Adventures in Austin!

Off again we go! This time I’m taking you with me to Texas to visit my friend Jill. She moved far, far away to College Station, TX, and when she left I promised a visit—and we know I try to make good on promises to visit. =)

I found this fabulous deal on a plane ticket to Houston, TX, a couple of months ago, and on Thursday the time had finally come to go see my friend! She picked me up (even though it took her over three hours to get there with traffic!), and off we went! I can't even tell you how good it is to meet up with a far away friend and catch up live and in person. =) 

Texas experience number one: FOOD! Of course we needed to get some Tex-Mex, and Jill said there's a place that has the greatest dip on earth. She was right! It's called Cowboy Mud, and it involves queso, guacamole, back beans and jalapeños, and maybe a couple of other things as well. It was amazing on my fish tacos. =) 

Next piece of fun: Kickapoo Road! And the next: Westward Ho! Yes, those are actual road names. They made us giggle. What cowboy got made a name for himself kicking poo? Who needed to know they were headed "westward ho"? Oh, and we also passed a sign that read, "Goats for sale." Just in case you need a souvenir, I guess! These are the hilarious mysteries of the backroads of Texas! 

We had plenty of time to talk in the car, so we headed to bed pretty quick--we were both pooped! We'd already decided we'd be going to Austin the next day, and Jill had a special belated birthday surprise  for me... We'd be staying at the historic Driskill Hotel! 

On our way out of town on Friday, we stopped at Grub Burger to eat with some of Jill's coworkers. I'm not one much for burgers, but the "burger of the sea" (aka yellowfin tuna) was incredible, and the sweet potato fries were even better! And then the trek to Austin officially began!

We arrived a little early to actually check in, so we found a couple of other places we wanted to go in and spent some time there. The first was Uncommon Objects, which is a cool antique store. They have exactly that--uncommon objects! Everything from skeleton keys to furniture to retro signs. It's great! We had a lot of fun looking around, and surprisingly enough I was the one who spent the most time there! We looked in a few more stores and ended up at Amy's Ice Cream--well, how did that happen? =) Just in case you wondered, white chocolate ice cream with marshmallows is delicious! 

Time to check in! Jill had stayed in the Driskill before, and she knew I'd love it. And she was right! It was built in 1886 by Colonel Jesse Driskill, a cattle baron from the great state of Tennessee. We got checked in, sat back and relaxed, and before we knew what was what we were both taking naps. =) Luckily for me Jill decided to wake me up when it was time to get supper! We both love Mediterranean food (authentically not Texas, I know), and we'd heard about a good place just down the street from our hotel call the Athenian. It's a winner. =) We sort of forgot what Texas-sized portions are like, though. We should have split something (even just an appetizer)! When we finished up, we headed to the Texas State Capitol Building for a haunted trolley tour. Hooray! 

Apparently, Austin is an extremely haunted city, and our hotel is an exceptionally haunted one as well! Our guide was dressed in 1890s garb, hat and all. She was very enthusiastic, as any tour guide should be! We started at the Capitol, and while she’s not supposed to talk about the ghosts at the Capitol when she’s giving tours there, she did make sure to mention that it is in fact haunted—ghosts have supposedly even been caught on security cameras there!

We made three stops on our tour, all of which were a little bit creepy. Our guide showed us pictures of ghosts that had been seen in those places and recordings of them talking as well. Creepy! The best stop was our hotel. She took us all to the lobby and told us tales of people who’d died in the hotel, former owners, guests who smelled cigar smoke in the non-smoking hotel, etc. Jill and I were glad to be sharing a room that night!

When the tour was done and we’d returned to our rooms, we saw that someone (a maid? A ghost?) had come in and turned down our beds for us. They even left a yellow rose for us—the yellow rose of Texas! It didn’t take long for me to fall asleep, but Jill wasn’t so lucky. She kept hearing the people next door (we thought it was a bachelor party) whooping and hollering and running up and down the hallway. I didn’t hear anything… could it have been ghosts? ;)

Saturday morning we got up lazily (the beds were SO comfy!), checked out, and headed to breakfast at the award-winning Kerbey Lane Café. Jill’s sister and aunt had both recommended it, and they were right—it was awesome! I got eggs, fruit, and apple-whole wheat pancakes; Jill got eggs, bacon (or sausage?), and lemon poppyseed pancakes. YUM! They had all kinds of options, not just breakfast, and they’re open 24 hours a day. If ever in Austin, make sure to take a trip here! It’s delicious!

