Williamsburg Journals

Colonial Williamsburg

An April 2001 trip to Williamsburg by bob-n-marilyn

Seasons Restaurant Photo - Seasons Restaurant, Williamsburg, Virginia More Photos
Quote: Long weekend get-away (Fri-Tue) in historic Williamsburg (VA), late-April, early-May, 2001. Looking for that perfect mix of relaxation and exploration. Williamsburg offers plenty to see and do.

Colonial Williamsburg

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Overview

Williamsburg Capitol Photo - Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
We are home now and the trip is now just a memory. The weather was perfect and we found plenty to see and do. On our first day there, we got settled in. On our second day there we walked around Merchant Square and had a great lunch. Afterwards, we toured the area, seeing the sights and shops. At night we went on a Ghost tour of Williamsburg. On our third day there, we went through a timeshare presentation. It wasn't the hightlight of the trip, but it paid for the hotel and dinner. Afterwards we took a scenic drive over Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. We had some time at night to play minature golf. On our fourth day and last day there, we walked through Colonial Williamsburg ...Read More

Comfort Inn Historic Area

Hotel | "Comfort Inn Historic Area - Williamsburg"

Quote:
Hotel was easy to find from Route 64 (the major highway from Richmond to Williamsburg); road signs were clear and eay to follow right to the hotel. The exterior reflects its Southern charm; the staff were friendly and we had no problems checking in. The room was nice and the neiborhood was quiet -- even with the window open we didn''t hear much noise. It lacked a hair dryer and the desk area wasn''t set up for working at a laptop (it was to high a desk and the phone jack was on the other side of the room). The Sleep Inn is a better deal if you don''t need the pool and hotel restaurant. If you do stay here. Sign up for their frequent stay program at Guestprivileges.com, even if you never stay ...Read More

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on April 27, 2001

Comfort Inn Historic Area
706 BYPASS RD US 60
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
757-229-9230

Sleep Inn Williamsburg

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Hotel | "Sleep Inn Historic Area"

The Sleep Inn Photo - Sleep Inn Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
The hotel was a little hard to find because it is off the road behind the Golden Corral Restaurant, but once we found it we enjoyed our stay. The exterior was clean and well lit. The room was clean and modern with hair dryer, iron and board. It also had a nice desk to write this journal from with a phone jack and electrical outlet right next to the desk. Much better then the Comfort Inn we stayed at the first night.

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 28, 2001

Sleep Inn Williamsburg
220 BYPASS RD
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
757-259-1700

Seasons Restaurant

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Restaurant

Seasons Resturant - Canopy Seating Photo - Seasons Restaurant, Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
Our first time into Williamsburg Center was at noon on a Saturday and we were hungry. Bad timing. The Duke of Gloucester Street eateries were crammed with school groups and busloads of retirees. That worked to our advantage because we meandered a block or two south along S. Henry Street to the Season's Restaurant. Lots of outside tables, some under umbrellas, ours in the shade of a large overhang. Quiet, relaxing and the lunch salads were big and good. Chicken walnut for Marilyn -- two big scoops on a bed of greens, $7.95; Ceasar w/chicken, $8.95 for Bob. Prices were comparable to those we saw on Duke of Gloucester but with great food and a more relaxed atmosphere we give them 4 stars. Check o...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 28, 2001

Seasons Restaurant
110 South Henry Street
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
757-259-0018

Second St Restaurant and Tavern

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Restaurant

Exterior view of Second St Restaurant Photo - Second St Restaurant and Tavern, Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
We asked the hotel staff for a recommendation for a good burger place, they immediately said "Second St." and gave us a photocopied menu with a 10% off coupon. They have a web site (www.secondst.com). The menu runs from quiche, pasta and burgers to steaks, sandwiches and soups/salads ($5.99 to $15.99). We started with a WilliamsBurger Quesadilla ($6.99); ground beef w/grilled onions, sauteed mushrooms and cheese. The menu said "Yum" and we agreed. Bob had the Uptown burger and Marilyn had the 6th street burger (aka/black and bleu), both were cooked as ordered. If you are looking for a good burger cooked to your specs, Second St. is the place to go. Comfortable, relaxed atmosphere w...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 27, 2001

Second St Restaurant and Tavern
140 Second St
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
757-220-2286

Kings Arms Tavern

Restaurant

Entrance to the Kings Arms Tavern Photo - Kings Arms Tavern, Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
This resaurant captures fine dining as it was during the colonial times. All the staff are dressed in period costumes. The food includes grand salads and specialties like Virginia Peanut soup (pretty good if you're a peanut butter fanatic) and game pies. We tried Shrub (cranberry juice w/sorbet) and it was a great refresher for our sunny day. The food and service was great. We would go back again.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 5, 2001

Kings Arms Tavern
409 Duke of Gloucester Street
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
(757) 229-8610

Yukon Steak Co.

