Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia

(Part 2 of the original and complete video on our travelogue) From Jefferson&Monticello at Charlottesville, Virginia, we drove to Colonial Williamsburg in 2.5 hours. Transported 300 years back in time, here we expected to experience the beginning, middle and end of Colonial America in a single day. The Historic Area of Colonial Williamsburg stretches over 301 acres, and includes 88 original 18th-century structures. Here hundreds of houses, shops and public buildings are reconstructed on their original foundations. Some buildings are open to the public, while others are private residences and administrative offices. Colonial Williamsburg is a combination of a historical landmark and a living history museum. But, unlike other living history museums, anyone can walk through the historic district of Williamsburg free of charge at any hour of the day. Charges apply only to those visitors who wish to enter the historic buildings to see arts and crafts demonstrations and to ride the shuttle bus. Our first stop was Bassett Hall, the Rockefeller&home, and to quote his biographer, "perhaps his favorite residence -- the one that most attracted him in his later years -- where he found the satisfaction of creation, of being a part of one of his own great dreams." A simple two-story 18th-century white frame farmhouse nestled on 585 acres of lawn, garden, and woodlands, Bassett Hall was built between 1753 and 1766. At the time of our visit, it was closed. The second stop was at the...