History and Christmas are best friends. You didn't know? Get into it.
This year, once again we went to one of the illumination nights at Colonial Williamsburg. These are a lot of fun, what with the crisp winter air, the friendly sound of fifes and drums, and the beautiful sights of various historical buildings all lit up. This year it was the Governor's Palace and all the other houses on that block. Pictures are here.
The next day we went to Court End Christmas, which is definitely one of the coolest things I've ever been to in Richmond. Basically all the museums and historical places in Court End have open houses all day, and you just wander from site to site enjoying free tours, cider, etc. It's amazing because it allows you to get a glimpse of several places that you've been meaning to go to for ages, but haven't had time. That way you can kind of gauge which locations you'd like to come back to and explore in more detail. Here's a brief synopsis of what we did:
- Monumental Church. This place is hardly ever open, and I was extremely anxious to see it. If you didn't know; it's a mass grave that was erected over the site of the Richmond Theater fire in 1811. They're finally re-doing the inside, which is gorgeous with its high ceilings and crazy staircases. I'm in love with it. You NEED to see this if you care about historical buildings in this city.
- The John Wickham House (for the first time ever!). Impressive! This house, which is part of the Valentine Museum, is all decked out in my favorite period (Edwardian...just before Victorian. Think Jane Austen). The Wickhams had impeccable taste, and a bankroll to match. This house has officially usurped The White House of the Confederacy for being my favorite house in Richmond (excepted maybe the Scott House). Fun fact: when touring this house, notice all the weird anthropomorphic figures that appear on items from tables to wallpaper to ceilings. Weird weird stuff. It's a must-see. Or you can just tour it with Bob Vila.
- The Museum and White House of the Confederacy. Yeah yeah, I've been there several times. But it's always fun to look at blood-soaked garments from the Civil War, and a few minutes later, real silk damask wallpaper worth way more than your life. I love it. Always a classic. Dan was excited to be immersed in this culture that people "out west" just don't learn about.
- The Capitol. Why is this quickly becoming my favorite hangout? Seriously, I have become almost as attached to the Capitol as to my own house. The yard is huge, the building is pristine white and structured beautifully, and it's a functional building and museum all rolled into one. With my recent discovery that there's also a restaurant inside that's open for lunch, you can bet I'll be there even more frequently. Anyway, this was my first time inside the giant white building on the hill, and I loved it. The modern section where you walk in (the door's on Bank St.) is very nicely done, and contains a museum shop (who wants to buy me Capitol-themed china?), a restaurant, and the obligatory Jefferson quotes chiseled into marble. Upstairs there are real live old dudes, in suits! And also ones that aren't alive, but adorning the walls in oil paintings. Think lots of mahogany, big heavy draperies, and a bust of the Marquis de Lafayette.
But oh frick, there's protocol! I forgot all about it. Check page 5 for forms of address! Fun for all ages.
Last but not least, I've also been sent a link to a video interview I did about the Midnight Society. Check it out!
In other news, you'll probably see the site go down for some construction sometime soon. I want to revamp once again. More details to follow.
