The Williamsburg Winery

Doug wanted to go to the winery, so we headed back to Williamsburg to visit this one. The Williamsburg Winery can produce 70,000 cases of wine a year and makes almost a quarter of the wine sold in all of Virginia. All the Virginia wineries combined are the fifth leading wine producer in the country. The vineyards were beautiful!

As you can tell, we enjoyed tasting their handiwork. I bought a yummy raspberry dessert wine that I'm saving for the holidays. Can't wait!

At the Beach!!!

Finally, we get to go to the beach! We've gone twice now. First time, Tuesday evening. The Boardwalk is incredible. Very family oriented and tons and tons of free entertainment.

We spent most of Wednesday at the beach. Loved it, loved it!

Kristi said I had to put this one in. A wave rolled in and knocked me off balance.

The umbrellas were one of my favorite things on the beach. Each one was different, and all were very colorful. What a summer-y scene!

Doug wouldn't put on the new $3 Walmart trunks I bought for him. Maybe next time, eh?

The Next Day - Williamsburg

The best thing about Williamsburg is how it made you realize how men fought to be free of British rule and to start their lives new in America at great cost not only to themselves but to their families, too. After driving about an hour, we arrived in time to see a re-enactment of those early days.

We felt sorry for the actors for having to wear those hot costumes, but they were so-o realistic, and they stayed in character.

The Governor's Palace where Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson once lived. The original burned down in the late 1700's, but this is a reproduction.
Doug and Kristi went in to visit the Magazine where they stored arms. The rifles were all real.


This was one of my favorite parts. We visited a kitchen on the Palace grounds. Costumed workers were preparing authentic foods from the period. It was hot, hot, hot.

There was a Virginia ham, rack of lamb, pears steeped in wine, pineapple pie, apple pie (both of which they used as side dishes, and not dessert) stuffed mushrooms and boiled onions with cloves and cinnamon. Desserts were simple sugared almonds and something else I didn't recognize and couldn't pronounce.

The baker is getting ready to make cakes. You can see the 13 x 9 pan where she mixed the batter, and the flute pans were dusted with flour and ready to go.

Virginia Beach - Finally!

July 27, 2009

After a 5 hour delay in Dallas because of an electrical storm, we finally arrived in Virginia Beach to visit Kristi and Sam.

They took us to a fab restaurant overlooking the Chesapeake Bay called Chicks Oyster Bar. (Chad would love this place!) The seafood was wonderful. Though it was a little misty, the view was great!