The Elite Golf Courses in Williamsburg

With 40 rounds played in the Williamsburg area since the fall of 2008, I have found some great golfing deals. My perspective is that what I am really measuring is great value to me - this takes into account not only price, but course layout, course conditions, and ease of play. It is subjective but I believe helpful to others when put into context.

On vacations I tend to play between 10:00 am and 2:00 pm. I like to sleep in, enjoy a leisurely  breakfast, catch-up on the news, and take a stress free drive over to the course. In the fall I want to be out no later than 1 pm to ensure enough daylight to finish the round and if it is really hot in the spring I might play earlier or later in the day to avoid the heat. I am reasonably flexible and therefore can take advantage of time of day discounts that others might not.

There are some very tough courses in the Williamsburg area as measured by slope and yardage. In some cases the courses can be played by less proficient golfers by going off the forward tees; reducing the yardage and slope to more reasonable levels. Some of the the courses I think are just too tough for a novice or erratic golfer due to layouts that demand precision ball-striking; i.e. par 3s over deep ravines, narrow treed fairways and lots of long shots over water hazards etc. Playing a tough course if you are not up to the challenge is a disaster waiting to happen; high scores, slow rounds and lots of lost balls!

The two premier courses in Williamsburg I believe are the Kingsmill River Course and the Golden Horseshoe Gold Course. I have found the rack rates in April and October significantly more expensive than other area courses and so far I have not found any great deals that would otherwise compel me to play there. That said I did play the River Course in April 23rd 2009 a couple of weeks before the LPGA tour came to town.

Typical Lush Green Fairways

Was this the best course we played on this trip to Williamsburg? Absolutely! The fairways were uncharacteristically green for the time of year compared to many other area courses. The course was in fabulous shape, no doubt gearing up for the Michelop Ultra Open (now called the Kingsmill Open) which was played May 7th-10th.
 

View from the 17th Tee

The 17th hole is a beautiful par 3 with the large expanse of water down the right side (The James River I believe), trees along the left to an undulating plateau green. An errant shot to the right could bounce down the steep slope into the water or end up in the partially hidden bunkers on the side of the hill; note the partially built stands in the background.

View from the 18th Tee

For a brief moment walking up the fairway on the 18th hole, one can only imagine the feeling that the pros must get with thousands cheering their finish. On this day there were only two people in the stands as I walked the final hole; workers having their lunch I suspect.

The View from the Stands

Once we got to the 18th green we could clearly see the scoreboard being assembled behind the immaculately manicured Kingsmill logo and flower garden.

The View from the 18th Green

One of my favorite shots is the view from the 18th green back to the tee area.

Overall I enjoyed the round even though I shot in the mid-90s (as I recall); the course was not busy so we were able to take our time. I liked the course layout; it has a lot of natural beauty and is very picturesque as well. I was not playing great golf on this trip but I did par the first two holes on my round before falling apart. I think that Kingsmill is a fair test and could be played from the forward tees by less experienced golfers and not be too frustrating. The issue is more price than anything. 

At $190 a round these days it is a little rich for me. That said, they do have a twilight golf rate and I believe we teed off at 2:10 pm when we played there for $75 each. Visitors now pay $125 for twilight. although if you were staying at the Kingsmill facilities the resort rates are $149 and $110 for twilight. I am glad I played the course once at least but I am not sure I would go back even for twilight at the current rates.

I do plan on playing the Golden Horseshoe Gold course sometime in the future but rates there are also pretty steep as well. I am saving it for a future trip in March or late-November when they run winter specials (check out their website); play all-day Monday through Thursday for $65/day is the current deal. From everything I have seen and read (photos) it is an elite course as well.

 My final thoughts are these two courses are likely the finest in the Williamsburg area. If you have unlimited funds for golfing, want the best and you are a good solid golfer that appreciates a challenge you should be playing these courses.For the rest of us there are alternatives that can test your abilities or provide an enjoyable round at a fraction of the cost. Nevertheless I would highly recommend playing Kingsmill and Golden Horseshoe at least once if you have the opportunity - they are that good.

Golfing When Staying at the Williamsburg Plantation

On my first golfing trip to Williamsburg, October 24th to 31st 2008,  I exchanged a week at our timeshare for a week at the Williamsburg Plantation. One of the reasons for choosing this particular resort was it belongs to the Interval International Golf Resort Program.; this means there is a course on or near the facilities and they offer special services to golfers.

