Day 8

Hot, H-O-T hot!  Virginia is having a heat wave with temps in the high 90s and feels-like temps in the mid-100s.  The weather disappointed me for Mom, who has wanted to always go to Williamsburg. 

We enjoyed the morning at the George Wythe (prounounced with) home.  Why history ignores George Wythe, I do not know.  Not only a signer of the Declaration of Independence, George Wythe taught Thomas Jefferson law, became the first professor of law at The College of William and Mary, was mayor of Williamsburg, a self-taught scientist, a member of the House of Burgesses, and designer of the Seal of Virginia, to name some of his many accomplishments. 

In scoorching heat, we walked to the DeWitt Museum.  Originally, it was the first hospital dedicated to the humane treatment of the mentally ill in British North America.  Today, it is a museum dedicated to both the mentally ill and colonial America.

After lunch, we toured the Capitol, which quickly became Mom's favorite place.  The Capitol is two houses joined by a bridge.  We toured the Lower House, the House of Burgesses, walked upstairs to the Upper House, the House of Lords, and then to the courtroom.  We left and enjoyed a root beer at the Raleigh Tavern Bakery.  As we left, we were invited to a sing-along at the Raleigh Tavern's Apollo Room, where musicals, plays, and ballads begin in this country.

Heat began overtaking us, so we headed back to the car.  We drove around Williamsburg seeing the old and new, and Mom announced that she wanted eggs, so iHOP it was.

Seeing that Thursday's temperatures are going to be higher than today's, we decided to head to the Smoky Mountains a day earlier than planned.