Virginia Things to Do Tips by b1bob Top 5 Page for this destination

Norwegian Lady statue

Between the Naval Aviation Monument and the beach is a statue of a Norwegian lady facing the ocean. The statue commemorates the 1891 wreck of the Norwegian vessel Dictator. It was caught in a storm, ran aground on a sandbar 300 yards from the shore. Only 8 on 17 crew members survived the disaster. Locals pulled together to save as much of the crew as they could. A female figurehead from the sunken ship washed up on shore and it served for more than 60 years as the monument to those lost in the wreck and to honour those who helped in the rescue. In 1953, