Virginia Beach

Situated between ocean and pine forest
is one of America’s great escapes.

By Mary Ashcraft

If you are on vacation with the idea of just lolling around on a delightful stretch of sand under a colorful umbrella, soaking up the sunshine and indulging in one of the famous, local Blizzard ice cream cones, then Virginia Beach is for you. If you are a birdwatcher, camper, nature lover, history buff, golfer or fisherman, then Virginia Beach is also for you. More and more people are looking for an active vacation now where the family can play, be entertained and learn something along the way.

Recently named one of the top seven Best American Boardwalks by discovery.com, the boardwalk dates to 1888. It has seen a lot of history and it has the shipwrecks off shore to prove it. The boardwalk was begun in the “Gilded Age” and lured the Victorians who came for the fresh ocean air. It was the first beach to have a saltwater swimming pool, and the famous Peacock Ballroom was part of the original park complex. Hepcats jumped and jived to the swinging tunes of Tommy Dorsey who played the Peacock in 1936, along with Duke Ellington and Cab Calloway. In those days, the cost was ten cents a dance.

The British first landed at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay in 1607. Now this idyllic setting of First Landing State Park has become Virginia’s most visited outdoor area. Virginia Beach’s growing focus is on its ecology and the environment as well as its forty-block-long seaside and boardwalk, and the park is only a stone’s throw from the beach. Virginia Beach has 51.3 square miles of rivers, bays, lakes and an area that is one of the last great salt marsh habitats on the East Coast. With all this heavy influence of salt water and sea life, you would expect Virginia Beach’s Marine Science Museum to be first rate, and it is. The whole family will have fun here. At every hands-on exhibit or fish tank, there are staff members to answer all the questions you could possibly ask about their amazing variety of sea life. At certain times during the day, visitors will hear on the loud speakers that it is feeding time in the large tank. A diver in wet suit drops into the water to hand feed the larger fish that have been waiting for the easy way to catch a meal. 

In a special workshop, you can watch a master carver as he brings sea birds to life from blocks of wood. Some say they look as real as the waterfowl you will see on a stroll along the boardwalk through the museum’s own salt-water marsh. A one-third mile long nature trail connects two pavilions with this outdoor aviary where you can watch marsh birds in a way that would be impossible in the out of doors. Then, compare the live creatures to the one’s you can experience in the Marine Science Museum’s spectacular four-story IMAX theater.

Virginia Beach’s food-rich waters tempt the Humpback and Fin whales and the Bottle-Nose Dolphins to stay a while during their seasonal migration. If you are interested in a look at these fascinating creatures, then it is a good idea to join the Undersea Adventures’ custom-charter boat, Flying Fish as it motors out into the Atlantic Ocean. Any time is a good time, however, to join Captain Jay, Donice Schumm and crew in an excursion for inshore/offshore wreck diving or wreck fishing. There is also a chance to help marine biologists on board test for oxygen or salinity in the bay water. Children are welcome and are encouraged to try their hand at these relatively easy tests. If a birthday is near or you would like to have a party with a different twist, the boat is available for private celebrations on the briny. 

The perfect ending to a day of water-filled activities would be to take a kayak tour just before sunset with the Wild River Outfitters. The 8,500  acre beach, woodland, and marsh Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is the serene location for such an adventure. It is the right place for spotting a wide variety of migratory birds, White Tailed deer, Gray fox, opossum and a feral hog or two. The water at Ashville Bridge Creek in this protected environment is tranquil enough for the inexperienced kayak paddler to give it a try. Then, of course, you are always under the watchful eye of Wild River Outfitter’s naturalist, Kevin Dubois or one of his associates, all with fascinating information about birds, animals, water and marsh grasses.

Let’s say that you are slowing down with the busy schedule and need a change of pace, a more leisurely pace. Why not drop in at the Association for Research and Enlightenment founded by the father of holistic medicine, Edgar Cayce. He selected Virginia Beach especially as a safe haven from storms for his life of research. “Spirit is the life, mind is the builder and the physical is the result,” preached Cayce. Browse the A.R.E. bookstore for books on spirituality, Parapsychology, world religions, philosophy or holistic health, then progress to the third floor to the quiet of the meditation room to reflect on life or to have a transpersonal experience. Finally, enjoy a relaxing full-body massage, foot reflexology, acupressure, Reike or facial. Better yet, spend a day or half-day indulging in one of the spa’s package selections.

Even though Virginia Beach has many fine hotels along the strand, First Landing National Park has cabins among the pines that are a welcome retreat from the commercial world. By car, you are only five minutes away from the beach and stores. The cabins are large and comfortable with full kitchen and a private deck. There are no telephones, no T.V.’s and no frills, but you will have pine needles blanketing the ground, the fresh aroma of pine in the air and birdsong for a background. There’s no noisy car traffic here, just the sweet sounds of nature!

In the idyllic setting of First Landing State Park there are 20 miles of walking and jogging trails through the pines and cypress dripping with Spanish Moss. Here you may explore lagoons, marshes and bays on guided kayak ecological tours. There is the Chesapeake Bay Center located near the cabins with a wet lab operated by the Virginia Marine Science Museum, educational displays, historic exhibits, a camp store and an ecotourism welcome center. In the evening the whole family is invited to the center for a marshmallow roast around the campfire while a park ranger tells stories of Virginia’s history or the movement of stars in the sky. It’s a great way to settle down, renew one’s energy and wake up next morning refreshed to start another day.

Virginia’s Governor, James S. Gilmore states, “We Virginians are proud of our Old Dominion and all that it has to offer with our beaches and state parks. Whether you are canoeing on the James River, Hunting in Chippokes Plantation, or panning for gold at Lake Anna State Park, it is as easy to relax as it is to find adventure. With so many things to see and do, there has never been a better time to explore Virginia Beach.” 

Department of Conservation and Recreation-DCR
Website: www.dcr.state.va.us 
Toll Free: 800-933-PARK

Virginia Beach Website: www.vbfun.com

Virginia Marine Science Museum
Website: www.vmsm.org
E-mail: va-marine-science-museum@va-beach.com

Undersea Adventures-Custom Charters
E-mail: undersea charters@undersea-adventures.com
Tel/fax: 757-481-3688

Association for Research and Enlightenment, Inc.
Website: http://www.edgarcayce.org

PHOTO CREDITS:  Mary Ashcraft; Virginia Marine Science Museum; Association of Research & Enlightenment