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Go Ape is a creative local place to take out-of-town guests for a little adventure.
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Charly's Airport Restaurant
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Duck Donuts
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Amber Ox Public House
It’s easy to love living in Williamsburg, and one of those reasons is that so many people want to visit! Our families have been coming since we moved here 16 years ago, and now the challenge is to keep coming up with new places to show them.
For the first few years, we showed out of town guests the Historic Area, the campus of William and Mary and Busch Gardens. For return guests, we went to all the smaller
Colonial Williamsburg sites like the wigmaker and the silversmith, evening programs
and Great Hopes Plantation. Then we moved on to Jamestown Settlement and our favorite local restaurants.
Looking for more options, I sat down with Tina Williams, the owner of Tripbound, a local family-oriented online travel agency, to talk about some hidden gems in the area.
There are four timeshare resorts that Tripbound works with in the Williamsburg area, and Tina recommends visiting relatives stay there because not only does a suite offer more space that hosting them at your house. You can also take advantage of the resort’s amenities, like pools and mini-golf, while avoiding crowds at busy tourist spots.
“I feel like I’m on vacation at a resort, too—it’s a staycation for me. If it rains, there’s often an indoor pool, an arcade or other entertainment on site,” she said.
Along with Megan Whaley, Tripbound’s budget travel expert, they suggested these local options:
• For a delicious lunch and place to play for the kids: Charly’s restaurant at the Williamsburg Airport, which has a playground plus you can watch planes come in!
• Send early risers to Kidsburg to play and then over to Duck Donuts to build custom-topped treats.
• Going downtown? Head to Amber Ox Public House for a delicious meal and drinks, with a stop into Three Sisters boutique to see what’s new.
• For your adventure-loving guests, try Go Ape Zip Line and Treetop Adventure at Freedom Park or Waller Mill Park for paddle boats and kayaking.
• If you want to relax and enjoy the weather on a patio, try tapas and paella at La Tienda on Jamestown Road or Paul’s Deli in New Town.
• Yorktown is a great day trip, with the new Museum of the American Revolution, with Segway tours through town or bike, kayak and paddleboard rentals trough Patriot Tours and Provisions.
• Interested in tasting your way through town? Try the Mooretown Road corridor with Bellissimo Pizza and Alewerks and Brass Cannon Brewing.
• Looking for free fun? Try the Saturday morning Farmers Market at Merchant Square or the Williamsburg Library on Scotland Street.
• Up in Toano? Two Drummers Smokehouse has amazing BBQ, plus kids eat free on Wednesday nights and there’s BOGO BBQ on Tuesday nights. Live music on Thursdays. It’s worth the trip even if you don’t happen to be in the upper County.
“We are lucky to live somewhere that has great things to do year round, and it’s great having visitors—show them the best parts of Williamsburg without dealing with crowds around town—or in your own bathroom!” said Williams.
My family was lucky enough to do a Schooner tour of the York River over spring break on the Alliance, which was two hours of sunshine, cool breezes and trying out our sail-hoisting skills.
Aren’t we lucky to live here? Don’t forget to try new things in the Historic Triangle—having guests is the perfect excuse to do that!
For more ideas, go to localscoopmagazine.com.