Holly IN Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Hello! We may be going to Williamsburg this summer as our vacation. I need advice from those that went there. We have never been there so we need all the advice we can get. When is the best time to go? How long should the trip be (meaning how many days should we stay ?) Are there anything else to do besides Williamsburg Colonial? Where did you stay at (hotel and condos)? We would love to stay in a condo with a full kitchen if avail. Anything else we should know? We would love to hit some spots on the way so we will be traveling from Indiana by van. Thanks! Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2cents Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 You should check out the Colonial Willamsburg website. They have homeschool days with substantial savings about 2x a year. We just went this fall. It was a lot of fun. The kids are encouraged to dress in colonial clothing and I made costumes for my girls. The boys aren't so much into this. It is a little girl thing mostly. Fall was nice because we got to see some of the change of season. I would plan on staying a couple of days to see it all. We stayed in Frederick, MD at a hotel (it was ok but not anything I'd recommend) and we also toured the Gettysburg Civil War sites and made a couple of trips into DC. We were coming up from FL so we toured the Biltmore Mansion on the way back down. I'm not sure of places on the way from Indiana though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ellie Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 You need two days just for Colonial Williamsburg itself. This is because the best way to see it is to just hang out, and stroll from place to place, spending as much--or as little-time at each stop as everyone wants to. You'll want to watch the movie at the Visitors' Center (do that first). You will have to buy passes; you'll want to pay the extra to go through the Governors' Palace. You should eat one meal at the Old Chickahominy House (only breakfast and lunch are served). Outside the historic district is a ginormous Yankee Candle Outlet :-) If the budget allows, you should go to Carter's Grove. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 From Illinois, we made a grand loop and hit Hershey, PA, Gettysburg, Wash. DC, Williamsburg with a sidetrip to Jamestown, Kitty Hawk and beaches (we were in early June), Monticello...and would have hit the horse park in Lexington, KY on the way home if van trouble hadn't messed us up. How big a loop you make and what you choose to see is up to you - I love planning road trips. Getting there (and back) can be half the fun! I wish we had the time, money and newer van to DRIVE to S. Calif. in June (we are flying :-( I second the person who said to have two days in Wmburg. If you include Jamestown and/or Yorktown and/or Busch Gardens (we were mean and didn't let kidlets know about the latter) allow more days, of course. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JFSinIL Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 it was amazing - we attended a ceremony at the cemetary and Neil Armstrong appeared as a speaker...as did President Lincoln (who read his address, of course.) You could spend two days "doing" Gettysburg, since they also have a large, fascinating museum and Cyclorama in addition to touring the battlefield (which can be an all day affair). If youa re driving to Wmburg all the way from Indiana see if a day or two in Gettysburg will fit into your plans. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 My parents live in Wbg, so we've gone a lot. Avoid summer like the plague if you can't stand hot, humid weather (think sauna). May is still very pleasant and September starts to cool off a bit. There are LOTS of motel choices including suites with kitchens and timeshares if you have one. There are some nice timeshares in Ford's Colony where my parents live. You need 2 days in Colonial Wbg and I would say at least 1 day each for Jamestown and Yorktown unless you are very energetic and can do both in one day. Each needs about 3 hours to see thoroughly. Another must see is Richmond. It's about 50 minutes away from Wbg and has a great civil war museum and Jefferson Davis' house. There are lots of civil war reenactments so check with the VA tourism sites to see if you can include one. Newport News has a lot of naval stuff. You can tour a WWII battleship and visit the Maritime Museum. There are also naval base tours, but I haven't done this. My parents went and said it was interesting. Virginia Beach is about 1.5 hours away and is a good beach. It's also home to Pat Robertson and I'm sure there's some tour of his church or broadcasting, but none of us have done that. Wbg has 2 outlet malls, I prefer Prime Outlets. They've got Carters, OshKosh, Mikasa, Bass (you get the idea). One of my dad's favorite outings is to cross the James River by ferry, drive around on the country back roads and get some peanut pie. I've never attempted this with 3 small children:D. It's about 2.5 hours to Washington, DC. It's also about 2.5 hours to Monticello. My favorite colonial tavern is the King's Arms. They have fairly reasonable lunches and a dinner special. It's not cheap, but it is a great experience, so try to go if it's in the budget. If you need to take the kids to a playground, there's a huge one past the James City County courthouse, near the Target. Hope you have a great time! