a wintry williamsburg

as i've said richmond is located pretty much in smack in the middle of the state. which makes day trips (well, in-state day trips) quite convenient. next on the list was williamsburg, home to the historic colonial city, outlet malls, and most importantly my good friend jenny.

we started out that afternoon with a little outlet shopping - your basic gap/banana republic/nine west, with a gourmet kitchen store and michael kors for good measure. good for some last minute christmas buys but we didn't go too crazy. this was followed by dinner at jenny's favorite local restaurant, food for thought. it was very cute, as promised. there are quotes lining the walls to pique your interest, and if that's not enough each table is stocked with brain teasers and trivial pursuit cards. the food itself was great too and jenny tells me all the ingredients are bought locally. not what you'd expect from a restaurant that shares a block with the christmas mouse and a ripley's believe it or not. it's easy to forget what a popular destination williamsburg is, thankfully we have ridiculous tourist traps to remind us.

the main event that evening, and the impetus for the trip, was the grand illumination. basically this is where colonial williamsburg gets decked out with tasteful decorations, like wreaths and candles, and then sets off fireworks to celebrate how classy they are. it draws a big crowd, making driving and parking even more of a challenge than usual (they have an intersection that's widely known as 'confusion corner,' to give you an idea). somehow we made it and, more amazingly, were able to meet up with our friends, for the event. we made our way through the throngs of people and eventually gave up on the hot cider when we couldn't see the end of the line. fortunately the fireworks began just a few moments later. the event lived up to its name; the fireworks illumination the old city beautifully.

after the smoky finale, we and the other several hundred people, made our way back towards the downtown to our nearby destination, the green leafe. our desination? mug night, apparently a williamsburg staple. each sunday night the bar sells enormous cheap plastic mugs which they fill with even cheaper beer. sitting with a bunch of william & mary grads, i learned no one's ever made it past three. though some of us made a valiant effort (not pictured). cruelly, just next to the bar is some sort of evil establishment that sells cheese fries and other greasy delicious things to patrons who wander in at all hours of the night (though, to be fair, it was probably no later than 10:30). i don't remember how we got there, i just remember devouring a plate of cheese fries. like i said, evil.

the next morning, after we had all sufficiently recovered, we made our way to aroma's coffeehouse. what a treat! a favorite of locals and students, it's easy to see why. it's warm and inviting, the list of specialty drinks was miles long, and the menu made me want to come back for their brie fondue (!) and delicious cakes. even the breakfast menu proved daunting, it took me about 15 minutes to decide if i wanted a bagel with lox or strawberry crêpes.

all in all, less than 24 hours in williamsburg. but they were all delightful.