Beyond Colonial Williamsburg

When writing a vacation journal for IgoUgo there are things we have seen and done that don’t fit into other categories. This hodgepodge collection in “Beyond Williamsburg” focuses on those places. They were important parts of our trip and the Williamsburg experience. Most of these places I learned about on line either from other IgoUgo reviews or from “what is there to do in Williamsburg” searches. One was a happy accident that we stumbled on when the place I wanted to go was closed. I recommend them all.

Imagine Colonial Williamsburg as the center of activities in the town. The principal streets reach out like spokes from a hub. The roads connecting the historic old town to Richmond, Virginia’s present capitol have the most attractions and restaurants. I advise taking a drive on your first day here and scout out these main roads. There are several shopping areas including discount malls. The city itself is worth a slow drive through. The lovely brick buildings of The College of William and Mary set the theme for the entire town.

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This year we exchanged our timeshare week for a stay at Wyndham Kingsgate in Williamsburg, Virginia. They were formerly known as Fairfield Kingsgate. They are ideally located about a mile from The Colonial Williamsburg Visitor Center. It was just a short drive to all the major tourism points and just a couple of blocks from a variety of restaurants and shops.

Check in was painless. We had been tipped off to avoid the two desks giving away discount books. The discounts came with a timeshare sales pitch. We have had rather persistent salespersons at other resorts where we have stayed. These people seemed to understand the word “no”. The resort complex had a lot of good features. Kingsfare Tavern was the restaurant on site. We did not use it, because we were offsite during lunch and almost always fix our own breakfasts and suppers at the unit. For the athletically inclined centrally located tennis courts, miniature golf and swimming pools looked well maintained. I enjoyed walking the grounds for my exercise. The landscaping, particularly at the main entrance is beautiful. At the activity center was a much-hyped game center. We were charged an additional $5/day for the use of this area. This is not our kind of entertainment and we were slightly resentful of the fee when we would not be using it.

Our unit was on the ground floor of a two-story building. The two-bedroom condo was attractive and very spacious. It had a full size kitchen, dining room to seat 6 comfortably, large living room, two baths, a master bedroom with gigantic whirlpool tub, and a nice sized second bedroom. The furniture and mattresses were comfortable and in good condition. There were three televisions, which kept everyone happy. Now for the list of things they could have improved on. The colors in the decorating were attractive but very dark which meant we used every light in the place to feel good. The closets were odd shaped and made hanging clothes awkward. The kitchen cupboards were hung too high on the wall. I had to use a chair to stand on to get a juice glass off the second shelf. There apparently is no soundproofing in the walls. People coming in late to the rooms upstairs woke up my husband every night. Although the buildings are zoned no-smoking, the lobby always smelled of stale smoke because the smokers stood out on the veranda just outside the door. We learned not to linger in the lobby. My husband adds that the maintenance staff wasn’t very professional. He sites a repair done to the wallpaper, using staples! All and all however, it was a good place to stay. We wouldn’t hesitate to return here.

I had heard this was a local legend. I had even read that folks park on the shoulder of the Interstate and climb a fence to get here. We found an easy route aided by official looking green highway signs. From I-64 exit 238, go south to the stoplight, and turn right onto Rochambeau. Or from Hwy 60 go north on Airport Road to Rochambeau and turn left. But enough about getting there, you could just open your car window and follow that wonderful Bar-B-Que scent.

We weren’t sure where to park or what door to enter, but once inside we knew we were going to have to wait in line to order. Don’t be intimidated. I asked a local for instructions on the procedure here and he was very cordial. Pierce’s crew is experienced at moving people on through the line. When you get to the counter to place your order be prepared, because it goes fast. We both ordered the popular BBQ pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw. Bill’s was a J.C.’s special and included a Jumbo sandwich, Regular Drink, French Fries and a HomeBaked Cookie. His cookie choices were chocolate chip, oatmeal raisin, or macadamia nut. Tough decision, especially since he was eyeing the tempting dessert menu. Also on the menu are BBQ chicken, burgers, BBQ salads, BBQ ribs and lots of Southern side dishes like Sweet Potato Sticks, Hush Puppies, and Collards. If someone in your party doesn’t like BBQ there are choices like Chicken Tenders, and Hot Dogs. Prices are moderate and you can get take out, too.

The difficult part of eating at Pierce’s is finding a table. Its first come first serve. No table…you take the stuff to your car. Generally people are polite about not lingering after their meals. However, the tabletops and floor aren’t wiped clean very often. The floor around the drink station was sticky enough to pull your shoes off. Supper for two with one beverage was $11.89.

Mirabella’s was not our first choice for supper, but Number 1 was temporarily closed. Not knowing what we were getting into we tried Mirabella’s. Walking in from the parking I noticed one plus right away. The restaurant was connected to Bassets a Christmas shop.

We found ourselves in a family oriented Italian restaurant. Despite the fact that it wasn’t even 5:00 pm yet, the waiter greeted us if they had been waiting eagerly all day for us to arrive. We noticed that everyone was greeted that way. Settling in with menus to study we noticed the unusual décor in the dining area. All around the room near the ornate tin ceiling, a model train track was laid out in front of a wallpaper border depicting an Italian village. A long bridge was constructed over the walkway to another dining area. Several model trains were positioned along the route. We never saw them running and the waiter said that in his short time here, he had never seen them operational. Come to think of it …it would be bad PR if one jumped the track and landed in your serving of pasta!

