The flavor of Virginia’s past is nowhere more evident than in Colonial Williamsburg. When Williamsburg was the state capital, between 1699 and 1780, it was the busiest city in the colonies, but it fell into a decline after 1780. Not until the 1920’s was the town brought back to life. Teams of experts followed a 1781 “Frenchman’s Map” and copied minute architectural details supplied by a 1740 copperplate engraving of the city. Today, with block after block of restored and reconstructed buildings, the town is a living time capsule showing life as it was in colonial days.

Wiiliamsburg is set amid the low, sandy plain known as the Tidewater. Roads with names like the “Plantation Route” and “Colonial Parkway” lead to former battlefields, historic towns, and stately plantations along the James River. Tidewater’s southern limits, the James flows by the naval ships at Norfolk and empties into the Chesapeake Bay.

Just across the bay lies Virginia’s Eastern Shore, a section of the long Delmarva Peninsula that the state shares with Delaware and Maryland. Salt marshes, truck farms, fishing villages, and windswept dunes occupy it. Parallels to the peninsula are the barrier islands of Chincoteague and Assateague, sanctuaries for herons, ospreys, and other wildlife.

PLACES TO VISIT, THINGS TO DO

Luray Caverns (near Luray). This huge cave abounds in colorful formations reflected in clear pools. Visitors are amazed by an organ whose tone - producing pipes are stalactites.

Plantations along the James River. Among the many historic plantations in this area are Berkeley, birthplace of President William Henry Harrison, and Carter’s Grove, an elegant Georgian mansion.

Skyline Caverns (Luray). Stretching for some 105 miles through the Blue Ridge Mountains, the park is an untamed wildness endowed with waterfalls and wildflower.

Skyline Drive and Blue Ridge Parkway. Splendid vistas are commonplace along his drive through Shenandoah National Park, the George Washington and Jefferson national forests, and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Williamsburg Historic District. The first and finest of America’s restored towns, Colonial Williamsburg takes visitors back in time, allowing them to experience everyday life in early America.