Next up: a true test of friendship. One can tell that Jill and I are good friends because she went to the Whole Foods Headquarters, farmers’ market, and artists’ market, while I went on a history tour. =) Neither of us was offended and neither of us minded in the least! She got some great stuff, and I got some fabulous insight into Austin!

Austin was founded in 1839 (three years after Texas won its independence), and it was at one time called Waterloo. The Texas Capitol building looks exactly like the US Capitol, except it’s 14 feet taller and made out of sunset granite from a ranch just outside of Austin. The owner of the ranch gave an entire MOUNTAIN of the granite to build it!

Just a few blocks away is the Governor’s Mansion, which is the oldest west of the Mississippi River. The architect is Abner Cook, who was not even a trained architect! Everything he knew about architecture was either self-taught or learned from a mentor—no formal architectural schooling. Eleven of his buildings are in Austin, and they’re all quite beautiful—he did several of the Victorian homes in the area.

Another set of structures to be noted in Austin are the moon light towers. They were built in the 1890s to light the city at night, and 16 of the original 31 are still standing. They’re a bit unsightly, but they’re also pretty cool because they still work!

Next we came upon the Chateau Bellevue, a beautifully restored Victorian home from 1874 that now belongs to the Austin Women’s Club. It’s also haunted. =) This is actually where we ended our ghost tour last night… but during this tour I got to go inside! It’s every bit as ornate and gaudy as you could imagine an old Victorian house would be. The woodwork is truly beautiful, most of which is made of curly leaf pine—which at one time was thought to be extinct! Everything was detailed, even the inside of the door hinges! One of the backs of the fireplaces has a brass and copper lion imprinted on it--just in case you need to be scary, I guess! 

One of the funnies things I saw was the bank safe downstairs. One of the owners started a bank, but while the bank was being built, he needed a place to keep his money. So there's a bank safe behind the mirror in the downstairs dining room. =) 

Our last stop was the last Victorian house built on that particular block. It was the first with indoor plumbing... and the folks in Austin thought it was the most unsanitary thing ever! My, how things change! 

Time to meet up with Jill again! We went to eat at a barbecue place called Uncle Billy's Brew-B-Q, because of course you have to get BBQ while in Texas. And then it was time to go home! We entertained ourselves on the ride back to College Station with "ghetto music hour" and dramatic readings from the information the hotel gave us about its history. Oh, and I can't forget we had a potty break at Whoop Stop! 

We got home that night and just sat and read for a while--I love having my friend Jill! We were both pretty pooped, but we ventured out for a bit in search of food and World Market. When we got home, Jill's friend Jeremy was waiting for us in the driveway--Jill had picked up a couple of things for him at Whole Foods, so we visited with him for a little bit, then Jill and I were in bed by 9:30! In all, I think it's safe to say it was a successful weekend. =) 

Thanks for joining me on this adventure! Who knows where I'll pop up next!