The resort has a dedicated Activities Desk and staff that provide information on local area attractions including golf courses. On check-in we picked up a sheet with a listing of nearby courses, phone numbers, the rack rates and discounted rates for guests. On our first trip we relied heavily on the resort staff for our golfing needs; directions to the courses, checking on tee time availabilities and  making reservations. They were quite helpful and the convenience  made the trip more enjoyable.

We found that the best deal on the first trip was golfing at Ford Colony; a complex of three championship courses located just 2.2 miles away from the Plantation. The deal back in 2008 was pay $60 for the first round and get the next two for $40 each. The rack rate at the time was around $65 as I recall. Having arrived late Saturday night we didn't look for a tee time until Sunday morning. Ford Colony was booked until after 2 pm so we decided to play there later in the week. 

Instead we opted for another local course Colonial Heritage to play our first round. It is a short drive of 5.1 miles from the Plantation. As I recall we teed off at 11:30 and paid  $55 for the round; a $5 discount from the posted rate.

We did play each of the three Ford Colony courses, Monday through Wednesday, teeing off around 10:30 am each day. You never know what you'll see on these courses like our friend below. We got rained out on the 13th hole on the Wednesday and the weather was too inclement to play on Thursday.

From Ford Colony - Blackheath Course

When the rain finally stopped Friday morning we decided to play our final round at a course in Newport News called Deer Run. We were very happy with the course condition and while we paid the rack rate it was the least expensive round costing just $26 (including cart) for a 1 pm tee time. The drive was 22.9 miles and took 25 minutes. As a bonus we found out firsthand while the course was called Deer Run.

From Newport News - Deer Run Course

As I recall the average cost per round on that first trip was $44.20 US + tax with an exchange rate at the time of $1.27 CDN/US.  

I have stayed three more times at the Williamsburg Plantation and I have a brother who has stayed there a total of four times. On those trips I have called ahead to get a copy of the deals available and the staff have been kind enough to fax or e-mail me a copy. The other thing we have done differently  is book a tee time for our first golf game before leaving Ontario. The Plantation staff have been more than willing to do this for us which is a big help.

Not surprisingly prices have changed over the years, some courses have been added or removed and there are seasonal variations in discounts for mid-day tee times - which is why I like to see the deals before leaving. On my brother's most recent stay at the Plantation, October 20th to 27th 2012, the golf deals were as follows:

The Ford Colony discount rate was $69/round for tee times before 1 pm and $49 afterwards.

The 'discounted' Colonial Heritage rates seem to be the same or only $5 off the rack rates and vary depending on the time of day and time of week;

                             Mon - Thu      Fri-Sun

Before noon             $60                $65
Noon - 3 pm             $45                $50
After 3 pm                $30                $35

Kiskiack was part of the Traditions courses is now on its own with a graduated discount schedule; the first round is $58, the 2nd $48 and all subsequent rounds are $40 each.

The remaining Tradition courses, Stonehouse, Royal New Kent, and Brickshire also have a graduated discount schedule with the first round costing $59, the 2nd round was $49, and all subsequent rounds $29.

The Williamsburg National with its Jamestown and Yorktown courses had a $60 rate for the first round and $40 for each subsequent round. This deal is available to anyone staying at a timeshare in the Williamsburg area.

Everyone is different so these rates might be very attractive to some and less so to others. For instance my brother and his buddies typically prefer to play earlier in the day when the rates are higher (and the courses are busier) and enjoy the challenge of tough courses. Before leaving he had tee times booked for the first five days at the Tradition courses and was ecstatic at the Plantation deal (and convenience). Their last round was played at Newport News - Deer Run for the $24.50 senior rack rate which brought their average cost down to $36.58/round + tax; very reasonable for the quality of courses!

I on the other hand prefer to play mid-day; I am a nighthawk by nature and prefer to sleep in - after all its a holiday. On my last two trips I have been golfing with a relative newbie and we tend to play easier courses or off the front tees of the harder ones. I did not find any of the Plantation discounted rates to be particularly attractive for our needs. The Tradition courses would be just too tough and frustrating for my buddy. Since I have been to Williamsburg many times and have a pretty good idea of what is available I prefer a different approach to where and when I play.

