A wide, sandy beach, no matter how gorgeous in the sunlight, can seem a little sad at summer's end, but at Virginia Beach, the city's tourist bosses have made it more fun, or at least they try to if the weather cooperates. Late September is when they have the Neptune Festival, a big blow-out of an art fair, with food stalls and the North American Sandsculpting Championship, among other activities.
Virginia Beach is also -- pardon me Jamestown -- the site of the first landing of the folks who settled in the latter spot back in 1607. On April 26, 1607, the English immigrants stopped here for less than three weeks before proceeding on to Jamestown Island, where they established the first permanent English colony in North America. Check it out at the First Landing Chesapeake Bay Center, a state park on the site (2500 Shore Dr.;, tel. 757/412-2300; www.vbfun.com or www.virginiastateparks.gov).
This place isn't just a beach. Surprisingly (to me), it is the state's largest city, both in population (about 462,000) and area (497 sq. miles, more than half of it water), but has only been a community since 1880. Navy jets swooping across the skies on weekdays remind visitors that the town is home to four military bases. But people come here for the 38 miles of shoreline, 28 miles of public beach, 79 miles of scenic waterways and 60 miles of bike paths, for its parks and outdoor activities.
If you're unlucky enough to encounter a nor'easter when here, be prepared. For the first time ever, I had my raincoat blown right off me while walking five blocks along Atlantic Avenue one evening against the wind, and had to chase it down the street for a block or so. Next time, I'll button it instead of clutching it to me.
Highlights
Off the beach, there are several spots where you can enjoy aspects of the areas that are unique, sometimes fun, always instructive.
The city's most impressive spot is the Virginia Aquarium & Science Center (717 General Booth Boulevard, tel. 757/385-FISH; www.virginiaaquarium.com; adults $11.95, less for kids and seniors, IMAX extra), one of the country's top ten marine science museums. There's an IMAX theater, and seasonal boat trips, including dolphin-watching experiences. There are two buildings, the Marsh Pavilion and the Bay & Ocean Pavilion, connected by a short Nature Walk. Restless Planet exhibits include one of the few exhibits of Mediterranean seahorses in the world, and re-creations of at least four climactic zones -- prehistoric, North African desert, Red Sea, and Indonesian -- the latter with genuine Komodo dragons.
At the Old Coast Guard Station (tel. 757/422-1587; www.oldcoastguardstation.com; adults $4), right on the Boardwalk at 24th Street, you can check out shipwrecks, disasters, heroes and more; a small collection, but charming. This is both a Virginia Historic Landmark and on the National Register of Historic Places.
The Cape Henry Lighthouse (c.1791) (583 Atlantic Avenue, Fort Story; tel. 757/422-9421; www.firstlandingfoundation.com) is the official symbol of the city of Virginia Beach, and climbing to the top offers a nice view of the area. About 60,000 visitors a year make the 60-floor hike yearly. Also nearby is the recreation of the First Landing Village, with a reproduction of the 1607 settlement here, open summer only. You have to go through security to enter the Ft. Story army base where the lighthouse is located, so you'll need photo ID and pay a small admission fee as well.
The Military Aviation Museum (1341 Princess Anne Rd.; tel. 757/721-PROP; www.militaryaviationmuseum.org; adults $10, open 9am-4pm) is about a 20-minute drive from the Boardwalk but well worth it for lovers of old planes from as far back as 1911. Most of them are vintage World War II and Korean War, including some Nazi craft and an old Sopwith (similar to Snoopy's plane). An unexpected treasure in an out-of-the-way spot, which is also the Virginia Beach Airport (not for commercial flights).
Military fans can also tour the Oceana Naval Air Station (tel. 757/222-6100; www.gohrt.com) in summer on weekdays, again with photo ID for $7.50 (less for kids and seniors). You'll see Hornets, Super Hornets and other aircraft (up to 250 of them), and one tour daily includes a lunch stopover at the Officers Club for an additional $8.75 (kids $4.50) ocean is said to be the world's largest master jet base, which means that all types, models and series of certain Navy jets are based here. The tours are operated by Hampton Roads Transit.
If you like wooden, ducks, head for the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum (1113 Atlantic Ave.; tel. 757/437-8432; www.awhm.org), located in the historic deWitt Cottage, the city's oldest seaside cottage, with a nice garden and wildfowl art. You can sometimes see members of the Back Bay Wildfowl Guild demonstrate their carving skills, too.
There are three more historic houses in Virginia Beach, the Lynnhaven House, the Francis Land House, and the Adam Thoroughgood House. Contact them through Historic Houses, 3131 Virginia Beach Boulevard, tel. 757/385-5100.