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 Oops! All of us love BG. It's a very well run theme park and well worth the visit if it fits in your schedule. You can also go on a brewery tour from the park, so you can even make it a wee bit educational. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Soph the vet Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 We went to WBG last Sept. during Home Educators' Week so we paid only $5 per person (included Gov. palace) instead of 30 or 40 per person depending on age. If "Patrick Henry" is giving a live performance he is a must see. We stayed at Kings Creek, a lovely 2 Bdr. condo, 2 floors, indoor outdoor pool, etc. for 3 nights for about $400 total. It was great! We did Jamestown and Yorktown in the same day, recommend longer. D.C. is nearby, 2.5 hours, or if you do it our way, drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and thru Annapolis , 5-6 hours.;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Holly IN Posted February 11, 2008 Author Share Posted February 11, 2008 thanks guys! Can one of you post a website to Williamsburg so I can see when the homeschool days are? btw...dh really wants to see the Gettysburg and oldest ds wants to go to an amusement park. Hhmmm I think Williamsburg, Gettysburg and BG will fit into our plans. Now what about lodgings? Any must stay in ?? Anything with condos (full size kitchen)? thanks!! Holly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 What fun! We stayed at one of Williamsburg's hotels on a package deal, but it was no deal and the hotel was not too nice. This was several years ago, so maybe they've updated. But there were numerous other hotels very near the grounds that looked a lot nicer. Sorry I can't recall names. I think some of the hotels do offer suites or kitchenettes. We were there in June and it was very humid. I'm not sure what your time frame for going might be, but I would think May or very early June would be better than later on. We did a lot of the evening things, so if you're there and it's hot, you might try that option for doing things at a cooler and less busy time of day. While we were there, we also went to Jamestown, Yorktown and Busch Gardens (I believe they have a water park, too, in case it's hot when you go). It's further away, but there's also an aquarium in Newport Beach, on the coast. What states are you traveling through? If Kentucky and Lexington, the Horse Park is actually a state park that was once a working thoroughbred farm and has tons of cool stuff to do - all about horses! They house breeds from all over the world. There will also be tons of Lincoln related things going on here for the next 2 years. If you'll let us know your route, I'll see what other sorts of things I can think of that might be on your way, Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
justme Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 We went last April and had a wonderful time! We drove straight from WI on the way there, but hit Monticello and Gettysburg on the way back. In my opinion, it was our best trip ever. I had more fun than at DisneyWorld. We stayed for a full week at Powhatan Plantation and it was very nice and well-located and suited the needs for our family of five perfectly. It was condo with two bedrooms (king with bath suite and two twin beds in the other). there was a pull-out in the living room, full kitchen, dining, Washer, dryer and hot tub for us to enjoy. Here is the link: http://www.powhatanplantation.com/ We actually got a year pass to CW so that we could come and go as we pleased over the week. It can get overwhelming to spend an entire day or two in a row, plus you might want to go to some evening activities. For example, a few days we went to surrounding attractions and came back and spent the evening at CW or vice-versa. We also got a 3-day pass to Busch Gardens (the buy-2 days get one free wasn't much more than the 1-day pass). We spent one and a half days at BG. In the summer, there is also a water park (Water Country?). It wasn't open for the season when we went. To summarize, here is what we did: CW one full day, several morning/evening only combos, Ghost Walk one night. Yorktown, Jamestown, Jamestowne Settlement(different than JT), Presiden't Park, Busch Gardens one and a half days, half day driving and touring plantattions on 'plantation road', one day at Virginia Beach. Monticello and Gettysburg on the way home (a little rushed on those things). We did not do DC because we are planning a full week for that this spring and knew we wouldn't see enough to satisfy us in one road trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted February 11, 2008 Share Posted February 11, 2008 You need two days just for Colonial Williamsburg itself. This is because the best way to see it is to just hang out, and stroll from place to place, spending as much--or as little-time at each stop as everyone wants to. You'll want to watch the movie at the Visitors' Center (do that first). You will have to buy passes; you'll want to pay the extra to go through the Governors' Palace. You should eat one meal at the Old Chickahominy House (only breakfast and lunch are served). Outside the historic district is a ginormous Yankee Candle Outlet :-) If the budget allows, you should go to Carter's Grove. nt Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted February 12, 2008 Share Posted February 12, 2008 They often fill up fast. As far as hotels are concerned, I like to stay next to the historic district so I can go for early morning and evening walks through the historic