Traveling is one of the things I want to share the most with my children. I exploration of a new place, the discovery of a new culture, the understanding that someone who may not look or act like you may share a whole host of things similar and be closer than it seems are all things that are important to me and I want them to be important to them.
So needless to say, finding different places to explore is important. Hopefully, once the kids are a little older, we will do more international traveling – when they can sit still on an airplane for long periods of time. Until then, we will explore the United States. As it is there are so many unique places to find and so much history to discover.
This summer we had the opportunity to travel to Norfolk, Virginia, and spend a long weekend there. My husband and I lived for a couple of years in Virginia up by DC, but we had not had the chance to make it to the coastal towns of Norfolk and Virginia Beach.
I will tell you one thing – we had the hardest time getting to Norfolk. We originally had a nonstop 7 AM flight. At 2 AM the day of the flight, we received a text message that our flight had been cancelled. We didn’t receive this text until 3 AM, at which time we found out there was a flight at 5 AM so we raced to the airport to get on the standby line. We didn’t get chosen from standby for the 5 AM flight or the 7 AM flight. At this time we quickly started trying to find other routes to get to Norfolk. We were finally able to find seats on flights from Dallas to Myrtle Beach, Myrtle Beach to Charlotte, and then finally Charlotte to Norfolk. This resulted in an entire day spent in airports. Needless to say, we were just thankful we made it to Norfolk.
Where to Stay
There are two parts to this area – Norfolk and Virginia Beach. The two cities are only about 15-20 minutes apart from each other and each offers unique things to see and do. Regardless of which city you choose to stay in, you can easily travel to the other.
If you are staying in Norfolk, the hotels in the Waterside District are perfectly positioned so that you can walk to the majority of sights and restaurants or catch a quick Uber to what is not within walking distance.
If you are staying in Virginia Beach, there are plenty of places to stay right on the boardwalk or on the couple of streets just off the boardwalk on Pacific and Atlantic Avenues. Accommodations in this area are walking distance to the beach – the main attraction in Virginia Beach – as well as most restaurants and shops.
What to Do
In Norfolk, the majority of things to do are centered around the water and the navy base. There are a variety of harbor tours including on the American Rover sailboat and the well-known Spirit of Norfolk. There is also the nautical museum, Nauticus, which also has access to the USS Wisconsin to tour. It is really interesting to explore the Wisconsin and there are many things for kids to do in the Nauticus museum. Our favorite activity was the giant Battleship game board in the Nauticus museum as well as the tank where you can touch horseshoe crabs. Right on the Waterside District is also Town Point park. If you have little ones and need some time to cool off, be sure to spend some time letting them play and splash in the fountains.
Of course there is the beach in Virginia Beach, and with that, the boardwalk and the HUGE Neptune statue. This statue is hard to miss and it is located near a stage where they have bands play in the evenings. For the days you spend on the beach, you can rent chairs, umbrellas, and more. Besides the beach, take some time to walk up and down the boardwalk, explore the shops, and enjoy people watching.
In between the two are several tourist attractions including the Virginia Zoo, the Norfolk Botanical Garden, the Chrysler Museum of Art, and the Children’s Museum of Virginia. Although all of these are further than a walk from the hotels, they are just a short Uber ride and worth checking out.
What to Eat
When we first started looking at restaurants, I expected there to be a lot more seafood options. As someone who is allergic to shellfish, I was concerned about this possibility. It turned out to not be an issue while we were in Norfolk. Virginia Beach was a different matter entirely.
During the warm months, there is a festival almost every weekend, providing a plethora of food options. There was even an annual taco festival in the Waterside District of Norfolk while we were there! Being Texans, though, we didn’t think we needed to travel all the way to Virginia for good tacos, so we didn’t partake in the festival.
In Norfolk, Granby street has a plethora of restaurants to choose from. Though the decor was a little questionable with bras hanging from the chandelier and crude things written on dollar bills stapled to the wall, the best burgers we’ve had were at Jack Brown’s Burger Joint. It’s a little hole in the wall and, if you have kids who can read, sit by the windows, but the burgers were worth the trip and cheap! For a nicer dinner, be sure to check out the Freemason Abbey. Located in a church from 1873, the decor is unique, paying homage to the building, and the food is excellent.
In Virginia Beach, however, restaurants seemed to be geared more towards seafood, pizza, or pancakes. I’m not sure the reason behind the sheer number of pancake restaurants, but you are sure to have you options when it comes to breakfast. There is one place that deserves mentioning. It is a chain originally from Duck, NC – which we found out when we looked to see if there was a location near us in Dallas…which there is to our happy surprise – but it became apparent by the number of people walking away with boxes from the joint that it’s a favorite in the area. Duck Donuts is open all day into the evening – perfect for dessert! They create made-to-order donuts that are artwork. We really liked the flip flop and s’mores donuts, but you can create your own by picking your coating, topping, and drizzle.
When to Go
The driest months to visit the area are April, October, and November. The summer is a great choice if you’re looking for beach time. Even in July, the beaches weren’t too busy and you’ll be sure to get a chance to relax. Just keep in mind that with the summer comes hurricane season and there may be rain.
There are some really awesome festivals throughout the year including Harborfest when the tall ships come into the harbor that would be amazing to plan your trip around if you can. No matter when you choose to go, though, keep in mind that there are so many things to do outside that you should definitely factor in the weather.
Best for Kids
The Virginia Zoo and Children’s Museum across in Portsmouth are worth visiting with little ones. It will definitely provide entertainment for a day. Little Mister really loved the afternoon harbor tour on the American Rover. They even had a moment where they let him help raise the sails. Little ones will love the views and riding the ship. The Nauticus museum and USS Wisconsin are must-sees, though they will not take you a whole day to view (and go early for the Wisconsin as it can get hot later in the day).
Beyond this, take time to relax and enjoy the beaches in the area. Sometimes when we travel, we get so caught up in all the things we can see and do that we forget to just take a moment to stop and relax and play in the waves and sand. This became abundantly clear to me on this trip when we spent the evening over in Virginia Beach. When we were looking forward to the next thing to see and do, Little Mister just wanted to jump in the waves as they came into shore. He loved watching his feet sink into the wet sand and wiggling his toes to free them. So take some time to build a sand castle, watch the waves, and see if you can spot any dolphins or maybe even… a mermaid.