Monday, July 26, 2010

Williamsburg Wow; Part 1


With this vacation behind me, I'm realizing that I didn't take nearly enough photos.  I was in vacation mode, not I'm-going-to-write-about-this-stuff mode.  Today I'm writing about our accomodations and really only have photos of the pool, so my details will have to suffice.  Use your imagination.  Enjoy the pool shots!

THE STAY:

The Wyndham Kingsgate
619 Georgetown Crescent, Williamsburg VA




Reviews about this complex have been mixed. It ranked #11 on TripAdvisor out of 96 hotels listed in Williamsburg on the site. Most of the negative comments related to the pressure sales for timeshare upgrades. We’re not owners in this timeshare property and had secured our stay through Wyndham’s rental arm Endless Vacations. But having read the warnings, we planned to approach the facility management with caution, prepared for some delay due to sales pitches and wriggling out of the clutches of staff intent on taking what they claimed would be an hour of our precious vacation time. We also prepared ourselves for a less than perfect experience within the unit. We got a good deal, we figured, and it couldn’t be horrible. We weren’t expecting perfection, just a decent, clean, relatively comfortable place to stay during our vacation in Williamsburg.



We found it.



Our stay at the Wyndham Kingsgate was great! The unit was a small one bedroom, a size that was perfect for my husband, my daughter, and me for the week. The living area had a sofa and chair, coffee table, entertainment unit with large flat screen TV, 5 disk cd player, and DVD player. The small kitchenette was nice. There was a dining table that would seat 4 if needed. The counter had a 2 burner stove, a microwave convection oven above it, small bar sized sink, dishwasher and small – but not a mini - refrigerator. All were compact, but for us this was fine. It was not my intention to go on vacation and prepare a multi course meal. We just wanted to be able to have breakfast, make sandwiches for picnics, and a snack or two when we got back from our day. The kitchen was equipped with a coffee machine, toaster, and blender. In the cupboards and drawers was complete service for four – plates, bowls, coffee cups, glasses, and utensils. There was also cookware – saucepan, frying pan, pyrex bakeware and bowls, a serving platter and bowl and plenty of cooking utensils – knives, large spoons, whisk, can opener, ice cream scoop, everything you need to get by on vacation. The only complaint I would have about the kitchen is that with the appliances, there left very little counter space to put the food you buy. We used the top of the refrigerator and some space on the table when needed. Under the sink, there was dishwashing detergent, both for the dishwasher and for hand washing, which we did most of the time, given that we only dirtied a few items at a time. There were dish towels and paper towels. If I could bring myself to live so efficiently at home, I would. Nice countertops, good solid furniture in decent condition, and clean.



The bedroom had a queen sized bed with comfy cotton sheets and duvet. There’s a huge closet and extra bedding for the pull out sofa, which we used for my daughter to sleep on. There’s a TV and roomy drawers. The bathroom was a decent size, with full shower, and a stacking washer dryer that we used every day. The unit was stocked with a couple of packets of washing detergent. We brought some of our own, too. They do not refresh the towels or sheets during your stay, as it is expected that you will wash whatever is necessary. We did wash towels along with our clothes and beach stuff. A nice benefit to the washer and dryer was that we came back with very little dirty clothes and were able to pack much lighter knowing that we would be able to wash our clothes at least once during our stay.





The grounds were nicely landscaped and it was quiet. We spent considerable time at the pools as part of a group. The first few days, the outdoor pool was a bit cloudy, but otherwise clean and nice. There are many chaise lounge chairs set up around the pool and a few tables with umbrellas. There is a bar right there and a small hut to get towels. A separate, gated area is for the hot tub, which was quite hot and felt great. There is easy access to the indoor pool and from there, you can go into the recreation center to use the bathrooms, arcades, fitness center and rent movies and games. Unfortunately we didn’t stay long enough, or have enough time to really enjoy the offerings of the rec center. There are tennis courts and a miniature golf course that are part of the grounds. A separate gated pool is segregated for adults only. As I mentioned, we were part of a group, and that group contained kids, so we didn’t spend any time at that pool, but I do understand the need for it. The main pool was insanely busy at times.



We found that the location was convenient for us, given that our intention was to get to Busch Gardens and Water Cuntry, to Jamestown, and to Virginia Beach. The location was easy access to Bypass and Richmond Roads, home to many a pancake house and buffet. There was a Kmart very close by, and a Bloom supermarket just down the road. We were able to stock up on our first day. I’ll review our dining experiences on another post.



