Norfolk-Hampron roads
 

We will be coming to Norfolk 4th of July weekend and visiting Old Dominion University. I am a bit confused with the whole Hampton Road section. Why is it called this????? Should we stay wateerside or were thinking of a bit cheaper hotel The Lake Wright Quality Inn or sleep Inn!!! Any information will Help. How are the driving conditions and traffic??????

I believe the reason for calling it Hampton Roads is that it was in the area of Hampton, the oldest continuously operated English settlement in the new world, and that the pattern of rivers and "necks" of land shaped the settlement of the region by Europeans after 1607 The English considered the waterways to be a transportation bonus, not a barrier to travel. Ocean-going ships could sail far up the Chesapeake Bay and its tributaries, stopping at the wharves of different plantations, hence the waterways were like "roads". The name seems to be somewhat dying these days, with "Tidewater" used more frequently, and I can't recall one other term often being used as I write this. (I'm a Yankee from near Albany NY who visits frequently & lived there 4 yrs)

Normally, I wouldn't bother staying in downtown Norfolk ... but being July 4th, there should be a number of festivities in the Waterside / downtown area. As far as driving, it seems like everyone drives fast, "speed limit" a foreign concept. Lots of traffic backups, especially the bridge-tunnel going to Hampton, and on I-264, the old "Virginia Beach Expressway". Don't even think about going to Va Beach during that period! Within easy walking distance of your hotel is Nauticus, the National Maritime Museum (pay). There is a free Navy museum section within it as well, a battleship (free), and the Huntington, an old tugboat used to dock many large & famous vessels (free or $ ??).

As usual, rb provides sound advice. If you're from an urban area and used to congestion, you won't find the traffic any worse here. The Lake Wright is definitely going to be a bit less expensive.

Expanding on what rb said about the origins of the name Hampton Roads:

It was officially named such in the early 1980s by the heads of the regional cities & counties who believed that the area would attract bigger business and professional sports teams if it was a single economic unit. Kind of like the Research Triangle. It's made of of two parts, Southside (Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Suffolk, Chesapeake and Portsmouth) and the Penninsula (Hampton and Newport News). When financially or culturally convenient HR's borders are expanded to include Williamsburg and some of the northeastern part of No. Carolina.

Tidewater actually predates Hampton Roads as a more informal name for the area. There are a few other names, none of them flattering.

Waaaay more than you wanted to know I'm sure.

Thanks obxgirl. I think the (marketing) term I was hearing a few years ago was "Virginia Waterfront" ... or something with "water" in it, anyways.

I lived in the area when PHF (Patrick Henry Field) the airport off Rt 143 in Newport News became "Patrick Henry International Airport" -- because some craft came in from Canada once a month. Now it's become "Williamsburg-Newport News International" which only causes confusion, especially with a Williamsburg airport. I always thought the old terminal more than adequate, but funny what happens when the Fed gov't had "free money" available!

tHRINITH has some questions about lodging in a new thread ... I'm going to answer here.

You'll probably have trouble getting good rates on July 4th weekend. Don't EVEN think about Virginia Beach, or Oceanview (area of Rt 60 between the 2 tunnels) that weekend. You may need to look towards Suffolk & Chesapeake, or out towards Newport News for savings, if any.

There used to be a Jazz Festival at Hampton Coliseum ... if that's July4 weekend, you are REALLY out of luck for finding good room prices. I use those green "Exit Guide" or "Roomsavers" guides religiously when I travel. (Found at many interstate rest areas, tourism bureaus, truckstops & restaurants), but they might not be accepted on a busy July 4 weekend. Any chance you could make the trip some other time?

If you are from the north, you'll find the area oppressively hot in the summer. Thank God for A.C.! I swear that each afternoon there's a short horrendous thunderstorm that is too short to cool things down, but only makes it more "steamy". Yes, a bit of exaggeration, but not too far off.

Hampton Roads is the name of the channel connecting the James River and the Chesapeake Bay. It was named Hampton Roads in the 1600s after Henry Wriothesley, the Earl of Southampton, one of the first supporters of the colonization of Virginia. In nautical terminology, "roads" means "a place less sheltered than a harbor where ships may ride at anchor". The area in southeastern Virginia that surrounds that body of water has been called "the Hampton Roads area" at least since I was a child there in the early 1950s. Then in 1983, the federal government officially adopted the name Hampton Roads Metropolitan Statistical Area, for census purposes.

Thanks Nicki! I was born and raised nearby and remember the area being referred to as Hampton Roads always! Where are you coming from? Traffic is very heavy at certain times with vacationers, commuters, etc. If you are coming I-64 east and get to Hampton (the city), there will be a sign and flashing lights telling you the estimated backup through the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel. If the backup is more than 30 minutes, you will save time by taking the Monitor-Merrimac Bridge (I-664), tho distance is a bit longer. Have fun! Here is link for VA Dept of transportation info for the region. http://www.virginiadot.org/comtravel/hroads-main.asp