I am writing this on November 11th, 2020, so we are still in the midst of the pandemic, and everything is stressful. Living in Williamsburg, VA, fun activities are surprisingly numerous for such a quiet town. Not everything I mention here is going to be socially distanced, but you do have the opportunity to wear your mask and everyone around here is pretty careful. Having lived here for four years so far, these are all the things that I like to do with my friends, whether it's on a regular basis or special occasions.
1. Go to Axe Republic.
Axe Republic is located in New Town, and it is one of the most fun activities I've done in my time here. You pay $27 and you get 75 minutes to train with one of the employees who are so very nice as well as time to throw on your own. I like that they take into account your stature and experience. For example, I am small and apparently not very good, so they gave me the smaller axe and told me to throw it like the bigger axe. As you can see, I got a bullseye! The reason I look so excited is that this was probably the 12th throw of the night.
They do have food and drinks, but I was too busy practicing my aim to order anything. Additionally, I don't think beer would have made me any better.
2. Spend a day at the Spa of Colonial Williamsburg.
My mother and I have gotten massages a few times (her more than me), and she says that this particular spa has the best masseuses. It's definitely a splurge or special occasion activity but extremely worth it. the service is impeccable, and I promise you will feel so pampered and relaxed.
There is also often a Groupon available that will give you a pretty good discount that you can find at this link. Make sure to use Rakuten (Ebates) if you purchase anything on Groupon as well because that will also give you back a little money.
Another perk about this spa is that on the day of your massage or other service, you can use their facilities. They have a gym, a pool, a smaller warm pool in the changing area, quiet rooms, snacks, saunas, and showers stocked with everything you could want. Of course, these services are currently limited due to the Covid pandemic, so you will have to call or check their website to see what is available at this time. I did actually go recently, but I didn't want to use any of the extra facilities, as I don't want to be around other people right now.
Additionally, The Spa of Colonial Williamsburg does offer gym memberships that also give you access to the amenities I mentioned earlier. It's not cheap, but they make you feel so pampered. I think that this feeling really hit home when I was offered a chilled towel and a cup of fruit infused water on a tray while I was watching HGTV on the elliptical. With this, you also have access to their fitness classes which not many people know about. You'll probably only see older people and families at this gym, so it's nice if groups of people make you nervous like they do me. For pricing, you do have to contact them directly.
3. Take a walk in the outdoors
As you all know, I have a dog named Harley. He loves to go on walks. His favorite place to go for a walk is Waller Mill park. They have a dog park here, but you have to pay a membership fee, so we have not been there. The Waller Mill park itself is free, but you do have to pay $2 for parking or a $24 yearly parking fee.
My favorite part about this park is that there are nature trails as well an option to go on a paved bike path. More often than not, we go on the paved path because I have weak ankles but that is neither here nor there. Even the paved trail is lined by beautiful, looming trees and a certain dampening silence makes you feel so at peace. Harley and I will run about half way down the left portion of the trail, and that takes us about 20 minutes when running and 40 minutes when walking (but then you also have to run back). There is a little trash can and free poopie bags available if you forget your own.
Waller Mill also has kids' parks with swings and slides, which I only sometimes take advantage of. Swings are so underrated! They also have little paddle boats that you use your feet to propel as well as a spot to put a boat in the water. I have not done these activities, but they do look fun!
I'll insert a picture the next time we go!
And I mean most people would love walking around the cmapus of W&M because it is a beautiful campus. Personally, it just makes me feel stressed because it's so reminiscent of trying to rush from one end of campus to the other in 10 minutes. But, to each their own.
4. Hit up the outlets
This may be a very mainstream suggestion, but the outlets are such a fun place to go. This is not a solely fall activity, as it is an all the time activity. The only thing I love more than shopping is shopping for amazing deals! I get such a rush when I save more than 60% (Hey, at least I don't do drugs, right?)
Some tips I would suggest for making sure you are getting the best deals are:
Ask if there's a student discount at every store. You'll be surprised about how many have one.
Use the RetailMeNot app to check for any further/better discounts.
Look for signs that they will give you a discount if you sign up for messages or emails (I use this a lot at Polo).
Additionally, take into account that some outlet stores do not sell the same quality as their regular stores. Loft, for example, has a specific Loft Outlet brand that is separate from their regular Loft clothing. I do not always care, but it is something to think about when weighing the value.
The parking here, depending on when you go, will likely be a little crazy. There are three sections of stores, so it might be convenient to look at their website to check which section you want to start in.
My favorite stores at the Williamsburg outlets are Loft, Kate Spade, Banana Republic, and Book Warehouse. I've actually been here twice for the Black Friday sales, and they're meh compared to their everyday deals.
5. Eat enormous amounts of sushi at Ichiban
Ichiban's all-you-can-eat sushi lunch is a must. Including tax and tip, it'll come out to around $17-18, and it is so worth it. They do this special lunch on weekdays from 11:30-2:30. You can order as much sushi as you want, but YOU HAVE TO FINISH IT. I beleive it is a concept similar to Sushi King, but the sushi is better at Ichiban IMO.
Some of my favorite items to order are:
Peanut avocado roll (trust me, it is so good)
Eel Roll
Zucchini Roll
Shrimp fried rice
Honey Shrimp
Miso Soup
Egg bonus sushi (kind of a sweet egg)
Sautéed string beans
Definitely order your sushi early because it takes a little longer for those to come to the table. I will say that sometimes the waitresses are grumpy, but they do have to run back and forth a lot more with all these small plates. They are also putting themselves at risk everday to serve you, so make sure to tip them! Also, if you really can't finish your sushi, don't mash it up or try to hide it. It's disrespectful to the establishment.
I also think that leaving being so full you could just roll out of the restaurant is an integral part of the Ichiban lunch experience. It's even better going with more friends because then you have more people to ask to help you finish your sushi.
6. Go zip lining at Go Ape!
I'm gonna be real. It's not cheap, but there is a student discount here of 10%, bringing the price to about $57/person for the 3 hour treetop adventure. Just make sure you have your ID with you. They will also do this 10% discount if you're military or book a party if 5+ people.
Some tips: wear long pants because you might have a crash landing in your future when you go on the ziplines (as I did lol). I also wish I had worn a longer top because I got multiple types of dirt down my pants.
Other thing to note
Notice, nowhere did I mention Colonial Williamsburg or Busch Gardens. That was on purpose because I don't like them. I have been to Colonial Williamsburg, but once you do it once, there's not much else. As for Busch Gardens, I can't stand roller coasters, so there's too much of a risk that I'll be peer pressured into going on one. Either that, or I stand alone at the end holding everyone's belongings. I have also been to Busch Garden's Howl-O-Scream twice and that is also not for me. The scary characters will target people who look like good targets. To give you some perspective, all my friends are girls who are mostly under 5'4". That is what I call a panic attack waiting to happen. If you do go, one tip I have for you is that if you're holding a turkey leg and walk slightly away from your group, the characters are less likely to scare you.
Additionally, this list is ongoing. As I have more fun experiences, I will share them!
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