Williamsburg is one of the top tourist attractions in the country, and an extensive social/companion program is planned. There are six major attractions in the area:  Colonial Williamsburg is the largest outdoor living museum in the world. In the 175 acres and more than 500 restored and reconstructed buildings of Colonial Williamsburg(CW), you'll discover hundreds of people representing actual citizens from 18th century Williamsburg. You'll find them greeting guests at their taverns, stoking the fire outside a tenant house or judging the accused in the courts. You'll hear them discussing British taxes, religious freedom and the alarming notion of separating--forever--from the mother country. CW does not have an entrance and an exit. It blends seamlessly into the campus and the town of Williamsburg. No passes are needed to walk the streets--in fact, many students and faculty jog along the main street of CW every day (taking care to avoid reminders from horses). Passes are needed to enter the exhibit buildings, such as the spectacular Governor's Palace and the historic Capitol building. DPF2002 will recess for Sunday afternoon, May 26th. Participants will be given a CW pass for that afternoon. Companion passes will be available for purchase (currently, a one-year pass is $38 for adults, $19 for children) with registration.  Jamestown Settlement is located near the site of the first English settlement in North America. In 1607, 104 Englishmen dropped anchor and established the new colony. At the settlement, there are re-creations of the original colonial fort, a Powhatan Indian village (where Pocahontas lived), and the three ships that brought the settlers to Virginia are floating on the 4-mile wide James River. There are extensive indoor galleries that tell the story of this original settlement. A couple of miles from Jamestown Settlement is Jamestown Island. Here one can walk the streets of the original town. There isn't much there--only an old clock tower, some memorials and archaeological remains. The visitors center has a film, museum and gift shop. The original fort (James Fort) was only discovered a few years ago, is partly offshore (erosion), and highly protected by archaeologists. There is a spectacular walking/biking/driving trail around the island (inner loop is 3 miles, outer loop is 5 miles). Two light-hearted notes: (1) Physicists from Boston should note that the Mayflower was not
first--the Pilgrims carried guidebooks from the Virginia colonists. (2)
Do not believe the Disney movie---Jamestown does not have waterfalls (it is
a swamp), and Pocahontas was not an 18-year old beauty (she was 12 years old,
unclothed, bald with a topknot and rubbed herself down with bear fat every day to keep mosquitoes off). |
