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Virginia Beach - Part 1
Written by: Janet Pope
My grown daughter and I were looking for a place to visit, for a mother/daughter getaway weekend. We decided upon a few critical criteria-- not too far away, not too crowded, and something there for both of us to enjoy. We settled upon Virginia Beach. First of all, it is a convenient 75 minute plane ride from New York City. Virginia Beach is predominantly a drive-to destination, but currently there are over 200 flights a day into Norfolk International Airport, increasing their air travel visitors. Second, it was the off season, so it wouldn't be packed with tourists. And though it was not really beach weather, it would at least be warmer than the frosty air we were getting. Finally, it had the three essential "S" ingredients: a spa for Chris, sightseeing for me, and shopping for the both of us.
Since all one seems to get on board a plane now is pretzels, once we landed, we headed straight to a restaurant for lunch. Virginia Beach is lined by Atlantic Avenue, and Waterman's restaurant sits along the boardwalk's edge on that main street. A large bar area welcomes diners to an open and airy, nautical themed restaurant. I should note here that almost every restaurant and shop in Virginia Beach has a nautical theme. The booths in Waterman’s are separated by fish etched glass, and overhead fans whirred above.
Not surprisingly, fresh fish dominates the menu, along with soups, salads and wraps. We tried the spinach artichoke dip for starters, and it was truly addictive. I sampled the Manhattan Clam chowder in honor of my roots-- deliciously chunky. Though I opted for a grilled chicken sandwich, Chris was determined to overindulge on fish this weekend, and so she ordered the crab cake platter. The food was as good as the view, and the view was great. It felt wonderful to be facing the ocean and a beautiful crisp sky, only hours after leaving a dreary looking December day in New York.
After lunch, we checked into the Sheraton Hotel and were pleasantly surprised to find our room had a balcony overlooking the ocean-- another plus for being here during off season. Our room, itself, was awash in blue tones. It felt like we had entered a sea of tranquility. I have to pause to mention the bedding. These were not ordinary hotel beds-- they were plush, with a downy duvet and "S" monogrammed pillows. The cushiony bed was so irresistible and inviting that we actually decided to take a quick nap.
Our tour guide soon came to pick us up to give us an overview of the city. First, we drove by The Cavalier, the oldest hotel in Virginia Beach, built in the 1930s. The north end of town is basically residential, with ocean front mansions going for $1 to $5 million.
Next, we visited First Landing State Park, where the Jamestown settlers first landed. The park today contains many biking, hiking and birding trails. There are 35 miles of beach in Virginia Beach, with 13 miles of public beach access.
In the Lynnhaven Inlet area we passed a strip of restaurants, with both indoor and out door dining, These establishments had the obligatory seafood menus, along with a casual atmosphere. Though it was December, the weather was a comfortable 70 degrees. In the Hilltop area of the city, there are four different shopping centers, filled with not only shops but restaurants.
Continuing down the main strip of Virginia Beach we noticed a striking mix of both old and new. On one hand, there are huge upscale hotels and on the other hand, there is a distinctive beach, laid back atmosphere, complete with souvenir shops, tee shirt stores, salt water taffy and ice cream parlors. Alongside the newer hotels are remnants of the prolific 1950s motels.
On our informal car tour we also passed the restaurants-- Rockafellar's, which has been around for ever, and Ruddee's, known for its six person rocking booths. With seating like that, maybe Ruddee’s should be the one called Rockafellar's. The southern part of the city was, and continues to be, farmland producing wheat and other grains. Well that was our car tour, and we certainly got a feel for the area.
Later, we headed over to dinner at Il Giardino Ristorante, which has been here with the same owner for over 20 years. It's a lively, friendly place with a piano bar and music playing. White sheets bellowed from the ceiling, Romanesque statues adorned the room, and an open kitchen added to the atmosphere. On top of all that, the food was good too. An Italian judges an Italian restaurant by only two things-- the bread and the sauce. Both were up to my grandmother's high standards. I had the Pollo alla Sorrentina, a fillet of chicken with spinach, zucchini and prosciutto in a white wine sauce. Chris, again opting for seafood, tried the stuffed shrimp. Both entrees were filling and very tasty. We moaned with delight and yet had the nerve to order dessert. I had the New York cheesecake with a raspberry sauce-- I am so predictable. Someone else ordered the napoleon, which she insisted we all sample. The waiter described it as "all air," and I had doubted him. He was right; it was the lightest dessert I have ever tasted
It was a beautiful evening, so we decided to take in the Holiday Lights at The Beach exhibit. As we drove along the boardwalk, with the ocean to our right, we were awed by the decorations boasting over 400 animated displays. Each car going through the exhibit was given a tape of holiday music. We played the festive songs as we drove slowly through this illuminated winter wonderland. This is certainly a fun holiday thing to do and one doesn't have to be a kid to enjoy it.
As we went through a part of the display called the “Twelve Days of Christmas,” we sang along, but were disappointed when we got to the tenth day and saw that number 11 and 12 were missing. What happened? Where were the 11 pipers piping and the 12 drummers drumming? Did they run out of money? Maybe they broke, or perhaps, they buy one a year and they’re only up to 10, but we had a lot of laughs about it anyway.
Well, our first day in Virginia Beach was fun. So far, we did a lot of sightseeing, some shopping and a bunch of great eating. Chris can't wait for the spa. But that's not until the day we leave. I had to keep her with me somehow.
Part 1
Part 2
Part 3
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