Advice required on Virginia Beach area
 

Hi <BR> <BR>Flying into Washington mid-August (from UK). Plan to drive straight out and head for Virginia Beach area. <BR> <BR>We have about 11 days in total and want to end our trip by staying in Washington DC for the last 2 nights. <BR> <BR>Please, please, can someone kindly give advice on the VB area. We don't like mega-touristy areas, but will be travelling with our 14 year old, so can't be too sedate either! <BR> <BR>Would probably stay in VB/area for 5 nights (approx) before detouring to other places of interest on the way back to Washington DC. <BR> <BR>What is the difference between Hamptons and VB? <BR> <BR>If we stayed in VB which area would you recommend? <BR> <BR>Many thanks.

we suggest that you stay norfolk area or away from the beach because : 1.price 2.oceania naval base has planes (military) taking off & landing 24,7. 3. VB is very (touristy)with prices to go with it. if you like the military sights, we suggest a tour of norfolk naval base with a tour of 2 ships every weekend & its free. historic yorktown is just 1.5 hours away which is pretty cool too. we suggest not staying in hampton due to lower housing & inome area if you know what i mean. jamestown settlement is cool too. when in dc we suggest you go to the bureau of ingraving where $$ is made & smithsonian institute (2 days) to see it all. if you have any ?? e-mail us.

Hi! We live in central Virginia and often vacation with our kids in Virginia Beach so I keep an updated list of hotels we like and ones we don't. When we're down there, I'll sometimes drop in and ask to see rooms of hotels that look good on the internet (you can't always tell if they're nice!) <BR> <BR>You didn't say when you're coming to Va. Beach, but if you come mid-June to the end of August, yes it will be touristy on the strip. But also Virginia Beach has cleaned up their act considerably over the past 3 years. It is a great place for families now - street acts (musicians, magicians) on every corner, lots of family friendly places to eat and lots to do, in addition to a nice, wide beach. <BR> <BR>Most of the oceanfront hotels are on Atlantic Avenue and the streets run from 1st street (to the south) up to at least the 90s (the north). From 1st St to about 12th on Atlantic is pretty quiet, but still close to the action. From 13th to about 28th is pretty much in the thick of things. From 30th up to 60th is pretty quiet again. <BR> <BR>Here's a list of hotels I'd recommend. All are 3 stars AAA rated, all have indoor pools and most have more room than normal (suites or minisuites): <BR>Clarion Resort (5th & OF) <BR>Ramada Inn on the Beach (6th &OF) <BR>Barclay Towers (9th & OF) <BR>Comfort Inn Oceanfront Suites (20th &OF) <BR>Dolphin Inn <BR>Marriott Courtyard Oceanfront (25th &OF) <BR>Holiday Inn Surfside Hotel & Suites (26th &OF) <BR>Sheraton Oceanfront (36th &OF) <BR>Holiday Inn Sunspree Resort (39th &OF) <BR>Ramada Plaza Resort (57th &OF) <BR> <BR>Our favorite hotel of all is the Virginia Beach Resort & Conference Center on the Bay side of Va. Beach (about 10-15 mins away from the "strip") but it's not real close to things that may interest kids. <BR> <BR>I would avoid these hotels as they were only 2 stars AAA or a bit run down: Ambassador, Colonial Inn, Days Inn, La Playa, Oceanfront Inn and Seaside Inn. <BR> <BR>AVOID these hotels as they are run down, dingy and outright dirty: <BR>Four Sails, Marjac Suites and Station One. <BR> <BR>Do stay in Va. Beach. We occassionally go to Hampton, but there's no ocean there and you can't swim unless the hotel has a pool. The Norfolk Naval Shipyard is very cool- my kids love it. Also don't miss Oceania Naval Base tour (I believe a bus tour leaves from Va. Beach strip). In addition, you can take any of several short cruises from either Hampton or Norfolk Waterside complex and those are very interesting. If you do go to Norfolk Waterside, do not miss Nauticus - the fascinating water science museum. Plus it's a real pretty area to wander around. Have fun!!

Thank you so much for your response to my posting. <BR> <BR>Further questions if you have time! <BR> <BR>Is VB area very picturesque? <BR>Regarding the hotels you recommend - would we be able to walk out to restaurants or do we have to drive? <BR>Is the area safe for walking - particularly at night time? <BR>Does the beach get really crowded in August? <BR>Also, you state that VB has cleaned up its act in recent years - did it have a bad reputation? <BR> <BR>Thanks - I really appreciate your time and help.

Virginia beach can be lots of fun, we are from the new england area and have vacationed several times there, try the comfort inn oceanfront suites, they are very nice and location is good, you have to go to Frankies for ribs, best in the world! If you have time, take an hour's ride over to Williamsburg, you won't regret it! We have visited several time during the month of July with our 3 school age children and they had a great time. Usually we visit Virginia beach for a few days then we go over to Williamsburg and also there is a bush gardens there for the kids, good luck, don't forget Frankies Ribs!

