Welcome to our last weekend in Virginia! How time flies when you’re hiking 10+ miles and driving 10+ hours every summer weekend! We have had mixed emotions about this date coming up, but overall, we were excited to spend it in Virginia Beach and pumped for whatever adventure we might have next!
Our whole time in Virginia we heard all the locals talking about Virginia Beach (VA beach), and how it was a huge vacation area due to its proximity and atmosphere. There are honestly a lot of mixed reviews of VA beach as well- but we enjoyed it! It’s your classic beach town on steroids and it has a ton of things to offer. On our way back inland, we hit some interesting spots that are easy to hit on your way to/from VA beach.
Barclay Cottage B&B
For our last weekend we decided to splurge a bit and we reserved a room in the 19th century Barclay Cottage, just a few minutes off the main strip and beachfront/boardwalk. This place is run by an awesome older couple who provide every amenity you need. They serve up a 2-course breakfast at 9 AM every morning (which was delicious). They provide you with bathroom towels, shower sandals, beach towels, bikes, beach umbrellas, beach chairs, bottled water, etc. I’m probably missing some other things they offer- but the point is you have access to things here that you wouldn’t want to or need to bring on your vacation. Every room has a private bathroom except for two rooms upstairs share one. Their 2nd level patio is also a great place to hang out and watch either the sunset/sunrise. You can call them for room rates and reservations at 757-422-1956. You won’t be disappointed!
Barclay Cottage B&B
The 2nd level porch for some viewing of the area!
Our quaint room!
Barclay Cottage B&B
The 2nd level porch for some viewing of the area!
Our quaint room!
Rudee's Restaurant and Cabana Bar
After situating our things in our B&B room, we noticed we hadn’t eaten dinner yet, so we strolled down Atlantic Ave to the Rudee Inlet where a handful of marina restaurants are located offering up local seafood. We decided on Rudee’s because they had a great outdoor vibe going on, including seating available in giant rocker-swings! The food was fine (nothing to drool about)- we simply enjoyed the beautiful evening. If we went back to the marina, we would try Big Sam’s Raw Bar.
Rudee’s Restaurant & Cabana Bar in the Rudee Inlet.
The fun rocker tables we ate dinner on!
Rudee’s Restaurant & Cabana Bar in the Rudee Inlet.
The fun rocker tables we ate dinner on!
Live on Atlantic!
Every night during the summer months, the city of VA Beach sponsors “Live! on Atlantic,” which is a series of musicians, bands, and street performers doing their business every 1-2 blocks on Atlantic Ave. from 17th to 24th St. There were some very talented people and some who were rough around the edges still. It was a good mix of entertainment and it’s all free! Plus, the city pays the performers already- so there is no pressure to tip.
Live! on Atlantic offers live entertainment as small as this…
And a little bigger like this!
It’s not just musicians, but there are magicians and others too!
Live! on Atlantic offers live entertainment as small as this…
And a little bigger like this!
It’s not just musicians, but there are magicians and others too!
The Shack
The free entertainment ended by 11 PM, but we weren’t quite ready to end our Friday night yet. We headed back south to the most happenin’ spot in town- The Shack. This was the best bar we came across, even considering the $10 cover for men. It’s 80% outdoor cabana, 20% indoor nightclub complete with a DJ. The outside patio area is huge and could probably hold 1,000 people. It comes complete with 4-5 bars, food trucks, hanging swings, firepits, picnic tables, comfy couches (hold on – let me catch my breath), cornhole boards, giant Jenga, a ping pong table, and more. They are the home of the Orange Crush drink in VA beach, but also offer Crushes in like 12 other flavors. All the ones we tried were delicious, but traditional orange won for sure. If you don’t want to play any of the yard games or dance in their club area, it’s at the very least a great place to people watch.
Waiting in line to get into the most hoppin’ place in town!
The Shack
One of the unique sitting areas we found!
Waiting in line to get into the most hoppin’ place in town!
The Shack
One of the unique sitting areas we found!
VA Beach Boardwalk
Saturday morning came a little early, but we were invigorated by the splendid breakfast from our hosts and started off on our first adventure around 10 AM. We took two of the bikes offered at our B&B and headed to the VA Beach Boardwalk! This is a 3-mile-long strip of concrete that is about 20 ft wide. The biking lane is on its own blacktop path just off the boardwalk, so you do not have to worry about running people over. Unlike many beach boardwalks, VA Beach only has hotels along it- there are no ice cream shops or quick pizza joints. You have to go back inland to Atlantic Ave or even further for sustenance. But it does have a giant statue of the ocean king himself, Neptune. We biked the boardwalk all the way up to 40th St where it ends and then cut back west to Atlantic Ave to continue our morning journey.
