Looking for some summer
fun without the hassle of packing a suitcase or enduring a long car ride or a
trip to the airport? Consider visiting one of these locales all within an easy drive
of Fredericksburg that offer up plenty of family fun.
Williamsburg
Sure, Williamsburg is
home to Busch Gardens and Water Country USA, but other adventures also await
for all you thrill seekers. Go Ape! (www.goape.com/location/virginia-williamsburg/)
boasts a variety of
treetop ziplining experiences for all ages, as well as axe throwing and an
outdoor escape room attraction called Forest EscAPE. Go Ape! is located within
Freedom Park, which features a botanical garden, picnic area, and hiking and
mountain biking trails.
This summer, Go-Karts
Plus (www.gokartsplus.com), another amusement park in Williamsburg, will open a
new elevated go-kart track called Skyline Speedway. The park also has other
amusement rides, including bumper cars and bumper boats, as well as a mini golf
course, gem panning, a toddler play area, and an arcade.
History buffs, of
course, can check out Jamestown Settlement (www.jyfmuseums.org) or Colonial
Williamsburg (www.colonialwilliamsburg.org), which both offer a variety of
summer programming. Families can grab a slice of pizza at Mellow Mushroom in
downtown Williamsburg after stepping back in time for a day or head next door
to Precarious Beer Hall, where moms and dads can sip a pint while the kids
enjoy the hall’s arcade games and pinball machines.
Richmond
Richmond has plenty of
opportunities for families to soak in both flora and fauna this summer. Lewis
Ginter Botanical Garden (www.lewisginter.org) is home to a plethora of plants
and flowers, as well as a children’s garden with a tree house, climbing trees,
and a splash pad. Meanwhile, families can also stroll the grounds of historic Maymont
Park (www.maymont.org). Maymont features several gardens and an arboretum, or
visitors can check out animals, which can be found at the nature center, at the
farm, or in the wildlife habitats. The wildlife habitats include bison, black
bears, elk, bobcats, deer, a red fox, and numerous birds. Richmond also has a
zoo (www.metrorichmondzoo.com). On a hot summer day, head indoors and check out
the exhibits at the Children’s Museum of Richmond (www.childrensmuseumofrichmond.org)
or the Science Museum of Virginia (www.smv.org). Budding scientists can
discover what lies beneath the skin at Body Worlds: The Anatomy of Happiness, a
new exhibit that opened at the science museum in May.
Charlottesville
Carter Mountain Orchard
(www.chilesfamilyorchards.com) in Charlottesville is a popular destination in
the fall for apple picking, but there is plenty of fun to be had in the summer
too. Families can pick their own peaches during the summer months. Carter
Mountain also has live music and food trucks at sunset on Thursday evenings
through September, as well as children’s education programs on Monday and
Tuesday mornings that include storytime and a craft. Additionally,
Charlottesville is home to another historic attraction, Monticello (www.monticello.org),
and the children’s museum Virginia Discovery Museum (www.vadm.org).
Charlottesville is not
far from Shenandoah National Park, where families can spend the day outside hiking,
picnicking, and admiring the spectacular scenery and wildlife from afar.