Overall, our experience was a good one. The unit was nice and fit our needs. The grounds were well maintained and felt safe and friendly. And after all of the posted comments about the time share sales hassles, not one person even asked us to attend a meeting or “stop by” or anytime. This is most likely because we are not timeshare owners and had nothing to upgrade to. A man I spoke to at the pool said he attended a session and received free passes to Busch Gardens for a day.



I mentioned that we were part of a group and other members of our party, namely my sister in law and her husband and grandchildren were not as fortunate as we were with regards to our unit. They were right above us in our building; a request made prior to our arrival, and had problems with things throughout the week. They had one more kid than we did with them, which made it a bit tighter than they were comfortable with. Their shower squealed like a tea kettle when running, forcing my sister in law to take a bath one morning so as not to wake the kids. Their air conditioning wasn’t working for three of the seven days they were there. With no screens on the windows, and mid ninety degree weather throughout the week, it was hot for them. Add to this that two years prior, they stayed at a sister resort just down the street, in a similar, but larger unit, and had a great stay, so had high expectations for this one. I could understand how their experience could result in a very negative review. They contacted the staff and repairs were underway, but not resolved very quickly. It was frustrating for them, understandably so. We almost felt guilty for our good fortune. 



I think that we would certainly consider staying at the Wydham Kingsgate on our next stay, although we did wonder to each other how we could be sure that we’d have just as good an experience as we did, and not run into the troubles my sister in law did. In this case, it seems that your experience might truly depend on which unit you are assigned, and how things are running at the time of your stay. So, my suggestion would be to give it a try, you could get lucky.

A quiet moment at the pool.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

Vacation Countdown


98 days ago, my husband, thinking he would cheer us up at dinner one night, announced that there were 100 days until vacation. He thought he was doing a good thing. The weather at that time was still cold and dreary and we needed a boost in spirit. My daughter and I, upon his announcement, drooped our shoulders in defeat – what? A HUNDRED days?




We’re two days away from leaving. You’d think we’ve never gone any where before, given how excited we are. It’s not the first time we’ve been to Virginia or to Williamsburg, or to Busch Gardens. Our prior experiences have been good ones, and the road trip portion of this vacation throws in an added element. So we’re excited and anxious. And the countdown is on. The checklists are being checked off.



Find someone to stay at the house and tend to my garden – check



Shop for road food and snacks – check



Get car serviced – check



Charge camera batteries, dump memory cards and reformat, charge phones. Get a car charger for the phone and laptop. Check check check.



Packing – do the laundry, decide which shorts and tee shirts we need. Which sandals? Which bathing suits? Beach towels, surf board, blankets, sunscreen, and goggles.



Got it.



Waist packs, water bottle holders, hats, good walking shoes, cell phones programmed with other family member’s cell phone number for when we’re at the park.



Yep.



Get hair cut & color. New contact lenses. Refill prescriptions.



Done.



Forward the voice mail, set up the out-of-office reply, delegate my assignments to be covered in my absence.



Big check.



Transplant the herbs, weed the gardens, trellis the unruly peas, harvest the lettuce.



Done. Done. Done.



I love that feeling when you finally get the suitcases packed, the car packed, everyone buckled in and ready to go. The tank’s full of gas. I can breathe a sigh of relief at that point. Everything’s done except the fun. There’s no turning back now.



The truth is that for me, the planning and preparing for vacation is just as much fun as the actual going. That anticipation of a good time, of being away from the normal everyday life, of a change of scenery and new experiences makes the whole thing so much more than just the time spent away. Its anti climactic to return and have nothing on the horizon to look forward to, travel wise, I mean. Yes, we’ve got a birthday party to plan, and school shopping to do, and plenty of summer time left to enjoy, but no big trips planned, no reason to keep the suitcases out.



Yet.



Who knows what may transpire during our travels? We may decide that we’ve just got to do this more often.



So here it is. The culmination of months of planning will occur sometime Friday morning, as we load up the car, lock up the house, and head out on the road.



I won’t be posting while I’m gone. I will be taking hundreds of photos to share. I will be taking notes about our travels and experiences and plan on writing about them when we return. I will review the hotels, restaurants, and roadside attractions. I will refocus, closer to home, and write more!



Have a wonderful week everyone!