Our average cost was only $27.60 US + tax. With a Canadian dollar at a slight premium to the US dollar my cost was significantly lower in 2012 than on the first trip in 2008; less than 1/2 the cost in Canadian dollars. By the way we played some very good courses as well: Blue Heron and Marsh Hawk at Ford Colony, The Yorktown course at Williamsburg National, Kiskiack twice, and The Cardinal course at Newport News. We teed off on our Sunday round at 12:30 and the remainder of the rounds we teed off between 11:15 and 11:45 which was perfect for our needs.




 

Williamsburg Timeshares

Strangely enough one of the reasons I started vacationing in Williamsburg Va. is because of the abundance of available timeshares there. Let me elaborate...

My wife and I have 5 weeks a year at a resort timeshare complex about 160 km (100 miles) north of Mississauga called The Cottages of Port Stanton. We typically use the July summer week, the May spring week and part of the late September week. Our March break week was used extensively when our kids were in school but now, more often than not, ends up being banked with Interval International (IR) along with our December week.

Our 3-bedroom cottage overlooks the pool area

The view of the pool and Sparrow Lake from our cottage deck

We obviously like to vacation in cottage country particularly in the summer and this complex is great. The opportunities to exchange in Ontario, outside of the winter months however are somewhat limited. With a few weeks already banked and one due to expire at the end of 2008 I started to look for other vacation destinations to exchange into.

After many months going through the Interval resorts directory  looking at possible vacation destinations and then the resorts in those areas. I found not surprisingly that trying to book into a resort during their vacation prime time was problematic at best. For instance, I have never seen a vacation week at our own resort available for exchange in the summer although I know a few have been banked and some one has picked it up on exchange. With only 18 units it is not surprising that demand far exceeds supply at our facility.

So as I explored the IR website I found that certain areas of the US have a large availability of time share units which increases the odds of getting a specific season and even a specific week. As one might expect Florida has a large number of resorts; within the state Orlando leads the way with 49 participating in the program. I also found, not surprisingly, that other popular US vacation spots were well represented including Nevada (Las Vegas), South Carolina (Myrtle Beach & Hilton Head) and California (Palm Springs).

At the time family needs required one of us to be home all the time so my wife graciously suggested I find a place to go golfing and invite some friends to go along. With one eye on keeping the costs reasonable, another on the type of vacation, I also had to consider one of the banked weeks was about to expire. That is when I re-discovered Williamsburg...In 1993 we had rented a beach house in Virginia Beach and stopped in Williamsburg for a couple of days on the way back. I vaguely remembered the outlet shopping and the restaurants and we did take the kids to see Colonial Williamsburg. The one thing I distinctly remember was how hot the weather was in September and spending a lot of time around the pool with the kids in swimming. With a surprising large availability of units for exchange I started a more in-depth search to see whether Williamsburg would be suitable for a golfing vacation.

As I have previously blogged Williamsburg is within a days drive and it has average daily highs between 68 and 70 F in the latter half of October which was ideal for my needs. I did a few web searches and was surprised to learn that Williamsburg is designated one of the top 25 golf destinations in the world. I am always skeptical about such claims but it was a very positive incentive to keep looking. I came across the Virginia Golf Guide which is a comprehensive listing of courses in Virginia and discovered there were 14 championship courses within a reasonable drive in and around Williamsburg. I enjoy playing on different courses and what sealed the deal for me was the variety and sheer number of courses to choose from in this part of Virginia.

I found a friend interested in going and then began the hunt for the right accommodation. We landed on the last week of October for the trip and picked the Williamsburg Plantation primarily because they offered golfing discounts at local courses.

The Plantation is situated off US-199 on Longhill Road in an ideal location.

There is a Food Lion grocery store, a pharmacy as well as the Prime Outlet Mall only a few minutes from the complex on the corner of Olde Town Road and Richmond Road.

Richmond Road is also restaurant alley as I call it with numerous dining options to choose from national chains to local eateries. We have to eat and it is very convenient being close by.

Most importantly a number of area golf courses such as Ford Colony, Williamsburg National, Golden Horseshoe, Kingsmill, Colonial Heritage and Kiskiack are within a 15 minute drive from the Plantation. In fact I have done a little research and found that there are 20 golf courses (one of which is an executive 9 hole course) at 11 golf facilities within a 30 minute drive from the Williamsburg Plantation. Extend the driving time from 30 minutes to an hour and you could add another 13 golf courses (one of which is a 27 hole facility) to the total!

