If you’re planning a driving trip to Williamsburg, Va., be sure to have a good AAA map (or GPS unit) and a lot of patience. For those who haven’t visited this popular vacation destination, be advised that the streets twist, wind, and split off in every direction imaginable. To further add to the confusion, the street signs are purposely designed to be unobtrusive, making them somewhat difficult to see.
 
Before a visit to Williamsburg with my family, I had highlighted the route to our hotel on a TripTik strip map—a task which I perform daily for our members—but we managed to miss the address. We pulled over to look at the map of Colonial Williamsburg and realized that we were parked right at the edge of the historic district. I knew that our motel, the Econo Lodge Colonial, was within a half-mile of the attraction. We found it after backtracking a short distance—we had driven right past the side street on which it was located.

A navigational challenge notwithstanding, Colonial Williamsburg is a wonderful vacation destination for anyone with an interest in history. The historic area is a recreation of the mid-eighteenth century colonial capital, containing nearly 500 structures—88 of which date from the 1700s. Guided tours of most buildings are available, with Bruton Parish Episcopal Church, The Capitol, Governor’s Palace, and Raleigh Tavern being among the most popular. Costumed interpreters are on hand throughout to make you feel as if you’ve been transported back in time 250 years.

I recommend a two-day ticket (various ticket levels are available at a discounted price from some AAA clubs and from the local office of AAA at 2630 McLaws Circle in Williamsburg), as this grants entrance into all historic buildings and museums. The pass also allows unlimited use of the shuttle bus system.

Tickets for a horse-drawn carriage tour can be purchased at the visitor center. The tour is well worth the $15 or-so per person cost. It’s a great way to become familiar with the historic area, and the carriage drivers provide loads of interesting insider information.

Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown compose an area known as Virginia’s Historic Triangle. Colonial Parkway is a heavily-wooded 23-mile long scenic auto route that connects all three locations. Jamestown Settlement contains an impressive visitor center (show your AAA card for a discount), a Powhatan Indian Village, Fort James, and replicas of the three sailing vessels that brought English settlers ashore here in 1607. Historic Jamestowne (original spelling) features ruins and building foundations at the original site.

Yorktown Battlefield offers a 7-mile long self-guided driving tour past redoubts, earthworks, and siege lines from the famous battle that effectively ended the Revolutionary War. The narrow one-way road which winds through the vast battlefield area passes by several historic sites, including Moore House (where terms of surrender were finalized), Surrender Field, Yorktown National Cemetery, and the Yorktown Victory Monument. Yorktown Victory Center (AAA discount) is a nearby museum that chronicles the decisive struggle.

There’s enough to see and do here to easily occupy a family for an entire week, and most attractions are open year-round. Accommodations are numerous and priced to fit any budget. There is an abundance of restaurants, shopping, and attractions scattered throughout the area.