Virginia

[mrsboz]

Hi. I've been looking for a trip to take this summer and someone suggested Virginia. I would more than appreciate any ideas, tips, tricks that you have. What is there to see in Williamsburg, VA? How far is Virginia Beach and Busch Gardens? Is there a website that I can look at like Mousesavers? What would you suggest on where to stay? one central point or move around? Thank you.

 

[leslie826]

Check out the williamsburg flex pass. They are good for 7 days to Busch Gardens, Water Country USA, Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. Everything is fairly close together. We have used priceline for a hotel MANY times because any location we end up with in Williamsburg is good. One of our favorite places to stay that we often get for a steal is the Powhatan. They are a timeshare resort, but we've gotten great deals by booking them at a discount site. VA beach is an hour away. It's okay if you really want a beach day, but I'd just as soon skip it and go to Water country twice. It's a great waterpark. If you go be sure to check out Pierce's Pitt BBQ... Cheap hole in the wall place but really popular and so good!

 

[lost*in*cyberspace]

1. Get a good guidebook.
2. Check out tripadvisor.com, frommers.com, etc.

 

[olwyngdh]

There is also a beach in Yorktown on the river, and a couple beaches in Hampton and Newport News. If you want to travel outside the historic triangle, there is the Virginia Living Museum, the Air and Space Museum, and the Mariners Museum in Newport News and Hampton, all of which are wonderful. There is also the Army Transportation Museum at Ft Eustis, a variety of things in Norfolk having to do with Navel History, and the Virginia Aquarium in Virginia Beach.

(Whine) I want to move back to the Hampton Roads Area!!!(/Whine)

 

[sfbntpc]

I live 30 minutes from there in Chesapeake, we have the Premium Annual Pass to all the Parks in Va and Fl, try to hit the parks on a weekday, also there are some nice outlets there too. I have never stayed there because they live so close but there are a few Marriott owned hotels that look nice. They also have a Yankee Candle Flagship store and Great Wolf Lodge, if that is in your price range. Williamsburg has really grown in the last10 years. We have not visited any of the historical sites in years because they used to be free. You can't even go into one of the historical stores in the colonial area without buying a ticket. Virginia Beach is not great don't know where you are coming from, but I have been here all my life and have never been to the boardwalk area of the beach. We go to one of the higher number streets (55-80) or Ft Story or Dam Neck because my husband works for the shipyard. Ft Story has some historical sites like a lighthouse. Let me know if I can help some more.

 

[luckygirl539]

I live in vb. I have lived here all my life. The oceanfront area is way overpriced for hotels. I would skip it and do a different beach if that's what you are looking for. It os overcrowded in summer and not a great beach. Williamsburg is def worth it.

 

[mrsboz]

Thanks for your responses. I am trying to think of a vacation that we can take from MA. Any suggestion on another beach if VA beach isn't your favorite? Does anyone know of a major league baseball team that we coudl see on the way and maybe stay there for a day or two?

 

[java]

Thanks for your responses. I am trying to think of a vacation that we can take from MA. Any suggestion on another beach if VA beach isn't your favorite? Does anyone know of a major league baseball team that we coudl see on the way and maybe stay there for a day or two?

On the way you could hit Camden Yard in Baltimore. It's a great park(even though you would have to suffer through the orioles)

 

[i*heart*minniemouse]

On the way you could hit Camden Yard in Baltimore. It's a great park(even though you would have to suffer through the orioles)

South of NY you could hit Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington baseball games. GO NATS!!

 

[loveysbydesign]

Thanks for your responses. I am trying to think of a vacation that we can take from MA. Any suggestion on another beach if VA beach isn't your favorite? Does anyone know of a major league baseball team that we coudl see on the way and maybe stay there for a day or two?

Since you're asking about vacays not too far from MA and you're on the budget board.

Have you ever been to the US side of Niagara Falls?
We went there last summer and all 3 of my kids said it was as much fun as WDW. They were 13,9 and 5 when we went. We did the Maid of the Mist and Cave of the winds, both are extremely affordable. We laughed so hard on the Maid of the Mist boat, it was amazing!!!
We also hiked some nature trails. There is a alos a power plant there with free admission and science exhibits andthing to do there(we did not have enough time to go) Wish we had gone for 5-6 nights instead of just 4! My kids keep asking to go back. we went the last week in June
There are also speedboats that go on the river but our youngest was too young and we were doing a budget friendly trip

Heres some pix. from our trip. We didn't care about not going to the CA side, we had a blast on the US side. The CA side is very expensive and very touristy. That's what we wanted to avoid

Forgot to add that I have actually been pricing out a week vacay at Williamsburg in June, as 10 y.o. dd is studying colonial times right now at school. It will only cost us $400 more to drive to FL and go to WDW then it would to go to VA. The bounce passes are $120 each...includes 7 days at WC, BG and CW. What kills us is the cost of lodging!
We decided to go to WDW, buy tix. for the YES program, drive and rent an offsite condo...then stop at CW for 1 night on our drive home and skip BG and WC. There just isn't enough to entertain our 5 y.o. at BG so we'll do a week there in a year or 2 when he's tall enough to go on most of the rides.

 

[G719]

Water Country USA is an awesome water in Williamsburg. If you go and want to do Busch Gardens too, get one of the combo tickets. The bounce pass includes parking at the parks and if you have little ones, you get a kid under 6 free bounce pass with an adult pass. The pass is good for 7 days for both parks and historic Williamsburg.

 

[DebMcDonald]

Thanks for your responses. I am trying to think of a vacation that we can take from MA. Any suggestion on another beach if VA beach isn't your favorite? Does anyone know of a major league baseball team that we coudl see on the way and maybe stay there for a day or two?

We're from Mass and we love Myrtle Beach. 15 hour ride.

 

[sfbntpc]

The outer banks is about an hour and a half to two hours south of Williamsburg. We spend a lot of time there, many hotels and beach homes to rent. During the summer, I see more cars from the north there than any other vacation spot in our area.