I have been doing intensive deep dives online and asking for suggestions in forums of key historical places to see. From there, Mr. Jarrett and I made a big list of possible destinations, and then whittled them down as we prepared an itinerary that will not kill us off.
In doing so, I have discovered exceptional Living History Museums in both the USA and UK. What better way to learn about history than to experience it?
I thought you might enjoy the more exciting museums I have found to date.
USA - Colonial Williamsburg ...
Colonial Williamsburg is over 300 acres of living history. There are many trades to experience, from Blacksmiths to Milliners, Bookbinders to Gunsmiths, Cooks to Wigmakers, all using traditional methods from the 1700s.They have now published The Bridgerton Itinerary for those looking for a Regency experience.
Personally, I am excited to visit the Milliner, the Bookbinder, the Tailor, the Apothecary, and the various Smiths for a sense of the techniques that may have been used in Regency England.
England - Crofton Beam Engines ...
The oldest working steam engine was built between 1807 and 1809 and is still working due to a dedicated team of volunteers and staff.Considered one of the most significant industrial heritage sites in the UK, the pumping station has been supplying water to the Kenneth & Avon Canal for more than two hundred years!
I can't think of a better way to appreciate how far we have come than to see the roots of the industrial age from when Jane Austen was scribing her novels.
England - Blist Hills Victorian Town ...
Time travel to the Victorian era, complete with the sites, smells, and experiences at Ironbridge Valley of Invention.In addition to visiting several museums celebrating different industries, Ironbridge has a full Victorian town experience. Exchange money for Victorian pounds, shillings and pence to use in the shops, uncover strange medicines in the Pharmacy, and witness old printing presses in action.
There are machine shops, locksmiths, grocers, undertakers, and a Victorian fairground to visit!
Scotland - Highland Folk Museum ...
For those who enjoy their Highlander Romances, there is Britain's first open-air museum showcasing historical buildings and life from 1700 to 1950.Discover how people of the Highlands worked, lived, went to school and entertained themselves. Not to mention how they kept warm in those winter months!
Sleepless in Saunton releases next month ...
Barclay Thompson is a widowed architect in Sleepless in Saunton who travels the length and breadth of Regency England in pursuit of his work. Consider all the sights he would see as King George IV took the throne.When he encounters Jane Davis in Saunton, little Tatiana Thompson is convinced she had found her new mother. She does not care about adult "reasons" why it will not work.
Will these three lonely people find the love they need to find their way to a happy ending? Find out in the next chapter of Inconvenient Brides in just a few weeks!