ANNOUNCER: And now, a "Get Out of Town" special holiday presentation.

MARTHA: Happy Christmastide from Williamsburg.

(explosions and cheering) LAUREN: We made it to Busch Gardens!

LAURITA: Yes, we did.

(train whistle).

BOTH: Merry Christmas from Busch Gardens!

♪ ♪ LAURITA: Hi, I'm Laurita.

LAUREN: And I'm her daughter Lauren.

LAURITA: We're from the DMV and we love to travel.

LAUREN: We definitely do.

LAURITA: One of the best things about living in the DC area are the many places you can visit that are just a few hours away.

LAUREN: So many options.

And now we get to check them out together.

LAURITA: So join us for some very cool places to stay.

LAUREN: Great food.

LAURITA: And nonstop fun as we...

BOTH: Get Out of Town!

LAUREN: I am so excited to go to Williamsburg.

It's been years, LAURITA: Probably about 17-plus years.

LAUREN: Honestly, maybe even 20.

LAURITA: We always said we wanna come back during the Christmas season because Williamsburg is only a few hours away from home.

LAUREN: And going to Busch Gardens... LAURITA: Our fave.

LAUREN: I am so excited to ride the new roller coasters.

LAURITA: And we're staying at that Williamsburg Inn.

LAUREN: Mm-Hmm.

LAURITA: Which I can't wait to see because I know the Queen has stayed there.

And you know, going to my favorite restaurant, I can't leave unless I eat at the Amber Ox.

LAUREN: Amber Ox.

LAURITA: Oh yeah.

But I tell you what, here we come, Williamsburg.

LAUREN: All right.

You wanna listen to some music?

LAURITA: Please.

LAUREN: Okay.

I think I have a song that you might like.

♪ I'm every woman ♪ ♪ It's all in me ♪ ♪ Anything you want done baby ♪ ♪ I'll do it naturally ♪ ♪ I'm every woman ♪ ♪ It's all in me ♪ ♪ I can read your thoughts right now.

♪ ♪ Everyone from A to Z ♪ ♪ (Whoa, whoa, whoa-oh) ♪ ♪ (Whoa, whoa) ♪ LAUREN: So pretty.

LAURITA: It is pretty.

Very stately.

LAUREN: Thank you.

LAURITA: Thank you.

TRACY: Welcome to Williamsburg Inn, my name is Tracy, have a seat.

LAURITA: Thank you.

LAURITA: Thank you, Tracy.

TRACY: How can I help you today?

I'm Laurita and this is my daughter Lauren Portee.

TRACY: We actually have you in the Queen Suite, this is exciting.

I think you're going to love it.

It's full of memorabilia, photos of the Queen when she was here, and here's your key.

It's just up the stairs to the right and enjoy your stay.

BOTH: Thank you!

PAUL: The Williamsburg Inn is 80 years of luxury and elegance.

This hotel is a crown jewel of Colonial Williamsburg.

And this location is centered in the historical triangle.

You have Yorktown, you have Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg.

You're in close proximity to the historical areas.

Right across the street and you're on the Duke of Gloucester.

This is a five-star hotel, when guests arrive we treat them as if they are royalty.

We have luxury amenities like The Spa.

We also have one of the best golf course in United States, and of course, fine dining.

There's 62 suites.

This hotel is 80 years old.

Built in 1937, by Mr. Rockefeller.

His dream was to build something that people can come and enjoy.

We host some prominent people, such as Mr. Winston Churchill.

And the Queen, who happened to stay here in 1957.

There's something about Christmas at Colonial Williamsburg that my words can't even express what it does.

We have the hotel lighting.

Before, we used to have one Grand Illumination.

And the crowd I saw was just too much to bear in that one.

And so now what we do, we have three weeks in December that we have Grand Illumination.

(explosions and cheering) So Colonial Williamsburg have a lot of stuff going on.

We are fired up.

It's Christmas.

LAUREN: Ooh.

LAURITA: Isn't this fancy?

LAUREN: The Queen Suite.

It's so royal and regal in here.

LAURITA: Aww, this looks like one of her receiving rooms.

LAUREN: Oh, it does.

It's really pretty.

LAURITA: Well, let's see the bedroom.

BOTH: Ooooh.

LAURITA: I can see why she stayed here.

LAUREN: I know.

LAURITA: It's fit for the queens that we are.

Look at the headboard!

LAUREN: I know, the drapes are really giving that we are in the royal palace.

I love the gold, it's so majestic.

LAURITA: I do too.

And all the nice photographs over in here.

LAUREN: I know.

(gasps).

We have robes!

LAURITA: Oh!

Oh, this is so ladylike.

LAUREN: I know, I love it.

LAURITA: With a lovely tub here.

LAUREN: Mm-hm.

Oh look, it loops right back into the living room.

LAURITA: Oh, Lauren, I think we're going to be very comfortable here.

LAUREN: I think so too, it's going to be a great stay.

Alright, it is time to go head to my happy place!

You know we haven't been to Busch Gardens in years.

So we should head out tonight.