Williamsburgers: Playin' in the Pillory and Sittin' in the Stocks

And now we’re on day two! First up: FREE fancy breakfast! The deal I got on the hotel included two food vouchers, so that took care of both Alexis and me both days. We are lucky ladies!
 Fuel intake: check!
Comfy shoes and tank tops (it was HOT!): check!
Water: check!
 Off we went! We wanted to go to the Governor’s Palace first, but there seemed to be a crowd gathering, so we decided to forgo it for a little bit. So we stumbled into the gunsmith’s shop. He let us hold a rifle and other pieces of metal he’d fashioned, such a buckles, shoe horns, etc. He said there is a 7-year wait for a gun made in Colonial Williamsburg—wow! He also explained a phrase we use every day in America, but I had no idea it had anything to do with Colonial times. People would often trade animal skins and other things for expensive items, such as guns. Usually, a doe or buckskin would be worth a good deal, and of course hunters are the ones who need rifles. Ever told someone “that costs 16 BUCKS,” or “give me some DOE” or something similar? That’s where those phrases come from! Many people think money, when referenced as “doe,” is spelled “dough,” and maybe it is from another reference, but the colonists referred to money as “doe” and “bucks” to reference how many hides were needed to pay for things like rifles.
 Next up: the courthouse—mostly because we wanted to try out the pillory and the stocks! We got some really fun pictures of us, so please enjoy them! =) The court house is one of the only buildings in Colonial Williamsburg that has not bee completely rebuilt, so that was pretty amazing to see, since it was built in 1770. The docent in the courthouse was a lot of fun, and very good about explaining things on a comprehendible but not condescending level (some others had trouble with that last part). He also talked about “passing the bar”, the types of trials they would see there, and the people who would hold the job in court, which was actually very interesting!
 Not voting was a misdemeanor, so you would be put on trial, fined, or jailed for not voting—it was each free man’s duty! Also interesting is that the jobs in the court were not paid, and they were held by the upper-class gentry folks. Even though they were unpaid positions, it would have been an unbearable shame to the family if the husband, brother or father refused to serve in the court. After all, they didn’t have any other jobs (all their money was family money), so why would they need to refuse serving?
 While there, we also found out that when a man wore his hat cocked to one side, that meant he was in the military. It’s all about the details. =)
 Next up was the magazine, which is the building that houses gunpowder, firearms, and other military supplies—everything but perishable food and medicine. The guys working there were very good at staying in character but explaining things in a way that people now can understand. I asked if people actually used swords much in combat during the Revolution, and he said they were used only by the cavalry, and even then they were “hackers” to get brush and tree limbs out of the way, not in combat. It wasn’t even practical for swords to be sharp!
 The colony of VA owned the gunpowder and weapons in the magazine, but the Governor apparently stole all the gunpowder at one point, and that was an important tipping point in the people of Williamsburg deciding to side with the rebels instead of England. The docent here also explained that we were all English subjects and should remain loyal to the Crown; if he caught anyone speaking otherwise, he would have to report them for speaking treason! The colonists initially rebelled against policy, and they were not looking to secede from the Crown. We got our fill of combat and military talk, and off we went to the print shop! Someone was in the post office teaching people how to write with a quill pen, but it was so crowded Alexis and I moved on. I’ll try to do that next time. Downstairs was the printing office, and that was cool to see! The docent explained the process (long, difficult, repetitive process) of printing and showed us how it’s done. He was printing up copies of the Virginia Gazette to be sold as souvenirs in the gift shops. We also learned about Isaiah Thomas, who was the first printer in the Colonies to print the Bible in English, which was illegal even up into the late 1700s!
 Next up, shoes! Anyone who knows me knows I’d rather be barefoot any day of the week, but it’s interesting to see the guy working and actually making the shoes. He explained that people actually bought more shoes than I realized—8-10 pair per year for a man, 11-12 pair per year for women. People also desperately needed overshoes, also called a galosh, which is where we get galoshes! They needed them more than we do today because, of course, roads were not paved, and horses pretty much did whatever they wanted, wherever they wanted, if you know what I mean. =) So anyway, the cobbler was really nice and answered people’s questions without seeming to get irritated.
 And finally we came to… the Governor’s Palace! Honestly, we were most curious and impressed with the kitchen outside! It’s really interesting to see people cooking over open flames and in true Dutch ovens the proper way, and seeing that it really works—it’s funny how people think doing it that way (without electricity and “exact” temperatures) is so backward, when in reality it was faster, and in a lot of ways our docent said it was better.
 The house tour was a good one. Our guide spoke as if it was really June of 1775, and the Governor Dunmore and his family had just fled the city the night before, so we were in his house without his knowledge. =) The front hall was the most impressive by far. All the walls were decorated with swords and guns! Please see the pictures. =)
 We got to go into the ballroom, which was quite lovely with bright green walls and gold paint trim work. Out back there was a bush maze, so that was fun, too! I’d never done one before, and it was more difficult than I thought it would be!
 Time for a snack! And off we went to the Raleigh Tavern Bakery. The Tavern isn’t one you can go to for lunch or dinner (it’s a class and entertainment venue), but there’s a bakery in the back, so we each got a pretzel roll and split a gingerbread cookie—just enough to get us through to supper! They also had specialty drinks there, all in glass bottles, cookies, Sally Lunn bread, muffins, candy, coffee, and other little memorabilia as well. Cute place and quite conveniently located! After our small refueling, it was time to go back to the hotel and get dressed for dinner!
 And dinner at Christiana Campbell’s was fabulous! The food wasn’t our favorite (that honor goes to Chowning’s!), but the atmosphere was wonderful, and our waiter was awesome! He was excited that we were asking him questions, and he thought it was great that we were there doing research for Gadsby’s! Campbell’s is supposed to be the highest-end Tavern in Williamsburg, specializing in seafood. The crab cake was really good, but honestly, the rest was just mediocre. Their spoon bread was really something special, too. That’s a very Colonial side dish that’s exactly the texture and consistency I love! Again, there was a performer going around explaining Colonial instruments and playing traditional songs of the time period. This guy played the “hurdy-gurdy,” which is a cross between a violin and a bagpipe. Sounds funny, but that was all the charm of it! =)
 And after dinner, we’d planned to attend an organ concert at the church! It was very nice classical organ music, very calming, and lovely in a dimly-lit building. We felt so refined! =)
 BEDTIME! We were beyond pooped at this point! The next day was basically a finish-up day. We went to the Public Hospital Museum (first mental hospital in the country), which was sad, but interesting, and then made our way over to the Arts museum. They had exhibits on several aspects of Colonial life and culture. Our favorites were the exhibits on money—AMAZING what an evolution money has undergone over a few hundred years, and even a few decades!—and the map exhibit. I really love old maps! It’s so interesting to see how off or how accurate the cartographers were way back then without the benefit of satellites and other ways of mapping out land masses. And usually the artwork is pretty, too!
 Lunch was Shield’s Tavern, which also reeked with amazing atmosphere! =) We got to eat down in the basement, where Mr. Shield’s “special guests” get to dine. The food was ok, but the atmosphere was the best part! The manager came by our table, dressed as Mr. Shield, of course, and checked on how our experience was coming along. They really do the whole Colonial thing well over there! =)
 Pictures? See DAY TWO!
 More pictures? See DAY THREE!