district. Unfortunately my favorite, the Patrick Henry, has been remodeled and I'm not sure what it's like now. I don't know if they've added kitchens or not. The Sheraton's next door and has 2 bedroom suites with a kitchen. The first time I stayed there, the 2nd floor suite was ok. The next time I had a ground floor and it leaked whenever someone took a shower on the 2nd floor. This was immediately after they remodeled. If you stay there, ask for a second floor apartment. The only reason I'd recommend this hotel now is because it is close to the historic district and has kitchen facilities. As far as visiting CW, 2 days is the least I'd recommend. I'd also schedule a day for Jamestown and the recreation nextdoor. Add another day for Yorktown. Spring is my favorite time, followed by fall. If you can, bring bikes. It's fun bicycling along the Colonial Parkway. Bikes are also a good way to see Gettysburg. One other thing you might enjoy are the plantation houses along the Charles River. Even if you don't tour them, the drive is nice. Another stop to add between Gettysburg and Williamsburg is Harper's Ferry. It's only about 25 minutes away from Fredrick, MD, which you'll drive through. You could easily spend a half day there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Oh, I didn't know it had been closed! We went there while we were in Williamsburg and it was one of our favorite parts of being there! Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
8filltheheart Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Well, I am not sure this is going to be helpful, but I received this in my email a week or so ago. The next CW homeschool time is very soon. http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/history/teaching/groupTours/images/HomeEducators.pdf Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathy in MD Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 Oh, I didn't know it had been closed! We went there while we were in Williamsburg and it was one of our favorite parts of being there! Regena expensive for them to keep operating. I kept hoping that they would reopen it but I didn't realize that they had transferred ownership to the NPS. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stacia Posted February 13, 2008 Share Posted February 13, 2008 We went last April & stayed in the Four Points by Sheraton Williamsburg Historic District. http://www.starwoodhotels.com/fourpoints/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=744 We stayed in a suite w/ kitchenette. It looked like the 'suites' had actually once been apartments (w/ 4 apts. per bldg.) & were separate buildings from the actual hotel. It was nice, plenty of room, etc (we had 4 adults & 2 kids) in a suite w/ 2 bedrooms & 2 full bathrooms + kitchen. The best part was that it was w/in walking distance of historic Willamsburg, so we just walked over to that area instead of driving. Don't know how the pricing is as my dh had hotel points w/ Starwood, so we were able to use those. Enjoy your trip. We had a fantastic time! I'll just echo all the other great advice you got already. My dd did take clothes to dress like she was from the colonial period & loved it. She got lots of compliments all day & some of the tourists even took photos of her, lol. If you want to do the carriage rides (we didn't realize that you could do this until it was too late to book one), go ahead & book it first thing (or earlier, if you can). Also, if you qualify for a military discount, look into that for tickets. (My dad is retired military & was able to get our tickets ahead of time on base for a reduced amount.) S. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mcconnellboys Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Oh, so it's a National Park now? I hope they still have the museum and all the things they had there before? It was one of the best parts of our trip, Regena Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
readwithem Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 If you go during a non-homeschool week, be sure to take your teacher ID - I got a significant discount on the regular price ;) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kari C in SC Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 We went in October and had a great time. It was a little chilly at times, but we survived. We loved Jamestown. They are very interactive there and they have a great museum. We also loved the night shows. We were only able to get to two of them. If we were going again, I would try to do more. They were very fun and interesting. We did not like the food at the Old Chickahomeny House. They had Virginia Ham sanwiches and the ham is extremely salty. You may enjoy it, but we found it to be awful. The store itself was wonderful though. We loved browsing around and found quite a few must have items. We did enjoy sandwiches from the Cheese Shop or Cheese Stop - can't remember which. It is in the shopping square at Colonial Williamsburg. Oh we bought some kind of triange pass online. It gave you admission to Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown. We didn't make it to Yorktown. If you have time, go off the beaten path and drive around Virginia. We went down some of the most lovely country roads. It was so pretty. Enjoy your trip. