Something Different to Do with a 17-Year-Old Boy

I think we%26#39;ll be coming down to Williamsburg (from Northern Virginia) to do a college visit to William and Mary during my son%26#39;s Spring Break. This is the first year we have never done a fun Spring Break trip, but we%26#39;ve just got to get some college visits in this year. I%26#39;d like to do something fun/different/special with him while we are in the area. We%26#39;ve done all the normal historical stuff, but since he does plan to be a history major, if there%26#39;s a fun activity with a history bent, that would be OK. But mainly, I just want something ';different'; for us to do. Thanks!

Something Different to Do with a 17-Year-Old Boy

As you know, W%26#39;burg if full of history. If you%26#39;ve already done CW, drive less than 1 hr to The Mariners Museum in Newport News. They have a permanent exhibit of the USS Monitor (www.mariner.org/exhibitions/ussmonitorcenter). This is a unique exhibit and details of the recovery are presented as well as a full size replica. As a bonus, if you both enjoy hiking, there is a 5 mi wooded trail, Noland trail, that circles Lake Maury on the grounds of Mariners museum. Check it out.

Something Different to Do with a 17-Year-Old Boy

You might want to check to see if Busch Gardens is open. Spring breaks are changing here in Williamsburg so I don%26#39;t know if BG will change their schedule. Also, dinner at Paul%26#39;s across the street from the college...the later the better.

Yes, I agree with the first post to try to go just outside of Williamsburg to Newport News. The Mariners%26#39; Museum is a great idea if he likes history along with boats, ships, etc (www.mariner.org). Also within the same block as the Mariners%26#39; Museum is the Peninsula Fine Arts Center, which is also a very cool place (www.pfac-va.org). And just a mile down the road from those two things is the VA Living Museum if he loves animals %26amp; nature, along with history (www.thevlm.org). Also what comes to mind that you might enjoy that are a little %26#39;out-of-the-ordinary%26#39; historical sites, are the VA War Museum, Lee Hall Mansion, %26amp; Endview Plantation. Also the US Army Transportation Museum located on Ft Eustis Army base, if your son might like military vehicles from across the years.

Also great fun historic locations that are not too far away are Historic Jamestown, Jamestown Settlement, %26amp; Yorktown.

Busch Gardens is a great idea, too. After all what 17 year old doesn%26#39;t love roller coasers! But just be prepared for the crowds.

Do you already have your hotel picked out? If not, I would also recommend shopping in Newport News for that, to avoid the Spring Break crowds %26amp; Spring Break rates around Williamsburg %26amp; Busch Gardens. The city is also centrally located between Williamsburg %26amp; VA Beach, so, you could also easily make a nice day trip to the oceanfront! (But be prepared for the crowds there at the beach too!- allow for some extra driving time %26amp; avoid the basic rush hours) I would recommend the Point Plaza or the Holiday Inn %26amp; Suites. I know they are nice hotels that have full-service amenities, like restaurants %26amp; indoor pools (also a plus I%26#39;m sure for your teenager!) They are also just a quick jump off the interstate. And the Point Plaza sells discount tickets for a lot of the surrounding attractions.

Have fun!

Thanks, goneagain and eliziam, for the suggestions on Newport News--I hadn%26#39;t considered that. My son is a military history fanatic, so the USS Monitor and the Army Transportation Museum would be a hit with him. (BTW, there is at least one 17-year-old boy that doesn%26#39;t like roller coasters, so thank goodness I don%26#39;t have to contend with Busch Gardens.)

Thanks, VAbird, for the suggestion on Paul%26#39;s. We were hoping to find a good restaurant near campus.

You%26#39;re welcome, hope you have a good college visit and enjoy the local sights. Since your son is a military history buff, if there is time, consider downtown Norfolk (30 min from Mariners Museum) where he can visit the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Memorial, and 2 blks away is the battleship USS Wisconsin (free). Enjoy.

Just to warn you, I wouldn%26#39;t call Paul%26#39;s a ';good'; restaurant. It is only a deli but it will give your son a look at a college experience. There are usually many students there especially after 9 on weekends. Better restaurants nearby are Sal%26#39;s by Victor, Blue Talon, and the other restaurants in CW.

My son and I have just returned from our college visit to William and Mary in Williamsburg and we had a great time.

We did the W%26amp;M tour in the afternoon and had a nice dinner at the Aberdeen Barn and then did the Taverns Ghost Tour in Colonial Williamburg that night.

The next day my son wanted to go to Jamestown (although we have visited there before) because we had not been there since the new museum opened. From there we drove to Newport News and he and I had a GREAT time at the Transportation Museum at Ft. Eustis and at the Virginia War Museum. We were the only visitors at the Transportation Museum and we saw only two other groups at the Virginia War Museum. I thought that was a real shame because both museums were excellent. My AAA guide suggested allowing an hour for each museum, but we were at the Transportation Musuem for at least 1.5 hours and we were at the Virginia Museum for over 2.5 hours!

My son was very pleased with all our activities and that made me happy as this was the only Spring Break trip we were going to be able to make this year.

Thanks again to all for your suggestions.

Thanks for posting about your visit. Virginia is full of beautiful scenery, great museums, history, and much more. Glad you had the opportunity to sample some of what we have to offer and that you enjoyed the trip. Come again.

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