Thanksgiving in historic Virginia

Thanksgiving for my family has always been celebrated with parents and children and siblings and aunt, uncles, and cousins. The very thought of Thanksgiving in Virginia has a warm historical glow about it ... family, hearth and home, turkey and the fixings -- so I began a search to see what was available in the Commonwealth to fill that homey bill in 2010.

Virginia, I found, is for Thanksgiving lovers....

The Williamsburg Lodge in the colonial area features the Governor's Thanksgiving dinner in a candlelit dining room with a menu featuring many traditional Virginia dishes and desserts.

The Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg offers a Thanksgiving buffet in a family-oriented setting. Cost is $38.99 for adults, $31.99 for senior citizens, $12.99 for kids ages 4-12, and children three and under are free.

The Homestead Resort in the mountains of western Virginia kicks off the holiday season over the Thanksgiving weekend with the tree lighting in the Grand Hall and a visit from Santa. They will be offering three options for the big meal starting off with Thanksgiving brunch for $75 per person. Thanksgiving dinner in the main dining room is from the menu with an assortment of traditional holiday offerings. The Grand Ballroom Thanksgiving buffet will feature a wide array of relishes, entrees, desserts, and more for $75 per person.

A Skyland Thanksgiving on the Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park offers a buffet of delights for $27.50 per person, $14 for children ages 6-10, and ages five and under free. Senior citizens ages 62 and older eat for $24.

Mountain Lake Lodge in southwest Virginia, site of the "Dirty Dancing" movie, is offering a Thanksgiving buffet for lodge guests and those who are not staying on the property. Cost is $30 per person for 12 and older, and $15 for children age 4-11 with those three and under free. A special rate for the four-day weekend is also offered that includes Thanksgiving buffet, four nights stay, entertainment, and much more.

Wintergreen Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Nelson County has a Thanksgiving weekend to kick off the holiday season with a traditional feast, grand illumination of the courtyard, Gingerbread House, and boxwood wreath workshops. Thanksgiving meals will be available at three mountaintop restaurants.

Stonewall Jackson Hotel in historic downtown Staunton in Virginia's Shenandoah Valley will feature a Thanksgiving buffet in their beautifully renovated dining room. Cost is $35 per person, $17.50 for ages 5-12, and free for ages 4 and under.

The Mimslyn Inn in Luray offers an expanded Thanksgiving buffet and an overnight stay at the inn for $69 per person. For those who are not staying on the premises, the cost of the buffet is $28.95 for adults, $11.95 for children 6-11, and kids under 6 are free. A traditional dinner is also offered for $19.95 that includes turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, green beans, cranberry sauce, and pumpkin pie.

For those in Northern Virginia, there is already a list of restaurants featuring Thanksgiving dinner.

My family will gather as we always do, cooking, baking, and watching the Macy's parade on the kitchen television as we prepare for the big meal. Afterward, some will be outdoors, some will watch football games, but one thing is certain: we will be together.