Williamsburg VA.

When choosing a travel destination that includes history your choices are numerous to say the least, one could choose various locals such as Washington D.C., but Washington tends to document history and primarily acts as the principle library and museum for the United States. Philadelphia would be another excellent choice allowing one to experience history at the dawn of our extraordinary country, although you are limited to roughly a 25 year period in history; while much can be said for either location my money rests on historic Williamsburg VA.

Williamsburg VA located mere hours from many east coast cities; this history packed region of the US spans three hundred years of founding history from the first settlement in Jamestown to the surrender of British forces in Yorktown VA, while offering up generous dose of civil war history throughout the region…which occurred some 300 hundred years after Jamestown.

Arriving in VA via the West Virginia Turnpike is pretty quick and painless; the trip from Charleston to the VA /WV border is approximately 2 hours with an additional four hours to Williamsburg. Along the way you travel through Covington and Clifton Mills VA a somewhat smelly region so keep the windows closed until you are over the mountain and several miles from the source of irritation. The next community you happen upon will be the city of Lexington which features only the second horse park in the US, the first horse park lies in Lexington KY… go figure.

If time allows make an effort to visit the home of Thomas Jeffersons, Monticello and before getting back on the interstate swing into Charlottesville VA, check out the campus of the University of VA Thomas Jefferson designed this campus as he did his own home in the Palladio architectural style. While walking the campus stroll on over to the south side dormitory row which offers the campus home of Edgar Allen Poe, aside from the Poe factor the small dorm room also affords the visitor a unique look into 18th century campus life.

Safely back on the interstate it would be very easy to stop off in Richmond and explore the vast array of historic civil war battle locations and the White House of the Confederacy, but this would certainly eat into the allotted time in Williamsburg. My suggestion would be to plan a separate or extended stay to the region and allow Williamsburg to be the base camp while exploring the area.

I would also suggest at this to point to get off the interstate and rather then fighting the bumper to bumper traffic of people on their way to Virginia Beach seek out a little unknown route…Rt.5. Popular with travelers in the 17th and 18th century this route with its canopy of shades tree is often seen after you arrive in Williamsburg as you begin venturing outside the city to explore plantations in the area such as the Shirley Plantation. This tunnel like drive and 55 mile per hour speed limit allowed Rachel and I to slow down and immerse ourselves in history as we traveled along the main route from Richmond to Williamsburg, the very same corridor used by our forefathers and scene to countless skirmishes by civil war troops. In fact, this two lane corridor came to an abrupt end right into the heart of historic Williamsburg while permitting us to navigate around the interstate traffic and arrive prior to our scheduled 3:00pm hotel check-in time.

Upon arrival in Williamsburg via Rt.5 you soon discover two things, first you did not need to search out the correct exit off the interstate and secondly whatever creature comforts you desire Williamsburg has it from four star retreats to simple tent camp sites located along the James River each in its own way offering just what the doctor ordered …relaxation.

Travel to the region is pretty simple one can choose either car or plane, however another alternative to consider is by train with its many stops in small communities allowing an easy connection for any want to be traveler from practically any region in the US. As for me I stick with the old stand by, my truck, affording me the flexibility to camp and have all the necessary gear with me or leave the camping gear at home and select from one of hundreds of hotels within the area, which allows me to use the truck for souvenir collecting. Whatever you chose Williamsburg is very easy to get around considering the mass of visitors to the region; parking is abundant, buses travel regularly between Yorktown located northeast of Williamsburg to Jamestown located south west of Williamsburg. This scenic route running north east and parallel to the York River for the most part offers a wonderful natural setting and simple view of the water sheds small tributaries, while allowing local residents the elbow room to fish and swim leaving the congested Yorktown beach areas for family vacationers.

Our afternoon arrival into Williamsburg afforded Rachel and me a walk around the historic section of town before finding a place to settle down for dinner. On the opposite end of town from the Capitol of colonial VA we chose a small yet elegant restaurant. The Trellis, situated just off the historic section next door to Barns & Noble Books. A unique restaurant in many ways, from the outside it appeared to be another historic structure, but once inside you are treated to contemporary décor which oddly enough worked for this environment, while creating a very comfortable feeling; complete with a very pleasing dinner, live music, wonderful entrees, desserts and wine selection… definitely a restaurant to be enjoyed. I would strongly recommend anything on the menu, but perhaps my favorite was the pork dish; the triple chocolate dessert and a nice glass of Riesling complimented the evening as well. One lone disappointment and added note, avoid the after dinner coffee you could most likely get a better cup of coffee at the local Speedy Mart.