Another reason I chose the Plantation was the availability, albeit somewhat limited, of four bedroom units. Getting one was not easy but with a little patience and checking I was able to lock-up my first exchange for the week of Oct 24th to Oct 31st, 2008.

I have duplicated this on each of the six trips I have made to Williamsburg since the inaugural trip so it can be done when booking a spring or fall trip. The caveat of course is that you have a timeshare that has the trading power to get the larger 4-bedroom unit.

 The Plantation is a two-story townhouse complex with more than 500 units - mostly 2-bedroom. Our 4-bedroom was really two individual 2 bedroom units one on top of the other. The units are identical except that the kitchen in the top unit is called a linked kitchen and has a hot plate instead of a full stove and oven.

 

 The master bedroom had a king-size bed and the 2nd bedroom a queen. Both were well appointed and very attractively decorated.

A nice feature of each unit was the deep whirlpool tubs which were great for soaking in after a golf game. There was also regular tub and shower off the 2nd bedroom.

The advantage of the double unit is that with four golfers we each have our own bedroom, bathroom and television for privacy yet plenty of room to get together for meals or group activities - cards, watching sports, having a drink together, etc.
 
The living area of the units included a sofa and two sofa chairs, a fireplace, TV and DVD player.

The ground floor unit had the full kitchen and the upstairs the linked kitchen.

Living Area of our Unit on our October 2009

The dining room table was plenty big enough with seating for six.

 Keep in mind that there are different vintages of units in the complex and interestingly enough this translates into slightly different floor plans and amenities.





For instance the unit we had the following year in October 2009 had a projection TV rather than a built in one and a different fireplace. On our April 2011 trip the unit we stayed in had a sauna as well as a whirlpool tub. When exchanging into this complex be aware that the unit specified could be changed at the discretion of the Plantation management so you could end up with any one of the different styles. 

 

The focal point of the complex is the club house and check-in area. As you drive in you see the right hand view of the club house.


Inside the club house there is a large screen TV with seating, free coffee, vending machines, computer area, and a workout area. The upstairs has a large meeting area and is used for meet and greet or special events such as wine tasting that is hosted or arranged by management. 



This picture is from behind the club house and shows the large outdoor pool. Unfortunately the pool is closed for the season when we visit in October, but there is an indoor pool and whirlpool; the building in the background on the right side of the photo.  


In the front lobby area there are dedicated staff available to purchase tickets to local attractions such as Colonial Williamsburg and Busch Gardens as well as book a tee time at a nearby course. The handouts include a listing of some of the local golf courses and any deals and discounts available. After our first trip I have called ahead to get a copy of the current deals - the staff have been kind enough to fax or e-mail me a copy. On a couple of occasions they have even booked our golf games before we have arrived - now that is service!

The deals offered through the Plantation were heavily relied on in our first couple of trips and less so as we became more familiar with the area courses and the better bargains available. On my fourth trip, April 11 to 18, 2010, I booked a different timeshare, The Colonies of Williamsburg.

The Colonies is a new complex being developed off Olde Towne Road and only a mile or so away form the Williamsburg Plantation. Like the Plantation it is a townhouse complex with two levels.

When we stayed there the first time less than 20 units had been built whereas by our third visit in October 2012 more than 100 units had been completed with even more in various stages of construction.

We were able to exchange for a 4-bedroom unit but in this case turned that turned out to be two 2-bedroom units on the upper floor. Having stayed in both styles of units, we quite liked having everything on the same floor rather than separate floors. It was a small inconvenience to cart everything upstairs particularly as there are two locked doors to get through to get to the upstairs hall. On either end of the hall are the unit doors and these remained unlocked and open for the rest of our stay allowing for easy movement between the units.

Colonies of Williamsburg 4-Bedroom Unit Floor Plan

Generally speaking I have found that both the Colonies and the Plantation are well managed facilities and we have never had any issues to speak of in the seven trips that we have stayed there. I found out on our last trip that the same management company runs both so I guess it's no great surprise. There are differences between the facilities beyond the lay-out of the double units. The Colonies offers free Wi-fi that was reasonably fast whereas the Plantation provides a for-fee-service that costs $50/week and was painfully slow.

