We are considering a trip to Williamsburg in June next year. We would be going primarily for our son to attend a day camp. But of course, we like the idea of going there to explore that part of the country and to introduce our son to American history. Currently, we are planning on staying at Wyndham Patriot's Place.
I am hoping TUGgers can offer some suggestions for our family. It will most likely just be the three of us, two adults and a child age 8. One key thing - we would like to avoid as much gun fire noise as possible. Bonus if you can recommend vegan food.
I'm excited because I have ancestors who fought in the American Revolution. (I haven't joined DAR but I am considering it.)
Gunfire? What??
Kingsgate has activities for kids age 8, so does Governors Green, Patriots' Place does not although it's perfectly fine.
Best and newest locals restaurant in town is
Cochon on 2nd
Cochonon2nd.com
757-229-1199
Lunch and Dinner Tues-Sat; Dinner Sundays
My favorite Winery is Gauthier Vineyard
http://www.gauthiervineyard.com/
Open Fri/Sat/Sun
Colonial Williamsburg
www.history.org
JamestownSettlement
www.historyisfun.org/jamestown/jamestown.cfm
Also Historic Jamestowne
www.historicjamestowne.org
Jamestown National Historic Site
APVA:
www.apva.org
National Park Service:
www.nps.gov/jame
Jamestown-Scotland Ferry
www.virginiadot.org/travel/ferry-jamestown-history.asp
www.virginiadot.org/travel/ferry-jamestown.asp
fun free ride for the kids, take a loaf of bread for the gulls!
Yorktown Victory Center
www.historyisfun.org/yorktown/yorktown.cfm
www.nps.gov/york/index.htm
more Yorktown
http://www.yorkcounty.gov/Default.aspx?alias=www.yorkcounty.gov/tourism
Busch Gardens and Water Country
www.buschgardens.com/BGW
www.watercountryusa.com
Ghostly Lantern Tour
www.williamsburgprivatetours.com/ghost.htm
and other walking tours
WilliamsburgWinery
www.williamsburgwinery.com
Newport News
Lee Hall Mansion, Endview Plantation, & War
Museum
http://www.newport-news.org/things-to-do/attractions-and-museums/attractions.php
www.endview.org
www.leehall.org
Virginia Air & Space
www.vasc.org
VirginiaLivingMuseum
www.valivingmuseum.org
Presidents Park
www.presidentspark.org
The Mariners’ Museum
www.mariner.org
Watermen's Museum
www.watermens.org
Virginia Zoo
www.virginiazoo.org
Science Museum of Virginia
(and Ethyl IMAX Dome)
www.smv.org
Virginia Aviation Museum
www.vam.smv.org
Nauticus National Maritime Center
& Battleship Wisconsin Exhibit
www.nauticus.org
Norfolk Botanical Garden
www.nbgs.org
Paramount's King's Dominion & WaterWorks
www.kingsdominion.com
James River Plantations
www.jamesriverplantations.org
College of William & Mary
www.wm.edu
Fort Eustis U.S. Army Transportation Museum
http://www.transchool.lee.army.mil/Museum/Transportation Museum/museum.htm
Children's Museum of Portsmouth
www.childrens-museum.org
Children's Museum of Richmond
www.c-mor.org
Chrysler Museum of Art
www.chrysler.org
Shopping
Merchant's Square by Colonial Williamsburg
www.merchantssquare.org
Williamsburg Pottery Factory
www.williamsburgpottery.com
Prime Outlets
http://www.premiumoutlets.com/outlets/store_listing.asp?id=89
MAP!!!
www.williamsburgmap.com/view_the_map.html
36 Hours in Williamsburg, Va.
By JOSHUA KURLANTZICK
ONCE the preserve of eighth-grade field trips and history re-enactors, Williamsburg, Va., with its restored Colonial District, has become in recent years a much more rounded — and upscale — experience. Local chefs raised on both grits and Asian ginger have adapted traditional Southern cooking and native ingredients to create more exotic combinations. Virginia wineries, once scorned, produce high-quality vintages, while the central district of Williamsburg is known not only for stark Colonial homes but also for a lavish spa and upscale folk-art shops. Of course, if you want to see a staging of Patrick Henry’s “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death!” speech, or stick your head in the stocks, that’s still an option.
Friday 4 p.m.
1) WINE DOWN
Once consigned to the bargain bin of wine shops, Virginia wines now hold their own in global wine competitions, and the Williamsburg Winery, a few miles from the Colonial District (5800 Wessex Hundred Road; ;
www.williamsburgwinery.com), is one of the largest in the state. Its chardonnays — particularly the fruity, oaky Acte 12 chardonnay— have won much acclaim from critics. On a spring afternoon, attend a tasting ($8 and $30) and then head over to the adjacent tavern for a light snack.
7 p.m.
2) PITT STOP
Southerners can argue about barbecue with the same spirit they exhibit for college football, and Virginia-style barbecue is certainly worthy of a heated debate. It’s tends to be smokier and milder than North Carolina’s vinegary, tangy approach. In the Williamsburg area, Pierce’s Pitt Bar-B-Que (447 East Rochambeau; ;
www.pierces.com) is a local legend. The smell of smoking meat wafts out of the restaurant and even pervades a nearby stretch of highway. At all times of the day, the parking lot is packed with crowds clambering for barbecue sandwiches (from $4.59) and full racks of ribs ($22.99). Pork rules, but Pierce’s also serves chicken, salads, buttery corn bread and homemade carrot and lemon pound cakes. (But beware, if you ask for a chicken salad, the waiter might think you’re nuts.)
