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Hall, but its impeccable European service, food and wine are well worth the trip. If they can satisfy a room full of 50 Germans and Austrians (our family reunion one year), then they are very good at what they do. The sauerbraten, schnitzel and spaetzle were, dare I say, as good as Grandma’s. The restaurant is housed in a late-1800s farmhouse, transformed into elegant dining rooms. A real treat is the wine cellar visible through a glass floor. (1325 Jamestown Road, tel. 757-229-4677, www.thewhitehall.com)

Lodging

Williamsburg accommodations could fill another book. There are more than 10,000 rooms available in town. We’ll give you a diverse, representative selection, from modest to upscale, both within the historic district and outside it. For more, contact the Williamsburg Area Hotel/Motel Association (tel. 800-446-9244).

To get truly immersed in the Colonial experience, you can stay right in the Historic Area in one of the many Colonial Houses furnished with reproductions, yet offering modern comforts. The Governor’s Inn offers economical family lodging ($), while the Williamsburg Inn is a world-class hotel resembling a country estate surrounded by a golf course ($$$$). The Williamsburg Woodlands is a casual retreat ­hotel on 44 wooded acres ($$), and the Williamsburg Lodge is a full-service resort hotel decorated with folk art ($$). (For all of the above, tel. 800-HISTORY, www.coloni­alwi­lliamsburg.org)

Kingsmill Resort has luxurious villa accommodations, spa, pool, golf course, tennis and marina. Provides free shuttle to attractions. (1010 Kingsmill Road, tel. 800-832-5665, www.kingsmill.com, $$$$)

To be close to the outlet shopping out on Richmond Road (Route 60), check out the Comfort Inn Outlet Center (tel. 800-964-1774, $), and the Quality Inn Outlet Mall (tel. 800-524-1443, $).

The Quality Inn Lord Paget is a modestly priced motor lodge in a quiet, park-like setting. It’s decorated in the Colonial style, and a separate building houses fully furnished suites with terraces looking out on the private duck pond. (901 Capitol Landing Road, tel. 800-444-4678, $$)

There are more than a dozen bed & breakfast inns in the Williamsburg area. An 1849 National Historic Landmark mansion, Edgewood Plantation Inn, has 10 fireplaces, antiques and canopy beds. (4800 John Tyler Memorial Highway, Charles City, tel. 800-296-3343, www.edgewood-plantation.com, $$$)

At the other extreme is the Primrose Cottage B&B, a four-room getaway decorated with antiques. You might have a hard time remembering which century you’re in – you can play a harpsichord or get in a Jacuzzi! (706 Richmond Road, tel. 800-522-1901, www.primrose-cottage.com, $$)

The Fife and Drum Inn is one of the most conveniently located private inns to the historic area. (441 Prince George Street, tel. 888-838-1783, www.fifeand­druminn.com, $$$)

Pet-friendly: The Heritage Inn Motel accepts pets at no charge, but they request prior notice. Located in the heart of the historic district. (1324 Richmond Road, tel. 757-229-6220, $$)

Information

Williamsburg Area Convention & Visitors Bureau, tel. 800-368-6511, www.visitwilliamsburg.com.

Colonial Williamsburg, tel. 800-HISTORY, www.colonial­williams­burg.org.

Smithfield

The view from the back porch of Windsor Castle sweeps down a green lawn, past red-painted barns, over fields planted with cotton, and settles on the winding passage of two creeks – the Pagan and Cypress. If the breeze picks up and blows your way, it will carry with it a heady tidewater blend of marsh and field. Arthur Smith found it all to his liking and settled here, his Windsor Castle estate covering 1,400 acres until the day a descendant, Arthur Smith IV, donated a small portion for the courthouse, and sold lots around it.

Thus was born Smithfield, a small town that for 250 years has seen fortunes rise and fall on the commodities of fishing, peanuts and pork – including the world-famous Smithfield Ham, coveted by English monarchs before the American Revolution.

Around Town

Downtown Smithfield is packed with quaint, familiar