I'll never forget 9/11 for more than one reason. My wife and I were married on September 11, 1999.  We decided to take a vacation to Colonial Williamsburg to celebrate our 2nd anniversary in 2001. We awoke Tuesday morning in our hotel and turned on the news 10 minutes before the first plane struck. It was quite a start to quite a day.

After watching the events unfold on TV we decided that we would continue with our plans to visit Yorktown instead of sitting around and dwelling on it.  The whole area had changed already as we headed the 10 miles to Yorktown.  I had remarked on Sunday as we passed a Naval Ordinance Yard just miles from our hotel that you would think there would be more than just a single unguarded gate at the entry to an ordnace depot. When passing it at 1 pm—just 4 hours after the first plane struck—this same gate now was ringed in sandbags and a couple of mounted 50 caliber machine guns.

We proceeded on to Yorktown however, being a National Monument, it was closed. The single Park Officer told us that he would not arrest us for walking around the battlefield even though it was closed but we couldn't take the driving tour or enter any of the buildings.  There was something surreal about walking around the field that marked the first recognized start of our nation's independence on this day of shock and awe.

We went to our anniversary dinner that night at a well known Seafood buffett that normally has a line around the door. This night there were probably only a dozen other people in the massive dining room that was served by three large buffett tables. The staff mostly crowded around a television in the bar area.

By Wednesday in Williamsburg (non colonial part) itself, was changed. Restaruant marquees all held patriotic messages and slogans and cars were already adorned with American flags.

With Airports closed and fuel costs unknown, we elected to finish out our week in Colonial Williamsburg rather than brave an uncertain insterstate system.

I will not soon forget that day and the changes it has brought.