 
The bedrooms were well appointed. The 2nd bedroom has a queen size bed (pictured to the left) and the master (pictured below) has a king-sized bed.

If there is one thing I don't like about the Colonies is that the units do not have large whirlpool tubs. I am a big guy and the whirlpool tub off the 2nd bedroom is really just a normal-sized bathtub and hopelessly


too small for me.

The master bathroom is very large and spacious otherwise and I like the bright colour scheme used.



 
The shower off the master has a place to sit and a separate body spray but isn't quite the same as a full tub whirlpool in my opinion.

 

In as the Colonies is a much newer facility the amenities reflect current trends in decorating. The kitchen sports stainless steel appliances for instance and a arbitrator.

All the televisions in the units are flat screen and another nice feature is the hassock instead of a table which I thin is more functional. There is a fireplace in the units which I hope I never have to use on any golfing trip. 

The outward appearance of the Colonies clubhouse is not quite as striking nor is the outdoor pool area in the back compared to the Plantation.



I also like the layout of the club house at the Plantation - it feels a little more hospitable whereas the computer area in the Colonies is perhaps more functional.


But I digress - I have stayed at both facilities and I have enjoyed my stay each time. They fit my needs for a golfing vacation with the guys.

In as the Colonies now offers the same golfing deals at local courses it really comes down to the choice of free internet and units on the same floor versus a whirlpool tub and two-story units. The last couple of trips down I have booked the Colonies.

There are ten timeshare complexes in Williamsburg and I have only stayed at two so far. The Kingsmill complex is quite nice and they do have multiple bedroom units but I have infrequently seen the 4-bedroom units for exchange. If I can get my wife to come down for a week I think I would book the Marriott at Ford Colony; the units there are more upscale but the largest is only 2-bedroom. The reality is that the 4-bedroom units are the biggest draw - we've been spoiled by the space. 

If I did not already have a timeshare and planned a trip to Williamsburg in the spring or fall I would certainty look at renting a timeshare before the more traditional hotel and motel accommodations. 

There are deals and specials for stay and golf packages. Since you would be traveling off-season the supply of accommodations is greater than the demand and prices are lower than the high demand periods.   

   

 

Driving to WIlliamsburg from Ontario

 

Flying versus Driving- Updated April 1, 2017

Most of my working life when going on a long-distant vacation flying was the preferred choice. I wanted to go south where it was warm and I didn't have a lot of time to waste getting there. That is no longer the case particularly on golf vacations. I don't need to travel as far south to get good golfing weather, and I have more time to vacation. 

One area of concern is cost. For example I did a SmartFare check (2012) on a flight to Orlando, Florida for the end of November. The lowest cost was $232.32 plus another $131.25 for fees and taxes. The flight included a stop over and plane change totaling 6 hour then tack on a minimum of 2 hours for check-in and security clearance at the airport on the way down (about half that for customs clearance on the way back).

Now that jet fuel costs have declined I thought I would update the flight costs (2017) for travel at the end of November. A non-stop 3 hour flight could be purchased for $177.98 but then there is another $248.73 in taxes. The airline also charges $30 to $40 per checked bag as well. Then there is the dreaded extra charge for golf clubs - upwards of $125 depending on the airline.

Other areas of concern are the inconvenience factors of air travel. Travel to and from the airport adds  30 minutes of time each way, plus the need to be checked in 2 hours before the flight leaves from Toronto for customs/security clearance.  Airport parking costs between $70 and $140 per week depending on the lot or $50+ for a cab to and from the Toronto airport. Once in Orlando there is the need for a rental - large enough to handle clubs and luggage. I got a quote for a van at $550/week although I am sure that I could get it somewhat cheaper by shopping around. In fact I found (2017) that with my Costco membership I could book a mini-van with unlimited mileage for the end of November for $161.36 + 61.46 taxes and fees with unlimited mileage - a pretty sweet deal.  

The point is the cost to fly can be an expensive proposition versus driving depending on how far you are going. I own a van which is in still in good condition - easily big enough to comfortably handle four golfers, clubs and luggage.In my mind I would prefer to drive if I can get to my destination in one day and fly otherwise. 

