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One Tank Trip: Williamsburg

Finding a vacation spot that allows you to forget about the hustle and bustle of everyday life isn't easy.

But Colonial Williamsburg does just that, immediately transporting visitors to the 18th century from the moment they enter its grounds. Dirt roads meander through the town where people pass one another on foot or horse-drawn carriages. The loud roar of cars is replaced with the sound of hooves' clomping and strangers greeting one another.

Ladies in long dresses and men in patriot hats sit on the front stoop of brick buildings (which wave the British flag if they're open) and beckon guests to come closer and learn a little more about a simpler time. Tour the elegant Governor's Palace , which gives visitors a taste (literally) of how royalty lived during colonial times with demonstrations of 18th century cooking techniques. At the other end of Palace Green Street rests Bruton Parish Church , an Episcopal church established in 1715 that's still in use today. For a heartening look at the nation's first citizens, walk through the church's cemetery to reflect on how they lived and what their life may have been like.

Take the whole family to the "The Revolutionary City," an afternoon program that puts visitors in the center of the action as historical interpreters act out events that would have happened on the streets of Williamsburg during the years of the American Revolution. Children will also enjoy a visit to the Courthouse , where inside they can act as a defendant, witness or justice, and outside they can experience the stocks and ridicule of a guilty citizen. From the Blacksmith Shop to the Colonial Garden & Nursery to the Lumber House , visitors to Colonial Williamsburg will learn how people in the 18th century made a living and created the goods that come to Americans so simply today.

With 301 acres and more than 500 restored and reconstructed buildings, Colonial Williamsburg isn't a town visitors want to take on alone. Peter Friesen is an orientation interpreter who offers 30-minute tours to cover the basics from what to see to how to get around.

"People will say, 'Because of you, we didn't have to worry about planning. We know where everything is,'" he said. "Then we'll see others who skipped the tour spinning around." What makes Colonial Williamsburg so unique is what also makes it so necessary to have a little more guidance.

"The museum is the town," Friesen said, so instead of one or two buildings to navigate, guests must find their way among several blocks.

With maps, an informational movie and admission details, the Visitor Center is a good place to start before tackling Colonial Williamsburg. Most of the historic sites require a ticket to enter, and the Visitor Center offers several different ticket packages based on what buildings and programs guests want to experience.

The center also serves visitors going to Yorktown and Jamestown, or events related to the Jamestown 2007 commemoration, an ongoing celebration of the 400th anniversary of the nation's birthplace.

Particularly popular in the summer months, some Williamsburg ticket packages offer admission to Busch Gardens Europe , Water Country USA and other popular Williamsburg attractions as well as Colonial Williamsburg. Call 1-800-HISTORY for more details.

Whether you decide to spend a day or a week exploring all Williamsburg has to offer, take a leisurely return trip home to Richmond and hop on the free Jamestown-Scotland Ferry (www.virginiadot.org/comtravel/ferry-jamestown), which began providing service in 1925. Enjoy the sunset on the 15-minute ferry ride across the James River and then treat yourself to a dinner of fine southern cookin' at the Surrey House Restaurant , (703) 203-2950.

Follow Route 10 back to Richmond and soak in those last few moments of vacation before returning to the fast pace of the 21st century.