Virginia Legends (Atlantic Ave. at 13th St.; www.va-legends.com) is a small park memorializing people who were born in the state, or who lived here while making some significant contribution to Virginia history, society or culture. The busts of famous people include those of Captain John Smith, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, Arthur Ashe, and Ella Fitzgerald.
Beaches, Great & Small
The boardwalk, stretching nearly three miles, and the Resort Area get nearly three million visitors a year, the city says. Although it is impressive and close by all sorts of amenities, I liked Sandbridge Beach (tel. 877/882-5961; www.sandbridge.com) better. Sandbridge is located just south of the Boardwalk and is a spit of land quietly reminiscent of New York's Long Island or Cape Cod in many ways. This is all natural, yet just a few miles from the modern life of the Boardwalk. You come here to relax, to enjoy the outdoors, especially in the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. There's no hotel here, so you have to rent an apartment or a house. You'll never be more than a few feet from the water, either the ocean itself, or the bay.
Dining Out
The Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center issued a handy pocket guide in 2008 to "Sensible Seafood." It tells you which restaurants are participating in its program to allow consumers to make the right choices when pondering seafood. Avoiding certain fish (e.g. swordfish) and knowing what is endangered or what, for that matter, can affect your health adversely, is important, as is knowing when to eat farmed fish or demand wild-caught. Note also that the she-crab soup, a local specialty, no longer contains the roe of the female crab, as it is illegal to keep any female crabs with roe that are caught.
For Italian cuisine, consider the Isle of Capri (Holiday Inn Sun Spree Resort, 39th Street at Atlantic Ave.; tel. 757/428-2411; www.isleofcaprivb.com), where you can also command a sweeping view of the North Beach., I enjoyed the finely-chopped and aromatic she-crab soup at $6, the best of three such soups I sampled in as many venues over a short stay, and a perfect scampi dish at $21.
The service was impeccable, the ambience pleasing at Catch 31 (3001 Atlantic Ave.; tel. 757/213-3001; www.catch31.com), one of the city's newest hotspots, I was told, with both indoor and outdoor seating right on the Boardwalk and facing Neptune's Park, center of the eponymously-named festival in late September. I thought the fried calamari appetizer at $10.95 one of the best I have ever had anywhere, but felt the Chesapeake Bay flounder at $24.95 didn't have enough seasoning to my taste.
Waterman's (5th Street at Atlantic Ave.; tel. 757/428-3644; www.watermans.com) is right on the Boardwalk and has plenty of outdoor seating if you like that, or indoors, and specializes in fish, of course, the fresher the better. I enjoyed a cup of the thick, chowder-like she-crab soup at $4.75, and fried chicken tenders, a huge appetizer serving, at $5.99. A family-run place, it's been open since 1981.
Tautog's (205 23rd St.; tel. 757/422-0081; www.tautogs.com), housed in an old bungalow, is right next door to Doc Taylor's and is owned by the same people. Tautog, named for a local fish, is open only for dinner, and specializes in fresh fish. I enjoyed a pasta dinner (with scallops) for $17.95 and a cup of very good she-crab soup at $3.95.
Rockafeller's (308 Mediterranean Ave.; tel. 757/422-5654; www.rockafellers.com) is one of those relatively rustic seaside restaurants you can find in many popular ports, but with no outdoors seating on the ground floor. The fare is standard seafood or beef, but I enjoyed a Sunday brunch cheese omelet at $4.99.
Bad Ass Coffee (619 18th St.; tel. 757/233-4007) is a branch of that famous Hawaiian coffee shop. There are several dozen types of coffee, it seems, and a modest breakfast and lunch menu. I had the Dawn Patrol, scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese on a bagel (or muffin) at $3.25, perfectly adequate for this wraps and sandwiches spot.
Located in an old cottage, Doc Taylor's (207 23rd St.; tel. 757/425-1960) is named for a former medical clinic at this location. The place is open for breakfast, when it is said to be vastly popular with locals, and for lunch only. I had a Reuben sandwich that appeared to be fried or just put on the griddle too long, so it was greasy and with far too little sauerkraut for my tongue, at $7.50.
Lodging
There are dozens of good hotels along the Boardwalk and elsewhere in Virginia Beach. I enjoyed my stay at the Ocean Beach Club (3401 Atlantic Ave.; tel. 800/245-1003; www.vboceanbeachclub.com), which has hotel services for shorter stays along with condo dwelling in 182 one-, two- or three-bedroom suites. These are some of the facilities here: indoor pool, two heated outdoor pools, small restaurant, tiki bar, fitness center and more.
Contacts
For everything about Virginia Beach, contact the official site of their visitors bureau at www.vbfun.com.
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