It’s going to get hot – it always does. So if you are planning a trip to Williamsburg in the heart of summer, make sure to bring your swimming gear. Luckily there are lots of water activities to keep you cool.
Williamsburg is home to a full-fledge water park called Water Country USA and passes can be purchased in conjunction with Busch Gardens and Colonial Williamsburg passes. The water park has numerous attractions and they range from wading pools to racing water slides. Water Country definitely has something for everyone and it would be easy to spend an entire day or weekend exploring the park.
If you’d like a more relaxing pace, you can head down to Virginia Beach which is about an hour’s drive – there’s a boardwalk and plenty of sand and sun. You can explore the piers as well as skate or bike on the boardwalk. Make sure you have a plan for parking – getting to the beach is often the biggest hassle. You may want to ask around at the Visitors’ Center to see what area is the least crowded during your visit. Hint: the streets are numbered blocks, so you’ll likely get an answer like “head above 9th Street or try between 17th and 25th.”
Other lesser known beaches in the area include Gloucester Beach, which is on Gloucester Point, across the Coleman Bridge and near the Virginia Institute of Marine Science facility, as well as Yorktown Beach which is right across the York River. To get to either of these locations from Williamsburg you’ll have to take the Colonial Parkway. Yorktown Beach is bigger and has more amenities, such as the Riverwalk Landing shops and restaurants, while Gloucester is smaller and quieter.
You can also beat the heat at any number of local swimming pools, either at your Bed and Breakfast, (be sure to ask if they have any pool affiliations) or by purchasing a Daily Access Pass to a local public pool at one of the James City County Recreation facilities as a guest.
If you don’t want to get IN the water, but still would enjoy being ON the water, try Waller Mill Park, which has a variety of options such as paddle boating, canoeing, kayaking or row boating. The reservoir has two sections, both set in peaceful wooded landscapes for maximum relaxation.
Besides the obvious cooling off with water method, you could also seek shelter in the air conditioning of one of Williamsburg’s two movie theaters. The Regal Theater at New Town is very popular as the local Cineplex, as is getting frozen yogurt near the fountain afterward. The Movie Tavern at High Street serves food throughout the movie, as well as having an innovative seating style where you have executive chairs and a small counter for enjoying your refreshments. You can even pay ahead to have a nice cold drink brought into you after you’ve been enjoying the movie for an hour or so. Cheers!
Yes, Williamsburg is hot in the summer, but it continues to attract visitors from all over, which gives it a frenetic buzz – there’s no question, it’s a fun place to be in the summer. So join us!
Visit our other seasonal pages: Christmastime, Winter, Spring, Fall
Photos courtesy of livinginwilliamsburgvirginia.blogspot.com