9 p.m.
3) WALK IT OFF
Though most visitors stay in one of the many upscale hotels surrounding the Colonial District, by far the most interesting and mostly unknown lodging option is actually to stay in a restored home, tavern or other structure in the colonial area. These Colonial Houseaccommodations (;
www.history.org) are simple, and that means no 21st-century luxuries like wireless access. When asked recently if there was Internet service in the rooms, a reservations agent replied: “Uh, no. They didn’t have that in the 18th century.” After dinner, take a leisurely stroll through the historic heart of the district, dead quiet once all the tourists have left.
Saturday 10 a.m.
4) BACK IN TIME
It’s best to check out the Colonial buildings and re-enactments in the morning, before the heat and humidity and tourist buses arrive (one-day passes are $34.95; $17.45 for ages 6 to 17). Colonial Williamsburg This Week, a free print publication, contains up-to-date listings of re-enactments, but don’t miss the Governor’s Palace, home to royal governors (and Patrick Henry) and the Bruton Parish Church (one of the oldest Episcopal churches in America). And look for re-enactors who are engaged in political debates. which tend to be less stilted than other re-enactments.
Noon
5) THE PEOPLE’S ART
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller was one of the earliest patrons of American folk art, and her collection, housed in the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum (325 West Francis Street;
www.history.org/history/museums; $9.95 or $4.95 for children, without a park pass), showcases the immense diversity of the genre. The collection ranges from staid family portraits to whimsical sculptures of watermelons to elegiac paintings of Christ that resemble the works of El Greco. Because folk art is less well known than, say,Picasso’s, take a docent-guided tour of the collection.
3 p.m.
6) MERCHANTS OF AMERICANA
More than just a purveyor of cider mugs and souvenir tricorner hats, Merchants Square, on the west end of the Colonial District, also serves up unusual — and often pricey — antiques, quilts, silver and other American crafts. Try the Nancy Thomas Gallery of Folk Art (407 West Duke of Gloucester Street; ;
www.nancythomas.com) or J. Fenton Modern American Crafts (110 South Henry Street; ;
www.quiltsunlimited.com) for updated interpretations — in jewelry, clothing and other formats — of the quirky traditions of folk art found in the Rockefeller collection. When you get hungry for lunch, grab a gourmet sandwich at the Cheese Shop (410 West Duke of Gloucester Street; ) on the square.
5 p.m.
7) OLD-TIME PAMPERING
Exhausted from a long day of walking and shopping? A visit to the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg (307 South England Street; ;
www.colonialwilliamsburgresort.com/spa) might just be what you need. Right in the Colonial District, the spa serves the usual menu of treatments, but in keeping with the history theme, it also offers a twist: packages based on practices from the early days of American history, like an 18th-century treatment with colonial-era herbs like pennyroyal, sage, rosemary, angelica and juniper berries ($265 a person for two hours).
7 p.m.
8) FAT SATURDAY
Situated right on Merchants Square, Fat Canary (410 West Duke of Gloucester Street; ) quickly has established itself far above the touristy joints in the heart of Colonial Williamsburg, which tend to serve mediocre pub-style food in traditional alehouse atmosphere. In suave, Art Deco-looking surroundings, Fat Canary serves nouvelle cuisine that mixes local with innovative takes, resulting in combinations like crispy cornmeal oysters with charred tomato and free-range pheasant with polenta, pine nuts and pancetta. Reservations are essential. Dinner for two without wine is around $100.
Sunday 9 a.m.
9) TAKE A DRIVE
You have to drive only a few miles outside Colonial Williamsburg, past the mall sprawl, to appreciate the rural character of much of the area. Head onto the 23-mile-long Colonial Parkway, a winding, wooded road connecting Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. With a low speed limit, it’s perfect for a mellow tour, stopping at scenic turnouts to check out the York and James Rivers.
Noon
10) BOTTOMS UP
In colonial times, Williamsburg was known as much for drinking as for debating — taverns served as meeting places, the perfect setting for wielding influence in the powerful Virginia colony. The restored Colonial District features four working taverns — all serving lunch, dinner or both — striving to recreate an authentic atmosphere. Most feature similar workaday fare like sandwiches and local seafood, but the ambience can’t be beat. Try Chownings Tavern (109 East Duke of Gloucester Street; ) for lunch — itsgarden tables offer views of Market Square and the Governor’s Palace (it does not take reservations). From lunch, it’s an easy walk to the lavish Peyton Randolph House and other central Colonial homes. Lunch for two is around $30 without drinks.
THE BASICS
Though Williamsburg has a small airport, it is most easily reached by air to the nearby hubs of Norfolk or Richmond, both of which have nonstop flights from New York. A recent online search for flights in June found round-trip fares from New York-area airports starting at $119 to Richmond and at $137 to Norfolk on several airlines, including JetBlue.
Alternatively, Williamsburg is a three- to-four-hour drive from Washington, depending on traffic, and Amtrak stops in Williamsburg as well.
Spring is a good time to visit, before Virginia’s sticky summer. It’s also the best season if you plan a side trip to the Busch Gardens theme park, three miles east of Williamsburg (;
www.buschgardens.com): lines are shorter and you can actually find parking. Single-day admissions to Busch Gardens start at $77, $67 for ages 3 to 9; parking is $15.
http://www.williamsburgmap.com/map.html
Check out this guide:
http://thesouthernc.com/mini-guide-to-williamsburg-virginia/
