One Tank Getaway: Williamsburg, VA

One-Tank Getaway Williamsburg, VA

by Christine Saleh Hear Ye! Hear Ye! Yankees! Don’t be fooled by the laid-back attitude you’re going to encounter south of the Mason-Dixon line. Williamsburg, VA is possibly one of the most beautiful and adventure-filled One-Tank Getaways we’ve ever embarked on. (It’s also one of the farthest.) It’s a two-day escape due South and an usually uneventful drive. Watch out for DC traffic, and make sure to get your AAA TripTik. Exit 234 off of I-64 South is reserved and unassuming. You won’t see huge billboards and gaudy signs, just majestic tree lines and immaculate streets all the way. Our choice for lodging was the Comfort Inn & Suites (wmbg.com/nhb), located two minutes from I-64 and three minutes from downtown Williamsburg. Check-in (and out) were momentary and painless. Their rooms are spacious, the beds are comfortable, and nothing beats a fridge right in your room. We arrived in the afternoon, settled in, and began our getaway by heading over to the College of William and Mary for the Historic Ghost Tour (TheGhostTour.com). A stone’s throw from the Historic Area (paid admission required), we arrived early and stopped in a local café, Aroma’s, for a quick bite and warming beverage. The tour groups meet in the center of Duke of Gloucester Street and begin a healthy walk. (If you’ve got little ones or a bad knee, think about this one hard before investing). The tour winds through the streets of Williamsburg, and the guides tell tales with color and animation by the light of a candle lantern. Both entertaining and chilling, it’s worth every penny and every step if you’re interested in the folk lore of Williamsburg. It’s also quite handy if you plan to visit the Historic Area, as you’ll be armed with great tales to investigate. Our drive back to the Comfort Inn Suites could well have been a 15 minute walk; it’s that close. We awoke to a complimentary continental breakfast that was simply excellent. Imagine breakfast in a gourmet kitchen stocked with hot and cold cereals, fresh fruits, beverages galore, and a quaint café style-dining area replete with 10 foot murals of historic Williamsburg. The next morning it was off to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor’s Center, where guests pay the admission fee. Parking is ample, and the trolley bus ride into the Historic Area is enjoyable. Colonial Williamsburg (ColonialWilliamsburg.com) offers hundreds of buildings to explore, all housing exhibits about colonial living and tradesmen showcasing their unique skills. Terrific actors in period costumes wander the streets, interacting with the visitors in a live-action drama. If you aren’t tuckered out from your ghost tour the night before, try one of the available walking tours, such as a garden tour, a religion tour, or a theater tour. Those who can’t take one more step can relax on carriage or wagon rides; however, be sure to make reservations early in the day. And beware: fife and drum corps march regularly down the cobblestone streets, gleefully inspiring your kids to march right into the gift shop, begging for drums of their own. After our enchanting morning in Historic Williamsburg, we enjoyed an elegant, lunch at The Trellis in Merchants Square. This wonderful restaurant, with an open-air patio, is famous for its cheesecake, which is actually more like a quiche with fillings such as ham and pine nuts. Next: The outlet stores at Prime Outlets! (PrimeOutlets.com) Who wouldn’t love shopping at a designer outlet mall featuring stores like Nike, Liz Claiborne, Nautica, and Timberland? Being true bargain hunters, we appreciated the special promotions Prime Outlets offers beyond its usual discounted prices. For example, we picked up an aptly named “More Card” at OshKosh B’Gosh. A list of special discounts and participating stores was printed on this green, pseudo credit card. All we had to do was flash our More Card at the cashier for “more” savings. A quick change of clothes in our suite and we were off to the Backfin Seafood Restaurant (BackfinRestaurant.com), an anchor of great food tucked in the woods on Strawberry Plains Road. It was a bustling Saturday night and after ringing the “Ship’s Dinner Bell,” we were seated in a tall, comfy booth looking over the entire dining room. From the incredible Crab Balls appetizer, and Seafood Platter and New York Strip steak entrees to the homemade Apple and Key Lime Pies, it was an exceptional meal. Don’t forget to say hi to chipper owner Waverly Brooks, and make sure they serve you plenty of cornbread and hush puppies… nothing compares. Since we hadn’t quite gotten our fill of history and patriotism in the morning, we decided to catch the evening show at The Music Theatre of Williamsburg (MusicTheatre.com), Saluting Our American Heritage Through Music. The Theatre, with its Tara-esque columns out front and grand foyer, reinforces the theme of a period long past. The show, which featured music from the 1940s through today, was fast moving and performed by an energetic cast. Seated in a cozy chair, the show seemed much shorter than its two hours. Here’s a tip: Get to the Music Theater early and enjoy a walk through the Candle Factory next door. You’ll be glad you did, as they may be closed by the time the show ends. After another fine and filling continental breakfast it was time to head home, but not before a leisurely romp through the Virginia Living Museum (VALivingMuseum.org). More like a zoo than anything else, we walked along the lakeside boardwalk, visiting with foxes, otters, beavers, and raccoons. The wildflower gardens were in bloom, harboring birds and butterflies even at this late time of the season. A highlight for families with young children is definitely the Touch Tank, where we were personally acquainted with sea stars, horseshoe crabs, and other marine life. We ended our Sunday sneak-away with a trip to the museum’s planetarium to see The Xtra Terrestrial Files. Although our schedule didn’t permit, The Virginia Living Museum also hosts a nocturnal animal exhibit with bats, tree frogs, and other creatures of the night. It’s a bit of a drive back to Harrisburg – probably about four hours – but perfectly tolerable and absolutely a One-Tank Getaway. On a side note we chose not to visit Busch Gardens or Water Country USA because of our short stay. No one would argue that those wonderful adventures are an OTG of their own, and I’m sure we’ll be back.	Williamsburg, VA Places to Stay • Comfort Inn & Suites 1420 Richmond Road 800-444-4678 • Colonial Houses and Taverns 28 Individual Properties 800-447-8679 • Williamsburg Inn Frances Street 757-229-1000 Places to Eat • Backfin Seafood Restaurant 3701 Strawberry Plains Road 757-565-5430 • Christiana Campbell’s Tavern 101 South Waller Street 757-229-1000 • Carmela’s Italian Restaurant 207 By-Pass Road 757-253-6544 Places to Shop • Prime Outlets (Located on Richmond Road): American Outpost • Brooks Brothers • Eddie Bauer • Crabtree & Evelyn • OshKosh B’Gosh • Perfumania • Liz Claiborne • Historic District Area: Campus Shop at the College of William and Mary • Merchants Square • Historic District Stores on Duke of Gloucester Street • ‘UPTown District’ 9 (Located on Richmond Road, west of Williamsburg’s Downtown Historic District): Toano Toy Works • Candle Factory Outlet Mall • The Shops at Carolina Furniture • Williamsburg Pottery Factory