Whit and Alexis: Time to Colonize!

After lunch at Kings Arms Tavern, Alexis and I went to the Capitol building for their tour. The building is a reconstruction, but it's sitting on the original foundation. In this very building, Patrick Henry denounced the Stamp Act, which was a huge source of scandal, since going against the crown could be considered treason.

Now, be mindful that the city of Williamsburg and all the colonies were still British citizens in 1775, which is the year that Colonial Williamsburg plays to. Inside the House of Burgesses, there's a crest on the wall that symbolizes VA as the 5th "quadrant" of the British empire. Yes, we were proud Brits until we just couldn't stand it anymore. =) This is also where Patrick Henry gave his "Give me liberty or give me dealth" speech in March of 1775.

We saw all the rooms in the capitol, but the interesting part was the room upstairs connecting the two sides. As I said in the last post, the building is in the shape of an "H", and the arm in the middle connects the upper and lower houses; it's also a meeting room where the members of the House of Burgesses come to meet together and hopefully make joint decisions. I like the symbolism. =)

Moving right along, our guide took us to the court room (the supreme court of VA). Any free person in Virginia who needed to come to trial had to come here. He explained to us that "passing the bar" was really nothing more than passing through the gate from the back of the court to the front where the jury sits. Alexis and I passed the bar! He also suggested we all go see the public gaol (or jail) where Blackbeard's crew were holed up after their trials, awaiting their turn at the gallows. There are four cells, two of which are over 300 years old--wow!

And next up, it was time to stop into the little shops and historical buildings! My absolute favorite was the R. Charleton coffeehouse. We learned that coffeehouses and taverns back then were very different. Both were gathering places for people to come talk and have meetings, but taverns were more for a hearty meal and a place to sleep. Coffeehouses were more for the purpose of meetings, game playing, chatting, getting together with people, etc. R. Charleton's was the only one in Williamsburg at that time (1770s), and they did very well for themselves! The best part, however, was definitely the end... we got to sit with people we didn't know and sample Colonial coffee, tea, or hot chocolate! Alexis got the coffee and I got the chocolate--and we were both satisfied with our choices! We had so much fun looking at all the coffee pots and the whole set up of the room. I will definitely be going back next time I'm in Williamsburg!

