I stayed here for a retreat and the room was lovely and the grounds were so calming and peaceful…read more There was a volleyball net, tennis courts, a pool and playgrounds. This seemed like a low-cost, pet friendly way to stay in Williamsburg.

Some friends planned a crafting retreat at this venue. I had not been there before but my roomie…read morehad many times over the past 20 years. We were on the first floor with a renovated room with 2 of the most comfortable queen sized beds and pillows I have ever slept on. I even took a nap I was so happy with those mattresses. The beds are a bit high so if you are short or have trouble walking you may have difficulty getting in and out of the bed. It was not a problem for me. The rooms are complete with all the basics sans TV or fridge. There is no room/maid services offered. The adjacent meeting room is small. We had 18 people crammed into this room for the weekend. The kitchenette is extremely small with a dorm sized fridge. This would not be a problem if the rooms had even a tiny fridge. They provide bags of ice for $5 which one of the employees brings from the kitchen. The air conditioner blows very cold air intermittently. I just kept a sweater I took off and put on. They offer meals options and Kai, a young chef, is very talented at cooking food for a group. The pot roast and mashed potatoes and gravy was fabulous. All the meals were well prepared and buffet style. I was not shy about helping myself and there was plenty for everyone. The grounds are very natural and easy to walk. The road to the retreat center is easily navigated but some distance from any kind of restaurants and there is no delivery service from the closest restaurants. I brought my own drinks and snacks but some people didn't and spent too much time trying to get pizza delivery. The staff I interacted with peripherally seemed very kind and helpful. The environment was clean well maintained. It is a Christian retreat center but was comfortable whatever your spiritual orientation.

This Inn was absolutely phenomenal. I can't recommend it enough…read more Initially, everything is beautiful and clean. While there, I saw them dusting the window eaves. There are free snacks, sodas, and high-end coffee in your room, and lots of other little treats too. And the nature surrounding the Inn is immaculate. I spent every night on my balcony under the stars, surrounded by lush vegetation and gorgeous water. Beyond the rooms, the facilities are nice. There's a small, but beautiful beach, as well as a small area to swim in the "creek" (the creek is more of a river, and it all feeds into the Rappahannock). There's a boardwalk that rings around the property (which is where I spotted plenty of fish and a crab. And of course, the resort's star attraction, thousands of oysters, which you can join a program to shuck them). They have a marina and are even doing plane rides now. There's an art room offering all sorts of project from paint to clay. It's also a short walk into town and the handful of local restaurants. Finally, an excellent instructor taught me and a few friends how to play pickleball. He was patient and encouraging... while also kicking our butts when we played him LOL! The food was good, with some of the best mushroom ravioli I've had. The bartenders were all nice and engaging, making all sorts of drinks. They have a sommelier on site that runs the wine and liquor program. They also had an exquisitely buttered soft pretzel that I loved. I really appreciated that, on my last day, I asked if I could go on their afternoon boat ride. They said they usually required 24 hour notice, and nobody else had signed up. Nonetheless, they accommodated me and I basically got a private boat tour for group prices (yay for Wed. afternoon availability). I had a fun afternoon exploring the creek and river. To be honest, this level of excellent quality is a rarity in older hotels like this. I've been to more than a few and have, more often than not, found them to have let space deteriorate, provide inconsistent amenities, and uninspired food. Which is absolutely not the case here. Good food, great rooms, service, and amenities, and phenomenal views. A true 5 star stay!

We are 45-50 yo couple looking for 2-3 day without work or other distractions or stuff to do. This…read moreplace was great. We got upgraded to a suite at checkin and at every step the rooms, the food and the staff were great. We sat in chairs and watched the river go by while reading for a couple of hours. Napped and then went to the pool bar for lunch and beers. Breakfast was great both days, the crab omelet was great. The dinner menu was a little too fine dining for me, but there are local places you can get to within a few minutes. The crowd when we visited was older and really really white. I don't know if that was a function of the day/date timeframe or the cost, we got a discounted via Amex but it was pretty weird that 100% of the guests were white and 98% of the staff wasn't.

Another Memorial Weekend in the books for us at the Oyster Farm Marina…read more If they could only invest some money and effort in updating and maintaining the bathroom facilities (most specifically the ladies room), then my rating would be significantly better. The ladies bathroom is so dark when you walk in - it does not have the same light and bright coastal vibe as the rest of the marina. This contrast is also difficult visually. Last year are main problem was not having actual shower heads in the stalls. This year, we had no hot water for our shower on Sunday morning. When we checked back in the afternoon and evening there was still no hot water. Despite the bathroom facilities, the rest of the marina is nice. Kids riding their scooters up and down the piers makes for some non-relaxing sounds on the docks. The pool was not in working order, either.

The Oyster Farm Marina has been through various changes over the last several years and have…read moreshifted roles, menus and management. It's a beautiful spot to visit and is considered part of the large Bay Creek complex. It is under that umbrella and is considered a part of the HOA and various other amenities offered by the complex. There is a gated community you'll drive past with colorful beachfront homes on the left, once you pass that you'll arrive at the Marina parking area and a large grassy field to the left houses a farmer's market during the summer with a few dozen tents with local vendors selling cookies, produce and some arts and crafts. We've visited a few times and sometimes it's very sparse and only has a few tents but during peak tourist season it usually perks up. The restaurant at the Marina doesn't seem to keep the same hours and def. doesn't have the same service and menu it had when it initially opened. They village has closed and no longer houses any shops - those have all moved to the town - it's now an event venue space that can be rented for weddings and they have several cute little colored and themed cottages on site that can be rented as part of a weekend wedding event. There is a small general store that sells some drinks and fishing supplies as well as a surprising amount of On Cloud branded gear for about half off. We love to browse this when we come to the area. It's not a spot I'd recommend for a nice dinner or hanging out as it appears to be very quiet and there isn't much going on here if you aren't fishing or boating from the Marina or here for a specific event. It is beautiful and clean and well kept.

