LOYL

We're going to be in Virginia and will be driving through Williamsburg on Saturday the 16th of Oct. Can we see anything in 7-8 hours? What are the highlights, and what would be the best way to see the most in such a short period of time? Or is this just not do-able?
Thanks, Jan

Tandoori_Girl

Definitely go. It will wet your appetite for more. I'm not the Williamsburg expert but I've been for short jaunts. It's great to walk the grounds and shop and have lunch or dinner.

TravelingMom

You'd be able to get a good feel for Williamsburgh in a day. Be forewarned that this is W&M homecoming weekend, so it will be more crowded than usual.

What are you interested in? (Shopping, eating, history, etc?)

LOYL

Mainly interested in history. We're going from Charlottesville to Suffolk on Saturday; plan on going to Williamsburg on the way. Then on to Appomatox and Roanoke the next day, then driving up the Blue Ridge Parkway,Skyline Drive. Would appreciate any and all suggestions, as we've never been in the area.

annieskes2002

You can visit Jamestown and Yorktown. I believe they are really close by Williamsburg. There are many websites you can check out. One that I found was www.williamsburgbvacations.com
It is a beautiful time of year, perhaps just past peak colors, but comfortable temps.
Have fun!

TravelingMom

You could get a pass to visit Colonial Williamsburg sites - one pass will get you into most (all?) of the buildings. There are a couple walking tours that could provide some highlights.

Yorktown is interesting if you are interested in the Revolutionary War/battlefields. I think they have guided tours that will provide you the stories - much more interesting than just looking at the battlefield without the narrative (basically, it's a field!).

Jamestown is also interesting since it was so early in American history.

I would not try to do all three sites in 8 hours. If it was up to me, I'd probably start in CW and head to Jamestown in the afternoon if I felt like I needed a change of pace...

obxgirl

You can certainly see plenty of Colonial Wmbg in 7 or 8 hours. colonialwilliamsburg.com has extensive info about what to see and special programs/tours. Given that daily passes are $33, I'd be inclined to spend most of the day in CW. If you're not interested in purchasing passes, it's still possible to walk around the restored area. The only buildings you'll be admitted to are the colonial shops. If that is more appealing to you, you could spend a couple of hours in Williamsburg and then take a short drive down the Colonial Parkway (very pretty along the James River) to Jamestown and spend the remainder of your time there.

To get to Suffolk from Jamestown, take the Jamestown/Scotland ferry (free!) across the river to Surry County. In Surry take Route 10 east (should be a left turn onto 10) all the way to Suffolk. Not only will the ride be prettier, you avoid the potentially nasty traffic on I-64.

And if you can stand one more suggestion, on your way to Wmbg from Charlottesville, pick up Route 5 on the south side of Richmond off of I-64. Route 5 is a Virginia Historic Byway, a pretty two lane highway passing a half dozen or so plantation homes.