National Geographic Traveler magazine is featuring the Historic Triangle, Chesapeake Bay and Shenandoah Valley on its list of the world’s iconic destinations.
The magazine’s list ranks the world’s most celebrated travel destinations and how well they’ve weathered mass tourism while protecting the environment. The list will appear in the magazine’s November-December issue.
The Historic Triangle – Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown – ranked the best among the Virginia destinations and was listed in the "Places Doing Well" category.
The Chesapeake Bay was in the "Places with Troubles" category, and the Shenandoah Valley was among "Places in the Balance."
Here is a representative sampling of additional anonymous comments from the panelists.
"Beautiful, with considerable historic character. The region has an excellent tourism infrastructure, and some areas are particularly well done: The recent work at Jamestown is superb, especially the archaeology and its interpretation; and the ongoing character of Williamsburg remains a key charm. The sustainability question is key—such as the expense of operating something like Colonial Williamsburg—and operational costs and government cuts to agencies such as the National Park Service (Yorktown) are a long-term concern."
"Williamsburg is a fascinating living museum. But its antiseptic quality belies the reality of life in the 18th century."
"The Colonial Williamsburg restored area and national parks at Yorktown and Jamestown are best experienced by the Colonial Parkway, which is still a pristine drive that links all three destinations and buffers them from the sprawl culture. Williamsburg has devolved into little more than an upscale suburban enclave. The growing residential population clings to a faux colonial aesthetic that is applied to homes, shops, and strip malls."
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Filed under: colonial williamsburg, Jamestown, Yorktown Battlefield
