Weekend in Colonial Williamsburg
Sep 5th, 2012, 01:22 PM
#1
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,566
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Weekend in Colonial Williamsburg
My husband and our mothers came to Virginia for a fun weekend of history, and we were not disappointed!
We stayed on Colonial Williamsburg property in one of the Colonial Homes (specifically, the Orlando Jones Office). We absolutely loved the convenience of being right on Duke of Gloucester Street and being able to walk out our front door into the heart of Colonial Williamsburg! The acoommodations were comfortable, although they were not luxury despite the price. The bathrooms in our rooms were small, and it was often a challenge to find a plug for a cell phone charger, but the beds were quite comfortable. The good thing about being a guest at one of the CW properties was the ability to buy deeply discounted admission tickets, and to be able to participate in a couple of exclusive tours. (I did the "Bits and Bridles" tour which was an excellent behind-the-scenes visit to the CW stables.)
CW is a LOT of walking, and we were well-warned to bring comfortable shoes! We loved touring the homes on the property, especially the Governor's Palace. The daily programs, which ranged from a reading of the Declaration of Independence to artillery demonstrations, were all very good, and the staff members obviously enjoyed their work. We enjoyed speaking with them about the town (and the trades' professions) and everyone was very informative and friendly! Some people have said that they couldn't do more than a few hours at CW, but since we all really loved history, we took our time and enjoyed the experience.
For dining, we tried several of the CW taverns. Campbell's Tavern, which focuses on seafood, was very good, and was probably the best food and wine selection. Shields, which focuses on southern comfort food, had very generous portions and the best musicians. Chowning's Tavern has the "gambols" after dinner, which was very enjoyable. We drank local beers, played colonial board games, and were entertained by a very good musician and a magician! Other dining options in the area were at Market Square Shops. We loved The Cheese Shop and Aroma Coffee Shop.
In addition to CW, we also spent a half day at Historic Jamestowne. (That's the National Park site.) One word of advice if you are visiting here in the summer: BUG SPRAY!! We all got really eaten alive by the mosquitoes! The ranger-guided tour was very informative, and we loved the small archearium museum. The cafe on site is now run by The Carrot Tree catering, and it was excellent. (I would gladly stop by just for lunch if I was in the area!)
Overall, we loved our visit to the area, and there is so much to see and do that we could definitely go back again!
We stayed on Colonial Williamsburg property in one of the Colonial Homes (specifically, the Orlando Jones Office). We absolutely loved the convenience of being right on Duke of Gloucester Street and being able to walk out our front door into the heart of Colonial Williamsburg! The acoommodations were comfortable, although they were not luxury despite the price. The bathrooms in our rooms were small, and it was often a challenge to find a plug for a cell phone charger, but the beds were quite comfortable. The good thing about being a guest at one of the CW properties was the ability to buy deeply discounted admission tickets, and to be able to participate in a couple of exclusive tours. (I did the "Bits and Bridles" tour which was an excellent behind-the-scenes visit to the CW stables.)
CW is a LOT of walking, and we were well-warned to bring comfortable shoes! We loved touring the homes on the property, especially the Governor's Palace. The daily programs, which ranged from a reading of the Declaration of Independence to artillery demonstrations, were all very good, and the staff members obviously enjoyed their work. We enjoyed speaking with them about the town (and the trades' professions) and everyone was very informative and friendly! Some people have said that they couldn't do more than a few hours at CW, but since we all really loved history, we took our time and enjoyed the experience.
For dining, we tried several of the CW taverns. Campbell's Tavern, which focuses on seafood, was very good, and was probably the best food and wine selection. Shields, which focuses on southern comfort food, had very generous portions and the best musicians. Chowning's Tavern has the "gambols" after dinner, which was very enjoyable. We drank local beers, played colonial board games, and were entertained by a very good musician and a magician! Other dining options in the area were at Market Square Shops. We loved The Cheese Shop and Aroma Coffee Shop.
In addition to CW, we also spent a half day at Historic Jamestowne. (That's the National Park site.) One word of advice if you are visiting here in the summer: BUG SPRAY!! We all got really eaten alive by the mosquitoes! The ranger-guided tour was very informative, and we loved the small archearium museum. The cafe on site is now run by The Carrot Tree catering, and it was excellent. (I would gladly stop by just for lunch if I was in the area!)
Overall, we loved our visit to the area, and there is so much to see and do that we could definitely go back again!
Sep 5th, 2012, 07:38 PM
#3
Super nice trip report, Christie! Hope you were here when the weather offered a bit of a break from the heat. I enjoyed your description of your time in CW -- sounds as if you all really made the most of your time there.
Sep 7th, 2012, 06:24 AM
#5
Original Poster
Join Date: Feb 2003
Posts: 2,566
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
We are doing Yorktown Oct 19-20 so we can see the anniversary events, and because the mothers weren't interested in seeing a battlefield. (My husband is stationed at Fort Lee, and I come up and visit once a month.)
Yes, we are from Texas, so the humidity was way worse for us than the heat. We were watching Isaac really closely, and we were really relieved when it went west instead of north!
Yes, we are from Texas, so the humidity was way worse for us than the heat. We were watching Isaac really closely, and we were really relieved when it went west instead of north!
Thread
Original Poster
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Sunflowerguy03
United States
12
Oct 13th, 2009 03:47 PM
