Month: June 2011

Word of the day… HOT. Heat index at mid day was 104 degrees. Just keep that in mind.

I had picked The Spoon Cafe for breakfast based on favorable Urbanspoon reviews and it’s proximity to the hotel. We left about 8:45 for the two block walk. When we got close enough to see the building, it was obvious we needed a plan B. There was a sign saying that they had moved and Maria remembered seeing on the way into town.

We walked back to the hotel and got in the car for the short drive down the street. Upon arrival in another empty parking lot we find an Opening Soon sign. Shit. We give up on local hot spots, drive back to the hotel and settle for the breakfast buffet.

We finally depart for Colonial Williamsburg shortly after 10:00. Had no trouble finding the Visitor Center nor getting our vouchers converted to actuals tickets. I had chosen the Bounce Pass which gets us into all three attractions whenever we want all week.

We board the shuttle and ride to the Governor’s Palace to start the sight seeing. Hot, just a reminder. Walked and looked and toured and walked. Hot. I’ll mention that the costumed tour guides and shop keepers are all in character. Kind of annoying to me, bit not a big deal.

That gets us to 3:30 and the need to eat. Went to Berret’s Seafood Restaurant in market square. Food was really good. Service was a little spotty, but in fairness, we arrived between lunch and dinner. Had to sit in the small bar area, which was fine, but I think that was partially responsible for the minor service issues.

Did some shopping afterwards. Still hot. Shuttle back to the car and back to hotel by 7:30. Since our lunch was so late, we knew more food would be required. We decided to do drinks, appetizers, and cake at the Chili’s. Went off without a hitch and then the kids insisted on a swim. Long day. Tomorrow, Busch Gardens.

For the past few trips we had managed to get out the door at pretty much the desired time. This lulled us into unwarranted confidence. Maria had been shooting for a 10:00 AM departure. I was going to be happy with noon. The reality had us leaving Cary at 2:00. On the plus side, I was quite calm through it all.

The drive was pleasantly uneventful. One rest area stop and a very nice last leg through the Virginia countryside. Most of this stretch was paralleled by a paved bike path. I’d love to ride the full length of that sometime.

Found the Hilton without incident and was happy to see that one of the restaurants I had highlighted was right across the street. We checked in and unpacked, then walked to dinner at Food for Thought. Food was good, but draft beer selection was smaller than I’d expected. Had a Dogfish Head 60 minute IPA and a Tangerine Wheat (which produced orange burps).

Walked back to the hotel and the girls hit the pool, such as it is. There was actually a sign limited the number of swimmers to 10. Not exactly Olympic sized.