20 miles E of Norfolk; 110 miles E of Richmond; 207 miles S of Washington, D.C.
Just as Norfolk has given itself a major facelift in recent years, so has Virginia Beach had a bit of cosmetic surgery. The city's 20 miles of unbroken sand and surf have always lured families from throughout the region to take their annual beach vacations here. Many of them are of modest means, and traditionally the beach takes on a certain "Redneck Riviera" flavor from Memorial Day to Labor Day. But that image is changing rapidly. Today the focus has shifted from the south end of the beach near Rudee Inlet to the area north of 20th Street, where new hotels and surfside parks have added luster to the oceanfront area.
Although hotels line the beachfront and block off ocean views from everywhere except their own rooms, the 59-block-long Boardwalk (it's actually concrete) boasts immaculate landscaping, wood benches, small parks, a bike-skating path, public restrooms, and attractive white colonial-style street lamps. And during the summer, the Boardwalk hosts free live entertainment most evenings.
There is more to do in Virginia Beach than lying on the sand, swimming, kayaking, fishing, and chasing dolphins offshore. Nature lovers can drive a few miles south to the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which attracts migrating birds and protects several miles of beach and marshlands from development, and to the deserted beaches of False Cape State Park down by the North Carolina border. Here also is the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, the most popular museum in the state and a terrific place to take the kids even if it isn't raining. History lovers will find several sites of interest, including the First Landing Cross, where the Jamestown settlers planted their own cross on April 26, 1607. Plans are to reenact the event on its 400th anniversary in 2007; check with the visitor bureau for details.
