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Traveling To Williamsburg Virginia With Kids and Jamestown

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Have you ever had a vacation that you planned for months, and then at the last moment you think it’s all going to fall apart? That was us on this trip. As soon as we returned from out last visit to Pennsylvania, I immediately started planning our trip back. There are so many things to see and do that we only just began to scratch the surface. Plus we have the absolute best tour guide in Pete since he grew up there. I think it was about a week after we returned from the last trip before I had already purchased plane tickets…I was that serious about going back.

Fast forward to this visit. The day before we were set to leave, Emmy got a weird fever. She was acting totally normal but felt warm. It passed as quickly as it came, so we decided to go still. Then about 30 minutes before we landed it happened again, but this time her ears hurt. Which is one of the saddest and most painful things to happen to a little one on a plane. 

Then she was good again. The day after that though we knew something was wrong when she didn’t want to get out of bed. She has more energy than anybody I know, so we knew she was in bad shape, and we took her straight to the doctor. Sure enough, she had a pretty bad ear infection. She later told me it had been hurting for awhile before, but that it was “nothing horrible” so she didn’t think to mention it. After 24 hours on antibiotics, where she and I locked ourselves in the hotel, she was good as new again, and the second part of out trip was a go! 

We were all thrilled! I totally learned a lesson with that. Don’t push through… rest and salvage as much as your trip as you can afterwards. Plus, we created some pretty good memories living the “suite” life for that day with having tons of food delivered to us!

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On Friday, we loaded up into our (partner), the 2016 Kia Sedona, and went from Lancaster PA to Williamsburg VA. The six-hour drive took us through Washington DC. DC traffic is no joke, but it is pretty cool to see the area as you pass by. I am so happy we had the Sedona for this trip because it is very roomy, comfortable, and loaded with tech that made our travels so much better. The navigation alone saved us over and over again. Plus the girls had enough room to stretch out making the ride feel much shorter to them than it was.

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After that fun drive, we were all so happy to pull into (partner) King’s Creek Plantation, our home for the next few days. As I write this, I’m sitting out on our private balcony, enjoying my morning coffee. It is so peaceful here, and that is exactly what we all felt when we first arrived.

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Here are some pictures of where we are staying, I have a full post for you all just on the resort and everything it has for families to do… plus Pete has some videos too. Until then, you can see how awesome it is here…

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We are staying in the Estates section. There are other parts like the Cottages… but this is our favorite area. With two bedrooms, 2.5 baths, a full kitchen, washer & dryer, family room, and dining area, this is a superior option for those traveling with families. I’m going to miss this view so much…. and listening to the birds each morning. 

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After we had got all settled in and rested for a moment, we headed to Jamestowne Rediscovery, or as it is also called, Historic Jamestowne. This is the actual area where the first settlers were. There is also an area called Jamestown Settlement that I have been to before when I was a teen that is a replica of the original settlement.  They have full-size replicas of the boats the first settlers sailed in from England on that are a great thing to see too… but we chose to explore Historic Jamestowne because it is the actual site where the fort was.  It is also a real and active archaeology dig site. Emmy and Maddie are both huge archaeology buffs, so this was an easy decision for us. Ideally, if you have more time here….say a full day, I would recommend spending the morning at one, and the afternoon at the other. They both work together with Historic Jamestowne advising Jamestown Settlement on new discoveries so that they can keep their area historically accurate. 

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I am so glad we made this choice. Our visit to Historic Jamestowne was fascinating and a great start to our visit to the Williamsburg area. 

Here is a little more info about Historic Jamestowne:

“For two decades, the Jamestowne Rediscovery Project has brought to vivid life the stories of early James Fort. As early as 1837, eyewitness accounts claimed that the fort built in 1607 by Captain John Smith and the first English settlers was submerged in the James River. But when Dr. William Kelso visited Jamestown in 1963 as a graduate student at the College of William and Mary in nearby Williamsburg, he was skeptical of that theory. He wondered if the standing 17th-century brick church tower would have been constructed near the center of the original fort, where an earlier church once stood. Under his leadership, the Jamestown Rediscovery Project launched in 1994 and within three archaeological seasons had uncovered enough evidence to prove the remains of James Fort existed on dry land near the church tower. Since then, Jamestown Rediscovery’s mission has evolved into a more challenging undertaking. Today more than a dozen staff members excavate, interpret, preserve, conserve, and research the site’s findings.”

I just keep thinking back to how lucky we all are that Dr. Kelso didn’t give up and pushed to make this a reality. There have been so many discoveries in this area and the history that it holds all because of him and the countless volunteers. 

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There are also historical translators that explain so many aspects of what life here would have been like, and they do it all in character. We had the pleasure of meeting Anas Todkill, a carpenter that came over on the first boat from England. He shared his story and thoughts on early life here. I can’t over state how powerful this was, and how much we all learned from him. Plus, I’ve never seen someone able to stay so true to character in so many ways. When you visit, please ask when he will be speaking next. It’s something you can’t miss.