We shopped around at the little general stores and specialty stores the rest of the afternoon till time for supper at Chowning's Tavern (pronounced CHEW-ning's). We were able to get LOTS of ideas for our own Tavern and Colonial getups--we really loved just looking at everything and trying to figure out what it was or how it was used. =)

We watched a fife and drum corps walk by playing their marching music on our way to supper, which was really cool! We decided Gadsby's needs fifers to come by and play going from table to table at lunch or dinner. =)

And next up was supper! Chowning's was awesome! They definitely had the best food of all the Taverns there (we tried all four). I got Brunswick stew and Alexis got the mushroom ragout with polenta--WOW! We were so impressed with the whole atmosphere--the waiter was funny and had some of the best Colonial sayings to use, the food was incredible, and the entertainment was awesome! The man walking around the rooms playing various instruments was really good about explaining what the instruments were, how they were played, and why Colonials chose those particular instruments--it mostly had to do with what you could fit in your sack while riding your horse from place to place, so instruments were small and light! He had a penny whistle and a pochet, which is French for "pocket"--it's a little tiny violin! The sound is not as clear, but it works to serve its purpose! =)

Our poor waiter had the misfortune of being interrogated by us throughout the meal and especially afterward. We just had to ask how often they paint and clean the Tavern from top to bottom, whether they close for a month or so to do that, how he and his coworkers like the uniforms and ask how they're different... we're such nerds. =)

And after that, onward to our ghost tour! Again, Charles was just awesome. We started at the Williams and Mary campus (they're called the "Tribe" because the first students were Indians) and got some history and fun ghost stories there (they have a cannon there that was used in the battle of Yorktown, and students used to put potatoes in it and fire the cannon at the president's house!), then moved down the historical strip. We walked the whole way down to the Capitol, and Charles was sweet enough to offer us a ride back to our hotel! You know us little ladies traveling alone, we need gentlemen to do that kind of thing for us. =)

More to come! Tomorrow, we get stuck int he pillory!

Pictures?
See Pictures HERE! 

Two Wenches Taking on Colonial Williamsburg!

Good day to you! In an effort to visit the major Colonial sites around the former British colonies, my friend Alexis and I have chosen to conquer Williamsburg! I found a hotel deal, so there was really no reason not to do it! Alexis works with me at Gadsby's Tavern, the early American restaurant where I work in Alexandria, and we're both kind of into this whole Colonial thing. Please, come along with us on our adventure! =) 

So first up, I was able to set up a private tour with a FABULOUS guide! His name is Charles Falls (http://williamsburgcolonialtours.vpweb.com/default.html), and he is a knowledgeable, friendly, kind, sweet energetic gentleman who loves what he does! He took us all around Williamsburg for two solid hours, and we loved every minute of it! He wore us out walking for sure, but it was well worth it! Please join us...

First essential discovery: Why does Williamsburg exists in its current state of being? Because John D. Rockefeller chose to start a foundation to restore it in the late 1920s! He was asked to give money to restore Bruton Parish Episcopal Church, but he declined. Rockefeller had a different suggestion: he proposed that all citizens sell their homes and property to a foundation he would create (the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation), with the benefit of living in their homes for the rest of their lives mortgage free. Pretty sweet deal! Now, not all the houses there were original 18th century homes by the 1920s, only some of them were. So the foundation required that any newer homes be torn down and that the 1770s home that was there before be built in its place. How do we know what the original homes looked like? 

Because of the Frenchman's map. Who's the Frenchman? He was a recovering soldier living in the William and Mary College president's house. He couldn't do much of anything while he was in recovery, but he could be outside, and he could draw. So he sketched every house in Williamsburg. Without the map he made, no would would have been able to restore Williamsburg quite the way it needed to be done! 

So now, all but one of the homes are restored to the 1770s style. It's a 19th century style building, and the owner still lives in it--at 105! Whenever she dies, the house will be torn down and a "new" building will be put in its place. There's another home in town that I found very interesting. It's a restored "mother-in-law house" out behind one of the bigger homes, and it's always occupied by two senior women from William and Mary. It's an honor to be chosen to live there, but you have to bear a couple of things in mind: It's an original home over 400 years old (heated by firewood, no a/c), and the necessary (toilet) is outside! Oh, and the streets of the town were not paved until 1932, when FDR came to officially open the colonial city. 

And off we went on our way. Colonial Williamsburg was smaller than I expected, but that made for a much easier way to see things and make sure nothing is missed. They’ve really done a remarkable job of keeping thing as authentic as possible. Their trash cans are old barrels (or “hog’s heads” that were used to ship things back and forth between VA and England.

