A Sesame Street Spring at Busch Gardens

As the trees turn green, the flowers bloom, and the birds start singing, the Sesame Street gang is getting ready for a party over at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. In April, visit your favorite Sesame Street characters during Busch Gardens’ Sesame Street Kids Weekends, with a special show, Let’s Play Together!, to celebrate their 50^th Anniversary.

            With over 50 years of experience creating fun and great memories, the Sesame Street gang knows how to have a great time. Enjoy story time on the stoop on 123 Sesame Street every weekend along with visits from some of your favorite characters.

 On April 5^th-7^th, join Rosita for singing and dancing while learning some Spanish along the way! Enjoy fun crafts and activities too all weekend long.

On April 12^th-14^th, let your imagination fly high with a visit from Super Grover! Enjoy exclusive activities like paper bag puppet fun as well as creating some of your own art for the Magic of Art Wall.

On April 19^th-21^st, satisfy your cookie cravings with a visit from the big, blue fur-ball we all know and love, Cookie Monster! Make your own cookies and enjoy a cookie scavenger hunt across the Forest of Fun this weekend and make your wildest cookie dreams a reality!

On April 26^th-28^th, take a trip to Elmo’s World for a visit with everyone’s favorite red monster! Add your personal art creation to the Magic Wall of Art, and enjoy other exclusive activities like card-making and some finger puppet fun.

While the little ones enjoy a Sesame Street celebration, the older kids and adults can still enjoy the best shows, food, and rides that Busch Gardens has to offer. Make sure to check out shows like Oktoberzest and Celtic Fyre and classic rides like the mythical Griffon, along with newer attractions like the VR ride, Battle for Eire.

Be sure to stop by our camp store at the Williamsburg KOA to get your tickets before you head to the park. We have One-Day Tickets for adults and kids for $69.99, Two-Day Tickets for $74.99, and Three-Day Tickets for $84.99! Check out these and other great deals at our camp store.

Happy Labor Day From All of Us at KOA!

Happy Labor Day from the Williamsburg KOA! The first Labor day was celebrated on September 5, 1882 in New York City as a public parade of labor organizations. It was made a public holiday in 30 states over the next 12 years and was recognized as an official federal holiday in 1894 to be celebrated on the first Monday of September. Labor Day is a celebration and dedication to all the American workers and what they have achieved socially and economically through the years.

Come and celebrate this holiday with the Williamsburg KOA. There will be family friendly fun and games and weekend. While you are here you can take trip through the ages at Colonial Williamsburg, Historic Jamestowne, or the Yorktown Victory Center. Colonial Williamsburg offers many interactive demonstrations of historical events and the great food is a bonus. If you are looking for something a little more thrilling, spend the day at Busch Gardens! The roller coasters will leave you breathless and the spectacular shows will have you talking all day.

Celebrate Labor Day with us at the Williamsburg KOA!

Preparing to Camp with your Pets

If there is one human activity dogs were made for it is camping.  All the new smells, long leisurely walks, sitting by the campfire;  but what can be done to best prepare for our dogs?  Keep reading for some ideas to make camping with your dog a great experience for all!

1.  Proper dog walking equipment. This would be a collar/harness and a leash. The leash should ideally be no more than 6 ft,  leave your retractable leash at home for this trip. Due to the close proximity of one camp site to another retractable leashes pose a serious threat to both dog and human. Dogs could run out in front of vehicles, get into altercations with people or other dogs, or wrap the leash around your legs and cause injury.

2. Proof of rabies vaccination.  While you probably won't be required to show this upon check-in, it should be with you. Most campgrounds are located in rural settings and there will most likely be wild animals hanging around the campgrounds. Raccoons, skunks, foxes etc all carry rabies. Save yourself and your pet from expensive quarantine requirements should they become involved in a dog to dog fight, bite a human, or tangle with a wild animal.

3.  Bring some sort of outdoor restraint.  Many people bring portable dog pens, or a "tie-out" that can be attached to something sturdy. This way your dog can hang out with you outside without risk of wandering off. Along this line however, never leave your dog unattended while outside. Most campgrounds specifically address this in their Campground Rules and Regulations. Nuisance barking and temperature related stress for your dog can result from being left alone outside.

