Most have you have probably heard about Colonial Williamsburg but did you know that Greater Williamsburg (which includes Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown) has so many attractions you could plan a multi-generational vacation to keep everyone in your family busy and happy! I recently attended Mom’s Night Out event hosted by MOMTRENDS and learned all about this fascinating area. I’m going to give you the top 10 reasons to visit Williamsburg, Virginia.Top 10 Reasons To Visit Williamsburg, VA

I’ve compiled no less than 10 reasons (in descending order) for visiting Greater Williamsburg; after all, it’s where America began!

10. Yes, you read that last sentence correctly; the first British colony in America was founded in Jamestown in 1606 (13 years before The Mayflower arrived in Plymouth). You can see a recreation of that at the Jamestown Settlement colony, as well as a recreation of a Powhatan Indian village where you can learn about Pocahontas. You can also step aboard the three ships that sailed from England to Jamestown in 1607.

9. Avid golfers will enjoy more than a dozen golf courses, making it a top golf destination. The courses, designed by some of the most notable architects, are set to rolling hills and scenic woodlands.

8. Kayaking in areas where you can watch wildlife, such as bald eagles and otters.

7. The Williamsburg dining scene features Colonial-inspired fare and locally-sourced ingredients, making dining in its restaurants a unique experience.

6. Hiking in wetlands and forests in James City County where you can view some of the 200 species of birds.

5. Lovers of archaeology are in for a treat: In 1994 the Jamestown Rediscovery Project launched and has since discovered 2 million artifacts from the Jamestown colony. You can view them at the Archaerium and then head over to Historic Jamestowne, where archeologists are still digging to find more artifacts from the time of the first colony.

4. Freedom Park has outdoor adventures, such as ziplining and hiking and features 20 miles of mountain biking trails.

3. The Williamsburg Tasting Trail combines breweries, wineries, and distilleries where you can enjoy a variety of handcrafted alcoholic beverages. The Colonial Wine Trail includes the Williamsburg Winery – the largest winery in Virginia – which sits on 300 acres of land.

2. Busch Gardens has recently been named the most beautiful theme park in the country. This popular amusement park is broken into hamlets, each one representing a European village with its unique style of food, music, shows, and rides – all themed to each hamlet.

1. Colonial Williamsburg is the largest live museum in the world! It allows you to “step back in time” and explore the beginning of America, meeting “shopkeepers”, “political figures” and “members of the enslaved community”. You can watch a reenactment of historic moments, visit historic buildings, shops and mansions and participate in hands-on activities.

Photos courtesy of VisitWilliamsburg.com

Senior Reviewer Maytal Wichman has also written for The Huffington Post. She has been living in the New York City area for seventeen years and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English Literature as well as a Law Degree, but blogging is her true passion. Maytal is a stay-at-home mom to three kids (ages 10, 8 and 5) and loves finding great products for her family. 

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They say the journey is part of fun and in our recent road trip, that was so true. Recently, Toyota lent us a 2016 Sienna to test out. We took my awesome father-in-law with us and  left early in the morning to head down to Williamsburg, Virginia. Note: I am actually Sienna owner and since I have an older model, the 2011, I was excited to check out the 2016 Sienna. Our Sienna is the base model, with added bluetooth and a backup camera, without automatic doors. Family Road Trip with the 2016 Toyota Sienna

Our destination keyed into the Sienna’s navigation system.

We were 6 people on this trip — with my husband and I in the front, my father-in-law and my youngest were in the second row and my daughter and oldest son sat in the third row. We had a jump seat (small middle seat) in the second row, unlike the 2011 Sienna that we actually own. To get in an out of the last row, you have to move a seat in the second row forward and down. If you plan on using the 3rd row and need to access the seats easier, you may want to remove the jump seat and store it for when you need it.

I was a little nervous about my youngest child, on the last two road trips we’ve taken, he’s gotten car sick. I made sure I gave him medicine, we had tons of towels and paper towels handy, and I didn’t give him any books or mobile devices. Luckily, he did very well and actually slept for most of the ride.

We made several stops and this time I made sure that I got in the picture. While my husband, my oldest and I are showing off smiles, the littles were cranky. Can’t win them all….

This was my favorite stop. Everyone needs love, right?

The drive took around 8 hours with multiple stops (including lunch).

Features of the 2016 Toyota Sienna:

• 18/25 est. mpg
• Automatic doors
• Keyless entry & start
• Power liftgate for the trunk (touch a button on your keyfob and it opens right up)
• Navigation system – with turn by turn directions and it also will tell you the traffic situations nearby
• Moonroof
• Driver Easy Speak – a built-in microphone up front that picks up your voice and transmits it to the back through the rear speakers.
• Blind spot monitor
• Parking assist sonars
• Backup camera
• Hands-free calling and music streaming through Bluetooth connectivity (I literally set this up in under 1 minute)
• Sunshades for the second and third row windows to reduce glare for kids.

What really blew me away? The gas mileage. We made it down to Williamsburg on ONE tank of gas and still had 30 miles to go before we would hit empty. The Sienna will TELL YOU how many miles you have left.

You can get the Toyota Sienna in 5 grades – the L, LE, SE, XLE, and Limited.
MSRP: $28,850

Thank you to Toyota to proving the 2016 for a week. 

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