Chippokes State Park — Attraction in Williamsburg

Nice park! It is still actively farmed, so you'll see a cornfield near the cabins, which you can rent out for a weekend like we did. They have electricity, running water, indoor plumbing, all the amenities except a dishwasher - they do supply you with everything you need for cooking and even a brillo pad & detergent for cleanup after.

There is an outdoor agricultural museum and they house chicken & sheep at the park, exhibits of early farming through 1900s devices, tools, & equipment. There's a plantation mansion and outbuildings to view - the mansion has a guided tour hourly starting at 12 noon on Sat, when we were there, and a schedule of activities throughout the park posted on a chalkboard there. A gift shop is in one of the outbuildings, which also houses an old Packard car that was owned by the resident before the estate was turned over to the state. There are gardens, but they were planted such that there would be only parts in bloom at any given time, so that there would always be something year round - so don't expect to see a cornucopia of blooms, but expect to see something no matter when you go. There were butterflies flying around on the flowering bushes along the main path to the mansion from the parking lot when we went in August.

There is a trail along the river that goes from the mansion to a little past the Farm & Forestry Museum area - it can be accessed at either end. If you park at the Farm & Forestry Museum, you can take the trail on the other side of the parking lot/chicken pen back towards the old house that served the plantation owners before the 2nd mansion was built, then hang a left and continue until you reach the river - about a 15 min walk to get there in total, and it's shaded for about half of it. You wouldn't have to walk towards the main mansion when you get to the river if you didn't want to - it would add another mile to your hike. Better to just access the river via the Farm & Forestry Museum parking.

It was a short drive away to reach Capt. Smith's Plantation and Bacon's Castle in the area - worth the weekend to do all of...

From the natural beachfront to the historic mansion to the Olympic size pool, this place can occupy most of your day. I took the family there to see the fossilized shells on the natural beach. I didn't realize there were other things to do there. We started by visiting the Visitor's Center. You can see examples of local wildlife and some of the interesting finds that are on the beach. After that, we walked down the trail to the beach. This was so neat. We enjoyed looking at all the layers of shells in the cliff that were deposited millions of years ago. After the beach, we went to the mansion for the tour. It was so interesting hearing all of the little details about the place. This is the oldest continuous working farm in the country; soon to be 400 years! After touring the house, we went to see the car that the former owner used. I forget most of the details but if you are the slightest bit "car buff" you DON"T want to miss this part of the tour. This is a one-of-a-kind vehicle that had included options that no other car had. Even me the non-car buff was impressed. We had to rush out due to a previous appointment and couldn't see the rest of the things, such as an original carriage that blows away anything you will find in Williamsburg. Speaking of Williamsburg, if you are looking for something else to see, you can easily fill another day of activities by taking the free ferry ride over to Surry and visiting this place. And, be sure to allow time in your day to visit Bacon's Castle. It is the oldest existing brick home in the country. And, it has a special room that isn't for the faint of heart. It also earned 5...

You cannot go wrong with a stay at a Virginia State Park. We stayed in the cabin for our anniversary in December. This park is fairly quiet and off the beaten path but we were only a few miles from the ferry to which we took to cross the James River to visit Jamestown/Williamsburg where there is tons of shopping, history and eateries. It only takes about 15 minutes to cross. You can leave the hustle and bustle and head back to Chippokes for some down time. There are trails and wild life and other activities depending on the weather and season. The park sits on the river and has a beach as well as a pool, picnic area, nature center and campground. You also get to enjoy a stately home where tours are held. We visited this park a few months earlier and loved walking the grounds and learning about the originators of this property. At Chippokes there seclusion as well as more populated areas with lots of things for friends and family to hang out and enjoy themselves and each other. We both had phone reception but the tv did not fare as well so we watched a movie on Hulu from my phone. The cabin was drafty but it was built circa 1930. It just gave us a reason the snuggle closer. I would love to go back when the...