No trip along the nation’s East Coast would be complete without a stop at one of the oldest colonies in America, Williamsburg. The first successful British Colony in North America was Jamestown, founded in May of 1607, four hundred and three years ago. There were several failed attempts before it, with the Roanoke Lost Colony creating a number of mysterious legends in its wake (a play titled The Lost Colony was produced by the Roanoke Island Historical Association that explores this fascinating moment in American history). In 1693, the nearby town of Middle Plantation began one of the oldest colleges in the nation, the College of William and Mary. A few years later, Virginia’s Colony’s capital moved to Middle Plantation, where it became known as Williamsburg.
All of this history makes Williamsburg a fascinating place to visit. You can attend Colonial Williamsburg, where buildings are virtually unchanged from the early days of the United States, and people re-enact what it was like to live in that time. You can travel the Colonial Parkway, part of the National Park Service, taking in its scenic eleven miles, which connects Williamsburg to Yorktown. There, you’ll find the Colonial National Historical Park, where you can see the Yorktown Battlefield, the actual place in which the Battle of Yorktown was waged. You might check out the Yorktown Victory Center, as well, where you’ll find more living history run by the Jamestown Yorktown Foundation.
If the study of the Civil War isn’t to your liking, then you might try a ghost tour or spend a day or two at Busch Gardens Europe amusement park. No matter what your interest, you’ll find stopping at Williamsburg will be worth it. All you need to do is find a place to stay there, and that’s easy to do. Just go to http://www.hotelswilliamsburg.com and you’ll find a hotel right for you.



