We will be arriving in Williamsburg on March 31st for a one week vacation. Having been here before, we want to see some things we missed last time. Our teenage children will be with us, as well as my parents and my husband's parents. I would love some help finalizing our plans.

1. I know my kids will love Busch Gardens, but both my parents and my husbands parents are in their sixties and seventies. Of course, they will not be interested in the rides. Is there enough for them to see and do at the park?

2. We were also thinking about going to lunch at the River's Inn and then to the Daffodil Festival and/or Rosewell. It's hard to tell on line - Is the daffodil festival worth going to? What about Rosewell? I had never heard of it, but it looks interesting to me.

3. What about Maymont in Richmond? And the Museum of the Confederacy?

There really is so much to see and do in this part of the country. We will, of course, go to Colonial Williamsburg. I know at one time, there was talk of closing the streets to the public for a few hours each day. Did that ever go through?

Thanks for the help! We're really looking forward to this trip.

I'm interested in the Daffodil Festival as well. Has anybody been?

http://www.co.gloucester.va.us/pr/ev.../homepage.html is the home page for the daff fest. I have not been and cannot comment on it. If you are going to Gloucester anyway to go to Rivers Inn, you might as well go further down Rt 17 to the fest. When you come back to Wmsbg, make sure you take the Colonial Parkway.
Busch Gardens usually has enough shows to keep you busy. Check the web site to see if they are shows your parents would enjoy.
The Revolutionary City has opened in CW and is getting positive reviews.

What exactly is the Revolutionary City? Is that a new performance in Williamsburg?

Busch Gardens is probably the most naturalistically beautiful theme park around. We go in the spring and in the fall and in the last couple of years, something has happened where someone in our party wasn't able to ride on the attractions. It's just so beautiful and there are shops/restaurants in every country so it is a pleasant walking experience and a nice day out for everyone. If the parents like being outside, walking and getting fresh air, they should love it!

Revolutionary City is an interactive performance. Part of Colonial Williamsburg is closed and only accessible by ticket holders for 2 hours in the afternoon. Actors perform and then remain in character while mingling with the audience. The audience becomes part of the perfomance. I haven't gone yet so I may be wrong on some points. It sounds interesting and I'd like to attend some day.

I'm originally from Gloucester and have been quite a few times to the Daffodil Festival. It is a small-town festival that centers around flowers. The flower show portion that is put on by the garden club is impressive and the festival itself is cute. Granted, all our daffodils in the wild / yards will most likely be gone by the time you're here. Rev City is really cool. We went to one of the practices and it is the best you can get to being in a Colonial Era situation. What I like most is that there are so many character actors in one place at one time. Busch Gardens - we love it and have seasons passes each year. That said, my in-laws did not think it was worth the admission price. There are lots of shows, though. Just an FYI. Rosewell, although little is rally left, is supposed to be incredibly impressive. SOmething else that is nice is the Mariners Museum / Peninsula Fine Arts Center, and Noland Trail in Newport News. The Canal Walk in Richmond is really interesting. And the VMFA (arts museum) in Richmond is lovely. Did you take the ferry to Chippokes State Park? It is in Surrey and is lovely - again, outside walking area or you can drive to the main house. If you've never been to the Northern Neck area, there are some lovely towns - very charming - up in that area. Anyway, I'm running off at the mouth and it's early in the morning ... be sure to check out a Ghost Tour or some other evening programs here in Williamsburg. Have a great time!

Weespxx -

What is Rosewell? Never heard of it...

In the Richmond area, the fine arts museum is very nice. Maymont park is a public park with a large grounds. It includes a few small animals, japanese gardens. It is a nice place for a picnic lunch. The couple who owned the land and the mansion never had children and gave their property and home to the children of the city of Richmond in their will.
There is also Pamplin Park which is south of the city in Petersburg. It is a reinactment of the civil war park. I have not been, but both of my kids went on school field trips.
Make sure Busch Gardens is open. I know they open weekends in the spring, but I am not sure when that is. Virginia public schools in our area are out the week before Easter this year. It is a great park to walk around. It is one of our favorites. You don't have to ride the rides to enjoy the park. IT is very pretty and the country's are fun to walk through and dine in.
Virginia Commonwealth University is in the city downtown Richmond and University of Richmond is nearby. If you have teens, you could visit some college campuses. William and Mary is a very nice campus in Williamsburg.
Have a great trip!!

Busch Gardens open this weekend. This is their schedule for the month of April.

April 1 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
April 2 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
April 7 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
April 8 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
April 9 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
April 10 - 14 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
April 15 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
April 16 - 21 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
April 22 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
April 23 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
April 28 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
April 29 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
April 30 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

Wow! You have all been so helpful. I'm sure we'll run out of time before we run out of things to do. We are leaving the day after tomorrow. I'll follow up with everyone when we get back and let you know how our trip went. Thanks again!

We just returned from our trip. What a great vacation! After several days in DC we arrived in Williamsburg. We went to Busch Gardens on Saturday. We all loved it, including my parents. It was a litle "hilly" for my mom, who is 68 and not real active, but she managed okay.

We went to Kingsmill Resport for Sunday brunch. I highly recommend it. The grounds were beautiful, the food and service were both exceptional. We spent the afternoon kayaking at York River State Park. Again, a highlight for the kids. You can kayak on either the pond or the creek. (Or the York River, if you are experienced.) I recommend the creek. The pond is lovely, but very small. You don't realize how small it is, until you're out on the water...

We never made it to Rosewell or the Daffodail Festival. Will have to save that for another trip.

We did, however, head up to Richmond. The Museum of the Confederacy and White House of the Confederacy were very interesting. Agecroft Hall was also worth seeing - a great tour - the gardens were gorgeous! Tulips were in full bloom. Would like to have seen Virginia House, but ran out of time.

We made a great discovery in New Town. We had lunch at the Center City Grille. Wow! What a great restaurant. Everything we ordered was fantastic. You have to try the bread pudding with bananas. It's to die for!

Thanks for your trip report. I'm glad you enjoyed our little corner of the world. Hope you make it back sometime.