Things to See and Do in Williamsburg

Sure, you’ve heard of Williamsburg as that place to experience Colonial America in one of the world’s most elaborate living history museums, but there is so much more to the Greater Williamsburg region. Drive the scenic 23-mile Colonial Parkway across the Virginia Peninsula Williamsburg is located on, anchored by the York River on one side and the James River on the other, from Jamestown to Yorktown, before touring the historic village by segway. Try sipping your way around the region on a tasting trail that includes tasting craft beer, wine, spirits and even mead at a number of different establishments.  Or explore Busch Gardens in a different way by joining an up close and personal roller coast tour. Regardless of whether you are looking to eat, drink or just experience, there’s a lot of unexpected fun to be had in this region located less than a three-hour drive from Washington, D.C. Here are my insider picks on what to see and do in Williamsburg:

1. Historic Jamestown

In 1607 the British established their first permanent colony in the Americas when the constructed James Fort. Today the site is home to Historic Jamestown, which is still an active archeology dig site that has become the most awarded of its kind in the world. And unlike other active digs, here visitors can walk right up to where archeologists are working via a special tour. The “In The Trenches” archaeology tours are small group tours that last 45-minutes. Led by Jamestown Rediscovery staff, they let you walk under the ropes to the service of the ground once trod by Captain John Smith, Pocahontas and Queen Elizabeth II. Tours also offer updates on the latest excavations as well as the history of the project. Tickets must be purchased online in advance or at the Visitor Center by 9:30am on the day of the tour. There are also special tours, offered a few times a month, where visitors can visit “the vault” and touch and feel replicas made with 3D printers of some of the amazing discoveries made here over the years.

2. Segway Tour: with Patriot Tours in Yorktown

Right on the York River, and rich in history, Yorktown has battlefields, boutiques and even a beach to discover. One fun way to cover a lot of ground is to join a segway tour with Patriot Tours. The guides are passionate and well-versed history buffs and you’ll learn more than just the surface facts while cruising the streets. One stop is the Nelson House. Built around 1730, it was the home of Thomas Nelson Jr., who was one of the signers of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. The home was hit when the British invaded Yorktown during the Revolutionary War, and you can still see the cannon balls imbedded in the walls. After, you’ll pay a visit to Grace Church, which dates back to 1697 and is where Nelson is buried.

3. Sweet Tea and Barley

Sweet Tea and Barley is just 50 yards from Colonial Williamsburg, but offers an unexpected hip and fun vibe that is very different from your typical restaurant in the living history park. The southern restaurant features country comfort food like a honey basted pork chop that is grilled and served with port jus, mac and cheese and collard greens. If you’re craving beef, try the Blacksmith Burger, which is an 8oz Angus burger topped with a fried egg, onion rings, bacon, cheddar and barbecue sauce. They also do a signature bourbon drink called the Sweet Tea and Barley, which is rich, sweet and flavorful. Live music and a patio complete the restaurant picture. You’ll also find the Taste Studio here, which was the most unexpected aspect of all. The restaurant’s demonstration kitchen, it is located across the street, and visitors can experience the true meaning of farm-to-table food by signing up for the Saturday morning chef garden tour and tasting. The tour goes to the King’s Arms garden, which was one of the country’s first gardens, and visitors help pick some of the seasonal vegetables before returning to the studio where you’ll learn (and taste) how the vegetables were used in dishes during the colonial era.

4. Coaster Insider Tour at Bush Gardens

Besides Colonial Williamsburg, the town is also famous for its amusement park, Busch Gardens, which features heart-stopping rides, Broadway-style shows and a bucolic setting. The theme park also offers some specialized tours that allow you to experience the park in an unexpected way. One of these is the 4.5-hour Coaster Insider Tour, which takes you inside the world of the park’s famous roller coasters. Tours start before the park opens to the public, which alone gives you a cool perspective, as you get to ride the Griffon trolley to the top of the lift and admire the panoramic views from 200-plus-feet high without thousands of people marring the view. The tour also has you ride the park’s five biggest roller coasters: Griffon, Alpengeist, Apollo’s Chariot, Verbolten and Loch Ness Monster, and gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the mechanical areas of the coasters. After the tour, you’ll have single-time priority boarding for all the roller coasters you just rode to re-experience the thrills.

