A Vacation To Remember

 

Our family just returned from vacation. I can not tell you how amazing it felt to get out and do something after being inside for almost a full year! With the exception of hospital and doctor visits.

When we decided to go somewhere we wanted to make sure we chose are location that most everything could be done outside! 

So I chose Colonial Williamsburg!

I have wanted to visit for such a long time! It was even a destination that has been on a living life list!

I am going to say something that may shock some of you who know me well! That know just how much I love Disney. 

This was by far my most favorite vacation I have taken!

My amazing husband made sure before we even ever left to go on vacation to get things that would help make traveling easier for me! Since the first surgery that caused the aspiration I am unable to sleep flat. I sleep in a elevated bed, almost in a setting straight up position. So he researched on Amazon and found me the most amazing wedge system to take with me! They can be put into vacuumed sealed bags for storage and easy travel!

These wedges allowed me to be able to sleep in the bed with my hubby while we were there and not in a chair! Which is what normally ends up being my bed! They are memory foam but not hot at all they are covered with a bamboo fabric which keeps you cool! 

They are super comfy and I slept well using them!  

here is a picture of them! 

If your interested in a set for yourself check them out by following the link below.

lunix Lx5 Orthopedic Bed Wedge Pillow

One other thing he purchased me was a portable oxygen machine! It's hard to be independent and to be able to get out and do things when you are tethered to a oxygen concentrator or a heavy tank, The Inogen Oxygen machine is only about 5lbs. I can carry it on my shoulder or even place it in another bag to be carried with your purse. Having lupus changed our whole life! It changed how we do everything and how I have to live life! This little machine requires a prescription but was so worth it! 

If you would like to check it out here is the link for it as well!I am not getting paid to share this info! I just love sharing great finds that may help others as well!

inogen portable oxogen

 We booked our stay at the Wyndham Kingsgate Resort. The resort was nothing short of amazing! Our Villa was spacious and very clean! Very well laid out and most importantly handicap accessible. Which was very important for me and to make it easy on my family!

The resort itself would be a wonderful place to stay for a staycation! It offord swimming both indoor and outdoor pools. That you were asked to make reservations so there would be no more than 50 people in the pool area area at a time. 

I was so impressed both the indoor and outdoor pools had handicap lifts so someone who is confined to a wheelchair all the time could enjoy the pool as well! 

That for me was awesome! 

They also offered put put on grounds for free it was 18 holes and  a lot of fun! We played a round our last evening there!

They had other cool outdoor activities for families to engage in. A huge outdoor chess board and checkers board! I am considering doing a checkerboard on our patio! 

They also had the coolest outdoor connect four games! I loved them they were super cool! My children's church would love a few of those bad boys! 

they also had corn hole and table tennis! 

They have a game room on-site along with a theater but due to Covid they were unable to be open! 

There were ponds with fountains and swings to set on and just relax and watch the water! A beautiful Gazebo you could enjoy setting to just watch nature or do like my daughter and her bestie and have breakfast and devotion time there!

 We had dear grazing right outside our Villa the very first night!  Like I said This place was amazing and you could have an amazing staycation just by staying here!

They even have their own cafe! It was also closed due to Covid at the moment. I am sure as things begin to open more it will reopen as well. As well a on sight gym and Sauna.

If you are looking for a wonderful place to stay in Williamsburg I would so check this place out! We got an amazing rate for it on vrbo!

Here is the link to check this amazing resort out!

Wyndham Kingsgate

Another amazing thing about this resort it was literally just minutes away from Colonial Williamsburg!

Also really good places to eat and a grocery store close by! If you would happen to go to Williamsburg check out the Fat Tuna! There good was amazing! I got a oyster po boy and it was amazing! You could tell the oysters were fresh!Oh yeah their key lime pie was to die for!

Here is there website so you can check their menu out!

Fat Tuna

Now let me tell you about Colonial Williamsburg! If you have never been before be sure to get multiple day tickets. There is so much to see you don't want to rush  any of it! So make plans to at least spend two days there! We did not do Jamestown and Yorktown this visit due to the fact I really do not think I would have been able to without wearing my body straight into a flare.

There is something enchanting about how it feels as you walk or in my case ride in a wheelchair to the entrance of Colonial Williamsburg! 

The thoughts of the feet of this who had walked the very same land you were on. That paved the way to the America we live in today, I had to ask myself would they be proud of what we have became today?

The Walk up to the entrance was beautiful! We passed under a brick tunnel that had a beautiful little creek that ran beside it!

We were greeted by the sweetest lady dressed in her part who gave us some really good information we were going to soon learn first hand! Colonial Williamsburg is not very handicap accessible and really needs to work on it....

She told us we may want to rent and have a motorized scooter delivered to us on site! That  would have a hard time pushing my wheelchair in certain areas. But the motorized scooter would not have a problem getting around on the gravel paths!  Boy oh Boy she was right! Some one really should open a place in Market Square to rent them and bicycles! 

The girls were greeted by horses and fell in love before we had even started our first morning!

