Williamsburg & Isabel
 

We (4 middle-aged couples) have been planning a trip to Williamsburg the first week of October. Can anyone tell me how the Williamsburg area fared through the hurricane? I don't want to come at this time, if it's not a good time to visit.

Also, I read an article in the Washington Business Journal that said Colonial Williamsburg was cutting jobs, including costumed workers. That's disappointing. What do you think we will find if we come at this time? Do you think we'd be better to wait until Spring?

CW has been having financial difficulties (at least) ever since 9/11, and have cut a number of various programs and have closed Carter Plantation. I'm sure the visit is still worthwhile, and, in fact, plan to visit the first weekend (Sat-Tue) of October myself. I don't know what damages Isabel may have done, but generally Wbg is far enough inland to usually escape the damages often seen at VAB and ORF.

One good thing about visiting this time of the year is that there's not all the school groups you see in the spring. I've been visiting CW probably 5+ times a year (long weekends) for maybe 7 years now. I've noticed little cuts here and there, but still consider CW a good place to visit. Enjoy your trip!

Most of Colonial Williamsburg (the restored area) was spared damage so there is nothing that should prevent your trip in early October. rb_traveller is right about Wmbg's financial difficulties caused by 9/11 and further exacerbated by heat/drought in 2002 and the war in Iraq this past spring. October is a beautiful time to see Williamsburg. It's heartbreaking to see the interpreters lose their jobs but they've been promised rehire if visitorship improves.

I believe CW reopened yesterday for business. Most of the area is still without power (mostly a non issue for a colonialized town) but then so is a lot of the state!

There is a bit more damage outside of town towards Jamestown. There is a gorgeous canopy of trees which line the roads to the James and Chickahominy rivers and this place looks bombed. Fallen trees are everywhere. We only lost our deck and consider ourselves lucky.

My Mom is a historical interpreter at W'burg and is (for the moment) still employed, but many jobs have been reduced or cut.

W'burg did lose power for several days. I spoke to Mom yesterday and she said that even though they closed CW for two days, the interpreters and some musical performers went to the Lodge to entertain the guests! There were people performing from 9:00am to 4:00pm every day -- pretty neat.

nanafish,

" to usually escape the damages often seen at VAB and ORF."

Perhaps I'm a dunce, but I haven't the faintest idea what you are referring to. Any chance you could spell things out instead of using so many abreviations?

Curious

sorry about the abbreviations. VAB=Virginia Beach, ORF=Norfolk. Of course, thanks to the locals, obxgirl & Tansy, we now know how the area fared. The (somewhat) local paper has a website www.dailypress.com

Does this mean that Colonial Williamsburg is up and running now, that we will get our money's worth (and our time's worth, since we have a 2 day drive to get there with our travel trailers), if we go now? Or should we wait until spring?

Nanafish

I think OBXgirl says its pretty well.


Author: nanafish ([email protected])
Date: 09/20/2003, 11:44 am
Message: We (4 middle-aged couples) have been planning a trip to Williamsburg the first week of October. Can anyone tell me how the Williamsburg area fared through the hurricane? I don't want to come at this time, if it's not a good time to visit.

Also, I read an article in the Washington Business Journal that said Colonial Williamsburg was cutting jobs, including costumed workers. That's disappointing. What do you think we will find if we come at this time? Do you think we'd be better to wait until Spring?



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Author: rb_travelerxATyahoo
Date: 09/20/2003, 11:08 pm
Message: CW has been having financial difficulties (at least) ever since 9/11, and have cut a number of various programs and have closed Carter Plantation. I'm sure the visit is still worthwhile, and, in fact, plan to visit the first weekend (Sat-Tue) of October myself. I don't know what damages Isabel may have done, but generally Wbg is far enough inland to usually escape the damages often seen at VAB and ORF.

One good thing about visiting this time of the year is that there's not all the school groups you see in the spring. I've been visiting CW probably 5+ times a year (long weekends) for maybe 7 years now. I've noticed little cuts here and there, but still consider CW a good place to visit. Enjoy your trip!



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Author: obxgirl
Date: 09/21/2003, 04:07 pm
Message: Most of Colonial Williamsburg (the restored area) was spared damage so there is nothing that should prevent your trip in early October. rb_traveller is right about Wmbg's financial difficulties caused by 9/11 and further exacerbated by heat/drought in 2002 and the war in Iraq this past spring. October is a beautiful time to see Williamsburg. It's heartbreaking to see the interpreters lose their jobs but they've been promised rehire if visitorship improves.

I believe CW reopened yesterday for business. Most of the area is still without power (mostly a non issue for a colonialized town) but then so is a lot of the state!

There is a bit more damage outside of town towards Jamestown. There is a gorgeous canopy of trees which line the roads to the James and Chickahominy rivers and this place looks bombed. Fallen trees are everywhere. We only lost our deck and consider ourselves lucky.


North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, and Delaware took the brunt of this hurricane and most every area that is NOT still flooded is up and trying to operate.