Hi everyone! I am happy to return after a couple weeks with new tips and a new format I had been meaning to try: playlists for trips. Music is a passion of mine, and I believe there is no way to make lasting memories without a soundtrack. So, without further ado, find A Royal Mess's first playlist at the end of the article!
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This year has been hectic regarding travel, which is a blessing but can get exhausting. So, when the time to plan a weekend family trip came, we wanted something different and pleasant, preferably close, but that allowed us to take it easy and rest in between activities. My boyfriend suggested we drive three hours south to Williamsburg, Virginia, and it proved to be an excellent two-day alternative for our criteria.
We had been in Williamsburg five summers ago, and I remembered it being very wholesome. So we stayed near Colonial Williamsburg that time, which we toured the next day. Colonial Williamsburg is a living outdoors museum: a little town with people wearing clothes from back in the day and recreating life as it was in the 18th century. This time, we decided to add the rest of the Historic Triangle to our little tour: Jamestown (the first English settlement in North America) and Yorktown (one of the original counties formed in Colonial Virginia.
Day 1:
We arrived late Thursday night at the historic Powhatan Hilton Vacation Club. The suites were spacious: we stayed in one with two rooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a balcony. So, the following day, I was happy to discover this succession of houses that looked straight out of a TV show, complete with little ponds, colorful gardens, and cute gazebos.
To kickstart our day, we headed to Spoke + Word for breakfast, a rustic restaurant and cafe tucked within the woods and an ample, green outdoor space that often hosts live music shows. In addition to food, this place had a wide variety of local drinks, products, and souvenirs. We sat at the deck and ordered coffee and sandwiches (I had an iced vanilla latte and a prosciutto and provolone Sammy). You might think it was a relatively simple order, but everyone raved about how delicious everything was.
Afterward, we headed to the Historic Jamestown cultural heritage site, comprised of a small museum that leads to the actual settlement. The tickets were USD 15 per person, but if you have a National Parks Pass, your whole group can enter for free. I highly recommend this option, which is USD 80 per year and allows you to visit all the other National Parks in the country). The museum was small but attention-grabbing, covering details about the lives of Pocahontas, John Smith, and the land's original settlers.
After the museum, we proceeded to Jamestown Island, which comprises the James Fort, the Tercentenary Monument, and archeological sites facing the James River. It is a beautiful area to promenade, and there is a small waterside cafe to have a drink and enjoy the view. We concluded our stay at the site with a drive around the salt marshes.
To beat the heat, we headed over to get ice cream at Bruster's, a homemade ice cream chain that started in Pennsylvania but seemed to be a popular local spot in Williamsburg. It was just what our group needed: gigantic waffle cones and an ever-rotating list of +150 flavors, my favorites being "Birthday Cake" and "Jamaican me Crazy."
In the evening, we visited Colonial Williamsburg. Again, I was reminded of why I loved it in the first place: the little lights, the families eating together at outdoor terraces, the well-kept brick buildings, all of it looked like a scene straight out of Bluebell, the fictional city where Hart of Dixie, one of my favorite shows ever, took place. Before heading to dinner, we walked around town, watching horses and sheep and marveling at the gorgeous Governor's Palace.
For dinner, we decided to return to a place we discovered during our last visit, The Blue Talon Bistro, which was as marvelous as we remembered it. I ordered one of my all-time favorites, the exceptional steak frites, which were made even better by their truffle fries. Other plates we tried and loved were the veal blanquette and the pots de crème for dessert.
Day 2:
We had a hearty brunch at Southern Pancake House, a family-owned restaurant with generous portions. We enjoyed everything we tried: the chicken and waffles and a combination plate that included eggs, banana pancakes, biscuits, Virginia ham, sausages, grits, and bacon.
Our meal was followed by a walk around the campus of William & Mary University, one of the most stunning colleges I have visited. Then, we headed over to the colonial houses again to enjoy them in the daytime, when the whole area was more lively. Because the temperature was so high, we decided to follow our tour with a drink at Precarious Beer Project, an innovative beer company experimenting with the flavors in local produce. The place had great energy, in both the outdoor terrace and the indoor arcade, which led me to think it is another local favorite. Although I am not a big fan of beer, I am still dreaming of my order: the Peach Scorchard Sour, an acid blend of grilled peaches, habanero pepper, and tamarind that was perfect for the scorching temperatures.
It was then time for the last stop on our road trip, Yorktown, where the French Fleet and George Washington claimed victory over Great Britain. Once there, we visited the Colonial National Historical Park, which you can also access for free with the National Parks pass. Besides the American Revolution Museum, you can see the Moore House (where surrender negotiations took place), the Victory Monument, and the Riverwalk. The latter is a waterfront with a small but pleasant beach and plenty of restaurants and stores, perfect for promenading or relaxing on a late summer afternoon.
With that, we concluded this short but lovely trip.
For your upcoming visit, here is the playlist with my favorite songs we listened to during the weekend. Hope you enjoy it!
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