LAURITA: Okay.

LAUREN: So we can go for their Christmas Town.

LAURITA: Oh yes, but we better dress warmly.

LAUREN: Oh yes.

Totally.

LAURITA: Alright.

LAUREN: Let's go ride some rides!

LAURITA: See ya later, Queen.

♪ ♪ ♪ Baby come and light my Christmas tree.

♪ ♪ I want to jing-jing-jingle.

♪ ♪ (Jing-jing-jingle.)

♪ ♪ Ringing in the winter holidays and welcome ♪ ♪ Old Kris Kringle.

♪ LAUREN: We made it to Busch Gardens!

LAURITA: Yes, we did.

LAUREN: We're so excited to go ride some roller coasters.

It's actually not that cold right now.

LAURITA: Right now... LAUREN: But we are layered.

LAURITA: Oh yeah.

LAUREN: Gloves, earmuffs.

So all of that, hats.

We are ready to go.

Look, we can see the coasters.

That coaster right there actually is my favorite.

That is Apollo's Chariot.

LAURITA: And it's not open.

LAUREN: Sadly, it is closed today, and during this holiday season, but that's okay.

We're still gonna go ride some other rides.

Here we go.

LAURITA: Bye!

♪ Snuggled by the fireside, ♪ ♪ the world is merry and bright.

♪ ♪ A hap-hap-happy Christmas night.

♪ LAUREN: There are so many lights.

They said there's what, over 10 million lights?

And it shows.

It totally shows.

It's so pretty.

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ JONATHAN: It is the most magical time of year here at Busch Gardens Williamsburg.

It's our Christmas Town event, and that takes place every year.

November through December.

Right behind me, we're at our polar pathway.

On this building alone, there's 1 million lights.

And for the first time this year, this light show, every 30 minutes is choreographed with music and a light spectacle.

Around 2009, Christmas Town came to be.

And what started out as like a concept of getting people to come to the park, enjoy holiday lights, turned into this behemoth of an amazing holiday light display.

LAUREN: We are in front of this huge lit-up tree.

LAURITA: If you Didn't know what time of year it is... LAUREN: Now you do.

LAURITA: Yes.

LAUREN: Now you know.

Okay.

We are about to get on the DarKoaster.

It's an indoor shadow coaster.

I'm super excited.

They said it goes up to like 35 miles per hour.

Ooh.

I'm probably gonna be in there crying because that's usually what I do on a roller coaster.

But here we go.

Let's do it.

(cheering).

JONATHAN: We now have ten world-class roller coasters.

LAUREN: Woo!

LAURITA: Yeah!

JONATHAN: One of them being our all-new, uh, North America's first all -indoor straddle coaster, DarKoaster, over in our Oktoberfest Village.

(screaming and laughing) (screaming) It was whipping me so fast, I was crying like tears streaming down my face, but such a good time.

It had like a multi-launch, so I would like go fast and then slow and pick up.

LAURITA: Yes.

LAUREN: There were twists and turns.

It was a good coaster.

LAURITA: It was really good.

LAUREN: I would totally recommend that one.

LAURITA: We're getting ready to do a throwback ride when the kids were tiny, tiny.

This was one of the first rides they got on here at Busch Gardens.

And so... LAUREN: Full circle moment.

I always love the swings.

Especially like when you go to the fairs, you can go on the swings there.

The swings are always a fun ride for me.

It's nice, it's peaceful, it's calming, it's fun.

LAURITA: You're by yourself, your legs are dangling.

Woo.

(cheering).

LAUREN: Yeah!

LAURITA: Yeah!

BOTH: Merry Christmas from Busch Gardens!

♪ It's the sound of joyful time.

♪ LAUREN: That was fun!

Woo!

LAURITA: What's next?

What's next?

What's next?

♪ Don't worry, don't be blue.

♪ ♪ That our wishes all come true.

♪ ♪ Santa Claus is on his way.

♪ LAUREN: Woo!

♪ He'll be there for Christmas Day.

♪ (cheering) ♪ Merry Christmas.

♪ LAURITA: Wow, we just got off the Peppermint Twist, which is a bunch of tea cups, but I feel that I spilled all my tea out of that cup as we were spinning around and just a wee bit dizzy now.

We can't wait to get some hot chocolate.

LAUREN: Yes.

LAURITA: And then we might play a game or two.

I might try to take home something stuffed.

LAUREN: Yeah.

WOMAN: And we're gonna get you this one!

(cheering) (camera shutter).

LAUREN: That's cute.

LAURITA: Woo, yeah.

Hot chocolate.

JONATHAN: There's nothing like being a part of the team here during Christmas time, to witness that and to be a part of people's memories and traditions.

There's nothing like it.

That's a gift in itself.

BOTH: Merry Christmas!

♪ This Christmas.

♪ (camera shutter).

♪ Baby come and light my Christmas tree.

♪ ♪ I want to jing-jing-jingle.

♪ HOST: Good morning.

Welcome.

LAURITA: Thank you.

HOST: Two for breakfast?

LAURITA: Yes, please.

