Food and History Weekends
Walkable history by day, a table worth traveling for at night.
Plan My GetawaySome of the most satisfying weekends combine a little history with a lot of good eating. These places do both in a compact, walkable area.
Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia
Colonial Williamsburg recreates the capital of the Virginia colony, with restored buildings, tradespeople at work and the Governor’s Palace at the end of a long green. Jamestown and Yorktown are nearby, and together the three are known as the Historic Triangle — enough for a full long weekend. Taverns serving colonial-style food give the evenings a theme.
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Founded in 1610, Santa Fe is the oldest state capital in the United States, and its adobe plaza, galleries and churches make it one of the country’s best walking towns. It is also a food destination in its own right, built around red and green chile. Spend a morning on Canyon Road, an afternoon at a museum and the evening at a New Mexican restaurant. Best in New Mexico covers Santa Fe, Albuquerque and Taos.
Santa Barbara, California
The Old Mission, red-tile roofs and a downtown full of Spanish Revival buildings give Santa Barbara its look. Pair a history morning with an afternoon in the wine-tasting rooms downtown or a drive into the hills, and finish on the waterfront.
Boston, Done the Old Way
Boston’s Freedom Trail is history you walk, and it runs straight through the North End, one of the country’s classic Italian-American neighborhoods. A Saturday of meeting houses, burying grounds and cannoli is hard to beat.
Eat Like You Mean It
- Book one special dinner, ideally for your first night, so the trip starts on a high.
- Find the local market or farmers market and plan a morning around it.
- Choose lunch as your big meal in expensive cities; the prices and the crowds are both lower.
- Ask your hotel or B&B host for their own favorite, not the one they tell everyone.
Looking for a weekend built around a festival, a harvest or a historical anniversary? Tell a travel specialist what you are interested in and the dates you have; they will find a fit.
Get More From a Historic Site
Arrive when the site opens; the first hour is the quietest and the guides have the most time for questions. Join one guided walk early in the trip, because it makes every building you see afterward more interesting. Buy multi-day passes only if you will really use them, and wear shoes made for uneven brick and cobblestones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a history weekend fun for kids?
It can be, if you choose living-history sites with costumed interpreters and hands-on trades, and keep museum time short. Costumed interpreters and working trade shops are a big part of the Colonial Williamsburg experience.
How do I plan a food-focused weekend?
Anchor it with one reservation you are excited about, then fill in with a market, a bakery breakfast and a casual local favorite. Ask locals where they eat; it is rarely the place with the longest line.
Plan a Food or History Weekend
Tell us which town, era or cuisine you have in mind. A travel specialist will send free quotes with the hotel and the reservations that matter.
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