August is a croweded time in Va. Beach so be prepared! Locals actualy try to avoid the daily tourist oceanfront scene "the strip" as we call it, which describes the boardwalk strip of walkway that runs along Atlantic Ave. and the beachfront. We do have a few less crowded beaches not far away. Let me know and I'll give you directions. Also, several local favorite resturants are Rudee's(seafood),TheJewish Mother(sandwiches),Duck Inn(seafood with a nice sunset view and strolling beach after dinner). There is a fun casual nightlife on the boardwalk during the evenings..biking,roller blading and people watching, etc. Try Seashore State Park/First Landing State Park for hiking, kayaking, nature walk etc.. Great resturants along Shore Drive (bayside of beach)are less crowed..if possible. Also, the Va.Marine Science Museum is nice. There is a HamptonRoads.com website that lists local goings-on and current events. There is a lot to see by walking or by taking the trolley service(actually buses that look like trolley cars)that run all the time along the strip. Waterside in Norfolk has walking activities too. MacArthur Mall is nice for indoor shopping and dining and the Commadore Theatre in olde town Portsmouth- across the river from Norfolk(ferryboat ride and a 2 block walk)is fun to see current movies in a resturant setting. Williamsburg is only 35mins. away and has the nicest scenery, also, Busch Gardens Theme Park is very nice. Check out Fort Story Light House and the beach/sea creatures on the less crowded public beach there on the Military Base. Save your $ by not taking the dolphin viewing boat rides..you can see them really well from Fort Story beaches and that is where the boats would bring you anyway. Have fun but please don't feed the seagulls!!

Again...thank you all so much for your excellent detailed recommendations. <BR> <BR>I have heard that some coastal areas can be very crowded due to College Students on vacation...is this so of VB area in August? <BR> <BR>Is the area safe - especially at nighttime? <BR> <BR>Where is the nearest big Shopping Mall? <BR> <BR>Many thanks.

I would definitely suggest staying in Williamsburg for a couple of days if you are down this way. I'd prefer this instead of such a long stay in VA Beach. Historic Williamsburg is very pretty and quite interesting with costumed interpreters and tours. There are outlet malls, the pottery and a few more upscale shops right in the center of Williamsburg also. It is less than an hour's drive from Virginia Beach. <BR>Va Beach has several malls I think and Norfolk just built a large one downtown but can't comment on it as I have not been there. <BR> Your child would love Busch Gardens and Water Country USA in Williamsburg. You can get a 2-day pass that will let you into both parks. (We've gone to Water Country during the day and then changed and visited BG at night when it is cooler and less crowded) Jamestown is also close by and an interesting visit. <BR>I live in Virginia and prefer the beaches to our south. (I find them less crowded and wider) but I haven't visited Va Beach for some time now, so maybe things are better now. I know I hate the traffic around that area though. <BR> Know you will enjoy Washington DC. (I would say you may need more time to see everything there though.) Museums, monuments and shopping are great. The Metro makes it very easy to get around too. <BR>Hope you enjoy your visit. Good Luck! <BR>

We stayed 2 nights in VB the summer of '99 with our (then) 7 and 10 year olds. We stayed at the Holiday Inn Sunspree right on the ocean. Yes, it was touristy and pretty crowded but your 14 year old will absolutely love it. I can't imagine staying in VB and not having a hotel on the beach--it makes it so much more fun. At night they have a small amusement park/carnival downtown on the ocean plus all kinds of street entertainments (music, magic, dancers, etc.). Lots of souvenir stores, etc.--our kids had a ball. Have a great trip!

Hi Jules - yes, Virginia Beach's reputation was not great 5-20 years ago- it was a bit rough, more of a singles crowd and less families. Now it is wonderful for families. Being a woman, I would not walk alone at night after dark around Va. Beach (or most cities), however with another person (i.e. family member) you'd be perfectly safe. There will be many nice folks walking around the strip until 11 p.m. or so. You should not see any masses of college kids. In the States, we have one spring break (March-April for 1 week) and then summer break (June-Aug) and then they're back in school in late August. Most college groups travel during spring break. (By the way, I like the UK's school breaks MUCH better - a bit of a "holiday" each season!) <BR> <BR>There are numerous small restuarants and fast food places all along the strip, however, some of the nicer restuarants (a previous poster mentioned several) would require a car. There is a strip trolley that goes up and down Atlantic Ave, but I'm not sure about the hours or nominal costs. By the way, another poster mentioned the Va. Marine Science Museum. That is within a 10 minute drive of the strip and is wonderful - plan to spend about 4-5 hours there. You will love it!

Again...thanks for all your wonderful information. Does anyone know if VB has a Chamber of Commerce that I can contact regarding an information package? I have done a website search but haven't come up with anything.

