After leaving the historic Hotel Chamberlain in Fort Monroe, we headed towards I-64 via the more roundabout Rte 258, in part to pick up gas and Krispy Kremes and in part to avoid the construction logjam we hit previously on the way to Yorktown. Traffic proved light for a Monday morning and we emerged at the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor's Center.

The Governor's Palace at the far end of the Palace Green.

The only hazard is that the usual brown signs for attractions, which we followed for the other spots, became fancy green signs for Colonial Williamsburg. Why the change, I don't know, but for out of town folks like us, I really have preferred to zero in on brown signs and not fancy green and white ones that can be lost against a backdrop of green foliage. I mean, and here's a tip for the Virginia Department of Transportation, if you need a separate sign to instruct tourists to look for and follow the fancy green and white signs, you need to rethink your signage!

Anyway, the huge brick Visitor's Center rises out of the trees with sufficient sweeping curves and glasswork to be considered modern architecture. The enormous parking lot is on your right, flowing up and over a gentle hill. As you approach the center from "above," a fountain trickles among the rocks, a haven for pennies and other change. Huge sliding glass doors admit you to the cavernous interior, complete with a restaurant and a well-stocked bookstore with thankfully few "rubber tomahawks." Both of these are open until 9pm.

Naturally, being a Monday with kids back in school, we expected to saunter up and buy tickets. Not so. Even with about a dozen ticket sellers, it took 20 minutes to wind our way to the front. I'm not sure what happens in peak season. I guess the line winds around the interior a little more. Or maybe it heads outside. Before you stand in line, grab one of the Colonial Williamsburg newspapers. This provides a map of the place and tells you the special shows and walks for the week.

In any case, a one-day ticket costs $33 for an adult (half that for kids), or, for $39, you get a Freedom Pass good for entrance for a year. They take your photo and stick it on a laminated badge for that. No offense to Colonial Williamsburg, but I don't want to give my name, address, and phone number for a stupid ticket so that Colonial Williamsburg can sell my name to telemarketers and junk mail companies.

And the pressure's on to sell you one. The chance of actually returning is slight, unless of course, you wish to spend multiple days at Colonial Williamsburg like all the guidebooks tell you. Personally, we covered most of the place in six hours, and we also knew we would be heading out the next day, and probably not return. As the lady said, you can always upgrade later inside Colonial Williamsburg if you want to. If you plan to take in any of the special performances and lectures ($12 per person), the Freedom Pass offers a 50% discount.

I expect that in prime time summer season, it probably would take you multiple days to wring the most out of Colonial Williamsburg, especially if you have kids. But that's the price of parenthood. On the other hand, we did see a considerable number of parents bringing pre-school aged children in the one-, two-, and three-year old age group. They didn't seem to pay attention to much, but if you're a parent, I guess that's the only way you're going to get to go somewhere.

On the third hand, many of the structures inside Colonial Williamsburg are seen only by guided tours. There's nothing like that darling toddler screaming up a storm becuase he/she wants to go under the rope and play on the 18th century furniture. But I get ahead of myself.

After ticket purchase, you file out the door to waiting shuttle buses that take you to the town. It's a comfortable way to get there, although a 10-minute wait for a 5-minute drive makes me chuckle. It's only a 200-yard walk from the Visitor's Center to where the shuttle bus drops you off. Crossing the main highway may be hazardous to your health at rush hour, but it looks like a walkway over the highway is in the making. From parking the car to stepping off the shuttle bus took about 45 minutes.

More Colonial Williamsburg

Introduction
Governor's Palace
Into Town: Shops
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Museum
Arms Magazine Area
Where to Stay, Eat, and Play

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