The Grand Illumination in Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg’s 71st Grand Illumination held on Sunday, Dec. 4, 2005, kicked off the beginning of the Christmas season. Thousands of visitors and locals gathered in the Historic Area to take part in the festivities which began at 4:45 p.m., with entertainment at various venues. People came early with folding chairs and blankets in order to get a good spot. We chose the stage that was set up by the Governor’s Palace and were entertained by a gentleman who performed popular music from the mid-18th century. He was followed by a choral group of students from Jamestown High School and a brass quintet. By this time it was getting on towards 6 p.m. and the fire pots along the streets were blazing away. At 6:15 our musician was back on stage and did the countdown to signal the beginning of Grand Illumination. Candles were lit in the windows of public buildings, shops and homes throughout the Historic Area and the fireworks began at the Governor’s Palace, Magazine and Capitol. The fireworks were really spectacular. After the fireworks, entertainment resumed on the stages until 7:30 p.m.

We learned that this tradition came from the colonial era and was used to celebrate major events such as military victories, the birthday of the monarch, arrival of a new colonial governor. etc. The people of the town would fire guns into the air and light fireworks.

Our resort provided special shuttles that took us from the resort to the Grand Illumination festivities and brought us back to the resort. For just per seat, we avoided the parking and traffic headaches.

Quick Tips:

You’ll do a lot of walking so make sure you have comfortable walking shoes while in Colonial Williamsburg

Best Way To Get Around:

Fairfield Williamsburg Area Shuttle Bus (.00 per day/ per week) provides transportation to Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg Visitor’s Center, Jamestown, Williamsburg Winery, all three Fairfield resorts and many other places. Since our visit was in December traffic was light and it was not a problem getting around.

Best Things Nearby:
Colonial Williamsburg is about a 10 minute drive from the resort; about 15 minutes to Jamestown and 20 minutes to Yorktown and Busch Gardens. Route 5 takes you to the historic plantations along the James River. Richmond is an hour by car and less than an hour away in Norfolk are the Navy Yards, the Air & Space Museum and Battleship Wisconsin.

If you need to pick up items you may have forgotten to pack, there is a Big K-Mart about 2 miles from the resort and a variety of restaurants: Pizzeria Uno, Cracker Barrel, Marino's (Italian) and many more. Within 10 miles you can find the prime outlets, a pottery factory, candy factory, candle factory and antique malls.

Best Things About the Resort:
Location, location, location! Close to restaurants and shopping and near the entrance to Colonial Williamsburg. The grounds were immaculate and beautifully decorated for the Christmas season. Staff members were very friendly and helpful. Fairfield's two other resorts, Patriot's Place and Kingsgate, are just down the road and guests are welcome to participate in activities at all three.

Resort Experience:
We arrived a day ahead of our scheduled reservation, having driven from North Carolina where we spent a week at Fairfield Harbour, our home resort. Rather than staying in a motel for one night, we went directly to Governor's Green to see if we could be accommodated for the night until we could check in the next day. The Guest Relations Director was more than happy to assist us. She put us in the unit that had been reserved for us and was available for that night for $97.00. Really great service with a smile!

Governor's Green is Fairfield's newest resort in Williamsburg and it is a showplace. It's a large complex of about 12 three-story buildings with elevators. We really appreciated the carts for loading and transporting our luggage. There is a voluntary non-smoking policy in the units and buildings. Our 2 bedroom unit was on the 3rd floor of the first building next to the Reception and Recreation Center and our balcony overlooked the outdoor pool complex. The kitchen was fully equipped with everything you could possibly need in addition to a dishwasher, microwave, electric range and full size refrigerator, lots of counter space and a breakfast bar. The living room was spacious and the sofa and chairs were very comfortable. The entertainment unit had a large flat screen TV, VCR, DVD, CD and radio. The master bedroom had a king size bed, TV and a huge bathroom with a Jacuzzi, in addition to the walk-in shower. The second bedroom had 2 queen beds, another TV and a full bathroom. The unit also had a washer and dryer. We felt like we were in the lap of luxury!

