A Walk Back in Time: Exploring Williamsburg

Knoxville and the surrounding area have so much to offer in terms of getting away. You can click here to see some of my previous posts. But sometimes, you want to go a little further. This week we’re heading back in time to Colonial Williamsburg. Back when my kids were in school, we did the Washington D.C. trip, the Boston trip, Gettysburg, and even the Alamo. But somehow, we missed out on Williamsburg. I decided it was time to remedy that. It was time to see what Williamsburg had to offer.

But before I begin, one word of wisdom …  if you’re not interested in history at all, you might want to skip this location. While Busch Gardens is just down the road, and the beach isn’t much further, Williamsburg is best known for its historical significance. So, if you’re not ready to nerd out on history, you might want to try another vacation spot.

In fact, there is so much history in this area that Colonial Williamsburg and its neighboring colonial communities, Yorktown and Jamestown, are collectively known as the Historic Triangle.

While Williamsburg is a little too far for a weekend trip, it’s the perfect location for a vacation lasting five or more days.  If you’re willing to drive, you can be there in a little over seven hours (barring any accidents or road construction). If you prefer flying, Newport News/Williamsburg is the closest airport, located just 20 miles from downtown Williamsburg.  Richmond and Norfolk airports are about 45 miles away.

We drove and unfortunately ran into some traffic, so it was a little late when we arrived. The next day rain was forecast so we decided to visit the Williamsburg outlets. Let me save you some time and tell you….don’t go.

Maybe if you are from an area that doesn’t have an outlet mall close to you, it might be worth it. But with Knoxville being so close to Pigeon Forge and the Tanger outlet we’ve been spoiled. In my opinion, this wasn’t nearly as nice as the Tanger outlet.  

I honestly considered the time we spent there as wasted. I found a couple of hair barrettes but that was all. Thankfully once we left the outlet area, things looked up. We had lunch at Pierce’s Pitt Bar-B-Que. This award-winning casual restaurant offers a selection of meats cooked over an open pit using hickory and oak wood. It was the perfect place to slough off the disappointment from the outlet mall and prepare for the next adventure.

One of the first things hubby and I like to do when vacationing is to drive around and just see what there is to explore. You can do all kinds of online research, but nothing takes the place of just “looking around”. Since we had wasted most of the morning and afternoon, and it was a yucky, rainy day, we decided that driving around and getting a “feel of the land” might be just what we needed

Somehow, we ended up on the Jamestown Scotland Ferry which crosses the James River. This would be a great ride during the summer when the weather is cooperating. You can get out of your car and watch the world go by during the twenty-minute ride. The ferry operates 24 hours a day and you’ll be amazed how quickly these people get cars loaded. It’s not something that’s on anyone’s bucket list, but it was a pleasant surprise. Check the ferry schedule because departure times vary.  

Hubby and I spent two days exploring Colonial Williamsburg, and we probably could have used another day. If you’re just a little interested in history, you might be able to do it in one, but if you really enjoy history, I would plan on three days.

We started our trip at the Colonial Williamsburg visitor center where you can buy your tickets and explore a ginormous gift shop. Make sure to search online for multiday tickets before you go. There’s more on that later in this post.

Leaving the visitor center you cross over the footbridge and  “Walk Back in Time”. As you’re walking, you’ll come across stones that tell you about certain events that make you feel like you actually are going back in time. It’s a pretty cool concept.

From the footbridge, it is a pleasant, wooded walk to Colonial Williamsburg. We began at the Governor’s palace. Eventually we ended up taking the tour which was amazing. But on our first day we explored the kitchen. They had a display of the foods that would have been eaten back in the colonial days and were actually preparing more food as we watched.

Now here is the beauty of Colonial Williamsburg – the people who work here really know their history. And what was so cool to me was that when you ask a question, they answer it as if they were back in the time period of Colonial Williamsburg. They remain totally in character.

Here’s my most important tip for your trip to the Historic Triangle. Ask lots of questions of the people who are at each location. They want you to ask questions, and they have studied a lot to be able to answer your questions.

In fact, that’s exactly what we did at the kitchen of the governor’s palace. We asked about the food they were making. We asked about the gardens. And all of the questions were answered as if we were “back in the day.”

You can visit Colonial Williamsburg without paying for tickets, but a lot of the buildings require an admission ticket, so don’t skimp here. Some of the reviews I have read said you really don’t need a ticket, but I disagree. To get the full experience, you need to be able to go into all the shops.

Saying that, some of the buildings might not be open when you are visiting. We visited in May and there were a few buildings that weren’t open. There were also some buildings that weren’t open on our first day but were open the second. That’s why I think you absolutely should spend at least two days in Williamsburg.

Our two days in Colonial Williamsburg were days spent steeped in history with brief forays back into our current time. There are so many buildings that you are going to want to visit in Colonial Williamsburg. Top of the list is the Governor’s mansion which we talked about above. You also are going to want to see the Bruton Parish Church. What is unique about the church is that the current church members volunteer to serve as trained guides.

They are well-informed guides and can tell you everything you want to know about the history of the church. This is still an active church today and you can attend their services if you like. If you don’t want to attend a service, check out the schedule posted on the door to see what other activities they are having in the evenings. Most of these events are free to attend. As you enter the church pick up the brochure that gives you additional historical information.

We spent hours going from shop to shop, talking with the colonial shopkeepers about what it was like back in Colonial Days. One of my favorite shops was the dressmaker’s shop where she told us how many hours it took to make each of the dresses seen below. The red dress took approximately 45 hours, and the blue dress took approximately 75 hours.

