Virginia beaches
While Virginia's Historic Triangle Jamestown (the first permanent English settlement in the New World, celebrating its 400th anniversary in 2007) Yorktown and Williamsburg and the oceanside Virginia Beach have long been popular vacation spots for families, the region offers other family friendly destinations, too!
There is variety in Virginia's beaches, for sunbathing or views, from action packed shores of Virginia Beach to the uninhabited sands of Assateague Island and the hideaways of Virginia's tidal rivers and all cater to family fun.
Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach's well-maintained beaches
are free! Lifeguards are on duty from mid-May through mid-September. Vendors scattered
along the oceanfront cater to the good life by renting umbrellas, boogie boards
and sling-back chairs. Virginia Beach Amusement Park and Virginia Beach Ocean
Breeze Waterpark offer kids all kinds of special vacation fun! Some Virginia Beach
attractions include the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Waterpark, Motor World go-carts
and the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center. Virginia Beach is an independent
city located in the South Hampton Roads area in the Commonwealth of Virginia,
on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the largest
city in the Commonwealth of Virginia and the 39th largest city in the USA, with
a total population of 447,000.
It is the third largest suburban city (Suburbs are inhabited districts located either inside a town or city's outer rim or just outside its official limits (the term varies from country to country), or the outer elements of a conurbation.) in the USA after Long Beach, California, and the fourth largest in North America. It has more characteristics of a traditional county rather than of a city, by definition. The southern half of the city consists of rural farm and marsh land. The city is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as having the longest pleasure beach in the world and is located at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the longest bridge-tunnel complex in the world. Over the Labor Day weekend in 1989, Virginia Beach experienced the worst civil disturbance in its history, which resulted in over 500 arrests and citations and millions in property damage, not to mention the damage to the city's pristine reputation, which lingered for years afterward. Some secluded beaches in the area include the North End and Sandbridge to the south, where large oceanfront houses are both owner occupied and rented by the week. Vacation homes and rentals. Pontoon boat trips in the salt marsh are popular, too.
Virginia's Eastern Shore
The Eastern Shore of Virginia is on the Atlantic Coast of the Commonwealth of Virginia. The region is part of the Delmarva Peninsula and is separated from the rest of Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and USA Highway 13 span the mouth of the Bay and connect the Eastern Shore to Virginia Beach and the rest of the state. It includes: Accomack County & Northampton County. The Bay's gentle waters, a 1 and 1/2-mile nature trail and 142 campsites make it a perfect spot for families with young children. Kiptopeke State Park on the Chesapekae Bay is a great place to watch migrating birds and enjoy the Eastern Shore Birding Festival every October. The Peninsula's best-know attractions are the sister islands of Assateague and Chincoteague. A short causeway connects the two islands. While Chincoteague offers no actual beachfront, the town and island feature charming B&Bs, restaurants, shops, bicycle rentals, craft galleries and museums. Admission to Assateague is free for those who arrive by bicycle or on foot. Count pelicans flying low. Discover renowned artisans creating in creek side studios and villages. Amidst the Historical atmosphere, Waterfowl and salt waters of the Chesapeake Bay find some of the "Jewels of the Bay" like Tangier Island, Onancock Harbor, The Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel and much much more.
Norfolk
Norfolk a city in the Commonwealth of Virginia in the USA. It is an independent city, and therefore not included in any nation. Norfolk is 1 of Virginia's largest cities; as of the 2000 census, the city population was 234,403. The 2004 census estimate indicates the city's population has since risen to 237,835. Norfolk's four city beaches are wide with gentle surf, lifeguards in summer, picnic pavilions and free parking. Visitors rent sailboats, jet skis, paddleboats and kayaks. Norfolk's Town Point Park pictured at left overlooks the harbor is the site for many events. Norfolk is home to numerous museums including Nauticus, the National Maritime Center, with the Wisconsin docked alongside and the Hampton Roads Naval Museum.
Norfolk is located on the Elizabeth River, in Hampton Roads, a natural harbor. It is a part of the Hampton Roads metropolitan area, known as the Virginia Beach Norfolk Newport News, VA-NC MSA. The city has a long history as a strategic military and transportation point. Norfolk is home to both the Norfolk Naval Base, the world's largest naval base, and the Norfolk Southern Railway, one of North America's principal Class I railroads. It has many miles of riverfront and bayfront property, and is linked with its neighbors through an extensive network of Interstate highways, bridges, tunnels, and bridge-tunnel complexes.
Since the 1970s,
the downtown area and waterfront has undergone substantial revitalization. It
is home to the Norfolk Tides, the International League affiliate of the New York
Mets, and the Norfolk Admirals, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Chicago
Blackhawks.
Just 15 miles to the west of Virginia Beach is Norfolk's
Ocean View Beach, which stretches continuously along 8 miles of the Chesapeake
Bay.
Portsmouth
Traveling west from Virginia Beach to Portsmouth, enjoy visiting the Lightship Museum aboard a restored lightship! Lightships were used to guide ships through treacherous waters. The Naval Shipyard Museum pays tribute to Norfolk Naval Shipyard, the oldest shipyard in the nation.
Children can run around on the trails at the Hoffler Creek Wildlife Preserve, a thriving habitat for species of plants and animals native to Southeastern Virginia.
