Virginia’s Historic Colonial Parkway Road Trip

Your trip begins in Jamestown, the site of North America’s first permanent English colony. As you drive through the marshes and forests of Historic Jamestowne (fee required), you’ll get a feel for the environment that early settlers faced. The parkway follows the James River to Jamestown Settlement, where costumed guides recreate 17th-century life.

The parkway passes beneath Williamsburg via a tunnel, but you’ll want to stay above-ground to explore Colonial Williamsburg, which served as Virginia’s capital 1699-1780. Restored buildings in the historic district appear much like they did in the 1700s. Your last stop is Yorktown, where troops clashed during the deciding battle of the American Revolution in 1781.