Historic Williamsburg, VA

My parents being the wonderful people they are let us use their time-share at Marriott Manor Club in Williamsburg to give us a little time away before my husband’s upcoming deployment to Bosnia. I had of course stayed at other time-shares before however nothing could prepare me for the beauty and luxurious splendor of the Manor Club.

As I turned our jeep turned onto St Andrews Drive my husband and I were immediately impressed by the beautiful houses with their charming landscaped yards, the attractive golf course, and the overall setup of the entire resort, which imitated an upscale colonial neighborhood.

Our room was equally impressive with a beautifully decorated living room with a fireplace, a nice sized kitchen with a stove, microwave, dishwasher and refrigerator, a dining room, two bedrooms and two bathrooms, one of which had a large Jacuzzi style tub. Upon investigating even further we realized that we also had a washer and dryer, which of course would be handy throughout our week vacation and a nice screened in porch that was wonderful to sit on in the mornings when it was still cool out. This area is so silent, in fact you can’t even hear your neighbors, and the rooms are so comfortable that it’s very easy to believe you are in your own house and not at a resort.

The next day we did a bit of exploring around the local area and found there is a very nice gourmet grocery store with somewhat okay prices, a liquor store that mostly specializes in selling wines from local Virginia wineries, as well as a few fast food restaurants for those looking for a quick bite to eat. If you drive just a bit further you will be near attractions such as Colonial Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Jamestown Settlement and that is just naming a few. If you’re a roller coaster fan such as my husband and myself not only is Busch Gardens nearby but also Paramount’s Kings Dominion is approximately a 45-minute drive from the resort.

All in all this was a great place to stay with all the attractions so close and the accommodations so comfortable. I have to admit however that if my husband and I had to pay for our lodging here the average price of $200 per night would be a bit steep for us, especially for a week long stay. If you have the money this resort is a great place to stay especially if you have a family.

For more information see this site.

This theme park has not been recently rated as the world's seventh greatest theme park by The Travel Channel for nothing. Even though it has not recently added new rides its theming is truly lovely. As you walk from Heatherdowns to Aquitane under the welcoming shade of the trees, you can truly admire all the work that went into the current landscaping and theming of this great park.

After driving around Williamsburg for a while, my husband and I spotted a sign for Williamsburg Winery and decided to check it out. We followed the signs pointing this way and that till we turned onto a gravel driveway that was surrounded by the winery’s vineyards on either side. Upon arriving at the vineyard we parked our jeep in the dusty parking lot, and were escorted to the main building by bumblebees humming lazily in the warm afternoon sunlight. Upon stepping into the winery and waiting for our eyes to adjust, we were immediately aware of the delightful aroma of scrumptious wines that permeated the air. We began wandering through the store where the collection of wines for sale were kept as well as other odds and ends such as wine glass charms and wine bottle openers. Upon noticing an advertisement regarding winery tours and tastings I immediately inquired about when the next scheduled tour would be and was informed we were just in time! We paid our $7.00 per person, which included not only the tour and tasting but also a wineglass with the Williamsburg Winery initials.

Your guide starts the tour of the winery with a movie that explains the history of the region, the types of grapes that have grown in the area throughout the years and the history of the Winery. After the movie your guide escorts you into a humid cellar that is lit with small lights hung from the ceiling that almost resembled old-fashioned lanterns. The temperature drops at least 20 degrees as you descend down the narrow staircase so you may want to bring a sweater, even on a hot day.

This is one of the really interesting parts of the tour as your guide tells you a bit more of the history of the area as well as the process used to make the wine and sparkling wines. You are shown oak barrels where many of the wines for future consumption are kept and steel barrels where the sweeter white wines are. We even got to meet one of the employees who are responsible for getting each bottle of wine to taste just right.

The tour ends with a wine tasting in a large room that looks a lot like a colonial ballroom that we found out later is used for banquets and other receptions. The wines were very good however I found the red wines to be the best at this winery. The Gabriel Archer Reserve, which is a hearty red wine with a lingering flavor of berries at the finish, was my personal favorite and would be delicious with a good steak. Try the Raspberry Merlot by Dominion Winery if you can as this is one of the most delicious desert wines I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. Every sip of this luscious wine reminded me of dark chocolate and raspberries.

For more information see www.williamsburgwinery.com

This is an overall excellent park for families and adults alike. Any who are just seeking some fun, relaxation, and memorable times should visit this park. The staff wasn’t exactly overly nice, but they were very safety conscientious as they checked each safety harness and belt twice. Not a bad park indeed.