A nice time saver when traveling through Lancaster. The short ferry ride can save you about 15…read moreminutes of driving time. The ferry conductor is nice and efficient loading and unloading vehicles. I have taken it several times and it seems that it can hold up to 4 basic cars. Sometimes there will be 3 on there. If you are the only one in line he will take you solo.

A small ferry that is a lot of fun to take across the river. The crossing is fairly quickly…read more Closed on Sunday and Monday and during inclement weather.

Jackie took our family out for a 3 hour tour. We collected fossilized coral and it was great…read more Jackie provided everything from kayaks, to life vests, to oars to ice packs and tons of knowledge. Highly recommend her guides! Thanks!

We had a great time on the water with Bay Country Kayaking!! They knew a lot about the environment…read moreand the wildlife. Our kids had a great time for their first time kayaking in the bay. Jackie and Byron they were awesome and so helpful. Thank you

The largest living museum in the world is Colonial Williamsburg. Original 18th century homes and…read morebuildings (and many reconstructed) line blocks and blocks. There are taverns, a blacksmith, the governor's mansion, and more. With the tours and performances, you can spend the entire day here. You do need a ticket to go inside most of the buildings with the exception of the Bray School and a few others. However, it is free to wander through!

Walking around we came across this & figured why not check it out…read more U can grab tickets through their official site which is easier for the tours inside the building. This was nice, Informative it was a decent way to spend some time learning & checking out the history of this place.

This place is a hidden gem. It's a lovely hotel and a delicious restaurant. Seating is both indoor…read moreand outdoors. The menu is great with a lot to choose from. We were a large group and our service stayed on top of us the whole time. The gardens are lovely. Pets are allowed outside. The drinks were delicious. I've been for lunch and dinner and happy hour. I need to try their breakfast!

We stayed here for a work trip since there wasn't much else around - it was a great recommendation!…read more It was super easy to check in, our room was very clean and well taken care of. Modern but still captured the old coastal feel. It was super musty and smelled like it. There was a dehumidifier but it was so small, in two nights we actually had to dump the water bucket 4 times. And if we left all day, we came back to a damp room. I'm not sure what causes that - we live in a super humid area and don't have the same issue, but maybe a larger humidifier would help. The breakfasts were fantastic - you can order anything off their restaurant menu. I didn't have anything bad, everything was super fresh and came in huge portions. I do wish they had an espresso machine but the coffee was okay. Check out was also a breeze. This isn't a luxury location, my main complaint was the price for it feels steep, but it's one of the only spots in the area which is probably why they can charge so much. Overall, a great stay and I would definitely come back here if I was in the area again.

Let's bring this one up to the current:…read more Since my last drivel about the CW Brickyard a lot has changed. First and foremost is their location. Until two years ago they were preverbally down in the hole off of Nicholson Street over by the Cabinetmaker. Now, they are off of Botetourt Street next to the Carpenter (who has only been there a few years from when they got moved due to the closing of Great Hopes Plantation). Why the visit and what's the big deal? It's all about the kiln baby. Why is it worth seeing? Because you simply cannot see bricks fired this way in this country anywhere else except here at this time. Normally once a year, in certain years they have done it twice and at different times but this is normally the pattern, in mid-November they fire up the kiln that they spent approximately five weeks building to solidify the bricks which were made from late-spring to early-autumn. This year, depending on which person you talk to, they're firing around 18-19K. A few thousand will be used at The Magazine for part of a new outer wall they'll do next year (The Magazine is currently closed until '25 for archeology/renovation work), most will be used for the rebuilding of the First Baptist Church - www.colonialwilliamsburg.org/learn/research-and-education/archaeology/first-baptist-church/. Fwiw, if you got the dough, the bricks can flow. Part of the total are 800 for a private individual that is doing an outdoor hearth. Pricing is $5.25 per brick (faint). Also neat is that while all of the CW trades close for the day at 5pm, a random one or two at 4:30pm, during the kiln firing the brickyard stays open until 10pm. Yes, at 10 they very politely ask you to leave and yes, several staff members from different trades stay out all night long for the five days it takes the process to unfold. The staff that work here are arguably the best CW has to offer. Whether it's answering the same question for the millionth time or answering a very technical question from someone who knows something about bricks, they handle it professionally and some with a good sense of smart-ass humor. The rest of the year the brickyard open Wednesday-Sunday from 9am-5pm but if you can swing it, usually, the second week of November for a visit, it will be worth your time. (They also once every so often fire up the oyster shells they have on the property which are then used as mortar for in between the bricks once they're melted down. One of the guys said it was coming "soon" but I forgot to ask when "soon" is.)

Colonial Williamsburg is the perfect place to relive history. Don't worry about what time of year…read moreyou go ... there will always be plenty of people there to share your stay with! The docents in their historic garb doing things we don't do anymore will absolutely blow you away! Don't wait ... go now!