HOST: All right.

Wonderful.

LAURITA: Can we talk about the room we stayed in?

LAUREN: It was so pretty, when you walked in, all those light colors in the room, I loved it.

LAURITA: Yeah, I felt like I was sitting where she sat.

And she would've had tea, but you know I had my coffee.

(laughing).

And you know we're going to Colonial Williamsburg.

LAUREN: I know, it's gonna be good fun today.

(glasses clink).

♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ SOLDIER: Right.

Ready.

Take aim.

Fire.

(gunshot).

(camera shutter).

LAUREN: We're gonna pet General.

Hi general.

LAURITA: Hi General.

KEEPER: You can walk right up and just rub him right up front.

He loves his ears scratched.

BOTH: Aw.

KEEPER: Sometimes he'll lower his head down so you can scratch him easier.

LAUREN: Oh, he said, no, don't touch me.

We're gonna go drive around to the Governor's Palace, and get to do a little sightseeing with the horses.

Here's our carriage, oop, we're moving.

(horses clopping).

(camera shutter).

CASH: Colonial Williamsburg is the largest U.S. history living museum in the world.

We have over 300 acres.

We have 89 original buildings that have been standing here in Williamsburg for nearly 250 years.

The history of Williamsburg begins really in 1699.

The decision is made to move the Capitol from Jamestown to Williamsburg, the first permanent English settlement in North America.

It's renamed in honor of King William III.

Williamsburg remains the capital of the colony of Virginia until 1776 when the decision is made here in Williamsburg to propose independence at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia.

After that, Williamsburg doesn't die out completely like Jamestown had.

The city continues on, you still have institutions like the College of William and Mary.

But in 1926, the Reverend Dr. William Archer Rutherford Goodwin, and John D. Rockefeller, Jr. Who was one of the wealthiest men in America, realized the opportunity to restore the historic area of Williamsburg.

Boston, New York, Philadelphia, they'd all continued to grow, but because the capital left Williamsburg, that essentially preserved this community in Amber.

John D. Rockefeller, Jr.

Invests somewhere between $69 and $75 million of his money into the restoration.

You have the construction of the Raleigh Tavern in 1932.

That's the very first building that's opened in what becomes known as Colonial Williamsburg.

The building that you see behind me is the Governor's palace reconstructed in 1934 and the Capitol building down at the other end of town the same year.

And then, later on, the connection that the Rockefeller's would have with Bassett Hall was cemented when he agreed to purchase that house as a residence here in Williamsburg.

And then you begin to see other original buildings restored, other reconstructed buildings being brought into the historic area to help create, instead of a collection of individual house museums, a living community.

We're continuing to add new history to Colonial Williamsburg.

Guests from all over the world come to visit to hear the story of our nation's founding and to learn about the experiences of the persons here.

There are over 1,500 employees here.

Those are folks that you're gonna see wearing the historic clothing, the research historians, the curators working behind the scenes.

This tremendous team of talented professionals, all work together to help recreate the 18th century.

The folks that you see when you come to visit are gonna be attired by our Department of Historic Clothing and Dress.

These are professionals who have invested, cumulatively throughout the history of the foundation, thousands of hours of research into the clothing, the fashion, the attire of everyone that you would've seen here in 18th-century Williamsburg.

NEAL: So we are currently located in the storage facility in the art museums of Colonial Williamsburg, where we house the majority of our historic dress collection.

Colonial Williamsburg has roughly about 15,000 textiles, all told.

But of that, about 5,000 of those are pieces of historic dress.

The clothing from the 18th and early 19th centuries.

So our work here has a variety of purpose in terms of why we collect historic clothing.

One of it serves for documenting style and fashion over many decades and centuries.

But it allows our Department of Historic Clothing and Dress to come and study these pieces so they can replicate it for our interpreters to wear.

Putting them together as they were in the period, so all by hand.

it is sort of creating a wardrobe for that individual that is appropriate for where they're actually working at.

Things like wigs, hats, walking sticks, all these various accessories are chosen to help create a visual interpretation for the place that you're actually going to go visit.

So if we are gonna be looking at a garment that's going to be reproduced for some of our interpreters, the first thing that needs to be done is a careful study of it.

And then a pattern would be taken off of it.

Laying out rulers, graphing paper to take as close of a pattern of this garment we can as possible.

There's probably two basic garments that we're gonna find worn as outerwear for both men and women.

It's called a cloak that is then gonna be gathered into the neck, worn sort of enveloping the body.

So this is an example of a man's cloak that dates roughly to about the 1770s.

It is a cloak that's made out of what was known in the 18th century as Broadcloth.

And Broadcloth was sort of the pride and joy of the English economy.

It's pretty unusual to find men's cloaks that actually survive.

And so we have quite a few folks who come to study this.

Not only our tradesmen and women here at Colonial Williamsburg but also researchers from all across the world.

What's great about this fabric and great about using it for something like a cloak as it's fairly water resistant, is gonna keep you very, very insulated and and warm.

Men's cloaks typically have capes on the shoulders, whereas women's cloaks are typically around the neck, fastened with a hood.

