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134: We paid $35 to get yelled at by people in colonial costumes
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Have you ever paid good money for a disappointing experience? In this continuation of our Virginia adventure, we dive into the reality behind the tourism facade of the Historic Triangle – and it's not always pretty.
We pick up where we left off after Sherwood Forest, as our four-man crew embarks on exploring Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. What should have been a fascinating journey through America's colonial beginnings quickly devolves into a series of increasingly bizarre encounters with historical interpreters who can't seem to decide if they're in the 18th century or the 21st. From the young man dangerously swinging a hoe while attempting to explain tobacco farming, to the tattooed kitchen worker who responds to genuine questions with a dismissive "stuff," the supposed guardians of historical authenticity left much to be desired.
Williamsburg emerges as the villain of our tale – a $35 per person tourist trap where asphalt streets are somehow meant to transport you to 1774, rollerbladers cruise past colonial buildings, and the main attraction (the Capitol Building) locks its gates in our faces at precisely 5:00 PM with a smile. The experience raises fascinating questions about historical tourism: When does educational entertainment become exploitative? How do modern sensibilities interact with historical interpretation? And why do some sites succeed where others fail so spectacularly?
Fortunately, Yorktown provides redemption with its well-managed National Park Service battlefield tour and thoughtful exhibits, including a proper recreation of Washington's command tent. Through our misadventures, we offer genuine insights for anyone considering their own historical journey through Virginia – which sites deliver authentic experiences worth your time and money, and which might leave you running back to the 21st century in search of something real.
Join us for laughs, frustrations, and genuine historical curiosity as we navigate the awkward middle ground between past and present in Virginia's Historic Triangle. And learn from our mistakes so your own historical adventures might prove more rewarding than ours!
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By Matt and JonSend us a text
Have you ever paid good money for a disappointing experience? In this continuation of our Virginia adventure, we dive into the reality behind the tourism facade of the Historic Triangle – and it's not always pretty.
We pick up where we left off after Sherwood Forest, as our four-man crew embarks on exploring Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown. What should have been a fascinating journey through America's colonial beginnings quickly devolves into a series of increasingly bizarre encounters with historical interpreters who can't seem to decide if they're in the 18th century or the 21st. From the young man dangerously swinging a hoe while attempting to explain tobacco farming, to the tattooed kitchen worker who responds to genuine questions with a dismissive "stuff," the supposed guardians of historical authenticity left much to be desired.
Williamsburg emerges as the villain of our tale – a $35 per person tourist trap where asphalt streets are somehow meant to transport you to 1774, rollerbladers cruise past colonial buildings, and the main attraction (the Capitol Building) locks its gates in our faces at precisely 5:00 PM with a smile. The experience raises fascinating questions about historical tourism: When does educational entertainment become exploitative? How do modern sensibilities interact with historical interpretation? And why do some sites succeed where others fail so spectacularly?
Fortunately, Yorktown provides redemption with its well-managed National Park Service battlefield tour and thoughtful exhibits, including a proper recreation of Washington's command tent. Through our misadventures, we offer genuine insights for anyone considering their own historical journey through Virginia – which sites deliver authentic experiences worth your time and money, and which might leave you running back to the 21st century in search of something real.
Join us for laughs, frustrations, and genuine historical curiosity as we navigate the awkward middle ground between past and present in Virginia's Historic Triangle. And learn from our mistakes so your own historical adventures might prove more rewarding than ours!