Williamsburg, VA?
Dec 6th, 2003, 04:04 PM
#2
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*STUCK* ??? I'd trade places with you in a moment.
There's outlet malls, Williamsburg Pottery (a lot of junk but fun), and some nicer shops in Merchants Square (find Duke of Gloucester St & Henry St). And of course Colonial Williamsburg. Nearby are Yorktown Battlefield, where the Revolutionary War was won, and Jamestown Settlement (there are 2 parks there - I forget the name of the better one) Newport News City Park (I-64 exit 250) still will have their drive-thru Christmas decorations up. Mariners' Museum and others in Newport News, Endfield? , and Air/Space Museum (forget the name) with IMax Theater in Hampton. Drive to Norfolk for Nauticus, Chrysler Museum, Ghent, Waterside (sort of like Baltimore Inner Harbor). Drive Rt 5 towards Richmond for great old mansions/plantations.
If you do a search on here of any of the cities I've listed, I'm sure you find a wealth of data.
There's outlet malls, Williamsburg Pottery (a lot of junk but fun), and some nicer shops in Merchants Square (find Duke of Gloucester St & Henry St). And of course Colonial Williamsburg. Nearby are Yorktown Battlefield, where the Revolutionary War was won, and Jamestown Settlement (there are 2 parks there - I forget the name of the better one) Newport News City Park (I-64 exit 250) still will have their drive-thru Christmas decorations up. Mariners' Museum and others in Newport News, Endfield? , and Air/Space Museum (forget the name) with IMax Theater in Hampton. Drive to Norfolk for Nauticus, Chrysler Museum, Ghent, Waterside (sort of like Baltimore Inner Harbor). Drive Rt 5 towards Richmond for great old mansions/plantations.
If you do a search on here of any of the cities I've listed, I'm sure you find a wealth of data.
Dec 6th, 2003, 05:07 PM
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Plus, Colonial Williamsburg will still have all the Christmas decorations up and will probably be having special Christmas programs. Look for their website to see what will be going on. This is the best time of year to visit.
Dec 6th, 2003, 08:35 PM
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Tracy-
you are definitely NOT Stuck in WIlliamsburg...
Make sure you go to the Williamsburg Inn for dinner ( coat and tie required)-- the entire hotel is all decorated for Xmas and it is almost impossible to get a reservation this time of year to stay there..
The outlet Mall are GREAT and you will be there for after -Xmas sales....
Colonial Williamsburg is quite beautiful this time of year and to walk thru the downtown is gorgeous..also the shops in downtown Williamsburg are GREAT~!
Some good restaurants to try are:
Le Yaca- French bistro-near Busch Gardens.
The Trellis- in colonial williamsburg
Sure hope you are not disappointed...but you did not list what you like to do....
If you are into History, there is a wealth of things to see...If you are into shopping, you could be kept busy for days...
And if you have a car and get tired of that area, head over to NORFOLK to the Harbor Area chock full of shops...
you are definitely NOT Stuck in WIlliamsburg...
Make sure you go to the Williamsburg Inn for dinner ( coat and tie required)-- the entire hotel is all decorated for Xmas and it is almost impossible to get a reservation this time of year to stay there..
The outlet Mall are GREAT and you will be there for after -Xmas sales....
Colonial Williamsburg is quite beautiful this time of year and to walk thru the downtown is gorgeous..also the shops in downtown Williamsburg are GREAT~!
Some good restaurants to try are:
Le Yaca- French bistro-near Busch Gardens.
The Trellis- in colonial williamsburg
Sure hope you are not disappointed...but you did not list what you like to do....
If you are into History, there is a wealth of things to see...If you are into shopping, you could be kept busy for days...
And if you have a car and get tired of that area, head over to NORFOLK to the Harbor Area chock full of shops...
Dec 7th, 2003, 08:55 PM
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Do you like to golf? Weather around here is changeable - but even if it is cold, there are several terrific courses you can play. If you like barbeque, take a short drive to Pierce's Pit-cooked BBQ in next-door James City County, ugly yellow building but terrific BBQ! Whaling Company on route 60 is very good restaurant too. Post some interests, we locals can be more specific. For example, there are some great mountain biking trails, but I can tell you the ones that will still be closed because of Hurricane isabel (YES, we STILL have lots of debris and trees not cleaned up!)
Dec 7th, 2003, 09:04 PM
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So far you have received some great ideas to fill yur time in Williamsburg. I am sure that Colonial Willaimsburg will be nicely decorated for Christmas. Nearby the Campus of the College of William and Mary is very picteresque place to walk around. You may want to see if they offer any tours.