Hands down the most common color that you find for men's and women's cloaks in the 18th century is scarlet.

Generally, men and women are dressing lighter in color, so whites and yellows and pinks and light purples.

That way the candlelight can be reflected off the clothing.

Alright, and the one that I really want to show you is this piece here worn by Elizabeth Dandridge, who is the sister of Martha Washington.

So this gown itself, the fabric, which is really interesting dates to about the 1750s.

And she would've been a very, very young child at that point.

The fabric is very typical of what we're finding a lot of Virginia women wearing.

It is English silk, and it's what we refer to as being brocaded.

And so what they're doing, and you can see all of these lovely floats that are going through here, but it makes the weaver to be able to put all these beautiful floral prints into the silk itself.

So you can see the flowers here.

These are the result of all of these floats that you see there.

The gown itself is really a high-end gown for, for a Virginia woman living in the 18th century.

So certainly for the holidays that feasting going to the Governor's Ball, going to a Subscription Ball, perhaps attending in a a wedding.

This is certainly gonna be a very fashionable gown for a woman to wear for any of those activities during the holidays.

The Christmas season is celebrated a little bit differently compared to the season in the 21st century.

So at the time, the advent calendar leading up to Christmas Day, those sort of four Sundays are oftentimes filled with subscription balls, fox hunting, feasting, very popular for weddings in this winter season.

Probably the most famous of them all is when Martha Washington and George Washington, they get married on January 6th.

The Epiphany in 1759, Christmas Day itself is truly a religious holiday.

The harvest season is completed, and so it's a time where that farming society is sort of taking that break.

And so they have that time to be able to attend these types of things.

For me, Colonial Williamsburg is one of these places, we just love that Christmas sense to it.

Brings back a lot of memories of making the wreaths and things that go onto the household.

MARTHA: Happy Christmastide from Williamsburg.

This is Mrs. Washington and I've met these two lovely ladies, and I cannot wait to spend the Christmastide season with them.

And I wish you and your family the happiest of Christmas.

ALL: Merry Christmas.

CASH: Beginning in the 1930s, there was an active effort made to create a more stylized form of decorating for the holiday season, where residents of the historic area could use historic elements, natural elements, to decorate their homes.

We did some research and discovered that there was a custom of putting candles into windows.

There are also local Christmas markets that are in operation.

So there's decorations, there are special events, there are concerts that are happening throughout the community to celebrate the holiday season.

So the guests that come to visit Williamsburg today see something that isn't exactly historically accurate to the 18th-century.

It's more of a colonial revival influence, but it's something that Williamsburg has become inexorably connected to.

(camera shutter).

JOANNE: Today, we're at the Colonial Williamsburg Landscape Design Studio where the beautiful holiday decorations are made.

The size and scope of creating the holiday decorations for the historic area, it's quite large and all-encompassing, actually.

The style is very much true to Colonial Williamsburg.

But it's just the volume.

It's not just a few buildings.

We are decorating a real colonial town.

The designers will actually start working on their dry decorations in September.

One of the questions I get is, did the colonists decorate as we do today?

And the answer is no.

There was very little decorating if anything at all, and certainly nothing outdoors and certainly not a wreath with fresh fruit hanging on the door.

Guests really sort of wanted to see something.

So a compromise was reached that what we would present is a natural old-fashioned kind of Christmas and only using materials that would've been familiar to the colonists.

Now over time, our decorations have really evolved and they've become quite elaborate today.

It's just a tradition, and it is what Colonial Williamsburg is known for.

Common materials that we're using are...

In our dried category, we use dried pomegranates and scored oranges and orange slices, some dried herbs.

We use lotus pods and a lot of pine cones.

So the typical fresh fruit that we use, primarily we're using apples because apples last the longest and stay the freshest looking.

We'll also use limes and lemons, and you'll see pineapples on some of the decorations.

There is a nod to the history, but our designers have the freedom and the leeway really to just be as creative as they want.

KITTY: This wreath will go on the door and some of the same ingredients on the house match the things that have already sort of started with the kitchen wreath.

This wreath is gonna be on a fresh green.

It goes on a white wall in between two brown window frames.

So I think with the brown, we'll coordinate with the window.

The gum balls I found on the parkway, neighbor's yard.

Anywhere we'd see 'em, we pick 'em up.

I'm always picking up stuff.

I have a bag in my car, so if I see something somewhere, I, I pick it up.

I've always been a very creative person, and I just love being able to create something.

I think everything looks beautiful in here when we see it.

And then when we see it really up at the place where it's going to go, the house or the window, or the gate or wherever it, it just changes the whole look and it more beautiful to me.

GOLDIE: So I'm working on an arch piece.

Uh, this is just a dried grapevine arch.

It's gonna go on this wall piece over here.

It's so beautiful when all the decorations have a little bit of dusting of snow.

It really does put you in the holiday spirit.

CASH: For much of the history of the museum, Colonial Williamsburg, the narrative has been one that tells the story of George Washington and, and James Madison of Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson.