Can I get somewhere warm in one day of driving in April and October? Absolutely! No need to fly to Florida or drive more than a day to get to Myrtle Beach. Williamsburg is in an ideal location to meet my needs; far enough south to expect great golfing weather in the shoulder months, close enough to drive in a day and keep travel costs low. I find the drive itself to be relaxing and enjoyable. Time seems to pass by quickly; a chance to catch-up with friends on the way down and re-live the trip highlights on the way back.

The Road to Williamsburg

There are multiple routes from the border at Buffalo to Williamsburg and over the years I have tried a number of them. On the first couple of trips we took I 90 S to Erie PA, I 79 S to I 76 (the Pennsylvania turnpike), I 70 S and I 270 to Washington, I 95 S to Richmond and then I 64 E to Williamsburg. The trip took 11.5 hours of driving time to cover 1,101 km (660 miles). The tolls on    I 76 came to about $20 US. This appears to be the default route on older GPS units and on some on-line mapping programs.

On one trip we stayed on I 79 S to just past Fairmont W. VA  then took US 250 through the mountains to Elkins before meeting up with I 81 S. From there we took I 64 E to the Richmond by-pass and on to Williamsburg. That was the longest trip at 1,250 km (750 miles) and 13 hours of drive time, in part because we got lost briefly and had to retrace our steps. This is undoubtedly the most scenic route as the mountains are as beautiful as the road is slow - if you have the time it is worth the trip at least once.

A View of The Allegheny Mountains in Western Virginia

Eventually we found a new route which we tried on the next couple of trips. We took I 90 S from Buffalo to US-219 that takes us down through Ellicottville NY. Eventually we get to I 80 E and I 99 S through the mountains until meeting up with I 76 E. We stay on the Pennsylvania turnpike for 2 exits getting off on I 70 S.  This route is shorter at 1,020 km (612 miles), took 10.5 hours of drive time cost only $2.05 in tolls, and was more scenic than the Erie route. This is the route that updated GPS and mapping programs suggest.

On another trip we tweaked the route in the north by exiting 219 at PA-153 before catching up with   I 80 then taking US-322 to Philipsburg PA and US-350 to I 99 S. Both changes reduced driving distance by about 35 km (21 miles) although the time saved was marginal; a lot of two-lane roads with lower posted speed limits but the scenery was nicer.

Traveling on I-99 S (South of Altoona)

The other change was fairly substantive in that we tried out a route to stay away from Washington - too much traffic even on a weekend and the seemingly never ending road construction. To do this we exited  I 70 S onto US-522 to Winchester Va, took I 66 E and then US-17 S before connecting with    I 95 S just before Fredericksburg Va.

Taking US-17 South to By-Pass Washington

This latest route has minimal traffic and construction, better scenery and is more interesting as it goes through some small towns along the way.  We left Saturday at 7 am from Mississauga and got down to Williamsburg at 6:30 pm - the trip took 10 hours and 15 minutes of actual drive time and totaled 972 km (583 miles). This has become our preferred route for the trips we have taken since 2012.

I have now had 12 trips to Williamsburg from October 2008 through October 2016. While we have had reasonably good luck with the drives I would be remiss if not noting some of the pitfalls. 

Missing or taking the wrong turn can and has been an issue on some of the trips. Generally it is an inconvenience and easily corrected. That said, the worst of these has occurred multiple times on I 270 and missing the I 95 cutoff south. Traffic is the biggest reason as I 270 is a 10+ lane roundabout that rings Washington with driver fatigue and approaching darkness (October trips) being contributing factors. Missing the cutoff is easily a 20 minute backtrack. Now that we stay away from Washington entirely I can state that the worst part of the trip from a traffic perspective is consistently the drive home from the border at Fort Erie.

The border crossing are always a crap-shoot. For trips from 2011 through 2013 when the Canadian dollar was near par with the US dollar there were significant delays to cross back into Canada. On one trip it was more than an hour due to traffic - lots of weekend shoppers.

Canadian Dollars per US Dollar

In 2015 the Canadian dollar weaken versus the US dollar resulting in fewer shopping related trips and a noticeable decline in border traffic. On our last three trips in 2015 and 2016 the border crossing into Canada took less than 10 minutes on average. That said on those same trips the cross from Canada into the US has been noticeably longer - on average 25 minutes as there seems to be only a few open lanes to manage the traffic. 

