Colonial Williamsburg (3 hours away)

Come early in the morning and walk around Colonial Williamsburg, the area by the Governor's Palace. The streets here are dirt with a fine gravel, and you really feel like you're back in the 1700s. The colonial houses are adorable. A long green leads up to the palace, bordered by allees of shady trees. It's lovely to walk along the pedestrian-only streets here, taking in the good feeling of the town. There are workers dressed in period dress. Some of them are very friendly and we had a great time talking to two of them and hearing their jokes. What a treat! Some of the buildings and shops you can enter without tickets, but many require a ticket for $40 a day, or $25 for a reduced number of locations. We skipped this since we only stayed for a short while before the crowds arrived.

We didn't eat but we heard that Chowning's Tavern is a fun place to have lunch. The Cheese Shop is another option. There is also a show called An American Experiment that you can see for free by picking up tickets ahead of time at the Lumber House. It played at 11am, 11:50am, and 12:40am on the day we were there. At 1pm, there is a fife and drums march on Duke of Gloucester Street.
Another place to check out is Merchants Square, just a short eight minute walk from Governor's Palace. Here the shops are very cute and it's charming to walk around on a pretty day. Although there are many locals as well, it's a bit of a tourist trap when it comes to quality and price. The Blackbird Bakery had terrible food at a high price, and so did the berry stand at the Saturday farmers market. 
Adjacent to Merchants Square is College of William and Mary. It's lovely to walk around the stately campus checking out the statues and historic buildings, some from the 1600s. The statue of James Monroe has beautiful metal work around it. Three presidents (Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler) were educated here and George Washington received his surveyors license here!
You can also visit the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum and the Dewitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum- the two share a building two blocks south of Merchants Square.
Also in Williamsburg is Busch Gardens, a theme park.
Jamestown and Yorktown are other historic towns nearby, and there's an incredible bike path called the Virginia Capital Trail that goes for 51 miles! Much of it is shaded by forest, and follows Highway 5. What a treasure to have near your town!

Directions

You can park for free on N. Nassau Street, near Matthew Whaley Elementary School. It's an adorable street that looks like pure countryside. Come early to get a spot.
You can also park at Merchant's Square. One hour parking is free. Longer parking has a fee. The address is 134 North Henry, Williamsburg, VA 23185. 
The colonial area of Williamsburg is the area near the Governor's Palace, at 300 Palace Green St, Williamsburg, VA 23185.
Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, 326 Francis St W, Williamsburg, VA 23185. Open daily 10-7.

Click on map for interactive view