We arrived at the the palace gardens first and realized there was no way anyone could push me on the seashell paths so I used my wheelchair as a walker! My sweet hubby contacted the scooter place and with in a hour they had it ready for me!

The gardens were stunning they expanded over 10 acres! They were meant for lovers to explore and get lost in we were told!

We toured the castle courtyard while we waited to your the castle itself! The slave quarters, a well a salt house, water well, kitchen were part of the courtyard.The kitchen was completely functional as a matter of fact they were preparing meal then. They had foods that had made earlier on display so we could see what they would have eaten! It all looked amazing and yummy! I believe if Covid was not a problem you could probably gotten samples of the food!

Inside the palace was simply beautiful! It is so hard to imagine living amazing such beauty! The armory that hung on the walls should be enough to intimidate anyone who thought to provoke the crown!

The ballroom was my favorite of the palace I could almost feel the music in the air that would have played all through the the night. It was said a ball would have lasted till dawn.

I could almost feel the satins and silks as they rustled through the night dancing the night away!

Our next top was the George Wythe House! This home was quite stunning and there is another property in the town that is still in the family. they come and use it as a summer home if I remember correctly. George was a prominent attorney.  He also had a love for science! I loved his wife's summer bedroom! Her bed was absolutely stunning the fabrics were so decorative and detailed! She had a tea table in her room we were told she would have held tea there during the hot months!

The gardens to this home was stunning as well they talked about how the lady of the house would have had garden parties in them!

It truly felt like you stepped back into time while you were visiting Colonial Williamsburg!

This property also had it's slave quarters on the grounds. I want to make this very clear I in NO way would have ever supported slavery! NEVER! It is however apart of our history and I hope we learn from it and never ever think it is okay to own a human life! 

These were by far the best quarters I have ever had the experience to see. They lived in brick cottages not shacks! However there was still remained things that Disturbed my soul when my daughter instantly knew what it was for!

We finished our first day I search of the shops that sold the period clothing! The girls had fallen in love with the dresses the women wore! Wanted to see about trying to purchase one! So after we went on an adventure to find lunch that is a story for another day lol!

We went on our mission to go into the historical society and interacted with the shop owners. Oh my when we found the dress shop I was in absolute awe of what was in the window!

These dresses made of the finest silks and adorned with beautiful bowes and flowers!  We we were in heaven until we realized that the lowest cost on the dresses were around $450. Gulp right there! 

You better believe I left there telling myself I was going to be sewing my own lol!However the craftsmanship of these works of art were amazing!

We went on to visit the apothecary and the bakery and called it a day. 

The girls really wanted a cute looking dress that could have the feel of a old timey pattern. so went on the hunt to find dresses and when they got the ones they adored! 

We had dinner and went to our home away from home!

Wear good shoes! This trip requires a lot of walking all though the girls wore good choices their feet was covered in blisters!

So for the next day they required lots and lots of bandaids!

The next day we picked up at armory we watched as they fired a musket and learned the importance of having the armory! 

Next we went to the courthouse and learned how thing worked during that time! It's still very much the same way today in alot of ways. Except the jury would have been placed in a room with no heat, nothing to eat or drink, and one chamber pot. So like we were told it didn't take long at all for them to come to decision!

     

Our next stop was the capital and I have to say this was all our favorite stops! The gentleman who gave our tour of the capital was outstanding which made it out favorite stop! The old saying is true that if you are doing what you love and created to do. It will truly show and it won't seem Like work at all! He made it all so fascinating I really wish he could have done all of our tours!

The last stop on our time in history was the art museum! To me it was fascinating but to the rest of the crew they probably skipped this part of our trip without any remorse, It certainly is one of those things it needs to be your cup of tea per say.

I got some really good pictures! My favorite parts were a display when we first arrived! 

a gentleman playing violin in a children's display of a doll house built in the 1700's it was amazing and beautiful it had been passed down for years till it was given to the Williamsburg Museum.

They also had an amazing tea display! I could have stayed in that museum all day honestly! 

there was a full size carousel on display! These items were one of a kind items! We also watched a archeologist  dig of the foundation of an old church. one of the archeologist told us they had actually found several graves. They were expecting to find one but was surprised by two others! It's fascinating to see where we came from. To experience the things that got us to where we are today! We have a choice to make we can repeat it or we can learn from it! It's my prayer that we learn and grow from it! As much as I am fascinated with certain time periods. Im most grateful to live in such a time as this! I would encourage anyone who has never visited Williamsburg Virginia before you should! 

Take time to learn where we came from and why! I promise you will never look at history the same!

I know this was a long blog post! Thank you for listening to my rambles about a trip that truly has been my absolute favorite start to finish! 

 As I leave you! I hope you know I am praying for you and always walking in Footsteps of Grace!

Prayerfully Yours 

~Shellie~

Here is the link to purchase tickets to Colonial Williamsburg I  promise you won't be sorry!

Colonial Williamsburg 

One more thing before I go! The only thing I didn't get to do is take carriage ride! They looked so amazing riding up and down the streets! So if you plan to go buy your tickets ahead of time!

Here are some of the pictures from the art museum I hope you enjoy them!