Williamsburg area attractions ready for the Obamas
WILLIAMSBURG—— With tourist destinations like Busch Gardens, Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown Settlement in Williamsburg's backyard, President Obama and the First Family will have a lot to choose from if their trip to the Colonial Capital goes on as scheduled this weekend.
White House officials confirmed Wednesday that the Obamas had planned sometime ago to take a family vacation to the area this weekend, but added the trip hinged on whether Congress comes to a consensus on the budget before the midnight Friday deadline.
But whatever happens, officials at local tourists attractions say they're ready to accommodate the President and his family if they do visit the area.
"Colonial Williamsburg has hosted a number of high profile guests and foreign dignitaries throughout its history, and we've gotten pretty good at it," said Tom Shrout, spokesman for Colonial Williamsburg, whose most recent notable guests have been Queen Elizabeth II in 2007 and Actress Betty White last year.
Shrout said he didn't know if the Obamas would be visiting CW, but said the living history museum normally works with people from the offices or home countries of prominent guests to plan their visits.
"We try to make sure they see what they're interested in," Shrout said.
The Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation — which operates Jamestown Settlement and Yorktown Victory Center — has also hosted several famous guests over the years. These guests have included the Queen, former President Bill Clinton and former Vice President Dick Cheney.
Foundation Spokeswoman Debby Padgett said they have provided private tours for high profile guests in the past, but what they'd do for the Obamas, if they visit, would depend on how much advance notice the museums are given.
Busch Gardens officials said they also have procedures in place to handle high profile visitors, but did not provide specifics.
"We never discuss the particulars of those procedures to ensure the integrity of the process," said Kevin Crossett, spokesman for Busch Gardens, in a written statement.
The Obamas planned a trip to Williamsburg during Spring Break, one of the destination's busiest times of the year. The area is typically flooded with families hoping to shop and visit many of the area's attractions during their children's weeklong break from school.
Local law enforcement would not comment on how the potential presidential visit might affect traffic in the Historic Triangle. However, in the past streets have briefly been closed to accommodate presidential motorcades during visits to the area.
Shrout said CW tries to accommodate prominent guests, but also works hard to not to interrupt the trips of other visitors.
"When Queen Elizabeth visited, Buckingham Palace made it clear that they didn't want guests to be imposed upon because of the Queen's visit," he said. "We worked hard to make sure all our guests had a great experience during that time. When the president and his family visit, we'll do likewise, if it happens."
Padgett said the Jamestown and Yorktown museums haven't been closed to public during most of the visits of prominent guests.
President Obama has made several trips to Hampton Roads since 2008, but if he makes it this weekend, it would be his first leisurely visit to the area.
He made several stops in the region during his presidential campaign, and mostly recently was the keynote speaker at Hampton University's graduation last year. He made a brief trip to Williamsburg in 2009 to speak at the House Democratic Caucus' issues conference at Kingsmill.
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