Regency Winter Outing
Feb. 9th, 2014 04:41 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
mandie_rwI kept trying to pretend it wasn't my birthday, but my friends would insist on giving me things and wishing me happy birthday and I'm so horrible at graciously accepting those things! But I really really appreciate it, so I'll thank you all again here on LJ, because I can be more coherent in writing. (Don't bring up all those ridiculously wordy run-on sentences.)
(Or the ellipses. I do love me some ellipses. *snort*)
Anyway! Pictures!
There were only a couple shots of all the group together...some one is always behind the camera! Thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
madamekat and dragoneyes19 for many of the pictures here...as usual mine are less than wonderful.
And now, an account of the day! We met at the visitor's center to determine our Plan of Attack for the day. Now, one person dressed like this, you're just a weirdo, but in a group? You're in a play! Though surprisingly no one asked if we were Amish. That has got to be a first.
First we walked down to the Betsy Ross House, where they gave us the student rate. That was very nice of them and we quite appreciated it!
The little alleyway going into the house was quite a nice place for pictures and we did take advantage of that!
You don't even want to KNOW how many muff jokes were made in the course of the day.
The lovely Mrs. Ross was kind enough to take a picture with me, tell us a bit about her shop, and show us the secret of how to make a perfect star in one cut (I'll never tell!). After that, we bumbled over to Christ Church, partially because I insisted it was pretty.
Well, you know, it is.
Sitting in President Washington's pew!
I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that the church historian thought we were totally awesome - he gave us our own little tour, and let Yours Truly ring a bell that's older than the Liberty Bell, because it was my birthday!
He also talked about wanting to throw a 1920s party in the adjoining Neighborhood House, and we told him that if he did, we'd be So There!
After Christ Church, we headed toward Independence Hall...
...and managed to completely confuse the security guy that checked our bags, because apparently he'd never seen a muff before. Waiting outside for the next tour was the only time my feet got really cold, by the way; the rest of the day I was pretty comfortable!
We were a hilariously big hit as soon as we walked up to stand in line for the tour. International tourists seemed to be both very impressed and completely baffled! And then one (American) lady vastly amused me by telling us we were "like female reenactors!" I didn't know reenacting was a specifically male thing...but she also gushed over our bonnets so I'll forgive her. Also since we're not reenactors.
I admit Independence Hall is more fun when you can see the upstairs, and when you're not getting really hungry. But we didn't misbehave too badly. Except maybe toward the end when the guide mentioned that America won its independence from Britain, and I said, sotto voce, "SPOILERS!" in a very shocked tone, and made a couple people start laughing.)
And also when Robin mentioned wanting to see George Washington's butt-print, and then it turned out that the big fancy rising-sun chair actually was the original that Washington sat in...we had a giggle at that too. We're rather bad.
After Independence Hall we'd originally thought to go for our carriage ride, since it transpired a few actually were out in the cold, but then we decided we were all starving and it was lunchtime. Regrettably they were all gone by the time we got back, since they have to be off the streets by a certain hour. So we'll just have to go back another time to get our carriage rides! ;)
I thought the City Tavern would be nice for lunch - the food's good, lunch prices are reasonable, and the original tavern was built in the 1770s (it burnt down in the 19thc and was rebuilt for the bicentennial) so it's perfect for dressing up.
And did the chef/owner love us! First he sent up a complimentary DVD (highlights of the PBS show A Taste of History) for each of us, then later a glass of Madeira. Wow that is SOME WINE. (We learned that the 54 guests at GW's inaugural ball drank 53 barrels of that stuff, amongst many other beverages, and I am IMPRESSED.) And then he came up to chat with us and tell us that everyone who came to the tavern should be dressed like us. We couldn't really disagree with that.
I can't decide what to order! It all looks good!
Booze, duckling, and more booze!
Robin's keeping her DVD safe.
And we may have found a kindred spirit in our server, Jessica...she thought we were cool for dressing up and going out for my birthday!
After lunch (and realizing we'd have to come back for a carriage ride some other time), we spent the rest of our afternoon in the Second National Bank, which is now a portrait gallery featuring the works of Charles Willson Peale. It's pink inside but I didn't get a very good picture of that!
Couldn't resist the ever-popular Regency wedgie pose!