Once outside we ventured into a few shops scattered along the courtyard, although you had your selection of t-shirts as possible souvenir for the kids you also had a vast choice of odd collectibles as well ranging from $3 Christmas ornaments to a thousand dollar chess set finished in colonial pewter figurines. Situated just off the historic district and next door to the Trellis you can also find Barns & Noble Books. As an avid reader I find it almost impossible to pass up a book store even more so considering I was carrying my Fathers Day gift card with me. Typically I tend to make books my souvenir of choice, so what better way to make use of my gift card, beside books take up less space in the suitcase.

The walk back to the truck was exceptional the light was dimming and the crowds began thinning which permitted great photo opportunities, before all the light disappears view the gardens in and around the historic area, each back yard or in a few cases front yards offer floral and vegetable gardens, so take time to break out the camera and soak it all in.

Flowers and architecture not your cup of tea, perhaps a ghost tour within Williamsburg is more to your liking, historic Williamsburg offers numerous tours to suit any pocket and judging by the size of the crowds outside some of the establishments I would venture to guess ghost tours are a pretty popular ingredient to the Williamsburg experience for more then just a few families.

If you like to people watch as I do find a bench and enjoy the crowds while sipping on your favorite beverage of choice it also gives you another vantage point while enjoying the architecture.In many communities throughout the United States in which preservation socities are absent gazing up towards the roof line of each building is essential if one is to capture the original essence of a particular structure, but street level preservation in Williamsburg has kept the original architectural element in tact thus allowing your eye to remain at ground level thanks in part to the John D. Rockefeller Foundation.

The following day and after spending some personal time with Rachel by the pool we decided to make Yorktown our next stop for the weekend. Yorktown, location of Cornwallis's surrender to George Washington and the end of the Revolutionary War offers an insiders look into the final days of the revolution. Beginning in the museum and ending with a walking tour of the encampments, trenches, and historic Yorktown all of which can be explored within an afternoon allowing sufficent time to return to Williamsburg and explore some of the buildings that perhaps you missed the day before. If time permits perhaps you can take in a live performance or dine within the historic community itself, historic Williamsburg offers several old tavern dinning experiences which delight the children and adults with their costumed and never out of character waiters and waitresses.

After many hours on our feet exploring Yorktown Rachel and I decide on something outside the historic genre of dinning experiences and chose the Black Angus, located in the present day consumer retail world, a very nice restaurant with a menu item for everyone’s taste and budget; specializing in steak and seafood among others. Reservations are recommended and blue jeans are acceptable attire.

The next morning after attending church we decided on a small restaurant one block from the hotel…Second Street. By far one of my favorite breakfast restaurants, this restarant offers a warm contemporary feel with a menu that explored traditional foods in an off the wall yet tantalizing to the taste buds sort of way. My breakfast began with a great cup of coffee and eggs benedict and not just any benedict. My eggs benedict included four skillet browned rice and grit squares, topped with a seasoned omelet, on top of this a generous helping of crab cake and then drizzled with a fresh made hollandaise sauce. This meal alone will get me back to Williamsburg before the end of the year. While it would appear that Rachel and I are all about the meals, but in fact we both share a strong interest in architecture and enjoy the walking tours in and around most communities we visit, which also allows us to walk off the meals we enjoy.

Please bear in mind that on this particular trip Rachel and I had only two days to enjoy Williamsburg and in order to truly enjoy everything Williamsburg has to offer one must plan nothing less then a week in the region…we never did get the chance to visit Jamestown! Presently, Williamsburg leads the list of historic destinations; that is until we travel to Charleston SC and Savannah GA later this year and then at that time the list may get shuffled a bit.

I forgot to mention our soul purpose for visiting Williamsburg, although we did take time and walk the historic area of Williamsburg and Yorktown our primary mission was to inform Rachel’s vacationing family of our elopement to Boone NC.(see prior blog)

Mission accomplished!