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03/15/2006 Entry: "Best Parking Anywhere?"

I'm currently on a five-day trip to Williamsburg, VA. Last time I was in Williamsburg (December) I had briefly checked out the Penske Bus Service Center, about a mile and a half from Colonial Williamsburg and just a few miles from Busch Gardens, on US Route 60 (7239 Pocahontas Trail, to be exact). Today I'm parked in their lot again, and checked it out a little more. I'm impressed! It's definitely one of the nicest places to park a motorcoach that I've ever come across. The photos above give just a small idea of what's here.

Photo 1 shows the lot itself -- wide and spacious, designed from the outset for bus and truck parking. The tour bus area has spots for approximately 50 motorcoaches (I'm one of only two here at the moment, but it is the off-season). Photo 2 shows the drivers' lounge building -- one of the largest and nicest I've come across. Photos 3 and 4 show two of the rooms inside the drivers' lounge -- each has TV, plus there are restrooms, vending machines (hot and cold food and beverages), microwave, comfortable seating, pay phones, and free wireless Internet service (which I'm using at the moment to post this -- it works fine!). The lounge is one of the cleanest I've seen, too.

In addition to parking and a drivers' lounge, there is a bus wash ($45 for an exterior wash, they don't do interiors), dump station ($30 includes chemicals), and fuel station. Unfortunately I had just refueled at the Texaco station on Richmond Road just before coming here, a spot motorcoaches have patronized for years, but which is really showing its age and not what it used to be. When I arrived at the Penske area here a few minutes ago, I discovered fuel was 6 cents a gallon less than I had just paid. So it's not overpriced here.

The lounge and parking area are available free of charge to all tour bus drivers from 7 AM to 11 PM daily. Oh -- Penske also has a bus maintenance facility here and can do minor repairs and servicing. The only things missing are a few restaurants within walking distance!