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There is a trail to follow through the area, or you can just walk around as you please with the use of the map they provide. We took an archaeology tour that gave even more insight, plus it included a guided tour through the museum, where there is a huge amount of artifacts.  It rained pretty hard while we were there with thunder and lightening, so we had to cut our outside exploring short, but I would say you could easily spend 4-5 hours going through the visitors center, learning areas, the outside area where the actual fort was, and then the museum. There is also a movie that is shown that I highly recommend. I would start with the movie, go through the information area, and then head outside. Be sure to stop in the gift shop for a souvenir too!

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After all that learning we were hungry for dinner. To see more of the area we decided to have dinner in Riverwalk Landing Marina, Historic Yorktown. Despite the rain, we still explored a bit before we ate. If you have time, be sure to visit the battle site and the victory center, and then have a meal at Riverwalk Restaurant as we did. It was delicious. 

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We fell asleep with full bellies and minds that night. We all dreamed about the possibilities that the early settlers had that kept them going through some very dark days… 

Have you been to Jamestown? 

Heather Reese
the authorHeather Reese
Heather Delaney Reese is the storyteller and photographer behind the lifestyle and family travel blog, It's a Lovely Life®! For the past decade, she has vacationed over 150 days a year with her family. She is a vegan, and loves being by the water, spending time with her children, husband, 2 Shih Tzus and Cat.

44 Comments

  • I haven’t been to Jamestown is so long, but I remember it being a great place to explore and enjoy history. I love that their are still digging up treasures from days gone by.

  • I’m glad Emmy was able to get her R&R during the first day of your vacation there. The plantation that you stayed in looks really great, I love that there’s a full kitchen and the beds look so comfy! I always love going to tours especially when you get to meet characters such as Anas Todkill! Looking forward to the things you have in store for us in the coming days!

  • Oh no, I’m glad the little one bounced back so quickly. It looks life you guys had a great time. The pictures are gorgeous, I’ll have to see if my mom would life to go there on vacation this year, her and I go somewhere once a year. I love learning about different towns, history is so much fun.

  • Sounds like so much fun! Looks like everyone had a great time, one day Id like to take the kids up there. I love exploring historical places like this.

  • This looks like a great trip. I didn’t know much about Jamestown, but love how history in the US is so relatively recent and relevant to modern day. Sounds like an interesting place to look round.

  • My girlfriend and I just took the same exact trip last month. We stayed at the Powatan Resort just a few miles from the Kings Creek Plantation area. We at lunch at the same exact spot in Yorktown as your photo. Thanks for reminding me how much fun I had there!

    • That is awesome Gary… especially the lunch spot! It really is a great place for both adult getaways and family vacations!

  • Some of these landmarks are amazing. I love history and have never made a point to vacation and visit some of the places I have read about. I may have to change that this summer.

  • This looks like it would be an amazing trip for the family! Educational and fun all wrapped into one trip, this would be a great trip! Great pictures and thank you for sharing your vacation!

  • I’m so glad Emily got better fast. I love Jamestown, so glad I got to take my daughter there when she was young!

  • This is such a fun place to visit. I would love to go back and take my family. It is really beautiful there. Love your pics!

  • I always love visiting places that helps you explore and enjoy the history of them & Jamestown looks like one such wonderful place. The pictures are good enough to pull anyone for a visit so soon!

  • Wow! What an awesome adventure for your family, despite the mishaps in the beginning. I know how that goes though! We had family members who were sick when we started our trip. But fortunately everything ended up well.

  • I love the view from your balcony with the wooden chairs and trees. That is so calming. I’d read there or listen to music or work on my laptop or hang out with family. It’s so relaxing. I wish we had that here.

  • Poor girl, I’m glad you’re daughter is doing better. And you guys got to have a great vacay still 🙂 The place you guys stayed at looks so nice and relaxing!

  • Is that Emmy the little girl? She’s full of fun I wish my kid is like that. After having a fever she easily recovers and shows a very vivid atmosphere . Nothing can compare seeing your kids having a great time and have a very wonderful family bonding.

  • Went to Williamsburg in 2000. I have a T-shirt that has the year on it. I stayed at Quality Inn next to IHOP. I took a Greyhound bus there from Toledo, Ohio, and left before midnight. Got to Williamsburg around 4:30 p.m. so I slept on the bus overnight. When we had layovers in D.C. and Pennsylvania I was able to buy souvenirs such as postcards and magnets.

    I enjoyed Busch Gardens, outlet shopping, and Colonial Williamsburg. Also went to the soap and candle factory. Didn’t go to Jamestown or Yorktown because I took buses around Williamsburg.

  • We went to Colonial Williamsburg for spring break last year, and both of my kids ended up with the flu on the first 2 days of our trip. It was terrible! They were well enough by the last few days to be able to explore Jamestown. We loved it in CW and plan to visit again!!

    • Oh no about the flu! That is the worst! Glad they recovered quick and that you enjoyed CW. We really loved it there and hope to return soon!

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