For the past two weeks we’ve been away on vacation.  It was a good time that took us up to Massachusetts and then down into Virginia.  Normally, I don’t like spending that much time in the car, but in this case it was worth it.

First, we travelled up to Massachusetts and visited my wife’s brother and fiance, who recently purchased a house on Cape Cod (where they work).  I like the Cape, it’s no Jersey Shore, but we had a lot of fun going around the towns of Falmouth and Wood’s Hole.  If I had a decent camera I might just spend an entire week up there taking pictures of all the old houses!

We then travelled to the North Shore for what I dubbed a “nostalga tour.”  We lived there just after we got married and had only been back once since we moved back to the Philly area – so it was nice to be back.  The kids barely remembered it (being 3 and 1 when we moved), so it was cool to be with them.  As a bonus, we also got to hang out with our good friends George and Annie and meet their new son for the first time (as well as play with their cute little girl, whom our children adore).  George and Annie are wonderful people – George and I went to Seminary together and I miss having him near-by.

We then came home for the Fourth of July weekend and had Jen’s parents here until Sunday.  Then we headed over to my folks’ house for a cookout on the Fourth – I hadn’t been over there in a while so it was a good time.

We had originally planned to spend the second week of vacation at home, taking day trips to places around here or heading to the lake, but by the time we got home from Massachusetts that idea had lost it’s luster.  We’d been on the move so much, that day trips felt more like work than rest – so we decided to call Colonial Williamsburg and see if they had any openings.  We wanted to get to one place, and stay there until it was time to come home.

It was a great decision.

Colonial Williamsburg holds a special place in the heart of our family.  Jen and I honeymooned there back in 1997, and we fell in love with the place.  As soon as we had kids we made sure that we got them they and they have fallen in love with it as well.  The programs, buildings, and craftspeople are simply amazing. I could stay for days just walking around and asking questions.

We know Busch Gardens is right there in Williamsburg, we’ve never been.  Nor do we have any interest in going.  We had planned to go on our honeymoon, but by the time we got settled into the Historic Area it seemed like a waste of a day.  We’ve driven by it a couple of times and, to be honest, the insane traffic leading into Busch Gardens contrasts nightmarishly with the relaxed pace of the Historic Area.  I go on vacation to relax, not to get jostled in one line after another.  When our kids are older they may want to take a day to hit the park, I hope the don’t.  Besides, we get into Hershey Park every summer for free – that’s more than enough amusement park stress for me.

This past visit was especially fascinating for Jen and I.  On our honeymoon we were introduced to the unearthed foundations of Charlton’s Coffeehouse – nothing more than a hole in the ground, protected by a pavilion, which showed some bricks.  Over the past 13 years, however, we’ve seen this hole transformed.  The foundation received the funds to reconstruct the house, and we got to watch it’s progress.  On this past visit, we got to sip coffee (and chocolate) in the coffeehouse for the first time.  It was quite a pleasure.  Our hostess, Mrs. Charlton, was an additional delight!

It was very hot while we were there, so we took a quick afternoon rest in the A/C and then headed to the pool before dinner.  After which we played mini-golf, walked the shops at Merchant Square, or perused the bookstore.  All in all, a great time.

Williamsburg was a great decision for us.  I’ve often felt more exhausted after vacation that before I left – but the week of a leisurely pace and a lot of visual and mental stimulation (not to mention exercise via walking and swimming) really agreed with me.  When I got up to lead worship on Sunday I noticed a big difference, I felt like I was really there.

So, we’re back, and ready to face the world once again.