We came upon a cute little “mother-in-law” house set back a bit from the road, and Mr. Falls wanted to make sure we saw it. While many of the houses and shops are private residences, he said this is the only one that is reserved for college students. Each year, two women from William and Mary (right across the road) are chosen to live in this little house. They have to be honor students of good reputation and standing. The only thing about it is that the house is 400 years old—one of the only originals. There is no central heat and air. There’s wood for a fireplace, sure, but you have to build your own fire! And if you were looking for the bathroom… it’s out back in the “necessary” building. Not sure what they do about other running water and showers. I didn’t think to ask. Despite that, I still think I’d like to have lived in it had I gone to William and Mary myself. =)

Walking along we came upon another interesting abode. A substantially sized house on the main road, within sight of the Governor’s Palace, no less. A well-to-do family lived there, a man and wife and their four children. Unfortunately, two of the children died at young ages, and the husband died at age 28 from typhoid fever. Of course the woman lives in mourning for a year, which was the custom, and the three of them move on, still living in the house. One day, however, a young Colonel met this beautiful woman and even called on her at this house. Eventually, they married and became General and Mrs. George Washington. =) Yes, that was Martha’s house!

And just across the street we came to Bruton Parish Episcopal Church, the prominent church in the area. People still worship there weekly (including the 105 year old woman I mentioned earlier), and it’s quite a pretty church inside. Martha’s first husband and two children are buried in the cemetery there, along with John Tyler and his family—including the housekeeper slave, Mammy Sarah. Up in the balconies, we saw where the slaves sat to one side, but the back balcony was the interesting part. That’s where the college students (including Thomas Jefferson) sat… with prisoners awaiting execution. Prisoners were required to go to church so they’d have a chance to repent, but also so they could pump the pipe organ. You see, the jail keeper was also the organ player. =) Even the Colonial Capitol operated as a small town once.

Down the street we went, stopping in front of George Wythe’s house. He was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, as well as the very first law professor in North America. John Marshall and Thomas Jefferson were among his most influential students! He was an interesting character who enjoyed good health and made it to an old age. When asked how he did it, he credited his health to his daily morning ritual. He would stand outside on his back porch, buck naked, and a couple of servants would pour well water on him. Yes, this even happened in January. How did he avoid pneumonia? I have no idea!

And up next came Alexis’s and my favorite part: the stocks and the pillory! I found out some useful information there. The pillory is the thing that I believe most people think are the stocks. The pillory is the contraption that locks you in with your head and arms, and actually your ear got nailed to the board as well, to ensure pain and maximum mobility restriction. Ouch! It was also pretty much reserved for men.

The stocks, on the other hand, are used for women. This only restricts your feet, and possibly the arms as well, but ladies would be sitting down. If you were in either place, you’d be spat upon, insulted, embarrassed, have rotten fruit and vegetables thrown at you, along with other things, I’m sure. And if you were convicted of a crime such as theft, adultery, manslaughter, etc., you’d also be branded in the right palm with the first letter of the crime you committed (A for adultery, T for theft, etc.). So, whenever you came on trial for a crime, you would raise your right hand to swear you’d tell the truth and people could see that you had already committed a crime. If you committed the same crime twice, you were hanged—no questions asked. So that’s why we still raise our right hands—so people could see that whether or not you had previously been convicted of a crime.

A bit further down, we came up Mr. Peyton’s house. Peyton was the president of the Continental Congress in 1776, but on the way to Philadelphia to consider the Declaration of Independence, the 350 lb man suffered a stroke (it was June on a three-week journey in a bumpy carriage) and died. John Hancock was the next in line--that's how he came to be the one to sign the Declaration first and why we still talk about signing your "John Hancock". 

I didn't realize Thomas Jefferson was such a huge player in Williamsburg, but boy did I learn a lot about him down there! He went to the College of William and Mary and actually found his accommodations at the tavern where he stayed to be less than desirable, but he stuck it out! He also was governor in 1780, and he's the whole reason the VA capitol moved from Williamsburg to Richmond. It is said that when the woman he loved refused his proposal there, he came to call the city "Devilsburg" and started to hate the place. He convinced people that Richmond would be a much safer place for the state capitol, and it's still there to this day! 

