folk Art" and the house reflects a great deal of her collection. Chinese porcelain in the dining room. Oriental rugs throughout the house, as well as, needle work rugs she hand stitched are on display. It was Abby who collected most of what can be seen in the house today. Renovations took place periodically. A wing was added to the back which included bathrooms, kitchen, guests bedrooms and servants rooms. A major renovation was done between 2000 and 2002 which caused the home to be closed. The Rockefellers stayed in the home in the Spring and Fall for about six weeks. By all accounts they looked forward to their visits very much. The Rockefeller money created Colonial Williamsburg and Bassett Hall and thus it is such an enormous part of the story that it should not be missed. Bassett Hall is the best place to learn about that story.

Now well used by fishermen seeking their catches from the sea, this wharf used to be part of an…read moreimportant military installation. The marker reads: "Built by the Corp of Engineers about 1818, this was for many years a very important wharf. Jefferson Davis was landed here as a prisoner on May 22, 1865." Great view of the harbor!

Smithfield, where do I even start? It feels like time slows down here. No one seems to be in a…read morerush. People are actually friendly and stop to talk to passers by. Parking up on Main Street during the week can sometimes feel like you're the only one in town - but weekends are popping! From the stunning houses to the local businesses, from the famous ham to the vibrant arts scene, there's actually quite a bit available to see and do. Here's some favorites to check out: 1. Smithfield Farmers Market; 2. Windsor Castle Park (includes a friendly dog park!) 3. Main St - just walk up and down both sides and admire the unique shops in the houses; 4. Taste of Smithfield; 5. Arts Center at 319; 6. Smithfield Station; 7. The Mansion on Main B&B; 8. Cure Coffeehouse; 9. Q Daddy's Pitmaster BBQ; 10. Ringo's donuts - try the 'squealer'. A Smithfield fave. 11. Yummaries Bakery - get a pig cookie!!! 12. Isle of Wight County Museum (check out the oldest cured ham, cured in 1902!) 13. Hayden's Lane. Rich in history, well kept and plenty of festivals throughout the year which attract locals from all around. If you haven't ventured this way before, give it a shot! It's stunning through every season and very picturesque. You might just find your new favorite hideout for some quality me time, away from the hustle and bustle that what we call life.

When I was driving around and saw this area had to stop. A bunch of neat shops plenty of things to…read morelook at and walking up and down the street to look at some of the old style houses. I couldn't determine if it was locals or visitors that had all the pets that were allowing them to strategically place landmines up and down the sidewalks. Other than that it's a really good place to kill some time.

Located in front of the Lower Northampton Baptist Church in Cape Charles, this marker points out…read morethe history of a local preacher and his history. The marker is in excellent condition and the breakdown lane is wide enough here that you can safely stop. A cut in the median not far away reduces the difficulty if you're headed in the opposite direction. It reads, "Elijah Baker, Baptist preacher, began his ministry in Lunenburg County. As an itinerant in the 1770s, he helped found several churches in the counties along the James and York Rivers. He arrived in this area on Easter Sunday 1776 and traveled to nearby Magothy Bay Anglican Church. The minister was absent, and Baker, atop a horse block near the churchyard, preached the first Baptist sermon on the Eastern Shore. He is credited with helping to found 18 Baptist churches on the Delmarva Peninsula. Detained in Accomack County in 1778, he was the last Baptist jailed for preaching in Virginia. Baker was the pastor of nearby Lower Northampton Baptist Church when he died in 1798." The marker was erected in 2017 by Virginia's Department of Historic Resources and is marker number WY-26. [Review 18124 overall - 1390 in Virginia - 1646 of 2022.]

My, times have changed. And they have changed for the better. Here's this marker that reminds us of…read morewhere we used to be: "The first documented Africans in Virginia arrived in 1619 when a Dutch warship landed here at Point Comfort. The "twenty and odd" Africans, captured from the Spanish, were traded to the Virginia colonists in exchange for foodstuffs. Early Africans who lived here included Antony and Isabell, and their son William, likely the first black child in present-day Hampton. They served Point Comfort Commander William Tucker, but whether the early Africans were treated as indentured servants or slaves is uncertain. The institution of slavery evolved during the 17th century as the term of service for Africans was extended for life. The U.S. abolished slavery in 1863."