Folks who look like me.

But over half of the population of the city of Williamsburg in 1776 is enslaved.

Visiting the Peyton Randolph house today, you would hear the stories of Peyton Randolph, but also at that site, you're going to hear the stories of 27 persons enslaved by Peyton Randolph.

LAURITA: Good morning!

JANICE: Good morning, good morning.

How are you?

LAURITA: Good!

LAUREN: Good, how are you?

JANICE: My name's Janice Canaday, it's a pleasure to meet you.

LAURITA: Hi, I'm Laurita.

LAUREN: And I'm Lauren.

JANICE: Hi, Lauren.

LAUREN: Hi.

JANICE: Welcome to the Peyton Randolph property.

BOTH: Thank you.

LAUREN: So, we don't know too much about Peyton Randolph, could you give us a little bit of a snapshot on him?

JANICE: Peyton Randolph was a very wealthy man, very prominent family that he comes from.

Randolph's a very large family, he's kin to Thomas Jefferson.

He's living here in the capital city, he's a plantation owner, owner of human property, he owns 109 enslaved people, 27 of which stayed in this property.

LAURITA: How many people lived there with him?

JANICE: Himself and his wife.

LAUREN: 27.

LAURITA: Wow, that was a lot of... help for two people.

JANICE: Indeed.

LAUREN: Is it possible for us to take a peek inside of the house?

JANICE: Absolutely, we're gonna have a look back here at what they called the servant's hall.

This is where the folks that, the 27 enslaved on the property, would be living.

LAURITA: So if you worked in the kitchen, you lived in it... JANICE: Then you're living above stairs in the kitchen.

If you're in the laundry, you're above stairs in the laundry.

LAURITA: Okay.

It looks like a lot of pots and pans, so it looks like they cooked for a lot of people.

JANICE: They cooked for whoever comes to this house, everybody wants to come to Peyton Randolph's house.

Folks that go to the governor's table, come to this man's table.

And there would be boys here, girls here, men and women.

(thumping).

You feel that?

BOTH: Yes.

JANICE: That's the sound of the work.

LAUREN: Wow.

JANICE: So they're grinding up corn with this.

BOTH: Wow.

JANICE: So they're milling their own corn so they can eat.

This man can afford to have it milled, but that's what they're gonna do for themselves.

LAUREN: It seems that these people really worked hard.

All of this was built on their backs, and it's really important that this history is being told.

JANICE: I don't want you to think that they just worked all the time, these people found a way to create communities, and have moments of that special joy that most people wouldn't think about.

LAUREN: Good.

JANICE: And I'd like to think that one of those places that they experienced that joy when they had time, would be over at the Witness Tree, the Compton oak tree that we have just outside.

This tree here is an iconic tree.

Just as you see that tree is deeply rooted, so is this community here.

And I am deeply rooted here because my family has always been here, we go back as far as the Revolutionary War.

We use this tree in the community for Juneteenth celebrations.

So it's important to bring the voices of the community to the table, hear them, and then allow them to participate in the writing of the narrative that's going to represent them.

LAUREN: Yes.

JANICE: So it's a very fulfilling fact.

LAUREN: It is.

LAURITA: Thank you so much, this was wonderful.

We really enjoyed meeting you and hearing about all this great information.

JANICE: Pleasure is all mine, please come back.

LAUREN: I know, this was such a special time for you to be telling us the history that so many people don't know about.

So thank you so much for all that you do here.

JANICE: My pleasure.

LAURITA: Take care, happy holidays.

JANICE: Happy holidays.

LAURITA: Thank you.

(camera shutter).

♪ ♪ LAURITA: You know this is the place where they've found a lot of artifacts from the Black churches and a Black school.

LAUREN: Oh, nice.

LAURITA: Hi!

JACK: Good morning, come on in!

LAURITA: Good morning.

JACK: Welcome to the lab.

LAURITA: Wow.

JACK: We've been doing archaeology for almost 100 years.

LAUREN: Wow.

LAURITA: 100 years?

JACK: Yeah, 1928 is the first excavation ever done here at Colonial Williamsburg.

LAURITA: Oh, wow.

JACK: The first excavations were done on the Capitol building, Raleigh Tavern, and the Governor's Palace.

And early excavations were really focused on finding buildings, so that we could recreate the colonial town.

But, archeology has evolved over time, and we have focused on also understanding the lives of the people that were here in the 18th, 19th, and now even into the 20th century.

We curate over 60 million artifacts in this collection.

So the materials here in front of us come from the excavations of, uh, the First Baptist church.

Which is one of the oldest Black churches in the country.

LAURITA: Mm-hm, yes.

JACK: Still exists today.

LAURITA: Yes.

JACK: And they have been a part of this project from the very beginning.

LAURITA: I see this money box.

JACK: Yeah, we've found at least 12 of these.

The day after Christmas, they would be filled with coins, and they'd be given out to poor members of the community as charity.

The only way to get into these is to smash 'em open.

LAURITA: That's the fun part.

Ah!

LAUREN: Like opening your gifts on Christmas morning.

