Mini Photo TR: A Snowy Day in Williamsburg, Va.

[cfc]

As many of you are aware, the East Coast has been getting clobbered by snow recently--even as far south as Virginia. Now Virginians, as a rule, hate snow, are totally paranoid about it, and will close down all the schools is they see as much as a quarter inch of the fluffy white stuff.

 

Sure does make Williamsburg look purty, though. I decided to take a little walk during my lunch hour and take some pictures of Colonial Williamsburg (CW). Join me, won't you, as we amble back to the 18th century--sort of.

What? They didn't have John Deere tractors in the 18th century! Bad show! Thanks for reading.

There are usually sheep in this pasture, but, unlike the cow, they had the brains enough to stay in the barn.

I rather liked this tree. Not sure why now.

Luckily, my mouthpiece was able to plea insanity in time for me to go back to work. (The Courthouse is right next to the stocks.)

On second thought, maybe not. It's a lousy day to be out in the stocks.

Aha! The Powder Magazine! I shall get me hence, secure arms, and foment a rebellion!

Looking down DOG Street at the Colonial Capital. If you come here in the summer, you can see Benedict Arnold take this building in the name of King George. Bastard!

This cow, not so much.

Even so, this dog is totally into it.

As you've probably guessed, it's pretty damn cold (wind chill was in the teens).

This is the Governor's Palace. He has lots of guns and a ballroom; so, people have to dance the minuet there at gunpoint.

Nor at the bazaar.

Hmm--not a lot of business at the garden shop today.

. . . complete with an 18th-century graveyard.

This is Bruton Parish Church (Episcopalian). Unlike most of the buildings in CW, this isn't a reproduction. It's the real deal . . .

One of CW's sidestreets. There is nothing down there. Really. Well, there is Matthew Whaley Elementary School. So, I guess there's something. My bad.

Looking down Duke of Gloucester Street. If you want to sound like a "cool" local, call it "DOG Street."

CW's upscale shopping center, Merchants Square, and beyond that, the Wren Building of the College of William & Mary. (Hmm--no outdoor dining at the Trellis today.)

This is the reconstructed Eastern State Hospital, an 18th-century insane asylum. (NCSC is built on what used to be its graveyard.) HBO shot some of the "John Adams" miniseries here. In the spring. With fake snow.

. . . and to our honored Confederate dead. (Yeah, every town in Virginia has one of these monuments about every 20 yards or so.)

I stopped to pay homage to this casualty of the storm . . .

Off we go to CW--by way of this little park (which will be loaded with obnoxious school groups eating box lunches come spring).

A car once plowed into this sign--the car got the worst of it.

I work here at the National Center for State Courts. The doors, which operate on a timer, opened about 20 minutes late this morning, thanks to a computer snafu.

The neighborhood--a lot of people were off work today (especially if they worked in Richmond).

First stop, my house. And car. And bush.

[dandaman]

I love Colonial... stuff. Greenfield Village is about an hour away from me and I've many a childhood memory with that place ('specially the steam train!)

 

I desperately need to travel more... Williamsburg looks absolutely beautiful in the light snow.

[mcjaco]

We visited Williamsburg when I was a teenager. I barely remember any of it. Which means I just need to go back!

[TheRapidsNerd]

Cool to see and man I wished I'd stopped by there in 2007. Will have to do that and maybe get to a wine tasting or something nearby.

[Carnage]

Sounds like you've been getting hit hard then us this winter.

 

Last winter we were getting hit with a few feet of snow every week straight through till April.

 

This year has been pretty much the opposite. In fact I don't think we've had a real hard snowfall in 2+ weeks.

[griffon]

Nice report on the trip to CW Chuck... it was definitely a rare day in Virginia. I got about 9" or so at my house southwest of Richmond - but also lost power for 8 hours last night (not fun). Hope to be in Williamsburg in a few weeks for the start of the season and by then I'll be ready for some warmer weather.

The scene at 6:30am. It snowed in RIC until mid afternoon.

[cfc]

^None of my coworkers who lived up in Richmond made it to work today--I'd heard it was pretty bad up there.

[robbalvey]

Chuck,

 

You have a very nice.....bush.

 

--Robb

[Mechanic]

Your house has no left side? Just kidding of course, but this picture did strike me as almost looking like a facade.

 

[cfc]

^You caught me. I'm actually a homeless guy who lives on the Universal Backlot. I scrounge through City Walk dumpsters for food, and after midnight the local bartenders sell me the runoff from their bars all mixed together in one enormous jug (great buzz for only a quarter). My summer home is the wrecked plane on the War of the Worlds set.

 

^^And, Robb, it's always about the bush with you, isn't it? I'm glad that you recognize the important role the bush plays in scrubbing our atmosphere of greenhouse gases.

[Mechanic]

after midnight the local bartenders sell me the runoff from their bars all mixed together in one enormous jug (great buzz for only a quarter)

 

You make being homeless sound surprisingly appealing.

 

And since I didn't mention it in my first post, thanks for the pictures. I'd like to visit that part of the country someday, even if it does look kinda spooky in a Blair Witch Project sort of way.

[ebl]

"...and to our honored Confederate dead. (Yeah, every town in Virginia has one of these monuments about every 20 yards or so.)"

 

What, does Cedar Fair manage this place, too?

 

Diana got to visit Colonial Williamsburg back in 2004 on her eighth grade trip, along with much of Washington DC.

 

I'd like to visit this area of the country someday.

 

Eric

[thrillerman1]

I've not been to CW since summer of 8th grade when my parents and I did a trip all the way up to Vermont and back down to Alabama again. I must say it does look better with snow! Thanks Chuck.

[niiicolaaah]

The snow is my fault. Hours after being told "It never snows in Virginia", lo and behold it started snowing and we got somewhere around 6-8 inches around here. The local schools were all cancelled Monday and Tuesday, and on a 2-hour delay today.

[netdvn]

^ No its not!

 

I'm glad Virginia FINALLY got a decent snowfall after years of barely getting anything. Even if it snowed during my spring break

 

The weather quickly warmed up to the mid-70s by the end of the week too! If only it could stay that way for the next couple months