Riverwalk Landing Yorktown, VA

[Mr Salt]

Has anyone stayed at this marina? We are planning to go there in mid July and were wondering what people thought of it. Are the facilities good? Is there a lot of street noise? Is it easy to get to the Williamsburg, Jamestown attractions?

Ant thoughts would be appreciated

 

[Red Horse]

For Williamsburg and Jamestown, you might want to go up the James river. Kingsmill Marina is real nice and is part of the same company that is Busch gardens (Anheuser Busch)
and alot closer. Google map the city. In Yorktown you have the Yorktown battlefield. There is something called Colonial Parkway that goes from Yorktown to Williamsburg, however a taxi would be expensive and I am not even sure about a bus...

Check out this link...

http://www.kingsmill.com/index.asp

Hope this helps

 

[Four Suns]

Riverwalk Landing was built a few years ago. It's on the edge of the Yorktown battlefield (where Cornwallis surrendered and the French ships pounded the crap out of the place with cannon balls). If you don't like history, you are not really going to like the place as there is not much else there. The Riverwalk complex is essentially a strip mall between the historic district and the waterfront. It's basically a restaurant and couple gift shops. The docks are not all that great. It's basically a couple big concrete floating docks that are VERY exposed to the open Chesapeake Bay but they have some wave dampening system under the docks. It works OK if the waves are less than 1 foot but I've seen that dock (and boats) rolling around when the waves get bigger than that.

The battlefields at Yorktown are great for flying kites, rockets, model airplanes, playing with the dogs, etc. However, for some reason they have been filling up with Cactus plants and sand burr plants. If you get your butt dragged around at the end of a "workout/exercise kite", you will get thorns and sand burrs implanted in your skin in places you probably have not washed in years.

My suggestion would be to stay across the York River at Sarah Creek at night and just park the boat at the Riverwalk during the day.

There is also a beach there. My older kids go there and hang out... there are a couple of older bars and restaurants by that. I wouldn't swim in that water but that's just me. Just up the river is a huge arsenal of nuclear weapons and other bad stuff... may not want to hang out here if there is a nuclear war.

If you want to hit up the "historic triangle" (Yorktown, Williamsburg, Jamestown), you will need a car. There is an Enterprise rental car place on US 17 in Newport News (next to Yorktown) and they will deliver a car to you for a day or two. Williamsburg is on the otherside of the peninsula near the James River but is not on the James River per se. As mentioned, you can come up the James River and stay at Kingsmill (nice place) or Governor's Land (I'm pretty sure they take transients now). Governor's Land is nice but out in the sticks.

If you do come up the James River, make a stop at Smithfield. Great Sunday brunch there....

 

[Mr Salt]

Thanks for the responses. We were looking at York River Yacht Haven as well and getting a car. My wife thought it would be good to stay on the Yorktown side of the river, thus my question. I was afraid of the rocking and rolling of a marina that is exposed to the river. I will look further into KingsMill.

 

[Four Suns]

York River Yacht Haven is the place on Sarah Creek. Good local seafood at the restaurant. If you want the ultimate Chesapeake Bay crabcake, stop at the Surf Rider in Hampton at Bluewater Yachting Center. Great place for lunch or dinner. The NASA Langley visitor center/museum is there in Hampton if you are into airplanes.

If you go up the James River to Kingsmill, you'll pass by the Newport News Shipyard... I find it fun to head strait at the guard boats as fast as you can and weave all over like a crazy man. It's especially fun as you go by the carriers and subs... Put a towel on your head while doing it.

 

[chuck1]

I can see the headlines now.

All terrorist members aboard a Sea Ray yacht killed.....

 

[Mr Salt]

Gary
Thanks for your good advice. I always say advice is worth what you pay for it. We have been at the Norfolk Shipyards before, so I think that we will pass on your advice of heading for the guard boats. We are accross Cape May Harbor from the Coast Guard Training Center. I find that their lack of a sense of humor amazing, especially when they are doing their "training" boardings.

 

[mistercomputerman]

York River Yacht Haven is the place on Sarah Creek. Good local seafood at the restaurant. If you want the ultimate Chesapeake Bay crabcake, stop at the Surf Rider in Hampton at Bluewater Yachting Center. Great place for lunch or dinner. The NASA Langley visitor center/museum is there in Hampton if you are into airplanes.

If you go up the James River to Kingsmill, you'll pass by the Newport News Shipyard... I find it fun to head strait at the guard boats as fast as you can and weave all over like a crazy man. It's especially fun as you go by the carriers and subs... Put a towel on your head while doing it.

Follow Gary's instructions at your own risk. Sounds like a good way to get shot at. Other than that, his advice about where to stay and what to do sounds pretty accurate.

 

[Captain Crispy]

"...pass by the Newport News Shipyard... I find it fun to head strait at the guard boats as fast as you can and weave all over like a crazy man. It's especially fun as you go by the carriers and subs... Put a towel on your head while doing it."

If you do it, better enjoy the hell out of it, because you will only do it once...