Restaurant

Restaurant Entrance Photo - Yukon Steak Co., Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
We picked this restaurant because we received a $30 meal voucher for attending a Fairfield timeshare presentation (we didn't buy). Even after the voucher it still cost $25 for two, and we didn't buy any alcoholic drinks. Overall we felt is was overpriced for the quality of food, not that the food was bad. They describe it as "a piece of Canada," and you pay for the trip! With all the other restaurants in the area we would try another restaurant before we came back to this one. Pricey, food good.

Member Rating 2 out of 5 on May 5, 2001

Yukon Steak Co.
1735 Richmond Rd
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
757-229-1501

Merchant Square

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Attraction

Map of Merchant Square Photo - Merchant Square, Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
This is a quaint shopping district with lots of brick colonial buildings. The actual market covers several blocks with at least one main street blocked off to traffic. Some of the shops catered to local students (such as the Barnes and Noble Bookstore) while others focused on tourists (e.g., Everything Williamsburg is filled with reproductions). There were also restaurants and more general stores for apparel and housewares. Parking was easy to find, but on a Saturday afternoon several of the lots were filled. We enjoyed our visit. Bring walking shoes.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on April 28, 2001

Merchant Square
West Duke of Gloucester Street
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185

Ghosts of Williamsburg Tour

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Attraction | "The Original Ghosts of Williamsburg"

Spooky Photo - Ghosts of Williamsburg Tour, Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
This candlelight tour is a great introduction to Colonial Williamsburg for people of all ages and from all backgrounds. Our guide gave us a glimpse into colonial life as we walked by the oldest buildings on the campus of the College of William and Mary then down the boulevard past a candlelit church and onto the greens. Along with unscarry tales of ghosts we learned the significance of "minding your p's and q's". For those of us who are not colonial scholars -- or even history buffs -- it was a most enjoyable evening activity, lasting 1 1/2 hours (8-9:30). We saw the houses that Washington, Jefferson, Lafayette and others lived in and visited and we heard stories of historic, colonial Willi...Read More

Member Rating 4 out of 5 on April 28, 2001

Ghosts of Williamsburg Tour
5715 Richmond Road
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
(757) 253-1058

Colonial Williamsburg

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Attraction | "Colonial Williamsburg (part 1 - The Gardens)"

Rear Entrance of Palace Photo - Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
Colonial Williamsburg is a section of town that has been restored. We spent a day walking around the historic village and wandered into several exhibits. We didn't try to do it all. We did enjoy our stay and were entertained with what we saw. The two most impressive exhibits were the Governor's Palace and the Capitol - we toured both of these. If you are serious about seeing all of Williamsburg and know that you want to spend a few days -- then the first thing you should do is go to the visitor center and buy the Freedom Pass -- it's $38 and is good all year, plus you get Free parking and evening activities. Also at the visitor center you can get the Map and Schedule for the times you will ...Read More

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 1, 2001

Colonial Williamsburg
134 Henry Street
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
(800) 4447-679

Colonial Williamsburg

Attraction | "Colonial Williamsburg (part 2, Other sites)"

Inside the Capitol Photo - Colonial Williamsburg, Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
After lunch at the Kings Arms Tavern, we continued our tour of the town. The Courthouse and the Capitol where two of the interesting buildings we visited before we left for the day. Wear comfortable shoes and sunglasses or a floppy hat -- our sunny day was bright! If you're a colonial history buff you'll have no problems finding tons of interesting things to see. If not, Williamsburg is still a pleasant stroll giving you a peak at Colonial life. There are hundreds of buildings from an Apothecary to the Winthrop Rockefellar Archaelogy Museum, Fine restaurants and gardens abound.

Member Rating 3 out of 5 on May 5, 2001

Colonial Williamsburg
134 Henry Street
Williamsburg, Virginia 23185
(800) 4447-679

Northern Bridge Photo - Williamsburg, Virginia
Quote:
After seeing enough of the historical aspects of Colonial Williamsburg we decided to go for a drive. From Williamsburg, we drove I-64 South through Norfolk and then North on Route 13 over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. It took 3-4 hours with a few stops along the way. Today's extra sideshow turned out to be an impromptu airshow as we exited the Hampton Road Bridge Tunnel and entered Norfolk. Four fighter jets doing Blue Angel dives and rolls -- it was a wonder 50 cars didn't end up in a ditch from all the activity in the sky! The tunnels were fun to drive through and the view from the bridges was great. The toll is $10 each direction. But, unless you have a reason to go further North you...Read More