Don't forget the shoe shot!
Thank you everyone for coming and playing dressup with me...I hope you had as much fun as I did!
Photobucket album here, and I've done a blog post on some spencer details too
(Or the ellipses. I do love me some ellipses. *snort*)
Anyway! Pictures!
There were only a couple shots of all the group together...some one is always behind the camera! Thanks to
madamekat and dragoneyes19 for many of the pictures here...as usual mine are less than wonderful.And now, an account of the day! We met at the visitor's center to determine our Plan of Attack for the day. Now, one person dressed like this, you're just a weirdo, but in a group? You're in a play! Though surprisingly no one asked if we were Amish. That has got to be a first.
First we walked down to the Betsy Ross House, where they gave us the student rate. That was very nice of them and we quite appreciated it!
The little alleyway going into the house was quite a nice place for pictures and we did take advantage of that!
You don't even want to KNOW how many muff jokes were made in the course of the day.
The lovely Mrs. Ross was kind enough to take a picture with me, tell us a bit about her shop, and show us the secret of how to make a perfect star in one cut (I'll never tell!). After that, we bumbled over to Christ Church, partially because I insisted it was pretty.
Well, you know, it is.
Sitting in President Washington's pew!
I think it would not be an exaggeration to say that the church historian thought we were totally awesome - he gave us our own little tour, and let Yours Truly ring a bell that's older than the Liberty Bell, because it was my birthday!
He also talked about wanting to throw a 1920s party in the adjoining Neighborhood House, and we told him that if he did, we'd be So There!
After Christ Church, we headed toward Independence Hall...
...and managed to completely confuse the security guy that checked our bags, because apparently he'd never seen a muff before. Waiting outside for the next tour was the only time my feet got really cold, by the way; the rest of the day I was pretty comfortable!
We were a hilariously big hit as soon as we walked up to stand in line for the tour. International tourists seemed to be both very impressed and completely baffled! And then one (American) lady vastly amused me by telling us we were "like female reenactors!" I didn't know reenacting was a specifically male thing...but she also gushed over our bonnets so I'll forgive her. Also since we're not reenactors.
I admit Independence Hall is more fun when you can see the upstairs, and when you're not getting really hungry. But we didn't misbehave too badly. Except maybe toward the end when the guide mentioned that America won its independence from Britain, and I said, sotto voce, "SPOILERS!" in a very shocked tone, and made a couple people start laughing.)
And also when Robin mentioned wanting to see George Washington's butt-print, and then it turned out that the big fancy rising-sun chair actually was the original that Washington sat in...we had a giggle at that too. We're rather bad.
After Independence Hall we'd originally thought to go for our carriage ride, since it transpired a few actually were out in the cold, but then we decided we were all starving and it was lunchtime. Regrettably they were all gone by the time we got back, since they have to be off the streets by a certain hour. So we'll just have to go back another time to get our carriage rides! ;)
I thought the City Tavern would be nice for lunch - the food's good, lunch prices are reasonable, and the original tavern was built in the 1770s (it burnt down in the 19thc and was rebuilt for the bicentennial) so it's perfect for dressing up.
And did the chef/owner love us! First he sent up a complimentary DVD (highlights of the PBS show A Taste of History) for each of us, then later a glass of Madeira. Wow that is SOME WINE. (We learned that the 54 guests at GW's inaugural ball drank 53 barrels of that stuff, amongst many other beverages, and I am IMPRESSED.) And then he came up to chat with us and tell us that everyone who came to the tavern should be dressed like us. We couldn't really disagree with that.
I can't decide what to order! It all looks good!
Booze, duckling, and more booze!
Robin's keeping her DVD safe.
And we may have found a kindred spirit in our server, Jessica...she thought we were cool for dressing up and going out for my birthday!
After lunch (and realizing we'd have to come back for a carriage ride some other time), we spent the rest of our afternoon in the Second National Bank, which is now a portrait gallery featuring the works of Charles Willson Peale. It's pink inside but I didn't get a very good picture of that!
Couldn't resist the ever-popular Regency wedgie pose!
Don't forget the shoe shot!
Thank you everyone for coming and playing dressup with me...I hope you had as much fun as I did!
Photobucket album here, and I've done a blog post on some spencer details too