The amenities were excellent. The Activity Center featured heated outdoor and indoor pools and spas, an exercise room (which we though was somewhat small for the size of the resort with limited equipment), a computer room where you could reserve time at no charge, a restaurant that served breakfast and lunch, a room with ping pong and pool table and a large all purpose room. There is also mini-golf, tennis courts and a children's playground. There are all kinds of activities for both adults and kids. Sign up was in the Activities Office which also handled ticket sales (some discounted) for a number of the attractions in the area. Fairfield does a day-long guided tour to Washington, DC in a full-size coach with restroom facility. Reservations and payment must be made the day before the scheduled trip.

The Welcome Center, recently completed and now open, serves as the Timeshare Sales Center. This is a top-of-the-line resort.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Excellent
• Amenities: Excellent
• Unit Satisfaction: Excellent
• Family Friendliness: Excellent
• Service: Excellent

Captain George’s Seafood Restaurant features its world-famous all-you-can-eat seafood buffet with over 70 items including Alaskan snow crab legs, fresh broiled fish, steamed shrimp, prime cut beef and delicious desserts. A regular menu and children’s menu are also available.

When you enter the dining area the first thing you see is a 12-foot waterfall on the left and there is also a stream flowing through the entire restaurant! One wall is covered by a seascape (beach, lighthouse, etc.). Great décor!

We arrived early so there was no waiting line and we were seated immediately. Since we were both having the buffet we went ahead and loaded up our plates. Our server had already brought our drinks to our table. The broiled salmon and crab imperial were outstanding! We made several trips back to the buffet bars (there were 3) and barely had room for dessert. The dessert bar had 15-20 items to choose from.

The food is excellent and we highly recommend this restaurant. Captain George’s is open daily at 4:30 pm; Saturday at 4:00 pm; Sunday 12:00 pm.

Shirley Plantation, settled in 1613, is the oldest plantation in Virginia and the oldest family-owned business in America, dating back to 1638. It is home to the Hill-Carter family spanning nearly four centuries. The present mansion was begun in 1723 and completed in 1738 and is largely in its original state and remains home to tenth and eleventh generations of the Hill-Carter family. The mother of Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Anne Hill Carter, was born at Shirley and in 1793 married "Light-Horse" Harry Lee in the mansion’s parlor. Our guided tour of the main floor featured original 18th century hand-carved woodwork, family portraits, silver, furniture and other decorative pieces. The square-rigged "flying" staircase rises three stories with no visible means of support and is the only one of its kind in America. The present occupants live on the 2nd and 3rd floor and we were cautioned by our tour guide to be respectful and quiet and not to touch the furniture, etc.

There are four brick outbuildings forming a Queen Anne forecourt which is believed to be the only remaining example in America of this architectural style. These include a large two story kitchen, laundry house and two L-shaped barns, one with the ice cellar beneath it. Other original structures include the stable, smokehouse, root cellar, pump house and dovecote.

There is a gift shop on the premises and an admission fee is charged which helps preserve and improve this unique part of our history. Shirley Plantation has been designated a National Historic Landmark

The Williamsburg Winery is located just minutes from Historic Colonial Williamsburg with over 50 acres of vineyards surrounding the winery and tavern. The winery resembles a European village in the Old World Style. It is Virginia’s largest winery, producing over 50,000 cases of wine annually. Tours of the facility and wine tastings are held daily by the professionally trained staff members. The guided tour at $7.00 per person includes a video presentation on grape growing (Viticulture) and winemaking (Oenology) followed by a walk through the barrel cellar and a visit to the production area. In the museum you will see a collection of unique and rare vintage wine bottles. The tour is completed with a tasting of seven wines which are served to you in an etched wine glass that you may take home as a keepsake. Wines are available for purchase in the gift shop. The Gabriel Archer Tavern, situated among the vineyards, serves lunch daily from 11 am – 4 pm with main courses under $10.00. You can dine indoors or, weather permitting, on the outside terrace with a view of the beautiful countryside.