Girls' Weekend in Williamsburg

This was a very short trip to Virginia, to spend the weekend with my two sisters . . . one who still lives in the DC Metro Area in NoVA and the other who has since moved out west to the high desert of California. My youngest sister had also been down to Myrtle Beach for about ten days before heading north to Williamsburg, so she brought along her daughter-in-law and her 15 month old grandbaby.

I flew into Richmond which is generally the most convenient airport, although many use the Norfolk/Newport News Airport probably because the airlines call it the WILLIAMSBURG/Newport News Airport. If you are planning a trip to Williamsburg, I would personally suggest looking into Richmond as it is very convenient and for me, it's been less expensive too.

Now for the logistics of traveling or staying with a toddler. Noah is a wonderfully happy little boy. I have never heard a child giggle as much as he does, although, if momma left his sight for more than about a minute, he became fussy. Even with MeMa who he knows, I think having other big people around who are strangers, was a bit overwhelming for him.

That said, he enjoyed playing with his toy cars and a big stuffed puppy that sang songs to him. He was also fascinated with his mom's I-Phone and her MP3 player. He enjoyed wiggling and bobbing to the music, and was generally easily entertained. The biggest thing was watching your step to avoid stepping on a toy . . . or letting out a swear word if you did step on something.

For us, eating breakfast in each morning was best, given we were all on different wake-up schedules. My sister and niece did a nice job stocking the fridge so we all had enough to get our day started.

At the resort, we had a nice area to walk each evening, including the sand filled play ground area. Noah really enjoyed swinging and did do the slide, on his belly, feet first. As nightfall approached, so did the night critters. Mosquitoes were hungry and seemed to enjoy munching on us at dusk. They also have "no-see-um" bugs that will bite you and yet you see nothing in the air. Word to the wise, spray the OFF before going out at night!

Williamsburg in May is a very busy time, even though from a tourism point of view, it is considered a "shoulder season." May brings not only Mother's Day, but also the LPGA tour to Kingsmill and graduation at William & Mary. Add to that prom night, and you can see why the city seems to bust at the seams. Be sure to keep all of this in mind as you go out to enjoy the restored area or a nice restaurant for lunch or dinner.

For me, May is the perfect time to be in Williamsburg however. While on this trip it was particularly warm (high 80's on Friday and Saturday) May is typically pretty moderate without a lot of humidity. Trust me on this, if you do not like the heat and/or humidity, plan your visit before June 1st or after October 1st. Summer is hot and filled with tourists. No thank you!

EXCEPTION . . . Fourth of July/Independence Day is magical in Williamsburg. If you luck out and happen to be there when it is unseasonably cool, you will be treated so wonderful reenactments in Colonial Williamsburg . . . and a great fireworks display after dark.

This has become a familiar and regular dining spot whenever I come to Williamsburg. Their menu and quality are outstanding; you can count on a great meal here!

While my sister Cindy and my niece Brooke had both lived in Williamsburg, I don't think either had been here for dinner although both knew of the place.

We arrived shortly after 5:00pm on Friday evening, and other that a few folks out on the patio enjoying an adult beverage and a strumming guitar entertainer, it was pretty quiet. By the time we were done with our meal, however, business had picked up. I believe that their customer base is largely locals and not much in the way of tourists given they are about ten minutes from Colonial Williamsburg area where most congregate and visit.

Cindy and Brooke order the crab cake appetizer at my suggestion. I cannot come here without ordering the crab cake entree for dinner, which is served with a pan fried three cheese polenta. Ordinarily I would sub out the polenta for a potato side but I thoroughly enjoyed the sweet cornbread side dish and was happy that I had it on this visit.

Cindy and Brooke both ordered salads, which were bountiful and included grilled chicken, strawberries, and a colorful assortment of greens and veggies. The warm loaves of bread came early and were good with the salads and my crab cakes.

For toddler Noah, it was a PB&J sandwich along with a side dish of applesauce. He loved the applesauce so much that he had a refill of the yummy goodness. (Take a look at his photo that is included with this review.)

They had a nice dessert menu but we decided that we would share one. Three women . . . choice to be made? CHOCOLATE! We enjoyed the nice sized wedge of chocolate cake.

Dinner for the three of us, plus the kid's meal sandwich was $80 including tip. As usual, I scored a Restaurant.com gift certificate for $25 off for the purchase price of just $2. Our dining experience was outstanding and I will continue to recommend Shackleford's to anyone traveling or living in Williamsburg.

I cannot believe how long I've been coming to Williamsburg, dating back to when my mom lived here in the late 1980's and since buying a timeshare there in 2001, and have never visited The Cheese Shop. When my mom lived here, she and my sister who also lived in Williamsburg used to enjoy lunches either as carry-out or dining outside on the patio. Since that time, they have expanded and moved to Merchant's Square.

