Hi All,
My husband and I are planning our first trip to the Williamsburg area, with our 2 year old daughter. We are thinking of making the trip around July 4th weekend and I needed some advice in that regard:
1. How are the weather and crowds at that time? If it is too crowded and/or too hot/rainy may be we will think of postponing the trip.
2. We will be driving from Edison, NJ, what is the best way to do it? Read a few posts about the cape may ferry. From where to where do you ride the ferry? How long is the ride and how much time does it save on the drive?
3. I was thinking we can plan on having 3 full days there and do Busch Gardens on 2 days and Jamestown Settlement 1 day. Not sure whether we will be able to day anything on the day we arrive and leave. May be we will go around CW on the 2nd day of BG. Or should we do CW and skip Jamestown Settlement? How are the 2 different? I am really confused which one to pick. Our daughter is a big ELMO fan so I am thinking may be we should do BG 2 days. Thoughts please?
4. Where is the Yankee Candle Company? Can we make a stop-over on our way back? Something that interested me a lot when I read about it, though I don%26#39;t think my husband and daughter would care a lot.
5. What would be a good hotel to stay close to BG?
Thank you vey much for all your thoughts/advice/suggestions.
Trip from July 1 to July 5 with a 2 year old ...
1. Pretty busy, as most national holidays are in tourist areas. Can be pretty hot, humid - more likely than not.
2. Sorry, can%26#39;t help with this one.
3. Your daughter is so young, she%26#39;d probably like Jamestown Settlement better. I wouldn%26#39;t want to drag a 2-year-old around BG for 2 days, no matter how much she likes Elmo, but you know your daughter better than we do.
4. Yankee Candle Company is at 2200 Richmond Road/US-60. You can drive to it easily. The Christmas/snow area is pretty neat. It%26#39;s so much more than just candles!
5. You can do a search for hotels near Busch Gardens. There are several good ones - what%26#39;s right for you depends on your price range and amenities required. Once you%26#39;ve picked out several that interest you, read reviews, and then post back with questions.
Trip from July 1 to July 5 with a 2 year old ...
Thanks for your reply Zoey.
I am rethinking whether we should move it to Easter weekend? Even if its crowded it will atleast not be as hot. B/w Easter, July 4th and Labor Day is one better over the other?
B/w CW and Jamestown Settlement where are animals found? I had read some posts which I seem to have a problem finding now. She also likes musical instruments, does either site offer those?
I think she should be okay with 2 days BG, over the holidays (she was 18 months) we were in Orlando for 3 days - and she had fun.
I think I will squeeze in Yankee Candles ;)
Thanks again.
Easter will be less crowded than July 4, since school spring breaks are so apread out now. For example, even though Easter is still 10 days away, we have had many family and school groups in town this week because of varied spring recess times throughout the country.
As far as animals, many suggestions come to mind: be sure to see the Clydesdales at Busch Gardens when you are there-- they are located just past the entrance walk on the way to Ireland. You may visit their stables and see them in an adjoining corral. There are other birds and animals on the pathway between Ireland and France at BG.
At CW, there are sheep grazing at the corner of Francis and Nassau Streets; horses at the eastern end of Francis Street and at the corral at Nicholson and Botetourt Streets; and of course a horse drawn carriage ride down Duke of Gloucester Street would be a real treat for you and your child! There are also oxen in a corral on Francis Street, but they are a little more difficult to see unless they are brought out during Revolutionary City (they are actually used as barricades sometimes, very effectively I might add!)
Dining in a Colonial Tavern will no doubt include strolling musicians, playing fiddles, flutes, and guitars. Small children are always entertained by the minstrels right at the dinner table. There are a few evening programs that include colonial music and dancing, but they may be too late or too long for a one year old.
Enjoy your visit.
The ferry goes from Cape May NJ to Lewes Delaware. It may or may not save you any time at all if you%26#39;re going to Williamsburg. It%26#39;s also pretty pricey. If you do it, you must have a reservation, especially around holidays. I would use it if you were going to the Eastern Shore, but I think it%26#39;s out of your way for Williamsburg.
http://www.capemaylewesferry.com/
I make the trip from Richmond to East Brunswick and back about once a month. Most of the time I take the NJ Turnpike to I-95 all the way to Richmond, which on a GOOD day takes me around 5 hours. From there, you would need to take I-295 around Richmond to I-64 east to Williamsburg, which will take close to another hour.