 

5. Virginia Beer Company

The Williamsburg area is home to a number of excellent craft breweries, including the newest kid in town: Virginia Beer Co. The microbrewery focuses on a small core line-up of high-quality beers and rotating limited-edition brews designed using a custom pump system. Enjoy your beverage in the taproom or outside in the beer garden, where a food truck can also be found.

6. AleWerks Brewing Company

Brewing on a larger scale is Williamsburg’s first microbrewery, AleWerks, which opened in 2006, and does brewery tours and tastings. They feature up to 16 beers on tap at a time, some of which, like the Washington Porter Ale, are available year round, while others are seasonal. AleWerks also focuses on historical beers like Old Stitch (a brown ale) and Dear Old Mum (a yummy spiced wheat) that are brewed exclusively for sale at Colonial Williamsburg (but can be tasted and purchased at the brewery). The brewery uses a direct fire system to brew, which is primarily used by English brewmasters and leads to a different flavor profile, allowing AleWerks to create unique and also more historically flavored recipes. Try the Chesapeake Pale Ale, which is their flagship beer. It’s an easy to drink American pale ale that uses a lot of hops from the Pacific Northwest to create a hoppy and just slightly malty tasting beer.

7. Silver Hand Meadery

For something different pay a visit to the area’s first meadery. Silver Hand opened in early 2016 and introduces visitors to one of the earth’s most historic fermented drinks. With the creativity of craft beer but the smoothness of wine, it has an unexpected and very unique taste. Mead is made by fermenting sugars found in honey then adding additional herbs, spices and fruits to create unique flavors. At Silver Hand, the meads typically have an ABV of 11% to 14%, and range from dry to sweet, with lots of color and clarity. Tours begin with a guided honey tasting where you try six different varietals including Virginia wildflower, blueberry blossom from New Jersey and orange blossom from Florida. A mead tasting follows the honey tasting, and is equally interesting – two favorites included the Scarborough Lair, which had hints of rosemary and the Terres Brulees, which had an almost scotch like flavor.

8. Copper Fox Distillery

Williamsburg really has it all when it comes to producing local spirits. Along with beer, wine and mead, you can pay a visit to the just opened Copper Fox Distillery. The second facility for the distillery that began in Sperryville, VA. What’s unique about Copper Fox is they are the only distillery in North America to hand malt their own barley, and the only distillery on the planet to use apple and cherry wood smoke to flavor that malted barley. Their single batch copper potstill produces one barrel at a time and the spirit is non-chill filtered to preserve the complete flavor and essence of the barley grain. They produce a number of different liquors, including a signature American single malt whiskey, but the gin is also excellent.

9. Williamsburg Winery

And then there is wine. The Williamsburg Winery is the largest winery in Virginia. Walking into the winery is like being transported back in time and across the sea to an early 18th century European winery. Wines here are produced in the classic European style, with a few modern enhancements to improve quality consistency. Join a Tour and Tasting to learn how the wine is made also to sample some of the fine wines produced by this family-owned vineyard. The winery is part of a 300-acre farm know as Wessex Hundred that dates back to the early 1600s.

The property is also home to two excellent dining venues – the Gabriel Archer Tavern and Café Provençal – as well as a charming 28-room European-style boutique hotel, The Wedmore Place. If aren’t staying here, and only have time for one meal, then try Café Provencal. Order the Wessex 100 Mixed Greens to start, as everything in the salad is grown on site. For a main, the Seared Duck Breast is excellent. It is both sweet and savory with hints of white chocolate, roasted endive, orange marmalade, goat cheese and prosciutto. There are also some good vegetarian options including a Vegetable Tagilatelle with sweet pea cream, snow peas, burrata and scallion pesto.