tripaholic

We are a young active couple planning to visit Williamsburg and Richmond, VA for Thanksgiving. We usually prefer destinations where we can do a lot of sightseeing - Get up very early, spend the whole day moving and sleep late. Why Richmond/Williamsburg? I was thinking of somewhere to drive from DE and couldn't think of anywhere else! I have heard they are pretty to visit before Christmas. I need help on the must-see sights in these cities. We usually like nature, outdoors, historic places, monuments, museums, etc. Please help!

kmchick

The main must see in Wmsbg is Colonial Williamsburg, and it is lovely at the holidays.

There's lots of good family oriented advice already here if you look at other threads on Williamsburg. For a child-free younger couple there are a few other activities/hot spots I'd reccomend...

If you're into moutain biking/cycling at all bring warm cycling clothes and rent bikes at the shop near the college. There are great trails, or you can ride the colonial parkway. You can rent a canoe at Waller Mill park and paddle around. If you run or walk I can reccomend various routes...but CW, Jamestown and Yorktown is enough to keep you busy for at least 3 days.

One of my favorite dinner spots is a local dive called pints and pipes-not for the under 21 crowd. It's a scottish pub run my a couple of brothers, it's dark and smokey, but serves fantastic shepherd's pie, fish and chips, steak and kidney pie etc. They also have a great selection of imported beer and show european soccer matches on a big screen, occasionally live music. If you want to eat there, arrive early because they run out of food items by 7 or so.

tripaholic

Thanks, kmchick. I think we will go to Water Mill Park, Colonial Williamsburg.

Is there any historic places or architectural buildings which we can tour?

kmchick

I'm guessing from you question you don't know what CW is, so here's a brief explaination, you can see a lot more at www.history.org.

Colonial Williamsburg has 88 originial buildings and another 30-40 rebuilt buildings from the eighteenth century. You buy a pass (a one day, three day, or year long) and are admitted to the buildings. There are first person interpreters, third person interpreters, and tradespeople who keep colonail trades alive (carpentry, shoemaker, wheelwright, blacksmith etc). Some buildings (capitol and gov. palace) are guided tours, while other buildings are more wander around on your own. There are outdoor and indoor presentations by Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henery and the like, plus two traditional museums.

If you want to see everything at CW it would take at least 3 days, but you can hit all the highlights in 2.

I'd also reccomend going to Jamestown (the national park site). They've rebuilt one wall of the original fort, and you can see the ongoing archeology. Bacon's castle is another famous home, across the river in Surry (the ferry ride is free). It's open limited hours in the winter, so plan ahead for that (www.APVA.org).

Do you know where you're going to stay yet?

tripaholic

Thanks, kmchick. I did go to the website and read about CW. Thanks for your help. We haven't decided where to stay yet. We are looking for a budget place. Any suggestions?

Birdie

York River State Park just off I64 west of Williamsburg has nicer hiking trails than Waller Mill. You can rent canoes and kayaks but I'm not sure if they are closed for the season.

Birdie

OOops. I meant to say that the boat concession may be closed. The park will be open. For late night casual dining try the delis near the college. Paul's is a favorite.

lizlasley

I just went to Williamsburg this summer. You will have a great time in CW. I used to go to CW and BG every year as a child(lived in Newport News. It was nice to go back as an adult. I just saw CW on the Travel Channel yesterday on Great Hotels.

rb_travelerxATyahoo

You can often find good deals at this website, run by the local hotel/motel association:
www.mywilliamsburgvacaction.com

In addition, try the coupon books you often see at the reststops on the interstates. Or try roomsavers.com, where you can print them out ahead of time. You should be able to get rates in the $30-$40 range during that time period at a number of chain hotels. Wbg is a compact town, so it takes little time to get from one end to the other. I'd recommend something on Bypass Rd as being somewhat close. Hotels on Capital Landing Road are away from all the restaurant & shopping action, so go for low prices as well. My favorite lodging in the area is not a chain, but instead the local family-operated "Governor Spottswood" on Richmond Rd.

One note about chain hotels: many chains now claim you'll not find a better price anywhere than on the chain's own website ... so shop around.

Newport News City Park, near I-64 exit 250, has hiking trails and might still have rental canoes/rowboats (unlikely this late in season tho) and their Christmas lights in the Park (or whatever they call it) may be in operation by the time you visit.

