08/30/2026
On April 6, 2026, we moved to our next destination, which was the American Heritage RV Park in Williamsburg, Virginia. One afternoon while we were there, we drove about 45 minutes to Richmond, Virginia, to visit the Virginia State Capitol Building. This was the 21st State Capitol we’ve visited since we started fulltime RV travel. Modeled after a Roman temple and completed in 1788, it was designed by Thomas Jefferson and is a historic landmark. It also served as the Capitol of the Confederacy during the Civil War. It houses the oldest elected legislative body in North America, the Virginia General Assembly, first established as the House of Burgesses in 1619. We first toured the interior of the Capitol, which includes statues of George Washington and Thomas Jefferson in the rotunda. Surrounding the statue of Washington are busts of all the other U.S. Presidents that have come from Virginia thus far: Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, Harrison, Tyler, Taylor, and Wilson. There is also a bust of the Marquis de Lafayette, for whom Tim’s hometown is named and who was a very important figure in the Revolutionary War. The interior also includes the old and new House of Delegates Chambers, the Senate Chamber, and the Governor’s office. The exterior of the building displays many statues and monuments, including a statue of George Washington on a horse surrounded by Patrick Henry (first governor of Virginia), Thomas Jefferson (architect of the Capitol), Andrew Lewis (Revolutionary War Hero), John Marshal (longest serving Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court), George Mason (author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights), and Thomas Nelson, Jr. (signer of the Declaration of Independence from Virginia). The exterior also includes a Civil Rights Memorial; a Virginia Women’s Monument; and a Bell Tower. The Governor’s Mansion is located nearby.
On another day, we drove about 15 minutes to the site of Colonial Williamsburg, the world’s largest living history museum. Located in Williamsburg, Virginia, it replicates the 18th-century capital of the Virginia Colony. Spanning 300 acres, it features 89 original buildings and extensive reconstructions, where costumed interpreters portray residents to bring America’s revolutionary-era history to life. Initiated in the 1920s with funding from John D. Rockefeller Jr., the project restored or reconstructed 85% of the original city to its colonial appearance. We walked around for a few hours visiting various buildings, some of which had actor demonstrations, including an apothecary; printer; book binder; leather maker; and cobbler. We made our way to the Capitol building, which served as the center of Virginia’s colonial government from 1705 until 1779. The capital moved to Richmond during the American Revolution and the original building in Williamsburg was destroyed by fire in 1832. The current building in Williamsburg is a 1930s reconstruction of the first, more ornate "H" shaped building. We took a guided tour there of the office for the colony's secretary; the House of Burgesses; and the General Court, where revolutionaries like Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson debated independence. Next, we walked to the Governor’s Palace, the official residence of Virginia's royal governors and later the first two elected governors, Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson. Originally completed in 1722, the Governor’s Palace was destroyed by fire in 1781 but was meticulously reconstructed in the 1930s on its original foundation. We had a guided tour there as well, which included the Hall of Arms, an entrance foyer lined with hundreds of functional swords and fi****ms; the ballroom; dining room; and bed chambers. Our tour guide was dressed in a period costume and was very knowledgeable. The outdoors included extensive, restored gardens featuring, manicured hedges; tulip beds; and steep terraces. After our tour of the Governor’s Palace, we walked to a restaurant called The Cheese Shop, where we had sandwiches and chips, and bought some cheese. Then we bought some chocolates from a chocolate shop next door.