And on we go... we passed the Kings Arms Tavern, which was at one point also called Eagle Tavern and was run by a woman, Mrs. Jane Vobe. Alexis and I ended up eating lunch there and taking notes on Taverning. =) 

Our last stop was the capitol building. This is where Blackbeard's crew was tried and convicted of piracy! Charles told us that each of the 13 convicted pirates were holed up in the city gaol (or jail), and one was hanged each day for 13 days; all of them hung on the tree until the last one was hanged. Each day, the casket maker would send over a casket with one of the pirates' names on it. They would have to carry their own casket to a cart and sit on it for the ride to the hanging tree. Wow. 

And that was the tour! Charles was so nice and knowledgeable, we couldn't wait to have our ghost tour with him that evening! Dont' you worry, there's more to come. =) 

Need a visual? See the pictures HERE! 

Put a Sock in It! The Johnson Victrola Museum

Pictures? =) Click HERE!

Well, my last day in Dover had arrived, and there was just one more thing on my to-do list: The Johnson Victrola Museum. This was actually number 1 on my list when doing my research for the Dover trip, but it's only open Wednesday-Sunday, so I had to make sure I had time to get it done before I left Wednesday afternoon!

So, what is the Johnson Victrola Museum? Who was Johnson Victrola? Why is his museum in Dover? I can answer all of those questions for you!

The Johnson Victrola Museum is dedicated to Eldridge Johnson, sound recording pioneer and inventor. Have you seen the great big things they used to listen to records on in the late 1800s and early 1900s, the ones with the needle and the great big bell/horn that the sound was projected from? Let me give you a visual:

Yes, that's a Grammy award, modeled after the phonograph or gramophone, or Victor machine. Mr. Johnson didn't invent the machine, but he did make vast improvements to it and invented various accessories to it. His machine eventually became known as the Victrola because that sounded cooler than Victor at the time. (Like Crayola, lots of "-olas" were added to inventions back in the early 1900s.) 

This may not sound entirely exciting just yet, but here's another detail that, for me, added an element of respect for Mr. Johnson: he was told  by his high school teacher that he was not smart enough to go to college. He learned to be a machinist as an apprentice in Philadelphia. A man by the name of Berliner had the idea to make a motor for the phonograph so that no one had to crank or pump it manually. Johnson was the one who did it! He eventually went to work at a machine shop in Camden, NJ, just across the river from Philadelphia. The man who owned it eventually sold it to Johnson, and that's where he did the work to make Victrolas something everyone in America wanted to have. 

Now on to the fun sayings associated with Victors and Victrolas. In the early days of recorded sound, there were no volume buttons or knobs back then, but that's ok. All you had to do to alter the sound was put a sock in it--literally! The ladies at the museum showed us how they used to do it, and it's actually worked just like a mute in a brass instrument. Later on, the horns were put in the bottom inside the record playing machine, and you could alter the sound by opening or closing the cabinet doors. Have you ever heard a record play, especially on an old machine, and heard the scratchiness of the needle against the record groove? The way to avoid that is to... put a lid on it! The scratchiness would then be greatly reduced. 

Things continued to improve over the years, and eventually the Victrola machines became fancier and fancier. They had always been expensive, but the price really added up when people decided to start ordering them in ornate cabinets. They were quite beautiful, and one of the cabinet Victrolas they have is painted with pure gold! Of the 10,000 people who worked at the Victrola factory in Camden, NJ, 5,000 were artisans and cabinet makers, and they produced over 17,000 TONS of sawdust per day just to make these things! 

More interesting facts abounded throughout my journey into the inner workings of the Victrola. 

If that looks familiar, good! If not, no worries! This is Nipper the dog. He's listening to His Master's Voice (HMV). This is the Victrola logo, but it fell into Johnson's lap because Edison didn't like it! Nipper was a dog who lost his master. His master's voice had been recorded, and when Nipper heard it, his ears perked up because he knew the familiar voice. People like dogs, they like familiar things, and they like new technology. Good marketing! =) 

Upstairs in the museum was a huge collection of Victrolas of all kinds--almost every model, many custom made, all incredible just to look at! I would highly recommend a visit to the Victrola museum if you like history, recording, music, or just want to be inspired by someone who "wasn't smart enough" to go to college.