If you visit Yorktown Battlefield, please walk down into the town and along the water. Visit the Watermans Museum. Enjoy your stay.

kmchick

York river state park's rentals are closed, but Waller Mill is still renting.

likestoeat

hey, we're a young active couple too, and this is just a heads'up for you.

we bought season tickets for our first visit to CW (we live in Norfolk) and then went in. We were shocked to see people just walking through town without tickets. You see, it's actually just a part of the real williamsburg and it's adjacent to some college (William and Mary I think), so you don't actually need tickets to just walk through. during the holidays the decorations are fantastic. The only thing a ticket gets you is access to a few super special buildings, like where congress used to meet and the Jail (Gaol) and the wig maker shop and apothecary and stuff. you can walk around the town for free first and then go buy a ticket if you want to go into the buildings. That is what we wish we had known. You can observe all the outdoor tradespeople for free and get a really cool experience for free. If you are really on a budget, try just walking in from that college or wherever. Sorry I don't know the secret place to park. Since we had season tickets we never had to figure it out! Ok, I'm an aspiring cheap skate, so please don't make fun of me. The buildings and everything are really neat, and the interpreter people are very good at what they do. It was disappointing that the ticket/season pass doesn't get priority anything or a discount on food in their taverns. The tavern with the old guy who has the little pet is really neat, and good food. If you describe it to the people at the main reservation number, they will probably know which place. it's an old fat guy who tells bad jokes and has a little pig in his pocket. very funny. totally enjoyed that. Good luck with your trip.

jo_ann

started to plug some info in, and noticed that this post is a year old. Otherwise, the prior poster is correct - most people probably have as much fun just walking around Wmsburg without the expensive pass (we do, at least yearly.)
I'd still clarify, though, in case others are considering this for 2005: that the best decorations - Christmas - are all totally fresh, and go up pretty close to Christmas. They are marvelous to see, but it's best to go very close to Christmas, and if memory serves, they come down about New Year's.

rb_travelerxATyahoo

Yes, the streets of Colonial Williamsburg are public and one can walk them for free. I think there to be a heck of a lot more than a "few" special buildings that you can enter without a ticket. About the only buildings you can enter without a ticket are those selling goods.

I purchase the yearly pass each and every year, and I contribute privately to the Colonial Williamsburg Foundation. If everyone took the cheap way of visiting, there would eventually be nothing to see. The beautiful buildings would become delapitated or covered in vinyl siding. They are suffering with attendance problems as it is.

I will ask that if you don't think it worthwhile to support the world's largest living museum by ticket purchases that you at least send a donation to:
Colonial Williamsburg Foundation
P.O. Box 1776
Williamsburg, VA 23185

Birdie

These posts are exactly why CW is seriously considering blocking off the streets to only those who purchase tickets.

kmchick

They're not just considering it, they're doing it. Come spring they will be blocking the streets with wagons and ropes during the day. It's sad it had to come to this but the freeloaders are a MASSIVE drain on the infastructure. CW has made numerous bad decisions, but as an employee of CW and williamsburg resident the bottom line matters a lot to me.

There are 32 open/restored buildings plus about 10 trade shops, I'd hardly call that a few. To correctly "do" CW takes at least three full days, wandering down DOG street is hardly the full experience.

Birdie

It is a shame but I too think it is necessary. I always love to see the W&M students running the mile down DOG St. but this may be a good way to start some really cool open-air programs.

TravelingMom

Are they really going to block off the streets?? I guess I can see part of the rationale, but are visitors really "freeloading" by taking a walk down DOG Street? If they're in town to see CW, then they would certainly want to purchase a pass - otherwise you don't really SEE it.

As a W&M alum who grew up in Tidewater, I've visited with a pass several times. When I get back to the area now, I like to just stroll through campus and DOG Street. I don't feel like I'm taking advantage of the CW Foundation and would be really sad to lose this opportunity.

likestoeat

I'm glad they are going to block it off. Is there any other place that special that you can just stroll through without paying? No. It should either be a free area or a private area. I love it that they will block it off. Sorry the word FEW upset some of you. Maybe I was just so grumpy about the amount of money we wasted that we failed to see all the special buildings. How would you feel if you had wanted to go somewhere all your life since middle school when the rich kids got to go on a weekend field trip and then finally get to go as a grown up and pay money and all that and find out you could have walked in for free?

rb_travelerxATyahoo

"likestoeat" - what you get "for free" is such a small portion of the real Williamsburg experience. Really. I feel your ending argument is like asking why would be dissappointed having bought a fresh apple pie when you can smell it baking for free.

CW does not provide an instnnt gratification - whizbang - electronic display amusement park environment. It is interactive, but the visitor must be truly active in pursueing what it has to offer. You must take time to listen, to ask, to converse. I found some of your earlier comments astounding: "it's adjacent to some college (William and Mary I think)" and "like where congress used to meet", and it's even harder to believe that you live as close as Norfolk.

You must have had different expectations of what Williamsburg is, so were understandably dissappointed. You may find "The Old Country" at Busch Gardens more appealing.

E

If CW (the corporation) does decide to block off its streets, I hope it will consider opening them for locals at certain times. Having lived in the area and put up with the onslaught of tourists, I think the natives deserve some consideration from the giant tourist attraction in their back yard.

But I think closing the streets to all but ticket holders would be a mistake. Those who aren't real history buffs will avoid the area entirely, and the merchants and restaurants will lose out.