OT: LIVE Report from Colonial Williamsburg: Final PHOTO update

[AnneR]

Dave sorry to hear about Dana's Grandmother.

On the entrance to the folk art museum. Not exactly sure of why but they moved the museum from a building over by the Williamsburg Inn a couple of years ago. Who knows, it may have been some of the cost cutting after 9/11. There used to be more to touring Colonial Williamsburg. With certain passes you had entrance to the Historic District, the museum and Carter's Grove Plantation. The plantation has not been part of the package now for many years.

 

[mejkjj97]

Your family is in my thoughts and prayers.

 

[auroralark]

Dave, I'm sorry to hear about Dana's grandmother. Your family is in my thoughts.

 

[aspen37]

Thanks Kathy. She has lived a full life, and it's not totally unexpected. On her 101st birthday this past May she decided she was going to stop taking all medications and go out on her own terms. It will be sad, but she is ready and hopefully comfortable.

Dave I will keep your family in my thoughts and prayers.
Wow 101! I'm sure she has seen a lot in her life. I bet she is fascinating to talk too.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Thank you all for the well-wishes for Dana's grandmother. Dana talked to her mother last night who is with her grandmother now. We have not heard anything more about her health. Evidently, Dana's grandmother does not want any memorial church services, and has donated her body to the Syracuse medical school. There will be no plans for any memorial services for a few weeks. So we will continue on with our trip. Dana's grandmother knows what she wants, and is in charge until the end.

Evie (DD8 ) wanted us to all have a toast to Grandma. So we did last night, and thought about the wonderful life she has led.

Here's a picture from when we were able to visit with her last month.

Anne Schaff: May 11, 1908 - August 5, 2009

ETA: We just heard that Dana's grandmother passed away last night. She will truly be missed.

 

[mainegal]

In a way, you held your own memorial service, toasting a woman who was very special to you.

I hope Dana's grandmother leaves the earth easily, in her own way. She sounds like she knows what she wants. Blessings on your whole family.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Hello Everyone: I just wanted to add that Dana just heard from her mother that her grandmother passed away last night. She will be missed.

 

[dpuck1998]

Send everyone our best!!

 

[jcb]

My sincere condolences.

I have so enjoyed your posts.

 

[disneym2m]

My thoughts and prayers are with you, Dana, and your family during this time.

It is a beautiful day in Williamsburg today.

 

[kbelle8995]

My prayers to the family.

Thank you for the wonderful pictures of Colonial Williamsburg. I haven't been there in a long time and now I want to go back. I love to see some pictures of Busch Gardens up there. I've never been and I'm intrigued.

 

[MouseKTeer]

Joining you a bit late, and extending condolences about Dana's grandma.

Not sure what you are planning for your remaining time in the 'Burg. Reading your TR has brought back many memories for me, and I thank you for that --attending William & Mary, I would think "I wonder if Thomas Jefferson walked here on this path" and it took a while to get past the awe of it all (had to, tho'; it's a challenging school!). And many trips back since then...it always feels like home.

I don't think you've been to the College yet--I'd suggest at least walking to the closest building, there at the corner of Duke of Gloucester St., Jamestown Rd and Richmond Rd. It's the famous Wren building, I believe the oldest college classroom still in use in the US. (I had my freshman and sophomore English classes there.) Take a short walk though the center to the other side and you'll see the list of priorities of the College (for example, Phi Beta Kappa was started there, and it's the oldest college "in its antecedents"). And you'll have a view of the Sunken Gardens.

Back on DOG street, the Cheese Shop is popular for lunch (it used to be a tiny thing on a side street). And since you have daughters, they might want to visit the W&M bookstore to buy sweatshirts that say "Mary & William" -- I think they still carry them. And don't forget to load up on gingerbread cookies from the Raleigh Tavern Bakery before you head home

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Good Morning Everyone: Thanks for all the well-wishes to our family on the loss of Dana's (DW) grandmother. The services are not until next month, and everyone in the family told us to go on with our trip. So yesterday we went to Busch Gardens. It was a pretty subdued trip to an amusement park considering, but we had some fun.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Busch Gardens Williamsburg is a gorgeous park.

They promote themselves as the "World's Most Beautiful Theme Park", and I know they've won numerous awards as well. It is gorgeously landscaped and has flowers and plantings everywhere.

However, we had come to not only look at flowers, but to have some fun and escape a little bit with some rides.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

We enter the park, walk down the hill, and enter Ireland. Corkscrew Hill was our first ride.

Oh, what a mistake that was. It was a 3D, motion simulator ride, where you are shrunk down to the size of the Wee People, put in a box, and shaken all over the place. For the first time in a long time, I was ready for a ride to stop. The girls liked it, but Dana and I were ready for that one to be over.

We walked through some gorgeous animal displays, and then entered France. Here we faced "The Griffon" - 205 feet up, 90 degrees down, and zero floor.

This was an amazing roller coaster. The girls and I all rode it, Dana sat it out, but it was a ton of fun. Dana rode the "Skyride" while we rode the Griffon. I have to say, I was amazed there was only a 15 minute wait for Griffon.

Next up, Germany...

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

In Germany, we rode "Curse of Darkastle" - Busch Garden's Haunted Mansion type ride. It was another 3D motion ride, but through a castle. I thought it was really well done. The 3D effects were pretty impressive. You had characters and wolves jumping right onto your car.

It was now 1:30p, and time to grab some lunch. We ate at "Das Festhaus", and watched the Oktoberfest show.

The food was good. A little expensive, we paid $45 for our family of 4 for lunch, but that was about what we expected for a theme park. The show was fun. The musicians and performers were very talented, and we heard two of my favorite songs...

"The Pennsylvania Polka" - better known as the Steeler Fight Song and...
the "Hoop Dee Doo Polka"... I never knew the "Hoop Dee Doo Revue" theme song was a polka with different words. That's such a catchy song.

After lunch, it was time for another coaster "The Big Bad Wolf"...

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

The Big Bad Wolf is a suspended coaster, 25 years old, and is closing after this season. This was our longest wait of the day at 30 minutes. Evidently the ride was closed the day before, and had just opened at noon the day we were there. Everyone's trying to ride it one last time.

It was a fun ride, and I'm glad I got to ride it. We're starting to realize that Busch Gardens is really a coaster park. The major rides are all coasters, and besides Curse of Darkastle the other rides aren't so much to speak of.

Next up Italy...

 

[safetymom]

Guess I won't be visiting Busch Gardens. I am not a coaster fan at all. It does look beautiful.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Here's the view from the bridge walking from Germany to Italy. Just gorgeous.

In Italy we rode, Escape from Pompeii. While, I've never rode "Escape from Atlantis" at Sea World - I'm betting this ride at Busch Gardens is similar.

The fire effects in the ride were cool, but it was way too short. We went up a hill, into a building with some fire effects, and down the hill. Way too short.

We engaged in one of our family's favorite activities - pressing pennies. We love doing this wherever we can find them. I might have to write up a blog on pressing pennies at WDW.

Time to hit another coaster in Italy - Apollo's Chariot.

This was a fun ride, no inversions, fast and smooth.

Maggie (DD11 ) said she was a little "coastered-out". So while Evie (DD8 ) and I rode Apollo's Chariot, she rode the Tea Cups and Tradewind.

We then take a break with a train ride around the park.

 

[Mouse Skywalker]

Guess I won't be visiting Busch Gardens. I am not a coaster fan at all. It does look beautiful.

I think you would be riding a lot of benches Kathy. Dana likes coasters, but these were even too much for her. However, I think you would have a blast taking photos at Busch Gardens.