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs. Readsalot Posted February 14, 2008 Share Posted February 14, 2008 Our best trips are went I do a lot of preplanning. Generally I am the "official crusie director" as my dh and ds like to call me. Make reservations for evening programs in advance. If you wait until you are there they will probably we filled. Our favorites are the evening Ghost tour and the To Go A Pirating. Our last trip we enjoyed a side trip to the WIlliamsburg Winery. They take you on a tour and show you how the wine is made. It is free it you do not sample the wine. Children are allowed to take the tour. Our ds really enjoyed it. The winery is fairly close to Jamestown (between Jamestown and WIlliamsburg) One of our favorite places to eat is Pierces Barbeque It is on the same road as Great Wolf Lodge. It is nothing fancy you order you food at a counter and they call you when it is great. They have booths to sit in and the prices are great as is the food. You to the Williamsburg website and print out the events schedules for the days you will be there (this is part of making a great plan) I would avoid going during the hot summer months, especially if you do not like humidity. As several others have stated the homeschool weeks are great, that is when we go. We have not found a hotel there we would return to, I think this is a resort thing. Basically we just plan to not spend much time in the room, Note we have stayed in cheap to expensive places and this is still our opinion. Why are the heaters in the pools never working UGH! Wear comfortable shoes...you will probably do a lot of walking. Make sure kids break in any new shoes before you go. Have lunch at the Cheese Shop in the Market area near Williamsburg Wow they have the best sandwiches Our sons favorite place is the glassmakers at Jamestown. He spent 4 hours there our last trip...dh took a nap in the car...I read a book on a bench The blacksmith in Williamsburg is another one of his favorite stops. My favorite places are the weaver(George Wyeth sp? house), the printer, the bookbinder, and the kitchen at the Peyton Randolph house. Another must see for use was the archeological dig at Jamestown (national parks section) You will be amzed at when they have discovered there int he last few years. It you go to Yorktown find out when they blast of the cannon (with audience participation) When we went 2 years ago it was a 2pm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
llindseymomoffour Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Hi, We are looking to visit Williamsburg in August. Any updates to this post as far as tips, advice, how long to visit each area, etc? I thought those that have visited lately could give me some advice as I start planning. Thanks everyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dragonflyer Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 Thanks! We will be in Virginia in June (for a wedding so can't change date) and were going to extend our time to see whatever looked interesting around there! I will be carefully digging through everyone's suggestions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kbutton Posted March 31, 2014 Share Posted March 31, 2014 Oh, I didn't know it had been closed! We went there while we were in Williamsburg and it was one of our favorite parts of being there! Regena I keep rereading and can't figure out what this refers to? What closed? I have no advice, but I wanted to let you know that I went to CW in 4th grade, and it was one of the best trips of my life (yes, better than Disney as someone else mentioned)! We loved it even though it poured buckets the entire time (we look like drowned rats in all of the pictures). I am hoping to take my kids sometime in the next couple of years. I still have the slate and slate pencil I got as a souvenir. What great memories. Have fun!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Murrayshire Posted April 3, 2014 Share Posted April 3, 2014 Just wanted to add..... We went to Williamsburg for a week last October. We go every year! When you arrive at Colonial Williamsburg, go to the group sales building and tell them you are homeschoolers needing the day pass. These passes are only good for one day for the tours. Children are $10, Adults are $20. This is half off from regular prices! You could just go into Colonial Williamsburg with your map and scout out the area for day 1.... Then next day buy your passes at the group sales building to tour & get the scoop on certain events they are having. Some events will cost extra anyway, with or without passes. You can hop on the Parkway from Colonial Williamsburg to Jamestown to Yorktown. Much better route than the highway! I think you could do Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown the same day. We did and didn't feel rushed. Though we have been to Jamestown several times before. We walked up to the ticket line in the Jamestown visitor/museum building, showed them our homeschool Id cards, and we're charged only $9 each for the Jamestown & Yorktown passes.(that was only $45 for our family) You could split them up in two days....Yorktown day 1.... Jamestown day 2. Yorktown, near the boardwalk, sits a quaint little man made beach by the river overlooking the port ..... Not much sand but really nice on a hot day! We never miss Bush Gardens either.... Sorry, no hs discounts there. Check out their local Wendy's for discount passes, though! Last but not least..... I am always amazed at how many Pancake Houses there are in Williamsburg!! You will see what I mean when you get there! Now I can't wait until our next trip! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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