I recently wrote about Fort Bragg North Carolina, the largest Army base east of the Mississippi River, and in a month I will visit Nellis Air Force Base outside Las Vegas, home to the largest air combat training base in the world but it was the Navys turn on this long weekend in Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Norfolk is less than a 1 ½ hour flight from the New York area and about a 3 1/2 hour drive from Washington DC. Did you know that Virginia Beach is the largest city in Virginia with a population of almost 450,000 and over 2.7 million visitors? The Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach is the largest Master Navy Jet Base in the US and home to the F/A 18 Super Hornet aircraft. Continuing our superlatives the Naval Station Norfolk is the worlds largest naval base and is home port to 78 ships and 113 aircraft. Then there is the Norfolk Naval Shipyard in nearby Portsmouth (not to be confused with the Portsmouth New Hampshire shipyard). It is the oldest shipyard in the US dating to 1767 dealing with ship repair and overhaul. And lets not forget about the Newport News Shipbuilding operation which is the largest non-government owned shipyard in the US. Norfolk is now headquarters of ACT, the Allied Command Transformation which is responsible for training NATO forces. Those aforementioned four cities plus Hampton, Chesapeake and Suffolk are all part of the area known as Hampton Roads, a large metro area in southeastern Virginia with 1.6 million people. Here the James River meets Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The Hampton Roads area is supported financially by over 85,000 active duty military personnel and their families. It is the birthplace of America and home to Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement which will celebrate its 400th birthday in 2007 and Colonial Williamsburg, both of which are less than one hours drive from Norfolk.
The thing I most appreciated about Norfolk (population 225,000 with over two million visitors) was its compact downtown area. The Norfolk Waterside Marriott (near, not on the water) was my home base for two days and was within a few blocks of many of the attractions I visited. I walked part of the 2 ½ hour 40 site Cannonball Trail similar to Bostons Freedom Trail. Granby Street has over 30 chef owned restaurants (no chains) but I chose to eat at the nearby Todd Jurichs Bistro because of its Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence wine list with almost 800 selections. My other dinner was at The Vintage Kitchen where chef/owner/sommelier Phillip Craig Thomason had prepared an 8 course tasting menu paired with wine. Over 50% of the ingredients he uses are from Virginia and his wine selection includes 70 Virginia wines. He has a policy that I wish other restaurants would follow that states he will open ANY wine on his list if the diner agrees to purchase two or more glasses.
I also walked to the MacArthur Center Mall which anchors the downtown waterfront area with its 140 stores and restaurants. Across the street is the General Douglas MacArthur Memorial. I didnt realize that General MacArthur designed his own memorial (his mother was born there) and gave them his many military and personal artifacts. He and his wife are also buried there. I spent several hours at Nauticus, the maritime-themed science center which included the Hampton Roads Naval Museum and the USS Wisconsin, the largest and last battleship built by the U.S.Navy. The Norfolk Cruise Terminal is being expanded with several new companies using Norfolk to take their guests to Bermuda and the Caribbean. The Victory Rover Naval Base Cruise also leaves from this area for a two hour cruise around all the navy facilities. The Norfolk Wine Festival entrance was only a hundred yards from Nauticus where I was invited to a private chalet sponsored by the Norfolk Convention & Visitors Bureau. Local food and Virginia wines were featured at this 19th annual event attended by over 12,700 people. That is misleading as it rained most of the second day of the festival. Located in Town Point Park directly on the James River visitors brought blankets, chairs and their own repast.
There were several attractions that were outside the downtown core and required transportation. The two I didnt have time to see were: The Norfolk History Museum at the Willoughby-Baylor House circa 1797 and The Moses Myers House built in 1792 and home to one of Norfolks first Jewish residents. I did get to The Norfolk Botanical Gardens located directly across the road from the airport and featuring 25 theme gardens on 155 acres with 12 miles of trails. It was started in 1938 by the Works Progress Administration (WPA). Stroll through 5,000 years of art history at The Chrysler Museum of Art which contains Walter Chryslers 30,000 pieces collection.
When I knew I was going to Norfolk and had an extra day to spare I called up the folks at the Virginia Beach Convention & Visitors Bureau and asked if they would mind hosting me for one day. Not only did they pick me up in Norfolk but they arranged for a one hour deep tissue massage at the Flowering Almond Spa at the Founders Inn. I was a new person when I met with Charles Rizzo- the wine director- who was very proud of his Swan Terrace Restaurants 200 bottle wine selections being recognized as among the top twelve wine-driven restaurants in Virginia. The property is owned by the board of directors of Regent University that is located next door. If the name doesnt sound familiar it was founded in 1978 as a center of Christian thought by Dr. Pat Robertson. For you TV watchers the 700 Club (started in 1966) is now broadcast daily from the campus. This time I stayed on the beach at the Hilton Virginia Beach Oceanfront and had a wonderful seafood dinner at one of the hotels restaurants Catch 31 which offered a panoramic view of the oceanfront. Since I had a few extra hours until my return flight I was able to briefly view the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. I wish I had time to interact with the harbor seals through the Harbor Seal Splash Program (very similar to the swim with dolphins programs). Virginia Beach is only 10 miles from Norfolk and had double its population yet many people think it is a suburb. It sits on the shore of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the longest pleasure beach in the world (35 miles that extends to the North Carolina border and the Outer Banks) and is located at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the longest bridge-tunnel complex in the world. Over 94% of the visitors arrive by automobile. We drove a few miles to the Sandbridge Beach area at the southern tip of Virginia Beach. There are five miles of pristine beach on the Atlantic Ocean with private homes, condos and summer rentals. The new convention center will be completed in 2007 (it is partially open now). During the summer the 20,000 seat VB Amphitheater features national acts such as Elton John and Sheryl Crow. In the summer there is free entertainment along the three mile concrete boardwalk that dates back to 1888.
I really didnt get to all the attractions in both cities and there are all those naval installations to visit and the rest of Hampton Roads. That will have to wait until warmer weather and my next visit.
More Information-
www.norfolkcvb.com (800) 368-3097
www.vbfun.com (800) VA-BEACH
www.vmsm.com
www.foundersinn.com
www.floweringalmondspa.com
www.chrysler.org
www.hrnm.navy.mil
www.macarthurmemorial.org
www.visithamptonroads.com
www.navstanorva.navy.mil
www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org
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