A mild four-season climate makes Williamsburg a shopper’s paradise with a multitude of options including designer shops, outlet malls, high-end antiques and specialty venues.

Succumb to a shopper’s paradise with a multitude of options including designer shops, outlet malls, high-end antiques and specialty venues.

Williamsburg:
Merchants Square at Colonial Williamsburg (www.colonialwilliamsburg.com)

Both Monticello and WindsorMeade Marketplaces are easily reachable by walking trails from WindsorMeade of Williamsburg. There, you will find such shops and restaurants as Target, T. J. Maxx, Ukrop’s Supermarkets, Ruby Tuesday’s, Chick-Fil-A, Belk, PetSmart, Pier 1, and many others.

New Town in Williamsburg (www.newtownwilliamsburg.com) is an eclectic mix of shops and urban living at its finest. Only minutes away from WindsorMeade, you’ll find shops like Ann Taylor Loft, Old Navy, Barnes & Noble, Bettina’s, and La Belle Vie. If dining is on your agenda, you have a variety of choices that include City Center Grill, The Corner Pocket, Panera’s and Art Café 26. New stores and dining venues are being added regularly, so check New Town’s web site often.

Richmond:
Venture to Richmond, only 45 minutes up the road and you’ll find Stoney Point Fashion Park (www.shopstonypoint.com) with stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Banana Republic, Sharper Image, Restoration Hardware, Smith & Hawken, Ann Taylor, Bath & Body Works, Brooks Brothers, and many others. Over ten eateries provide everything from fine dining to quick bites.

In Richmond’s West End, visit Short Pump Town Center (www.shortpumpmall.com) and enjoy a meal in one of over eight restaurants or shop in over 50 stores that include Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dillard’s, Macy’s, Nordstrom, Abercrombie & Fitch, Cache, Chico’s, Coldwater Creek, Guess, Franco’s Fine Clothiers and many more.

Norfolk and Virginia Beach (only one hour from Williamsburg):
In the heart of downtown Norfolk, visit Macarthur Center (www.shopmacarthur.com) with 140 stores, 18 theatre screens and a 70-foot interior atrium.

Perhaps you’d like to travel to the oceanfront in Virginia Beach. Among the many shopping venues, you’ll find Lynnhaven Mall (www.lynnhavenmall.com) with 180 stores, 16 restaurants and 18 movie screens, or you can walk through Town Center (www.towncenterofvirginiabeach.com) to visit trendy boutiques and your favorite ethnic restaurants.