JACK: That's right.

It's scattered all around behind the, the church.

LAUREN: Oh, wow.

JACK: And so we can even start to see where that action is happening.

LAURITA: Yeah.

JACK: Which is really neat.

LAURITA: Usually, with most Black churches, there are cemeteries associated with the church.

Was there a cemetery on that property?

JACK: Sure enough, we now know there are 62 people buried.

BOTH: Wow.

JACK: We were able to extract DNA from one of the individuals, and it came back as an individual with Sub-Saharan African ancestry.

LAURITA: I'm sure that was so special for the legacy of the family, just to know that that was someone that they descended from.

JACK: Yeah, absolutely.

So, as we were excavating around these bricks, we found one of our favorite artifacts for getting a date, which is a coin.

LAURITA: Oh!

JACK: Because they have a date on it!

LAURITA: Makes sense.

JACK: And that coin had the date 1817.

LAURITA: Nice.

LAUREN: Wow.

JACK: So that confirmed us that that was the first permanent structure for one of the oldest Black churches in the country.

BOTH: Wow.

JACK: Archaeology is the leading edge, usually, of these projects.

And, um, in the case of the Bray School, we discovered all these features and all these artifacts, now there's a much larger focus on the history of the school.

And we're moving the original building and recreating it.

So we're looking for the materials that would've been associated with the kids when they were there learning.

LAUREN: Right.

JACK: And one of the ones that we really like to point out, because we have so many of them... LAURITA: I see 'em.

JACK: The ones at the end... LAURITA: Yes.

LAUREN: Are those clay marbles?

JACK: Clay marbles.

Everyone played marbles historically, but they're most often associated with kids.

LAUREN: Mm-hm.

LAURITA: So Jack, now that you've uncovered some of these items, what's the future for all of this?

JACK: The Bray School will be open to guests in 2024, to tell the stories of the students.

And we're gonna rebuild that first church, so that people can have that worship experience that people had in the 19th-century.

LAURITA: That's wonderful.

Well we'll have to come back to see what you do.

JACK: Absolutely.

LAUREN: So will people be able to see all of these artifacts like we were able to today?

JACK: Yeah, absolutely.

So we are building a brand new state-of-the-art 40,000 square foot archeology lab and archeology center.

LAURITA: That's exciting.

JACK: You have no idea how excited we are.

LAURITA: I know you're excited.

JACK: And so the moment of discovery that we get to have all the time, we're gonna get to share with our guests too.

LAUREN: That's awesome.

LAURITA: Another living museum.

JACK: Absolutely.

LAURITA: That's always delightful.

Jack, thank you so much, I mean we actually feel very honored that we were able to see these things before they were open to the public.

So, we can't wait to come back.

LAUREN: Right, and I just want to thank you for showing this history, cause sometimes it does get lost.

So being able to find these artifacts is so important, so thank you for doing this.

JACK: Oh, you're most welcome.

To be able to see Lauren and Laurita engage with these artifacts in the same way that we do, that's the experience we want for everybody to have when they come to Williamsburg.

♪ ♪ SERVER: Welcome to King's Arms Tavern, table for two?

LAURITA: Yes.

LAUREN: Thank you.

LAURITA: Thank you.

LAUREN: Wow, it really feels like we've just walked into somebody's home.

SERVER: Taverns would have been someone's house, and you would've eaten downstairs and then stayed upstairs during the night.

LAUREN: Oh, wow.

IVEY: King's Arms Tavern is very unique.

We do period-type food, but we put a 21st-century spin on it.

King's Arms Tavern was opened by Jane Vobe in 1772.

She fed all the dignitaries that would come through, because Williamsburg was the capital at the time.

They would always stop and eat at Mrs. Vobe's tavern.

She was well known for having great food.

Mrs. Vobe was the owner of slaves, and as her business grew she needed more of a workforce, so she brought in her slaves.

One of her slaves was Gowan Pamphlet, who became the pastor of First Baptist Church, one of the first Black churches in Williamsburg.

During that time period, 45 to 55% of the population was of African descent, and to have that workforce really helped her business thrive.

LAURITA: We learned so much today!

LAUREN: I know, and a lot of the times when you think about slavery, you only think about people on plantations... LAURITA: Right, farms.

LAUREN: Or like, right, just like in the house, but cities were really built on the backs of slaves.

LAURITA: Right, and how about that beautiful tree?

LAUREN: I know.

And they do things for Juneteenth?

LAURITA: And they do things for the community, so I thought that was nice.

And I've gotten that sense since we've been here, a real sense of community.

SERVER: Have you decided on your meals?

LAURITA: Yes, we heard so much about a certain type of soup.

SERVER: Yes, the peanut soup is our specialty.

LAUREN: And I think I also want to try the soup of squash as well.

SERVER: Okay.

IVEY: Laurita got the peanut soup, it's been a staple at King's Arms.

We've had guests that've been here 40, 50, 60 years, and they come looking for the peanut soup.

SERVER: Okay, we have your peanut soup, and your squash soup.

