Going to Virginia Beach

This place is like an undiscovered gem. Few crowds. No lines. A beautiful town overlooking the bay. Quaint antique shops, boutiques, and restaurants (like our favorite, Carrot Tree Kitchens--read about our family reunion dinner here...) Lots of free events to attend (click here for the upcoming schedule). And a free shuttle to save your feet.



It’s a bargain too. Tickets to the National Park’s Yorktown Battlefield over the more expensive nearby Victory Center.

The Battlefield is just $10 for adults, a fee which gets you into Historic Jamestowne for no extra charge...and is good for 7 days.

And we found Carrot Tree Kitchens, a charming little restaurant where you can sample delicious home-cookin' and fabulous desserts in a historic cottage...without paying an arm and a leg. (Click on the link above for our review of Carrot Tree Kitchens, and why you should sample their divine Carrot Cake.)

Let's face it: Colonial Williamsburg VA can get a bit pricey, especially for a family of four or more. A lot of visitors purchase tickets ahead of time, assuming that they'll need tickets to see anything. Nothing could be further from the truth!

Want a cheap family vacation that includes Williamsburg without the fee? Here's our local secret: there are no entrance gates at Colonial Williamsburg VA.


Just another thing you can do without buying a ticket!

Soooo, do what the locals do: just park in one of the downtown lots (near Merchant Square) and walk around Duke of Gloucester Street (the main drag of the park).

You can actually walk all through the town and enjoy the architecture, walk inside any of the historic shops that make and sell goods and talk to the workers, eating in restored taverns, see military parades and costumed interpreters...all without without paying a dime of admission.



The only things you won't be able to do without an admission ticket is get in major buildings like the Governor's Palace (which is a great tour, I admit, but even the basic ticket won't get you into that, and it may be a little boring for the kiddies anyway) or go on a guided tour.

Our favorite thing to do: taking pictures of our family in the stocks on the main street by the Colonial Williamsburg VA Courthouse (these were used to publicly punish people in colonial days).

Pick Up a Free Visitor's Guide



There are several free visitor guides for the Historic Triangle area. They are well worth picking up at area attractions, hotels and restaurants. They offer dining, shopping, and attraction info, as well as maps and coupons! The guides include:
"The Colonial Guide"

"The Official WHMA Visitor's Guide"

"The Original Williamsburg Magazine"

Looking for a Great and Inexpensive Place to Eat?


If you want authentic colonial food, be prepared to pay for it. If you eat at the taverns in the Historic Area you're really buying more than just authentic colonial food...you're paying for the joy of being served by costumed interpreters, including smiling serving "wenches" (no, it was not necessarily an insult back then) and getting the general tavern experience. The King's Tavern generally gets top marks for both service and food.
But if you're on a dime, you'll have a hard time finding it in the Historic area--so venture further afield. Our top two picks for delicious, cheap and bountiful dining within just a 5-10 minute drive from the Historic area are Peking Restaurant and Pierce's Barbeque.

We've been coming to these restaurants for the last 13 years whenever we're in Colonial Williamsburg VA. Peking Restaurant is a huge, all-you-can-eat buffet offering Chinese, a Mongolian BBQ, Hong Kong style dim sum, sushi, Vietnamese noodles, pizza, fruit, and little donuts (our kids' favorite).

A little further afield (off I-64, not too far from the Prime Outlets) is Pierce's Barbeque, an inexpensive, local favorite with excellent barbeque. Both restaurants provide excellent food for and tremendous value for your dollar. For the full review of Peking Restaurant and Pierce's Barbeque, click here.