Dec 8th, 2003, 05:51 AM
#7
The old campus of Wm and Mary is "picteresque" but the only tours offered are in the Wren Building (the original college which anchors one end of the main street in the restored area).
tracys2cents hasn't checked back in yet to say yea or nay on any of the great suggestions. I suppose the bottom line is if history, natural beauty, sports, and shopping aren't interesting, she'll be kinda stuck. Bring a couple of books or toodle on up the highway to Richmond (1 hour) or DC (2.5 hours with blessings from the traffic gods).
tracys2cents hasn't checked back in yet to say yea or nay on any of the great suggestions. I suppose the bottom line is if history, natural beauty, sports, and shopping aren't interesting, she'll be kinda stuck. Bring a couple of books or toodle on up the highway to Richmond (1 hour) or DC (2.5 hours with blessings from the traffic gods).
Dec 8th, 2003, 06:13 AM
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All good suggestions, though I wouldn't recommend going to DC...traffic is awful and if you'd like to see the sites appropriately, you're going to need a few days.
Please be advised that it has been very cold in and around DC the past couple of days and from what I've heard, its going to be colder...might restrict your outside activities.
Nonetheless, have lots of fun. I haven't been to williamsburg in years.
Please be advised that it has been very cold in and around DC the past couple of days and from what I've heard, its going to be colder...might restrict your outside activities.
Nonetheless, have lots of fun. I haven't been to williamsburg in years.
Dec 8th, 2003, 06:41 AM
#9
I make the trip from Wmbg to DC at least twice a month for work and/or pleasure. It's very doable as a daytrip if you plan your time properly. Of course an overnight stay offers much more flexibility. In context this suggestion was offered to a person who anticipates being stuck in SE Va for a week. I don't normally recommend people come here and then leave to find entertainment!
Dec 13th, 2003, 01:56 PM
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Dining -- Depends on your budget. The Williamsburg Inn is fabulous white-tablecloth dining, but $$$$$. The Trellis on the main drag (Duke of Gloucester St.) of Colonial Williamsburg is certainly one of the best restaurants in the state -- less formal & pricy than the Inn, but if it's still above your budget, try going there in the afternoon for dessert. What they are famous for is Death By Chocolate, which is aptly named. If excellent beer & a burger is more your style, hit the Green Leafe Cafe, which is really a pub/taphouse despite the name, on Scotland St. a couple blocks from Merchants' Square.
Stuff to do -- Depends on whether you have access to a car. If you do, I'd suggest a couple days walking Colonial Williamsburg ("CW" to the locals) and the adjacent College, poking through the Merchants' Square shops, maybe enjoying either the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller museum (folk art) or the museum in the old insane asylum (gorgeous furniture). All of those activities can be enjoyed without using a car, other than initially getting to the heart of CW.
Then maybe a day driving up Route 5 to some of the old plantations. Then maybe a day driving down the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown, which has a nice small park/museum where the American Revolution was won. The rest, you can shop, eat at Pearce's Pitt BBQ (ahhhhh), whatever takes your fancy.
Stuff to do -- Depends on whether you have access to a car. If you do, I'd suggest a couple days walking Colonial Williamsburg ("CW" to the locals) and the adjacent College, poking through the Merchants' Square shops, maybe enjoying either the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller museum (folk art) or the museum in the old insane asylum (gorgeous furniture). All of those activities can be enjoyed without using a car, other than initially getting to the heart of CW.
Then maybe a day driving up Route 5 to some of the old plantations. Then maybe a day driving down the Colonial Parkway to Yorktown, which has a nice small park/museum where the American Revolution was won. The rest, you can shop, eat at Pearce's Pitt BBQ (ahhhhh), whatever takes your fancy.
Dec 17th, 2003, 03:28 PM
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I just returned from Colonial Williamsburg. It was a big disappointment. The Christmas decorations consist of a wreath on the door of some buildings.(you can view these on the website) Characters in dress were a bunch of disgruntled people. You may have seen 1 at every 5th building!The place was like a ghost town.. Cut backs have had a definite affect. Some buildings opened at 9,10, or 11am. Many buildings were closed. Not very impressive. However, the shops at Merchant Square were great. We found a great restaurant for lunch there... Seasons restaurant-great food & service. Another good restaurant for eats = Second Street. The Trellis was another favorite. The Pottery Barn doesn't have much left to it-lots of junk(compared to a trip years ago).However there are tons of places to shop near the Pottery Barn, & also lots of Outlets.. The Shopping & food was great ,but it will be a long time before I go back to Colonial Williamsburg. Sorry, just being honest.
