US Airways - February 2013 - (Page 71)

Start Playing Now! Fancy yourself a spy, do you? Report to Duke of Gloucester Street at once! The whispers of deceit and betrayal grow louder by the minute. Ahead of your arrival, you can do your part to save the American Revolution by logging on to Colonial Williamsburg’s Spy Central. There you’ll receive instructions, a secret name, and all the background information you need to get started. Take great care. Trust no one. And most of all, come prepared for anything. Freedom hangs in the balance. Godspeed! colonialwilliams burg.com/revquest PHOTO BY CHRIS ARACE and me for the better part of a day is actually the second go-round, called RevQuest: The Lion and the Unicorn, based on the tale of a Williamsburg resident who was able to gain entry — and feed misinformation — to the inner circles of British command. The ﬁrst, RevQuest: The Sign of the Rhinoceros, sent Questors about town to foil an attempt on an important leader’s life. Both are real episodes of subterfuge that once compelled ordinary citizens to make extraordinary choices. “This wasn’t anything that was written in stone,” Stoermer says. These historical occurrences could have gone in many directions, some potentially fatal. “We’re aiming to draw guests into the tension of that moment.” That type of immersive experience draws many thousands of families to Colonial Williamsburg’s Revolutionary City each year. A number of programs are well-suited for visitors with children, but the common theme in virtually all of them is a hands-on approach to history. “Instead of looking at history through a glass case, it’s about experiencing it,” says Bill Weldon, Colonial Williamsburg’s director of Historic Area Programs. Kids won’t just learn what types of chores they might have done around the home in Williamsburg; they’ll make a bed or weed a garden as they would have two and a half centuries ago. Children won’t merely see the popular hoop-and-stick game as a dusty relic on a shelf; they’ll actually roll the wooden toy under the catalpa trees on Palace Green. And young travelers won’t hear some stuffy historian lecture on the American Revolution. They’ll take part in it and, ultimately, save the nation. “There’s an adventure for you to ﬁnd and become part of,” Weldon says. “But it’s your own adventure. Your own personal Revolution.” Despite the efforts of the Questors who have scoured Williamsburg for the past two years in defense of liberty, those who would sink the Patriots’ cause haven’t all left town. Starting in June, RevQuest: The Black Chambers will send Questors deep into the world of 18th-century code breaking. But this new game won’t simply be a matter of deciphering what looks like gibberish. Questors will encounter different agents whose allegiances won’t be obvious, because the town, and even individual families, were bitterly divided on the matter of independence. Friends of freedom will have to ﬁgure out how best to conduct themselves so as not to aid the enemy. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it? That woman on the street is not who you think she is. Only this time, she may not be your friend. Let it slip that you’re a Patriot, and you might not like the outcome. Will you show your hand? Those are the life-or-death decisions that Williamsburg’s 18th-century residents faced, and the authentic experiences visitors encounter more than 200 years later. “Just to live here was to have a lump in your throat every day,” Weldon says. “That’s what we’re trying to capture.” Top Ten List for Kids in the Revolutionary City 1. Take the 30-minute Children’s Orientation Walk. 2. Stop by Kid’s Corner at the Gateway, an area ﬁlled with toys and games. 3. Visit the Public Gaol (Jail), where the jailer worked and lived — and pirates awaited trial. 4. Visit a Trade like the blacksmith or the shoemaker’s shop where you might have been an apprentice. 5. Join the Continental Army at the Military Encampment. 6. See how most Virginians lived at Great Hopes Plantation. 7. Watch the Revolutionary City come to life with the stirrings of rebellion. 8. Compare daily chores with a junior interpreter at the Geddy House. 9. Take part in hands-on exhibits at the Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg. 10. Save the American Revolution in RevQuest: The Black Chambers. Go to history.org/kids for more ideas. usairwaysmag.com FEBRUARY 2013 71 http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/revquest http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com/revquest http://www.history.org/kids http://www.usairwaysmag.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of US Airways - February 2013

US Airways - February 2013
Table of Contents
CEO Letter
From the Editor
Did You Know?
Making It Happen
Hot Spots: Best Literary Pilgrimages
Wine & Dine: Top Chefs on This Year's Trends
Wine & Dine: Comfort Food
Great Escapes: Secret Mexican Hideaways
Adventure: Best Hikes in the Valley of the Sun
Gear Up: Romantic Gestures
Destination 48: Phoenix
Travel Feature: La Magnifica Costa del Pacifico
US Airways Feature: Sky-High Sips
Best of Living: Scottsdale Saddles Up
Special Section: Chateau on Central
Best of Living: The Reef Residences at Atlantis
Williamsburg: Rediscovering the Revolutionary City
Arts Spotlight: Ovation
Special Section: Kentucky
Riding Lessons: Miller School of Albemarle
The Arts of Orange County
Must Read: Pandora's Lunchbox by Melanie Warner
Great Dates
Puzzles
Readers Resource Index
Your US Airways Guide
Video Entertainment
Audio Entertainment
U.S. and Caribbean Service Map
International Service Map
Airport Terminal Maps
US Airways Fleet/Customs & Immigration
Passenger Info/Contact US Airways
US Airways MarketPlace®
Giving: US Airways' Do Crew
Window or Aisle?

US Airways - February 2013