Christmas Time in Historic Virginia

Living overseas for so many years has made us into tourists; we like to go out and see the sights.

There was always lots to see during the Christmas season in Europe, but there are many historic sights that are daytrips from where we live in Virginia, too.

Kent and I have spent most of our weekends and holidays working around the house, but in December I did get out to see Mount Vernon (about 45 minutes drive north) and Colonial Williamsburg (about 2 hours south) decorated for Christmas. Since they were historic sights, to be authentic the decorations used all natural materials. Not quite as fun as a Christmas market, but still pretty cool!

MOUNT VERNON

The front of Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon reproduced in gingerbread by a former White

House pastry chef. It's on display in the visitor's center at

MountVernon.

I didn't remember that George Washington was buried in this tomb on the grounds of Mount Vernon.

Just wanted to remember I was there at Christmas time!

COLONIAL WILLIAMSBURG

This lady is blowing a bubble pipe, but I mostly was taking
a picture of the decorations. The pineapple was on many of the homes since it was a symbol of welcome in colonial times.

Each wreath on the doors of the different shops
reflected the business inside. This wreath was on the shoemaker's shop, and had a shoe on it. I thought it was fun the way raw cotton was used to look like snow.

Apparently a Jewish home.

On the door of the music shop

These decorations won a prize. You can't see them
very well, but there were fresh apples in the niches in the bricks on the wall.