Hi Jules - I live in the VA Beach area and will say that the info you've been given so far is varied and good. I'll answer your specific question about the shopping mall, as I'm sure your 14 year old (or maybe you!) is interested in that. Virginia Beach has a huge one, Lynnhaven mall, on South Lynnhaven Parkway, which is off of interstate 264 (still 44 on some maps). Another nice mall is in Chesapeake, called Greenbrier, on Greenbrier Parkway, which is off of interstate 64. The large mall (pretty upscale) in Norfolk another poster was referring to is MacArthur Center. It's in the "downtown" area, near a lot of other Norfolk attractions. I'm not sure if the Chamber of Commerce would have info for you, but here are a few websites you might find helpful: <BR> <BR>http://www.hamptonroads.com <BR>http://www.gohamptonroads.com (for locals) <BR>http://www.virginia.com <BR> <BR>I'm assuming you don't have a lot of heat and humidity in the UK (maybe I'm wrong!), but be warned - we have both in full force here in August! Wear cool clothing and drink lots of water. Hope this info helps. Enjoy your planning. Virginia and specifically the VA Beach area has lots to offer.

Hi, <BR> <BR>I've lived in the Washington DC area most of my life and have vacationed in Va. Beach several times. <BR> <BR>May I ask you how did you pick Va Beach? Are you visiting someone there specifically or are you just looking for a nice seaside town near DC? <BR> <BR>If it's nice beaches you are looking for, then I would recommend going further south to North Caroline. The water is warmer, the beaches are less crowded, etc. But there isn't much going on in terms of nightlife, varied restaurants, etc. <BR> <BR>You had asked if Va Beach is picturesque. It really isn't. It's just a typical small beach town, with mostly hotels facing the beach on the strip/boardwalk. It's nice, but I can't say it's especially beautiful. <BR> <BR>If you are looking for a picturesque town on the beach (in the DC vicinity) I would recommend Rehobeth Beach, Delaware (2 hours from DC through Maryland) or Cape May, New Jersey (prob about 3 1/2 hours away. <BR> <BR>Rehobeth Beach, in addition to a typical boardwalk with the usual fare also has many wonderful, upscale restaurants, cuts beach houses, good coffee houses, nice boutiques/stores. It perhaps has a bit more style than Va Beach. Nearby is Ocean City, MD too with lots going on (many restaurants, mini golfs, bigger boardwalk, amusement parks, etc.) <BR> <BR>Cape May is very upscale & picturesque with turn of the century victorian homes. You can take the ferry to Cape May from Lewes Delaware (just north of Rehobeth Beach). <BR> <BR>The water is colder the more north you go. It starts getting warm south of North Carolina. <BR> <BR>But Va Beach does have wonderful Busche Gardens, Waterworld, Yorktown & Williamsburg nearby, in addition to the beach.

Hi, Julia. I live across the tunnel from Va. Beach, and spend weekends there now and then. Usually I prefer the Ramada at 57th and oceanfront-it is not on the strip, really, so the beach is more private, although in august eveyone can get crowded. This one is surrounded by the North End beach homes, rather than other hotels which cuts down on the noise factor a bit-it has connecting indoor and outdoor pools, in the summer you can eat on the deck on the water, or they may still grill poolside at lunch. Also, for seafood, the onsite restaurant, Gus' Mariner is award winning and you can't beat the view. All of the tourist shops are up the beach a couple miles as well as the haunted house the teens like, and parking in the summer is a problem sometimes like all other resorts. The other restaurants mentioned are good ones as well. For shopping, Lynhaven Mall up the interstate a few miles if you want close, or Macarthur Center in Norfolk for good stores and food. If you want to completely avoid the tourist area, then by all means stay several miles up Shore drive at the Va. Beach resort and conference center, a suite hotel on the beach. But it is several miles away from the main strip. <BR> The strip can sometimes get a bit loud and rowdy in the summer at night even with the no cursing, cruising, etc rules in place, but in a group and using common sense you will be OK. Plus I think early evening is the best time to walk around anyway, after it cools off and before too many troublemakers come out of the woodwork. <BR> If price is a concern, buy an entertainment coupon book-the Holiday Inn at 39th and oceanfront is in there for half price if you call early enough, and it is close to everything but a pretty nice hotel-I just stayed there for a conference last month. Great Italian restaurant there, too-Isle of Capri, and there is also a buy one, get one free in that same book. <BR> If you have time to do a day trip, or can spare a day on your way to DC, you might want to spend a day and night in Williamsburg-Busch Gardens or Water Country will appeal to the 14 year old, and you can "walk the DOG" and see the shops. (Duke OF Gloucester street) then head for DC the next day, break up the trip a bit. If you can get your hands on an entertainment book, the Holiday Inn 1776 is a good place to stay for half price as are some others. Check outwww.entertainment.com if you want to see about buying one. Have fun!