4.  Bring along toys/comfort items. Your furry family member may prefer your bed for sleeping, but if not, bring along his/her dog bed. Are you planning on going places your dog would not be welcomed, or would be too stressed to attend? Consider boredom toys. An example of this would be a Kong cone filled with peanut butter and frozen, or a puzzle ball filled with treats. This should keep most dogs happy for quite awhile. You can also inquire about local pet-sitting companies, they will come and walk/play with your dog while you are gone.

5.  Bring the same dog food you usually feed. Now is not the time to try something new, including  treats.  If your dog has never had peanut butter then fill your Kong with familiar treats. And, if you have a dog with a sensitive stomach you might bring a gallon or more of water from home too.  A dog with GI distress can certainly hinder your fun. 

Many RV'rs will tell you they bought their RV specifically to bring their dogs on vacation with them.  But, dogs are not the only animal you may find camping. Cats, especially those trained to walk on a leash, exotic birds such as Parrots or Cockatiels, or leash trained Ferrets have been known to enjoy a weekend of camping. There are campgrounds for equestrians with stalls available.  Whether you have a tent or a state of the art Motor Coach, camping with your furry friend  makes the experience that much more enjoyable for everyone!

Care Camp Weekend Event!

Camping is a great way to relax and unwind from the stresses of everyday life. Children with cancer face stresses and challenges that few of us can imagine, so what better way to relax than a camping trip!

This month, we are celebrating and donating to the KOA Care Camps foundation, a charity created by KOA to take children with cancer camping across the United States. These Care Camps are staffed by volunteers, nurses, and medical personal who create a safe camping environment where the kids can build new friendships, embrace the great outdoors, and spend time making great memories. The full camping experience is also provided free of charge, as the donations and contributions from campgrounds and donors along with the efforts of volunteers cover all of the costs.

The KOA Care Camps not only provide a safe place to camp, they also strive to give kids the best camping experience ever. Activities like kayaking, shaving cream fights, and paint races take place alongside campground classics like telling stories around the campfire and making s'mores. The Care Camps foundation works to make children's wildest camping dreams come true year after year.

On the weekend of May 11-13th, we are giving campers Saturday night for $20, with all of the profits from those Saturday's going straight to Care Camps. All of the proceeds from our Charity Pancake Breakfast on Saturday morning are also going directly to Care Camps. So join us this year in our support for KOA Care Camps and help kids with cancer just be kids for a weekend.

KOA Camping and Social Media: An Experience for All to Share

Camping with us at Williamsburg KOA is more than just a typical camping trip, it's an experience. It's taking your child on their first outdoor excursion and watching their face light up as they toast their first marshmallow. It's celebrating a weekend getaway or anniversary with your significant other within all the beauty of nature and all the comfort of home. It's getting back in touch with your roots whether it be in a rustic cabin or tent, or connecting with the revolutionary and colonial activities in the area. Camping with Williamsburg KOA is bound to create some memories and what better way to help preserve those memories than through the use of technology.

Camping and friendship go together almost as well as chocolate and marshmallows. At KOA, we offer complimentary wi-fi to our campers so that your Facebook friends are able to enjoy your presence while you partake in all the presents nature can give you.

Apps like Instagram and Facebook provide campers with a great and useful space to not only post pictures and memories, but organize, modify, and store them. Social media platforms allow campers a way to access a larger audience and share their camping experience with the world. Whether you want to save your experience with KOA for your own enjoyment or broadcast what a crafty camper you are to the world, doing so through social media is sure to make the memories meaningful and long lasting. These memories are special moments that tell a story, and we encourage you to share your story with us.

Traditionally camping has been a way for family and friends to get away from the daily stresses of modern life, escape from schedules, and connect with one another. Here at the Williamsburg KOA, we have events to entertain the whole family in the hopes to bring families together, and foster new friendships with fellow campers.

Camping with KOA is an experience the whole family can enjoy. Whether you are outdoorsy or indoorsy, we have a list of amenities that is sure to make your stay enjoyable. There are many activities sure to keep the children happy and the parents even happier! Whether you are a camping traditionalist, who enjoys a good campfire story, or a modern day movie-goer, looking to watch a film under the stars, camping with us is sure to be an enjoyable experience, and one worth sharing.