LAURITA: Oooh.

LAUREN: That looks good.

SERVER: It comes with sippets, sippets would have been stale bread during the time period, but we use toasted bread instead.

(laughing).

LAURITA: Waste not, want not back in the day.

Got it, got it.

LAUREN: How's yours?

LAURITA: You know, it's good.

I've had peanut soups before, and this one is not as spicy, so I like it.

Let's try these "snippets".

LAUREN: Mm, I like the little crunch.

LAURITA: What a cute little name, "snippets".

(laughing).

(sizzling).

IVEY: Colonial food is anything you can catch, eat, or grow.

For real, they threw away nothing.

Lotta soups, lotta stews.

Lotta smoke-cured meats.

Rabbit, squirrel, deer, whatever they could raise, Mrs. Vobe was putting it on the menu.

We try to reflect on seasonal.

Back then they weren't growing or eating tomatoes in October, November.

Being that we're in the fall-winter now, it's a lot more squashes, root vegetables.

Lauren had the butter shrimp, with the Jefferson idea of the French-Virginia cooking, to add your cream-based sauces.

Laurita had the Cornish game hen, and it comes over Carolina gold rice.

It's very tasty, very nutty.

LAUREN: These are good shrimp.

LAURITA: It's very savory, and the gravy's very creamy which I like.

LAUREN: My gravy is really creamy too.

IVEY: Here at the King's Arms Tavern, it's not a typical restaurant.

We really give you the whole colonial experience, from your waiter or waitress taking your order in costume, to balladeers playing different selections and interacting with the guests as well.

And it all adds to the Colonial Williamsburg tavern experience.

♪ Haste, haste to bring Him laud.

♪ ♪ The Babe, the Son of Mary.

♪ LAURITA: Thank you.

Beautiful!

BALLADEER: Thank you.

LAURITA: Thank you.

Happy holidays my dear.

LAUREN: Happy holidays.

(camera shutter).

♪ ♪ ANGEL: Marriott's Manor Club is an ownership resort in Williamsburg, Virginia.

We have colonial-style architecture.

When you're at the resort, we have Bistro 1699.

Perhaps a pool party during the summer.

And, we do have access to the three championship golf courses that are here.

Lauren and Laurita are staying in one of our cozy two-bedroom villas.

One of the things that we work very hard on is bringing Colonial Williamsburg into our villas.

A lot of the pictures on the headboards are buildings in Colonial Williamsburg, such as the Governor's Palace, and many other landmarks within the area.

When you drive up to the resort, you are met with some gorgeous lights and decorations, to really give you a festive look and feel when you're here at the resort.

♪ It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas ♪ LAUREN: Is that so?

LAURITA: Well, what's your song?

♪ LAUREN: Doesn't it feel like Christmas?

♪ ...or whatever Destiny's Child said.

(laughing).

CONCIERGE: Welcome to Marriott's Manor Club.

LAURITA: Thank you.

CONCIERGE: We do have a wine tasting at 5:30 PM.

LAUREN: Oh, nice.

Just in time.

CONCIERGE: Yep.

Two keys for you guys.

LAUREN: Perfect.

LAURITA: Thank you.

CONCIERGE: It's going to be the first building, just around the corner there to the left.

LAURITA: Okay.

CONCIERGE: Have a great night.

LAUREN: Thanks, you too.

LAURITA: Thank you, we will.

This is gonna be fun.

LAUREN: I know!

Ooh, mom!

LAURITA: Girl, first of all, what's our favorite color?

LAUREN: Blue!

LAURITA: And this is blue heaven.

LAUREN: I know.

And look, the Virginia on this is perfect.

LAURITA: You know I like blue and white china.

LAUREN: I know.

This is spacious.

LAURITA: And a full kitchen.

LAUREN: Oh, perfect.

LAURITA: Look at the cozy sitting area over there.

LAUREN: I know, so nice.

And we have our own fireplace?

LAURITA: Ah, let's check out our rooms.

LAUREN: Okay.

Ooh.

(gasps).

This headboard... beautiful.

LAURITA: Is that Betsy Ross?

LAUREN: Oh yeah, with the American flag.

Girl, look at that tub.

I love the bathroom.

LAURITA: It's a big bathroom.

LAUREN: It is really nice.

LAURITA: Yes.

LAUREN: Yeah, we did.

LAURITA: You did well.

Alright, so what should we do now?

LAUREN: I think we should go down to the wine tasting.

LAURITA: Alright.

Can't wait to get back.

LAUREN: I know, me too.

ANGEL: When you stay at Marriott's Manor Club, you'll never run out of things to do.

One of our most popular activities is the wine tasting.

We've partnered up with Jolene Family Winery.

They put on an educational tasting featuring some Virginia wines.

What I really enjoy is seeing our guests continuing to come back every year to vacation with us, and delivering a great vacation for them.

(camera shutter).

LAURITA: I can't believe it's our last day.

LAUREN: I know, it's been so nice here in Williamsburg.

LAURITA: I tell you, Williamsburg you really know how to do the holidays.

