About Williamsburg County, VA

Colonial Williamsburg honors the sacrifices and dedication of U.S. veterans, active duty military personnel, guard and reservists, and their dependents during special Veterans Day programs on Wednesday, Nov. 11,2009.

On Veterans Day, a military parade honoring America's veterans will be held at 4:30 p.m. and will begin at the Capitol. All veterans of service in America's armed forces are invited to participate in the parade. Groups will begin forming at 4:15 p.m. A ceremony will follow the parade at the Courthouse on Market Square recognizing all veterans of American service.

*As part of the tribute, Colonial Williamsburg offers special free admission passes to active duty military, guard and reservists, retirees, veterans and their dependents from Friday through Wednesday, Nov. 6-11. The Honoring Service to America pass includes admission to Colonial Williamsburg's Historic Area and museums, including the Capitol, Governor's Palace and Bassett Hall, the Williamsburg home of Foundation benefactor John D. Rockefeller Jr. and his wife, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller. The pass also includes an Orientation Walk, a walking tour that provides an overview of Colonial Williamsburg and its restoration, free shuttle bus service to and from the Visitor Center, a viewing of the movie, "Williamsburg, The Story of a Patriot," and parking at the Visitor Center.

Read more about it here

This post was authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf. John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of Hampton Roads and the historic triangle, and his expertise in the local real estate market. His websites, www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com and www.MrWilliamsburg.com, were created as a comprehensive resource about living in Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, with the hopes of selling a house now and again. You can reach him at 757.254.8136 or John@MrWilliamsburg.com.

After a recent prospect came to town looking for a home in a 55+ community in Williamsburg I assumed as I always do that they would want to live here in Williamsburg, VA. To my surprise they chose VA Beach over Williamsburg. ( A rare occurrence) It seems that they wanted to be closer to their kids who live in VA Beach so they purchased a home in West Neck a 55+ golf community in Virginia Beach, Virginia .The West Neck community sits on a quiet 620 acres and features a beautiful 18 hole, 72-par, Arnold Palmer Signature golf course, designed by Arnold Palmer and Palmer Course Design Company, that presents holes ranging from 5,031 to 7,010 yards. Eight distinct villages with a total of 930 homes comprise the West Neck community.

To that I end I have compiled a list of most of the 55+ Active Adult communities in Hampton Roads. This includes the Chesapeake, Gloucester, Franklin, Portsmouth, Smithfield, Suffolk, VA Beach, and Yorktown VA areas.

Chesapeake, VA -Eagle Pointe at Cahoon Plantation, One Ford Place, Legacy at Washington Arms, The Retreat At Greenbrier, Riverwalk, Monarch Walk, The Commons at Hunningdon, Sommerton

Gloucester , Va- Villas at Gloucester- Coming in 2010

Franklin, VA-Village at Woods End

Portsmouth, VA-Villas of River Pointe - Portsmouth

Smithfield, VA- Villas at Smithfield, Church Square

Suffolk, VA-The Seasons on Lake Meade

VA Beach, VA-Bay Village Condos, West Neck, Chelsea Place, Atlantic Shores,

Williamsburg, VA-Colonial Heritage Gated Active Adult Community, Villas At Five Forks, The Settlement at Powhatan Creek

Yorktown, VA-Rainbrook Villas, Villas at Yorktown

Here is the current map. I will continue to add new communities as they become available. If you know of any I missed please let me know

If you would like an email with prices and specifications for all homes , town homes, condos in 55+ communities in Williamsburg or Hampton Roads VA click here

This post was authored by local resident and REALTOR, John Womeldorf. John is known around town as Mr. Williamsburg, for both his extensive knowledge of Hampton Roads and the historic triangle, and his expertise in the local real estate market. His websites, www.WilliamsburgsRealEstate.com and www.MrWilliamsburg.com, were created as a comprehensive resource about living in Williamsburg and Hampton Roads, with the hopes of selling a house now and again. You can reach him at 757.254.8136 or John@MrWilliamsburg.com.

Colonial Williamsburg's Fourth of July Activities celebrate the founding of a nation.

The Declaration of Independence, drafted by Virginian Thomas Jefferson, was adopted July 4th, 1776. Celebrate the nation's birthday with Fifes and Drums, militia parades, and Colonial Williamsburg's famous Historic Area fireworks. Colonial Williamsburg offers programs throughout the day that honor the birth of our nation.

At 10 a.m. on Market Square, A Salute to the States offers a salute to the original 13 colonies with a Fifes and Drums performance and cannon fire.

At 12:30 p.m., the Declaration of Independence is read to citizens of Williamsburg at the Capitol building.

At 8:15 p.m., Music for the Fireworks features a concert of patriotic music with Colonial Williamsburg's Fifes and Drums prior to the fireworks. Fireworks begin at 9:15 p.m.

Guests are encouraged to bring a blanket or a lawn chair, and park at the Visitor Center and take Colonial Williamsburg's buses to the Historic Area. No ticket is required to enjoy these programs.

Find out more information here

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This past weekend I took my family on a little trip to Colonial Williamsburg Virginia. If you have not visited, it is a must see. The history of our country is at every turn.

Above is a photo of the gardens at the Governor's Palace.

Now I titled this post "Amazing" and you might think I was referring to the maze in this photo...

No that is not what is amazing... You see, we left Charlottesville and I only had a few minutes to pack (I was out showing Real Estate). In my hast I forgot my camera.

The amazing thing is that I took all our photos with my Blackberry and uploaded them to myself by email.

I just love technology!

Colonial Williamsburg

Many people start their tour of Colonial Williamsburg at the wonderful and interactive Visitor Center, or if you are more adventurous, like myself and already have a background in history, try driving directly into Historic Williamsburg and do some exploring on your own. Be prepared for large groups most times of the year including LARGE groups of children. Below are a few images taken on a recent excursion to Williamsburg.

Below is The Public Hospital for Persons of Insane and Disordered Minds. This building was the first devoted solely to the treatment of mental illness in the new world. The first patient was admitted October 12, 1773. The architecture of the building matches closely the Wren Building at the nearby College of William and Mary.

Among the many period reproductions of 18th century colonial transportation is the example below of a traveling coach used by wealthy residents of Williamsburg.

Upon it's completion in 1722, The Governor's Palace was considered one of the finest homes in Colonial America. It has been home to seven Royal Governor's, Patrick Henry and also Thomas Jefferson until the Capitol was moved to Richmond. The Palace has also served as a hospital twice during The Revolutionary War. The original building was destroyed by fire in 1781. The Restoration below was completed in 1934.

Fall is a wonderful time to visit Colonial Williamsburg, wood smoke is in the air, the leaves are changing and you can almost picture what our nation must have been like some 300 years ago.

©2008, 757RealEstateInfo.com and B. Payden Photography, LLC.All rights reserved, all uses prohibited without the express written permission of Bryant Payden.

Sandra Payden is a REALTOR® with Greg Garrett Realty.com in Newport News, VA.