Sometimes I pick up US 301 near Newark DE and take that to Richmond to avoid Baltimore and/or DC. 301 will take you to Richmond where it intersects with I-295. It doesn%26#39;t necessarily save much time because of the lights, but it does save aggravation if you know you%26#39;re driving through DC during a high-traffic time.
Around a holiday weekend I-95 can be horrendous. I usually leave NJ no later than 7 AM to get past DC before noon. The later you wait the worse it will be unless you wait until evening. My BIL drove from Somerset NJ to Williamsburg last year on Good Friday, and he spent 12 hours in the car, after he left the house at 11 AM.
BixDoc and 22Tango Thanks for your replies.
Hubby says we will do WBG end of April or in July around a regular weekend. If we can skip the crowds by taking an extra day off, totally worth it. :) The plan like I mentioned earlier is to try and have 3 full days there.
Bixdoc Thanks for all the details on the animals.
Are Colonial Taverns available in CW as well as Jamestown Settlement? I am a vegetarian would they have vegetarin meal options or is there a place we could go for coffee and baked goodies?
If we somehow squueze in 1 evening program what should it be? What price range are the tickets in for these programs?
Tango, you must be really good with long drives. I am so skeptical this is going to be our first long drive with our 2 year old. Thanks for all the route suggestions. We will try and leave early morning, b/w 7 and 8. Are Friday evenings of a non-holiday weekend bad?
Thanks again.
Leaving between 7 %26amp; 8 should put you past the worst of the I-95 DC traffic (which is south of DC) before 3 PM when things slow down to a crawl. If you can%26#39;t get past Woodbridge by 3 PM, though, you%26#39;re going to hit major traffic on Friday afternoon, especially in warm weather when everyone%26#39;s headed to the beach for the weekend.
I%26#39;m going to offer an alternate idea that has worked for me when taking long trips with young ones. Get up super-early, say 4 AM, but leave the little one in bed until the car is all packed up and ready to go. Take her in her PJs and put her in the car. Leave immediately, maybe it%26#39;s 5 AM by now. With any luck you%26#39;ll have 2-3 hours of quiet time in the car. When she wakes up, stop for breakfast and get her dressed, this should be near the rest areas in Maryland. You%26#39;ll get to DC a little after 9, when rush hour has eased off, and be at Williamsburg by early afternoon.
22Tango, the Colonial Taverns are in CW, not in Jamestown Settlement. The Taverns each have vegetarian selections, and the Raleigh Tavern Bake Shop on Duke of Gloucester Street offers sandwiches and sweets.
For evening programs, with a two year old, perhaps the dance events in the Governor%26#39;s Palace or the Capitol would be enjoyable and hold the little one%26#39;s interest.
Oops...
Sorry, previous post is for smili, not 22 Tango.
Another alternate route, which avoids the NJ Turnpike and 95 and just about all of the tolls is to go through PA and MD, and west of DC. Taking the turnpike, etc. you%26#39;ll pay close to $30 rount trip in toll. This route you pay ,75 one way, crossing into PA. I go this way from Morris County to Wburg all the time. For me, its about 25 miles more
distance-wise, but MUCH less stressful, and a lot less traffic.
Take 78 W to 81 S into Harrisburg, PA. Pick up 1-83 south, then 581W towards Camp Hill/Gettysburg, to 15 South. 15 will take you through Gettysburg, PA and into Frederick, MD - about 68 miles or so. From 15, pick up I-270 South, stay on that, and follow the signs for I-495/Northern Virginia. Follow the signs for 95 South, and then you can follow the same route as if you took the NJ Turnpike, etc.
BixDoc thanks for the dining and evening program suggestions. Tango and Siamese Cat thanks a lot for the directions and time/money saving tips.
Gonna do some reaing and then get back with more questions.
Have a good week ahead.