LAUREN: You do, and we love it here.

LAURITA: We do.

♪ ♪ LAUREN: Now, tiny cup up.

There we go!

(camera shutter).

LAURITA: This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Williamsburg.

It's time to eat.

JAYSON: The Amber Ox Public House is in the heart of downtown City of Williamsburg.

Very warm, rustic, and inviting.

It's a southern-style scratch kitchen.

On the culinary side of things, Chef David does a phenomenal job.

DAVID: Amber Ox Public House is a fun, hip, trendy restaurant, I would say, that focuses on farm-to-table and seasonal menu items.

From hogs to micro-greens.

The best version of farm-to-table to me is the farmers working directly with the chefs.

As a chef, we're only as good as, you know, the produce and everything that we're getting.

So, we go out for the best.

And Amber Ox is known for sharing plates, and the wings are something that we are known for.

We brine them for 24 hours, then they're smoked for an hour and a half, and fry 'em to order.

And then we make our own bread and butter pickles, right on top.

How are we doing, guys?

LAURITA: Good.

DAVID: Jayson just dropped off our oak-smoked wings, we season 'em with our house barbecue spice, a little bit of ranch powder.

LAUREN: You can never go wrong with ranch or wings, so... DAVID: I agree, I agree.

LAURITA: And I can't wait to try those homemade pickles.

LAUREN: Dig into them.

LAURITA: Let's do that.

Mmm.

LAUREN: Mmm.

LAURITA: The smokiness of 'em that gets me every time.

You can't get these anywhere else but the Amber Ox.

LAUREN: Delicious.

LAURITA: We can't get too full because we've gotta enjoy our entrees when they get here.

LAUREN: I know.

DAVID: For the entrees, we'll be serving rockfish from our local fishermen.

Every year it's kind of one of the things people ask about.

When is rockfish coming back?

It's usually November to late January.

And then they'll also be having the short rib.

This is actually a newer style of the short rib.

We lightly smoke it, and then we braise it.

We top it with three different mushrooms, and a Carolina gold rice porridge.

So I have our Virginia seared rockfish.

LAUREN: Wow.

LAURITA: Mmm.

DAVID: And our braised short ribs.

LAUREN: Yum!

LAURITA: Wow.

Thank you so much.

LAUREN: Thank you so much.

LAURITA: We're gonna dig in now!

LAUREN: Okay, which one are you gonna go for first?

LAURITA: Short rib 'cause all the mushrooms, man.

LAUREN: Oh, yes.

And eat.

(laughing).

Mushrooms.

LAURITA: The black garlic sauce, and the black bean.

That combination is so savory.

This is amazing.

LAUREN: Switch.

LAURITA: Okay.

The little hash, and a little sauce.

The sauce is delicious and salty, savory, crunchy, and... LAUREN: Delicious.

LAURITA: Exactly.

Chef David is so creative.

It's all the flavors you still like... LAUREN: I would say, yeah.

LAURITA: But presented in such a phenomenal way.

Here's to Chef David.

LAUREN: To chef!

DAVID: Here at Amber Ox, being focused on sharing and family, that's the main thing that I think keeps people coming back.

(camera shutter).

LAUREN: What a great trip back to Williamsburg!

LAURITA: It's worth the effort to get here during the Christmas season.

LAUREN: I feel like starting our trip at Busch Gardens was just the perfect place for us to start, ‘cause we are such roller coaster girls.

Woo!

LAURITA: And staying in the Williamsburg Inn, where the Queen stayed?

LAUREN: I know!

LAURITA: And then, being able to see some of the artifacts from the First Baptist Church, and also the Bray School.

They both had some very powerful historical Black facts to them, which was nice too.

LAUREN: Yeah, totally.

Okay, well, since this has been our little Christmas trip... LAURITA: Yeah.

LAUREN: We need to listen to some good Christmas music.

LAURITA: Okay.

LAUREN: Can ya hit it?

LAURITA: I can hit it.

♪ You're here where you should be.

♪ ♪ Snow is falling as the carolers sing.

♪ ♪ It just wasn't the same.

♪ ♪ Alone on Christmas Day.

♪ ♪ Presents, what a beautiful sight.

♪ ♪ Don't mean a thing if you ain't holding me tight.

♪ ♪ You're all that I need.

♪ ♪ Underneath the tree.

♪ ♪ Tonight (Tonight).

♪ ♪ I'm gonna hold you close... ♪ LAURITA: Don't fall off the teacups!

LAUREN: I haven't.

LAURITA: Don't spill the tea!

But I feel that I spilled all my tea out of that cup.

LAUREN: How do you like yours?

LAURITA: I do, you know, I've had p... uh, peanut soups.

(laughter) I've had p... (laughter) Come on parking lot princess.

LAUREN: That is not the same.

LAURITA: What do you... (laughing).

LAUREN: Parking lot princess.

♪ You're all that I need.

Underneath the tree.

♪ ♪ Tonight... ♪ ANNOUNCER: To discover more places to visit outside of the Washington Metro area, visit weta.org/getoutoftown.