Poquoson sits at sea level, and storms weigh heavy on people’s minds. In 2003, Hurricane Isabel tore through the community and left a wide swath of wreckage. Months afterwards, household possessions still lay strewn by the roadside. Reconstruction changed the face of the city. Clapboard cottages that had been passed down through generations were razed. Those that remain now stand six to eight feet higher, atop cinder blocks or stilts. “I think Isabel brought the very best out of the people who live in this city,” says Mayor Gordon Helsel Jr. “It was heart-wrenching. Many people lost everything they had. But, even in disaster, that special grit inside the folks who live here just tripled in size. When you move to Poquoson, something just gets in your system about service. Folks come here and they’re [ready to help].”
Like most residents, Helsel doesn’t foresee much change in Poquoson’s future. There are plans for a commemorative license plate, and a four-sided clock tower is slated to go up in the center of town. But otherwise, Bull Islanders will carry on as they have for decades—happily oblivious to the clamor beyond. •
Attractions
Canal Walk
A 1.5-mile loop through the woods and along a canal. 500 City Hall Ave.
Heide’s Point Memorial & Lighthouse
236 Beach Road—follow a sign pointing down a sandy path.
Poquoson Museum
968 Poquoson Ave., 757.868.6830, Poquoson.com/museum
Poquoson Seafood Festival
October 16-18, 830 Poquoson Ave., 757.868.3588, PoquosonSeafoodFestival.com
Weston Cemetery
Traditional Poquoson names dating back to the 18th century. 1400 block of Poquoson Ave.
Workboat Race at Messick Point
October 18, 757.868.4744
Dining
Briar Patch Tea Room
475-I Wythe Creek Plaza, 757.868.6843, BriarPatchTeaRoom.com
Bull Island Eats & Treats
800 Poquoson Ave., 757.868-0013
Linville’s Wine & Deli
477-A Wythe Creek Road, 757.868.5051
Owens Marina Restaurant
259 Mingee St., 757.868.8407
Port 151 Island Café
100 Cary’s Chapel Road, 757.867.7355
Accommodations
Martin-Wilson House Bed & Breakfast
326 Wythe Creek Road,
757.868.7070, BBonline.com/va/MartinWilson
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