The Neptune statue!
VA Beach Boardwalk!
The Neptune statue!
VA Beach Boardwalk!
First Landing State Park
We kept on biking up Atlantic past the luxurious looking Cavalier Hotel and found ourselves in the super nice part of town all of a sudden. Picture white trimmed perfect beach cottages everywhere- some huge and some small- but all sweet looking. Continuing up to 64th St we took a left and came upon our destination- the gate of First Landing State Park. This park is a tribute to where the first settlers landed on North America. Honestly it is like stepping into another world away from the beach. You just go right past the ranger stand and you can continue biking to the right hand side for a longer trail bike, or to the left hand side across a small footbridge which would lead you 1.5 miles to the main parking area on the south side of the park. We went to the left and had a blast. You will get some fun and easy mountain biking trails and even come across a nice little beach that feels secluded. If you are overwhelmed by the bustling beach, we highly recommend going here!
One of the original, fancy VA Beach hotels at the end of the north end of the boardwalk.
A glimpse of the biking trails in First Landing State Park.
The somewhat secluded beach we found!
One of the original, fancy VA Beach hotels at the end of the north end of the boardwalk.
A glimpse of the biking trails in First Landing State Park.
The somewhat secluded beach we found!
Smartmouth Brewing
Near the conclusion of our 10+ mile bike trip we decided to hit Smartmouth Brewing on 32nd and Arctic. It had just opened at noon so we were some of the first people there at 12:20. We ordered a flight (definitely recommend their ambers, Murphy’s Law and Just Add Milk) and talked to the bartenders to discover some good local places to grab a quick bite for lunch.
Smartmouth Brewing
A peek inside of Smartmouth Brewing.
Smartmouth Brewing
A peek inside of Smartmouth Brewing.
Home Republic Brewing
Of course, before we actually went to lunch, there was another brewery right across the street on 31st called Home Republic I had to visit. We snagged another flight to share here, enjoying their Salted Caramel Brown Ale and Sea Salt Chocolate Brown Ale the most.
Home Republic Brewing
Taste
Per the Smartmouth bartender’s recommendation, we then biked up a few blocks to Taste on 36th and Pacific. This place was hopping at 2 PM still! We thought we’d be good for a later lunch but no way. Taste is a very busy fresh deli chain spitting out fantastic large sandwiches of all sizes and has multiple other great looking things on their menu. It’s perfection wrapped in the standard white deli paper so you can easily bring it to the beach or boardwalk and enjoy!
Taste: go here for fresh sandwiches!
They also have a bit of a market inside.
Taste: go here for fresh sandwiches!
They also have a bit of a market inside.
VA Beach
With our stomachs happy, we headed back to the beach to enjoy the rest of the afternoon lounging around. Just so others are forewarned- everyone and their brother are at this beach enjoying it- so don’t try and find a spot away from people. They’ll find you. Simply enjoy the people watching. Bake in the sun. Hop into the ocean. And repeat. I spent more time in the ocean playing my own version of survivor against the monster waves and undertow mainly because I cannot sit still on a beach. If we somehow had a football or other object to throw around, Megan would’ve been playing for three hours. It’s really good sand to play any game on- especially volleyball- but it does get hot if not kicked up enough.
VA Beach!
You won’t escape people here!
VA Beach!
You won’t escape people here!
Calypsos
After surviving Neptune’s final waves, I jumped out of the water to dry off before Megan and I headed to one of the top happy hours on the strip at Calypsos. Happy hour here is every day from 2-7 PM, offering up $.99 wings and oysters, along with $2 domestic beers and $3.50 rail drinks. We don’t know of anything that can beat that in this area! Here we met up with a couple from Germany- Thomas and Alex- who we had met earlier in the day as they were also staying at the Barclay B&B! It was super fun getting to know them and discussing the many trips we all had taken so far! We hung out with them the rest of our Saturday except for dinner.
