Seeking Williamsburg advice--Dad and daughter
 

Planning to take my 11 year-old daughter to Williamsburg and Busch Gardens next week.
Any advice for a daughter who loves history and amusement parks and a Dad who loves to eat--casual (that barbecue place sounds good) and ethnic?
Thank you very much.

Be sure to venture out to Jamestown (both the archaeological dig and the re-creation) and Yorktown.

Also be sure to dine at least one of the historic taverns in Colonial Williamsburg -- terrific food and a great historical experience. Shield's Tavern comes to mind for your 11 year old daughter. ("Mr. Shields," dressed in 18th century garb, will lead the crowd in a series of rousing pub songs.)

The historic area restaurants fill-up quickly, however, so I suggest making reservations as far in advance as possible.

Enjoy!

From a local's perspective, casual and ethnic dining in Williamsburg:

Pierce's Pitt BBQ - It is the real thing. Pierce's can be confusing for out of towners to find so check the website for good directions (pierces.com)

Nawab - good Indian (Wmbg Shopping Center)

Chez Trinh - good Vietnamese (Wmbg Shopping Center)

Tequilla Rose - pretty good Mexican tho if you're a real afficianado you'll find it run of the mill. But this is the land of white bread and hair spray. (Rt. 143)

Sal's By Victor - great pizza and very good pasta dishes. Very popular with the locals and especially busy on Friday and Saturday nights.
(Wmbg Shopping Center)

Trellis - Skip the main menu and go straight for the desserts. You can eat in or take away. Death By Chocolate is 7 layers of chocolate heaven. (Merchant Square)

College Deli's - A cluster of deli's near the College of Wm and Mary (Richmond Rd side) with good sandwiches (many named after W&M dorms), pizza and greek.

Cheese Shop - everyone loves their sandwiches. Take out with a couple of tables inside (Merchant Square)

Florimontes - the owner of this little deli is the closest thing Wmbg has to real New York. Great pizza, meatballs, pasta dishes, and I like their soups and salads. Take out mostly. (Wmbg Crosssing Shopping Center)

Surry House - take the ferry from Jamestown to Surry County for real southern cooking. I'd recommend breakfast or lunch. Dinner may require antacids.

Thai Erawan - really good family run restaurant in Yorktown. Definitely worth checking out if you all go to Yorktown but get directions ahead of time because it's in a little suburban strip center.

Definitely try to do a meal at one of the colonial taverns. As Gekko suggested, Shields is a good choice. Chownings has a lite menu with family entertainment from 5 to 8 pm. After 8 it gets a bit bawdy for the tween set.

Park advice: Get there early. Be in the parking lot before the gates open and you'll have the chance to catch some of the more popular rides before the lines get too long. Take sun screen and prepare for the inevitable afternoon thunderstorm!

Have a great trip!

Thanks very much, all.
If anyone has any other ideas in the next few days, please let me know.
I'm assuming there are no real discount tickets to the attractions, other than the 3 4 1 specials or Bush Gardens get an extra day.
Thanks again.

Since your daughter enjoys history check out the schedule of evening programs that will be available in Colonial Williamsburg during your stay.
Seating is limited for these so it is best to reserve in advance. You can find out the schedule from their website. We always reserve our passes and program tickets online, it saves alot of time at the vistor's center.
Hope you have a great trip!

Colonials, Discounted tickets for Busch Gardens are available. What are your affliations? AAA, AARP (probably not!), NASA, and the military have them and I'll bet other groups do too. I don't know the extent of the discount.

If you know someone who lives in Williamsburg they can very likely get you a big discount on annual passes. 30 or 40 percent off.

McDonalds and Wendys often have discount coupons on their tray covers. If you don't think you'll spend the whole day, there is a twilight discount I believe. Your daughter may also like Water Country. We enjoy it in the late afternoon when the crowds have thinned and the sun is not high over head.
Casa Maya on Bypass Rd. has great Mexican. Aromas on Prince George (where Baskin & Robbins is located) is a coffe house with good casual meals.

Another good barbeque spot (and easier to find than Pierce's) is Red, Hot, and Blue at 1622 Richmond Road. Their onion rings are addictive and the decor is fun: jazz posters and memorabilia cover the walls. Be sure to visit the bakery behind Raleigh Tavern in the historic area for good cookies and cider.