The food was very good. Bill had lasagna and I had Chicken Rocco. They were accompanied by generous tossed salads and a breadbasket with great rye and caraway breads in the mix. Bill lingered over his coffee while I went next door to the Christmas shop. Wow! This place was well stocked. I was hunting for Thanksgiving decorations and they had two sections of the store with Halloween and Thanksgiving items. I found just what I wanted. I decided I was glad our Number 1 choice had been closed, because Mirabella’s and Bassets were a good combination. Supper for two with one beverage and tip was $39.00.

Years ago we were sent a Christmas present of Whitley’s extra large Virginia peanuts. The catalogue followed. It even followed us when we moved. We love their peanuts, so it is a given that we would visit Whitley’s Peanut Factory. Located on busy Richmond Road, it has a small parking lot and the Amtrak rails close behind. Inside we found lots of free samples. Bill liked the candied peanuts well enough to buy a bag. I bought a bag of cashews and large holiday tins of peanuts to give as presents. The clerk went back to the storeroom and cut off a sample of the peanut butter fudge for me to try (they have to keep it refrigerated). It was heavenly!!! I didn’t dare buy it because I would have consumed the whole brick on the drive back to the condo. If you are interested in great tasting nuts check out their website for mail orders: www.whitleyspeanut.com.

I know I already told you to go to a bookstore for your souvenirs of the area. This shop, however, specializes in College of William & Mary logo merchandize. And why is that so important? Because my husband’s name is William and my name is Mary. We loaded up our shopping bag with coffee mug, magnet, book-bag, hat, and T-shirt. How could we resist? At the counter I explained to the clerk what our names were and asked if they had other William & Mary(s) come in daily. “No,” she replied wearily “just two or three times a week.” We would have bought the hat and coffee mug anyway.

If you like to eat, shop or people watch, Merchants Square is the place for you. Located in Williamsburg between the Historic District and William & Mary College it is also on the National Resister of Historic Places.

Parking can be found in adjoining lots off Francis Street and Henry Street or in a large parking garage North of Prince George Street. We solved the parking problem by using the Colonial Williamsburg Blue Route bus. We had bought a multi day pass and just parked free at the Visitors Center, took the Red Route bus to the Palace stop and transferred to the Blue.

Located in the area are over forty shops and restaurants. Two of the most popular restaurants are The Cheese Shop and Fat Canary. The first one is a shop with separate counters where you can order deli food, beverages, packaged food and gifts, and cheese. It is a bit confusing to a first-timer, but the locals buzzed around from counter to counter with no problems. It is very busy and very crowded. Seating is outside. The Fat Canary no tables available when we were there. We did look over the menu and my husband didn’t find one thing he would order. Not a place for a plain food devotee. There are plenty of other choices in the area, but most seemed pricey.

We did enjoy the shops, especially The Christmas Shop, Williamsburg at Home, Scotland House Ltd., Everything Williamsburg and Williamsburg Celebrations. Besides walking from shop to shop, we found it very enjoyable to sit on a bench and watch the crowd. It was a lovely October day with higher than normal temperatures. People were enjoying this last gasp of summer by lingering in the common areas.

Searching for a mid afternoon coffee break we checked out the restaurants in Merchants Square. They were over-packed and as my husband pointed out overpriced. We are always drawn to bookstores. That led us to the College of William & Mary Bookstore & Café. Good for us, we got a coffee-break stop, too. Located at the edge of Merchants Square just doors away from the Historic District of Colonial Williamsburg, this Barnes & Nobles serves as the college bookstore for William & Mary College and a great tourist shop.

On the second floor is a moderately priced cafe where we lingered over two great coffee concoctions. The baristas were accommodating and patient, even though there was a line-up of students, Profs, and tourists wanting their caffeine fix. They did need another employee to clear and clean tables and empty the overflowing trash bins. There were several tables and some window dormer seats for one that gave an excellent view of the street activity below. We enjoyed the selection of books available here, particularly the local interest section. I found some unusual book and computer bags in the college oriented section of the store. This was a good choice.

If you like to eat, shop or people watch, Merchants Square is the place for you. Located in Williamsburg between the Historic District and William & Mary College it is also on the National Resister of Historic Places.

Parking can be found in adjoining lots off Francis Street and Henry Street or in a large parking garage North of Prince George Street. We solved the parking problem by using the Colonial Williamsburg Blue Route bus. We had bought a multi day pass and just parked free at the Visitors Center, took the Red Route bus to the Palace stop and transferred to the Blue.

Located in the area are over forty shops and restaurants. Two of the most popular restaurants are The Cheese Shop and Fat Canary. The first one is a shop with separate counters where you can order deli food, beverages, packaged food and gifts, and cheese. It is a bit confusing to a first-timer, but the locals buzzed around from counter to counter with no problems. It is very busy and very crowded. Seating is outside. The Fat Canary no tables available when we were there. We did look over the menu and my husband didn’t find one thing he would order. Not a place for a plain food devotee. There are plenty of other choices in the area, but most seemed pricey.

We did enjoy the shops, especially The Christmas Shop, Williamsburg at Home, Scotland House Ltd., Everything Williamsburg and Williamsburg Celebrations. Besides walking from shop to shop, we found it very enjoyable to sit on a bench and watch the crowd. It was a lovely October day with higher than normal temperatures. People were enjoying this last gasp of summer by lingering in the common areas.