Calypsos
Gringo's Taqueria/Back Bay Brewing
Just a 10-minute walk south from the B&B is Gringo’s, a small sneaky good Mexican restaurant serving up the best fish tacos in VA beach for six years running. And we wouldn’t be surprised if they won again. They obviously had a wait, but you just write down your own name at their front door, your party size, and state you’re in Back Bay Brewing. This brewery is clutch as it’s literally in the same building as Gringos, and while you wait to be seated for delicious tacos, you can grab a craft beer.
Gringos
Home of the best fish tacos in VA Beach!
Back Bay Brewing
Gringos
Home of the best fish tacos in VA Beach!
Back Bay Brewing
The Bunker
We went back up north to The Bunker after dinner to meet up with Thomas and Alex again and swap stories over drinks! The Bunker is located underneath the well-known Peabody’s, an 18 and up EDM club that has been in VA Beach forever. Our bartender was telling us sometimes their ceiling bends as the crowds upstairs all jump at the same time…yikes! After a flight of beer here, we brought our new friends to The Shack to experience the Orange Crush for themselves and play giant Jenga!
The Bunker
Back to The Shack!
Plenty of games to play at The Shack.
The Bunker
Back to The Shack!
Plenty of games to play at The Shack.
Norfolk
Sunday morning came just as fast as Saturday morning, and shortly after another exquisite breakfast from our hosts we said our goodbyes and drove off to Norfolk. This is only about a 20-minute zip to downtown Norfolk, and it’s well worth it! We really liked the layout and vibe of the downtown area of this military town. The Waterside District is definitely a spot to check out, along with Town Point Park, where there are frequently festivals going on. Granby Street has a crazy amount of food options and I’d probably become obese if I lived there.
The Waterside District
More of the Waterside District!
The Waterside District
More of the Waterside District!
Nauticus/USS Wisconsin
Just to the right-hand side of the Town Point Park sits Nauticus, a maritime-themed science center and museum that also holds the key to visiting the USS Wisconsin. This is one of the most famous battleships in American history, and it is worth every penny to be able to explore the gigantic boat and relive what happened on this beauty. I would have done very poorly on a battleship it turns out- as I am way too tall and even on our tour, I hit my head about seven times. Seriously though this ship is huge, and it makes you think how imposing it was in World War II. The history throughout the museum is also very much so worth your time- so we recommend at least three hours for a visit. You can park across the street in one of the downtown parking ramps.
The Nauticus Museum
USS Wisconsin Battleship
We paid extra for the control tour where they did a demonstration!
It was fun to check out most of this battleship that was last decommissioned in 1991.
We even saw the innards of the ship including the barber shop!
We were also able to snag some good views of Norfolk from the deck!
The Nauticus Museum
USS Wisconsin Battleship
We paid extra for the control tour where they did a demonstration!
It was fun to check out most of this battleship that was last decommissioned in 1991.
We even saw the innards of the ship including the barber shop!
We were also able to snag some good views of Norfolk from the deck!
Colonial Williamsburg
Another ~45 minutes inland was our last stop of the weekend and in Virginia- Williamsburg! This town is part of the historic triangle which includes Yorktown and Jamestown. What’s special about Colonial Williamsburg though is that they have paid actors and actresses in 18th century costumes playing the roles of the townspeople back in that time period. You can pay $45 for a ticket and enter 40 plus buildings to get the full experience, which would probably take a whole day. We opted to not pay for a ticket, but we were still able to walk around the town for free. This is another spot worth a visit. Take some time to wander around the old colonial homes and watch the parade at 5 PM demonstrating a military drumline. You get to even have the opportunity to eat at one of their preserved taverns, enjoying pasties, Shepherd’s Pie, beef stew, and more hearty meals. We ate at Chowning Tavern which is the only tavern you can get into without a reservation. When you visit, just park at the visitor center, walk through the ticket area without flinching, and go enjoy.
Colonial Williamsburg Museum
Impressive and very well-preserved buildings in Colonial Williamsburg.
You can even travel like they did back in the day
The 5 pm military parade.
Chowning Tavern
18th century style food that won’t leave you hungry!
Colonial Williamsburg Museum
Impressive and very well-preserved buildings in Colonial Williamsburg.
You can even travel like they did back in the day
The 5 pm military parade.
Chowning Tavern
18th century style food that won’t leave you hungry!
Virginia truly is for lovers! What a wonderful time we had in Virginia and holy cow- did we learn that maybe no other state comes close to Virginia in offering historical excursions!