And then of course there was the trial that you could actually participate in at the Courthouse and the demonstration of muskets and of course you may at any time see a group of colonists and tourists parading down the street accompanied by drum rolls.  Take a carriage ride and explore Colonial Williamsburg without all the steps.

Make sure that you take the opportunity to have lunch or dinner in one of the three authentic taverns in Colonial Williamsburg: Kings Arms Tavern, Christiana Campbell’s Tavern and Shield’s Tavern. We tried Shields Tavern and totally enjoyed the “Groaning Board Menu”. The fried chicken we had there was some of the best I have ever eaten. According to our waiter, the chef said it took her 7 years to perfect her fried chicken recipe. You can click here for more information on Shield’s Tavern.

After checking out all Colonial Williamsburg has to offer, you’re sure to be ready for a break so head down to Aromas Café and Bakeshop in Merchants Square. Merchants Square is one of the earliest planned shopping districts in the United States. It was created to house some of the shops that had to be moved to allow for the accurate restoration of Colonial Williamsburg.

Aromas is a coffee shop with a difference. In addition to coffee and baked goods, they have breakfast, lunch and dinner options. They roast their own coffee and offer gluten free, vegetarian, and vegan items.

After two days at Colonial Williamsburg, we geared up for a day on the Yorktown Battlefield. But nobody should face a battlefield before they have their first cup of coffee so, we headed to Mobjack Bay Coffee Roaster in Yorktown.

Located in the historic Cole Digges House, Mobjacks offers all the usual coffee drinks in addition to a small breakfast and lunch menu. If you get there on a sunny day, make sure and enjoy your treats outside on the picnic tables.

We began our tour at the Yorktown Visitor Center. You can get a park brochure with maps and information here. We also downloaded the “Yorktown Tour Guide” which is available on Google Play, the App Store, or as a web app. Using this app as we drove the tours allowed us to really experience the Yorktown Battle. It was a sobering drive allowing you to see how close these battles were to the town.

While I love history, I needed a break, so we escaped to the Yorktown Riverwalk Landing. This charming area offers stunning river views, boutique shops and waterfront dining. Water Street Grille quickly became our go to spot for dining. Their juicy burgers were perfectly seasoned, and their York River Crab Dip was stupendous with huge chunks of crab.

Once we filled up at Water Street Grill we boarded the Schooner Alliance II for a sunset sail on the York River. Departing from the Riverwalk Landing Pier, the Schooner Alliance II also offers Sightseeing Day Sails. You can either relax on board, or you can help set the sails. Either way, it is an experience you won’t soon forget, and the relaxing end to a long day.  

Next morning, it was time to go back in time. But this time it was to Jamestown.

Bear in mind, there is a difference between Jamestown Settlement and Historic Jamestowne. We didn’t know that until a Williamsburg resident explained it.

Historic Jamestowne is “the original site of the first successful English Colony in Virginia”.  There is plenty to discover there with archaeological digs, the Archaearium museum, and several different tours and programs. Make sure you wear comfy shoes and bring insect repellant. You’ll be walking about three- quarters of a mile.

Unfortunately, because of the weather, Hubby and I decided not to explore Historic Jamestown, Instead, we spent our time at the Jamestown Settlement where we explored the galleries inside and the living history areas outside.

The outside areas were our favorites. Here again we found an immersive experience where you can walk around a recreated Native-American town, explore James Fort, and board a “re-creation of one of the three ships that sailed to Virginia in 1607.” All throughout your exploration, historical interpreters dressed in period costumes stand ready to answer all your questions about what life must have been like back then.  

One of the highlights of this day was our visit to Jamestown Glasshouse which is a reconstructed building featuring glass blowers who use similar tools and techniques as those used by earlier glassblowers. While the glass furnaces are now heated by natural gas rather than wood, it’s easy to imagine you are back in Colonial Days as you watch these artists produce beautiful masterpieces.  

The day we were there, they were making glass onion bottles. This is a historical reproduction of a bottle used by tavern owners because it was more stable than other bottles. I couldn’t resist. Mine is sitting on a table in my kitchen.

Since Steve and I absolutely hate to go home from vacation, we try to pack stuff in on our travel day also.

We quickly learned we should have left more time for this museum. As we browsed through the indoor exhibits, one of the docents suggested we watch the film “The Siege of Yorktown”. While I wasn’t sure we wanted to waste time sitting through a video, the docent assured us it was worth the time. For us, it was the highlight of the indoor exhibits. The 180-degree screen makes you feel like you are in the middle of the Yorktown battlefield with the cannon fire echoing around you.

Since we were pressed for time, we hurried through the remainder of the inside exhibits and moved outside to get a look at the outdoor displays. Outside, you can explore a Continental Army encampment where you can see cooking demonstrations, discuss medical treatments and watch “soldiers” firing their weapons.

As you continue your exploration outside, you’ll come upon a period farm where you can learn about what life on the farm was like during the Revolution era.  Click here for more information including maps  of the American Revolution Museum at Yorktown and Jamestown Settlement  Plan Your Visit | Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, VA

There are several different ticket options that you’ll want to explore, including a 2 or 4 site ticket. If you plan on being in the area for more than four days and you want to visit as many sites as you can, the best bang for your buck would be the America’s Historic Triangle Ticket. It allows you to get unlimited admission for up to seven days at the three living history museums and the two national parks. You can access that by clicking here.  America’s Historic Triangle | Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation, VA

What about you? Have you ever been to Williamsburg? What did you particularly enjoy? Was I wrong about the outlet mall?