Spacious Condos Set in Area Steeped in Colonial History

Along the historic streets of Colonial Williamsburg, the resounding hammer strikes of blacksmiths and strident piping of fifes transport visitors to Revolutionary-era America. Nearby, a restored manor house on the grounds of Diamond Resorts International's Historic Powhatan Resort harks back to an even earlier time. Built around 1735, the brick structure—a former plantation building listed on the National Register of Historic Places—sits amid formal gardens, its unique T-shaped chimneys rising in stately fashion over bursts of floral color. Adding to the sense of nature and history converging, fountains burble among neoclassical columns at the outdoor pool, and an octagonal gazebo perches at the end of a lakefront dock, quietly humming Otis Redding oldies to itself.

Inside the resort's two-bedroom Deluxe ground-floor condos, the décor's copper and crimson hues complement the promise of fires crackling in the tile-framed hearth. A king-size bed in the master bedroom and two twins in the second bedroom stand ready to cradle up to four weary travelers or one barbershop quartet. A fully equipped kitchen stocked with dishes and cutlery lets visitors prepare their own meals while on holiday, or, alternatively, they can sample casual fare at the Powhatan Grille. A seasonally rotating menu at The Kitchen at Powhatan incorporates herbs and vegetables grown in the garden.

In between visits to the area's historic sites and theme parks, youngsters burn off excess vacation exuberance on the resort's playground and mini-golf course. Tennis and racquetball courts keep athletes dipping, dodging, and diving, and a calendar packed with lessons, games, and parties enlivens any remaining spare moments.

Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia: 18th-Century Virginia Capital Transports Visitors to Revolutionary America

The capital of the Virginia colony from 1699 to 1780 and a hotbed of political dissent leading up to the American Revolution, Williamsburg was restored as a living history lesson in the 20th century. The 301-acre historical district of Colonial Williamsburg encompasses 88 restored 18th-century structures, including the capitol—site of the first unanimous vote for independence from the British—as well as hundreds of rebuilt homes, taverns, and stores bustling with live-action historical interpreters. Sparks fly at blacksmiths' workshops; wigmakers craft powdered confections; and printers churn out incendiary ideas about liberty, unjust tea levies, and the abolition of tricorns. Nearby sits the Georgian-style brick campus of the College of William and Mary, the nation’s second-oldest university, where historians and other academics act as ongoing caretakers of the Founding Fathers' legacy.