Weather is another wild card. On our return trip October 29th 2011 an early winter storm moved into the US northeast and on leaving Williamsburg at 7 am it was raining hard with the temperature at    40 F. By the time we got close to Washington the temperature had dropped to 32 F and the rain had turned to snow. Driving conditions were terrible.

Driving to Washington

We reached a decision point after finishing lunch at Breezewood PA; go north through the mountains or go west along the Pennsylvania Turnpike then north to Erie.

Lunch at Breezewood Pa

We decided to go north via the mountain route and it turned out to be the right move. The winter storm moved west and hit Pittsburgh while the weather to the north cleared up.

On our last two spring trips the weather on the drive down became an issue. On March 20th 2015 we hit snow on the drive down intensifying as we arrived in Ellicottville. The treacherous driving conditions led to an accident on Highway 219 that closed the road and resulted in a lengthy detour. This has been the only such road closure we have ever experienced in any of our Williamsburg trips. 

Leaving on April 9th 2016 we also hit early spring snow that slowed the journey down to the Pennsylvanian turnpike before sunshine and warmer temperatures cleared up the roads. 

The lesson learned is know the expected weather conditions over the entire length of the trip and make sure you have a GPS and maps in the event of an unexpected detour.   

The Cost of Travel....

On our trip in 2012 we traveled a total of 2,310 km (1,386 miles). Our gasoline purchases totaled  $263.39 US for 74.467 US gal; an average price of $3.53/gal. Allowing for the difference between the gasoline we started and finished with I calculated we averaged about 11.7 L/100 km or 20.1 Miles/US gal.

Compare that to our October 2016 trip in which we were away for 11 days and traveled 2,620 km or 1,572 miles. Our gasoline purchases totaled $192.13 US for 97.60 US gal; an average price of $1.97 per gal.

The actual cost of gasoline in Canadian dollars has been relatively stable over the last four years. The October 2012 exchange rate was around 1.0028 and the October 2016 rate 0.7498 CDN/US dollar. Using those rates the cost of gasoline in October 2012 was $262 Canadian and $256 in October 2016.

Regardless of the exchange rate, there is a huge difference in cost between gasoline in Ontario and the US states we travel through because of taxes. I found that Gas Buddy  was a real help in understanding those differences.

Ontario has the highest gas price followed by New York state, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. So rather than start with a full tank of gas as I would have done normally, I start with a half-tank or less. 

A neat feature of the Gas Buddy website is the ability to look at a map and see the gasoline prices along the route on a station by station basis. Using this feature along with my Tim Horton's iPhone app we chose Springville NY for our first stop. It was about two hours into the trip, had cheaper gasoline prices (below the state average), and a Tim Horton's for breakfast. We now had enough gasoline to get down into Virginia.

Since then we have modified our first stop such that we hit the Tim Horton's in Ellicottville; it is a little further south than Springville and the access doesn't require exiting the highway to get to it. Our first gasoline stop is now further south as well at the First Nations station in Salamanca - right on       I 219. We have found that gasoline prices here as much as $0.35/gal cheaper than Ellicottville and Springville and they are full serve. On our October 2016 trip we paid $2.11/gal

Our next gasoline stop is at Warrenton Va. The price here is reasonable and we typically use this for a coffee break and driver change. On our October 2016 the gasoline price was $2.09/gal.

In Williamsburg we found a Costco station that charged $1.97/gal and before leaving to come home we topped up at $$2.02/gal near our timeshare. The strategy going home is the opposite - top up the tank before leaving as gasoline typically gets more expensive the farther north you go.

What I found is when gasoline prices are high the spread between Ontario and the different states is fairly wide. For instance in October 2014 the cost in Springville $3.65/gal, Salamanca was $3.28/gal, Warrenton $2.75/gal and Williamsburg $2.79 

Gasoline is a necessary expense on any driving trip and there is money to be saved by understanding prices and planning accordingly. Overall I would say we saved about $30 on our trip in 2012 by being smart in our gasoline purchases- enough to buy a case of beer, 4 bottles of wine or a round of golf; in 2016 somewhat less

Compared to the cost of flying to Florida or other warm climates there is no comparison that transportation to Williamsburg is a relatively inexpensive alternative for a golf vacation. I also believe that the trip is a lot less stressful than flying and for a big guy like me the roominess in a van is definitely an upgrade versus a cramped airline seat. My friends seem to enjoy the chance to chat and share in the driving which is one of the reasons we keep on doing it.