The four of us "girls" along with toddler Noah enjoyed a sunny Saturday afternoon of sandwiches and people watching on the front patio the faced DOG Street (Duke of Gloucester Street for those not from Williamsburg).

As you enter the shop, you will first see a lot of shelves and racks of gourmet foods including cheeses, spices, sauces, breads, snacks, wine, beverages and other items that you would expect to accompany such purchases (cheese boards, wine glasses, kitchen items, etc).

Orders are taken in the back, with many great choices available. I opted for the turkey on freshly baked french bread with their special house dressing. No veggies for me, but my sisters enjoyed spouts on theirs. They also offer other breads to include bagels. I must admit, I was seriously considering the cream cheese and lox on a bagel, but I was encouraged to not miss out on the french bread sandwiches.

There are snack sized bags of chips and other items to accompany your sandwich. Perhaps the best accompaniment are the homemade brownies, blondies and other cookie bars. I enjoyed my chocolate chip cookie bar!

There is a fountain for sodas or you can pick up a 20oz bottle from the cooler case. They also had a nice assortment of waters and juices. For the four of us, sandwiches, beverages and cookie bars came to right about $40.

One of the things I enjoyed about The Cheese Shop was the number of people who came to buy a bottle of wine and sit out to enjoy the spring afternoon. There isn't a nicer place in Williamsburg to sit out and enjoy the day!

They are open Monday through Saturday 10:00am - 9:00pm and Sunday 11:00am - 6:00pm.

We own a timeshare in Williamsburg but for this trip, my sister rented a two bedroom unit through a rental service. I was very impressed with the overall quality of the unit and the resort complex itself.

Our two bedroom unit included a large living room/dining room combo with a spacious full sized kitchen. Fully equipped for six guests, we were very comfortable with all of the space and seating available. The sofa was a queen size sleeper, making it possible for six adults to stay here comfortably.

The master bedroom had a king size bed with drawers and closet space suitable for a week or two vacation. The master bathroom was also roomy, the shower actually huge!

The other bedroom had two twin beds and is connected by a slider pocket door to the second bathroom. There is also access to the bathroom from the hallway, making this a max six capacity with privacy rating of six as well.

Off of the living room was a very nice patio area with a table and six chairs. It was here that we enjoyed a morning beverage as the ducks and geese passed by with their young. But the most surprising thing included in this timeshare resort unit was the sun room complete with a four person hot tub!

When we arrived the hot tub was empty for sanitation purposes. After a lengthy fill and a couple of hours of warm up, the tub was ready for relaxing after a long day of touring Colonial Williamsburg.

It is possible to rent weeks here at Powhatan Plantation Resort directly from owners or through vacation rental companies. For this four day weekend, the price was around $100/night . . . not bad considering the wonderful accommodations and overall resort amenities.

Speaking of those amenities, this resort has well manicured park-like areas to include several ponds, shoreline gazebos and a playground for the kids. Next to the swings and slides, there was also a small mini-golf course (available for a fee).

They have in outdoor swimming pool which was not open this early in the spring, so for those visiting outside of the summer season, the indoor pool with have to do. In the same building as the pool is a small fitness center.

There are also two restaurants on the property (see separate review).

I would not hesitate to stay here again, and in fact do look forward to taking my hubby there perhaps some fall or perhaps over the Grand Illumination in December.

There aren't many timeshare resorts that have restaurants on their property. Our Kingsgate Resort recently added one (maybe two years ago) and from all accounts, it is pretty bad. I'm guessing that when you are catering to vacation travelers and cost conscious families it is tough to have enough business at an affordable price to make ends meet. In today's tough economic times, I'm sure it is especially challenging.

Powhatan Plantation Resort has two restaurants including their casual dining choice Powhatan Grill which is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. While we stopped in at dinner time one evening, I must admit the thought of a good country breakfast with homemade biscuits was very enticing. Unfortunately, I was probably the only one remotely thinking about a real breakfast on Mother's Day morning.

For dinner however, they have a nice menu that includes appetizers, salads, and wonderful entrees including beef, chicken and seafood, as well as a nightly dessert selection. Prices were very reasonable; again considering this is a resort restaurant. As an example, the Jack Daniels marinated 12oz rib eye steak was $18.99 and included two sides. The fish fry at $14.95, however seemed high given I'm used to $11.95 AYCE (all you can eat) Friday specials.

The ambiance was very nice, to include a decent sized bar that was full-service to include beer, wine and liquor.

If you are staying at Powhatan Plantation Resort and don't feel like going back out for dinner after a full day of touring, their Powhatan Grill is a nice, convenient choice!