Little ones can enjoy a ride on Pokey Smokey, an authentic scale model of a steam locomotive at Portsmouth City Park. The Olde Towne Trolley Tour during summer months is a fun way to see Olde Towne Portsmouth. Passengers may disembark at High Street Landing for easy access to Olde Towne museums, restaurants and shops. Another great trip is the Elizabeth River Ferry that connects Olde Towne Portsmouth to Norfolk's Waterside Festival Marketplace and the Carrie B. Harbor Tours. The Children's Museum of Portsmouth is the largest children's museum in the state. It has more than 80 interactive exhibits and a planetarium.For sports enthusiasts, visit Virginia Sports Hall of Fame before leaving Portsmouth. An interactive Game Time area provides hands-on fun for sports fans of all ages to try basketball, football, baseball and soccer activities.
Hampton
Hampton is an independent city in Virginia. It is on the southern end of the Virginia Peninsula, bordering on Hampton Roads and Chesapeake Bay. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 146,437; but the U.S. Census' 2004 estimate shows that the city's population is 159,983.
12 deep water marinas as well as Buckroe Beach, which is especially popular with windsurfers. Its newest addition is a Bark Park - great for your vacationing dog!
Hampton's attractions include
the Virginia Air & Space Center, the Cousteau Society, Hampton University
and "Freedom's Fort" nicknamed by escaped slaves during the Civil War.
Bethel Park, Buckroe, Buckroe Beach, Farmington, Fox Hill, Grandview, Hampton
Woods , Northampton, Phoebus, Pine Chapel , Pine Grove, Riverdale , Tide Mill
Wythe
Buckroe Beach is one of the oldest recreational areas in Virginia, located in the Phoebus section of the independent city of Hampton adjacent to Fort Monroe and Old Point Comfort. It fronts the mouth of Hampton Roads at the Chesapeake Bay. In 1619, the Buckroe Plantation was designated for public use for the newly-arrived English settlers of the Virginia Company of London. In 1620, the London Company sent Frenchmen there to teach the colonists grape and silkworm culture. By 1637, however, the plantation had joined the rest of the colony as a tobacco field.
Buckroe was used as a fishing camp until after the American Civil War.
The amusement park and adjacent public beach were popular destinations
for social outings in the late 19th and first half of the 20th centuries. Although
the amusement park closed and torn down in the 80s, the famous carousel was preserved
and relocated to a waterfront area of a nearby downtown Hampton, where it is a
popular attraction. Despite the loss of a popular fishing pier during Hurricane
Isabel in 2003, and plans for a condominium development, Buckroe Beach was still
a public recreational area in 2005.
Chesapeake Bay
is the largest estuary in the USA. It lies off the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded
by Virginia and Maryland. The Chesapeake Bay's watershed covers 166 534 km²
in the District of Columbia and parts of six states: NY , Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. More than 150 rivers and streams drain
to the Bay. The main stem of the Bay itself is about 189 miles (304 km) long,
from the Susquehanna River in the north to the Atlantic in the south. At its narrowest
point near Annapolis, Maryland, the Bay is 4 miles (6.4 km) wide; at its widest
point, near the mouth of the Potomac River, it is 30 miles (50 km) wide. Total
shoreline for the Bay is 11,684 miles (18 804 km), and the surface area of the
Bay and its major tributaries is 4,479 mi² (11 600 km²). The Chesapeake
Bay was the site of the Battle of the Chesapeake in 1781, during which the French
fleet defeated the Royal Navy in the decisive naval battle of the American Revolutionary
War. Today, the Calvert Cliffs Nuclear Power Plant uses water from the Bay to
cool its reactor. The bay is also known for the Chesapeake Bay Retriever, a dog
breed developed in this area.
The narrowest point of the Bay is spanned by the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. The Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel spans a 23 mile (37 km) section of the Bay at near its mouth.
Info on Commonwealth of Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia (named after Queen Elizabeth I of England, who was known as the Virgin Queen) is one of the original thirteen states of the United States that revolted against British rule in the American Revolution. It is located in Southern United States but is sometimes included, geographically, in the Mid-Atlantic States. It is one of four states that use the name commonwealth. Virginia was the first part of the Americas to be colonized permanently by England.
According to the 2004 U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis report, Virginia’s gross state product was $326.6 billion. The per capita personal income was $35,477 in 2004.
Virginia's economy is well balanced
with a diverse income. From the Hampton Roads area to Richmond and down to Lee
County in the south west it includes military installations, cattle, tobacco and
peanut farming in Southside Virginia. Northern Virginia (once dairy capital of
Virginia) hosts software, communications, consulting, defense contracting, diplomats,
and considerable components of the professional government sector.
Population
Ranked 12th
- Total (2000) 7,196,750
Elevation:Highest point Mount
Rogers 5,729 ft (1,747 m)
- Mean 950 ft (290 m)
- Lowest point 0 ft
(0 m)
Geographically, Virginia is divided into the following 5 regions:
Tidewater—stretching
from the Atlantic coast to the fall line
Piedmont—east of the Blue Ridge
Mountains to the Tidewater Region
Blue Ridge Mountains—east of the Appalachian
Mountains to the Blue Ridge Mountain Region
Valley and Ridge—Appalachian
Mountains and Shenandoah Valley Region
Appalachian Plateau—west of the
Appalachian Mountains
birthplace of Indian Presidents
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