The blistering sun beats down upon the beautiful, yet old-fashioned décor while a trumpet and the pounding of drums fill the air with an intense feeling of patriotism. Such a moment is atypical at Williamsburg, VA. Though Williamsburg itself is a beautiful place, we experienced some problems on this trip. It started off early-on as my family began our journey to Williamsburg on a sweltering day in July from Cleveland, Ohio. Along a hilly section of highway in Pennsylvania my dad dozed-off briefly when we were only a few hours into our trip. We were all startled by a rough jolt as we hit the wall juxtaposed to us. Luckily, nobody was hurt and as if a small miracle had taken place, our tire was the only thing that was damaged – having been ripped to shreds when the sidewall came in contact with the cement road divider. In furtherance of my miracle theory, we were within about a mile of a tire store in North Huntington, PA where they quickly replaced our tire and got us back on the road. Hours later, we finally arrived at our destination — Williamsburg Plantation.
Quarter Finalist 2011 Teen Travel Writing Scholarship
We enjoyed the many attractions at Williamsburg. For the history lovers there is plenty to occupy your time and satisfy your interests. The buildings, atmosphere, and tour guides at each structure in Williamsburg were fascinating. The General’s house, the printing press, and the blacksmith were a few that impressed me the most. Other than colonial Williamsburg itself, we also were able to take a short ride to Jamestown and Yorktown as well. At Jamestown, we explored the makeshift homes of both the English settlers and the Native Americans. My family tried on the armor of the English soldiers and stood within Native American huts. The highlight of Jamestown may have been climbing aboard the tall ships and hearing the stories of how the Europeans crossed the sea. Later on, we visited the Yorktown battlefield and the story that the park ranger told – as if she was actually a participant in the battle – was completely amazing.
For those that are not history aficionados, Busch Gardens amusement park and Water Country U.S.A. offer a reprieve from the slower pace of the historical sites. At Busch Gardens you enter a land of enchantment and fun where the medieval theme and music create an other-worldly atmosphere as soon as you enter. We rode nearly every ride and enjoyed every aspect of the day. I loved how the park was divided into themes for various countries. There were everything from rides about leprechauns in Ireland, a Yeti in the Himalayas, and the famous volcanic eruption in Pompeii, Italy. Another unfortunate event occurred during our visit to Busch Gardens when my sister and I became ill and started to pass out while watching a wolf show. It ended up that the heat had been worse than we had anticipated and we simply became dehydrated. After a few cool drinks and some relaxation within one of the emergency clinics within the park, we felt better and were on our way once again. On one of the final days of this trip we went to Water Country U.S.A., a water park nearby. We all had a blast riding the rafts and cooling off at the park. This is a fantastic and very large water park.
Although we experienced a number of problems on this family vacation, in retrospect, we still had a great time. The trip to Virginia was full of excitement and there was never a dull moment
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
