My husband and I visited Willliamsburg and Washington DC in Nov. 04. We loved Williamsburg so much, that we came back in July and bought a retirement home, which we are renting out for the time being. We are planning to come out once a year until we move there in about seven years. Each time we visit, we would like to spend a week in Williamsburg and a week exploring some of the surrounding areas on the east coast. This spring, we will only have 3 or 4 extra days. We're considering going back to Washington to see the cherry trees in bloom, but would love some other suggestions. Any ideas?

Well, I'd definitely get used to the drive to and from DC, b/c its proximity to the District is one of the best features of Williamsburg, IMO. Just be aware that the cherry blossoms can be a bit hard to time accurately--still, you'll be nearby and better able to adjust your trip. If you haven't seen them yet, I can't think of a better idea--sorrry! Enjoy!

There are so many options, I doubt you'll get bored with the area over the years! I grew up in Virginia Beach, went to college at W&M, and just moved to Charlottesville - needless to say, I love the "area."

Close to Williamsburg are Yorktown and Jamestown, both interesting for their historical significance.

Virginia Beach is very different in the off-season than the summer. If you go in the summer, I'd recommend hitting the Chesapeake Bay beaches or the North End - both away from the tourist area/hotels. The marine science museum is interesting.

There are several other museums in the Tidewater area that you could visit as day trips from W'burg: VA Living Museum, Nauticus, Air & Space...there are more, but I'm drawing a blank!

Richmond also has several museums and is a fun town for a short visit. I'm not too familiar with it, though.

Charlottesville is also a great place to visit. Lots of wineries and several presidents' homes.

I agree with the previous poster, though - if you think you could hit the cherry blossoms, that would be my first pick. Maybe save Charlottesville for a fall visit (the leaves in the foothills are beautiful) and the beach for the summer.

Have fun!

You probably already bought a yearly pass for Colonial Williamsburg, but do look into the program they have (called "Good Neighbor" or something similar) that allows you admission to most CW venues for a small ($10/yr ?) fee. "Birdie" wrote about in in another WBG thread recently.

I lived in Newport News for 4 years (courtesy USN) and liked the area, but no NOT miss the summers. Virginia has 3 great seasons: Fall, Winter, Spring as does NY: Spring, Summer, Fall

If you go up to the DC area much for overnights, you often find reasonable room rates in areas of Springfield, Alexandria, and Arlington. Maybe not in DC, but a reasonable Metro ride in and much less expen$ive rooms.

Good luck in your new home and "career".

Thanks for the great suggestions! I think we will definitely go to DC. I'm also thinking about spending a day or two in Maryland. Does anyone have any suggestions of what to do in Annapolis, or should we go to St. Michaels? We were thinking about a skipjack tour. But will the weather be too cold in late March?