I had one of the coolest winter experiences in Williamsburg many years ago. ; *goes into old-man-in-the-rocking-chair-storytelling mode* ; It was back in the winter of 1998...I was passing through the mid-Atlantic region and decided to stay a few days in Williamsburg before heading to meet friends in Charlotte, NC, then on to Blowing Rock, NC. ; The day I arrived, checking into a bed-and-breakfast next to William & Mary college, a massive ice storm moved in (the legenday Ice Storm of 98). ; I slept tentative that night, occasionally awakened by the massive cracks and crashes of branches sheering off trees under heavy-laden ice. ; The next morning revealed way-below-freezing temps, and a surreal plastic-coated scene - ice covering everything, with some of the everything lying on the ground when it couldn't handle the load of ice - including branches, trees, and powerlines. ; Yep - no elecricity - the whole area was knocked out. ; Here's where the story turns awesome:
We went into Colonial Williamsburg, and happy to find it was open...despite the cold, and no power, they were going to continue to keep the place open, give the tours, and make like the Colonialists did. ; Without power, fires were lit in the street for warmth, candles were used to guide through the dark houses, and candles were lit throughout the buildings, using the original reflector lanterns. ; The old buildings, the employees dressed in their colonial clothing, and the leck of electricity, guiding around by candle and hearing stories of history, gave the whole thing an air of reality that I'd not ever experienced there before - it was like truly being transported back to Colonial times. ; We were cold, and stepping over the ice gingerly, but we all agreed it was just about the greatest experience we could ever ask for.
Unfortunately, the legendary Great Oak had given in to the ice that night...and so a big ceremony and gathering was held to mourn its passing - as sad as the moment was, even that was a privilege to have been there for.
The trip got much less fun when we headed to Charlotte later that day. ; A normally 4 hour drive became a 17 hour drive, with ice-coated roads, closures, trees down across roadways, traffic, debris, dead stoplights, and broken down and crashed cars.