Baked Oatmeal: A Winter Morning Treat

   

Breakfast has never been a more important meal than on a cold winter's morning. A good hearty breakfast can wake and warm you up while getting you prepped for the day ahead. One of my family's favorite breakfast recipes is baked oatmeal. It's a favorite partially because it is warm, easily reheatable, and easy to make, but also because it easy to customize with different flavors and ingredients. Even in its most basic form, baked oatmeal is a breakfast treat that will give you a warm start to a cold winter's day.

Baked Oatmeal

Ingredients:

3 cups Quaker's Quick Oats

3/4 cup sugar, white or brown

2 teaspoon cinnamon

1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup oil

1 cup milk

2 eggs, beaten

Prep:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees °F. Combine quick oats, sugar, cinnamon, baking powder, and salt in one bowl. In a separate bowl, combine oil, milk, and beaten eggs together. Mix bowls together and stir until blended. Pour into greased 9-by-9 in. baking pan. place on middle oven rack.

Cooking Time:

Bake for 35-40 mins. Let it cool for 5-10 mins. Serve in bowl with milk and cinnamon sugar.

There are many ways you can alter this standard recipe to suit your tastes. You could add a 1/2 cup of raisins, chocolate chips, chopped nuts, or other dried fruits to give it added flavor. You could also add a 1/2 cup of whole oats if you want it to be heartier. Feel free to customize after it's out of the oven too. You can serve it with fresh fruit, yogurt, or extra nuts added to your liking. Baked oatmeal is the blank slate upon which you can create your favorite breakfast combination. All you have to do is try it out.

Happy eating!

Light, Lights, and More Lights

Lights, Lights and more Lights....Oh my!

If you like Christmas lights there are many cities across the US that have beautiful displays. From the East Coast to the West Coast and everywhere in between you can see millions of lights of all types.

Christmas traditions in the US were brought by immigrants from around the world.  A tree inside the house began in Germany in the 16th century along with the entwining of branches to form a circle symbolizing God's eternal love. As Germans migrated to the US, they brought these traditions with them. In 1882 a friend of Thomas Edison strung some lights around his tree, but it would take until after 1930, when America's general population got electricity, for the tradition to become popular.  Before that trees were decorated with candles and holly.  Wreaths are now accepted to symbolize the unending cycle of life and symbols of victory and honor.  From Mexico came the tradition of Poinsettias in and out of the home.  They are called "flower of the Holy Night" because the red bracts are suppose to represent the Star of Bethlehem.

Since then the tradition to string lights everywhere has extended to the outdoors.  From a few lights around the door to houses where the owners start in October to set out their lights so they can complete the task by December.  Some light displays blink in time with popular Christmas songs and others have moving parts creating elaborate scenes.  But regardless of how small or large a display is everyone loves to see the Christmas lights and at least one night during the season is set aside to go looking at the different displays in the neighborhood.

If you are taking a trip in December one special place to see beautiful displays is Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia. The 18th century village will transport you back in time to an era where dedicated men and women put forth their vision for this great country.  You will become part of the 18th century as you meet and watch these people do things as they were done back then.  The village goes all out to celebrate the season starting with Christmas Parade on December 2nd and the Grand Illumination on December 3rd. 

On Saturday, see local businesses and organizations put forth their holiday best at the annual Williamsburg Christmas parade from 8:30am to 11am, then spend the day viewing all the decorations around the Historic City. Come back Sunday for more activities, including music at various locations from 5:00 pm-7:30 pm and the best firework show in Williamsburg starting at 7:00 pm. There are three locations for the fireworks...The Capitol, The Magazine and The Governor's Palace.  Be sure to visit the prominent homes of the past.  They will be decorated in the style of the 18th century.

Through the month of December there are many activities and programs not only at Colonial Williamsburg but also at Jamestown and Yorktown.  The Williamsburg KOA is conveniently located within a short drive to any of these attractions.  So if you are looking for lights this Christmas come visit Colonial Williamsburg, enjoy 18th century hospitality and make memories that would last you a lifetime.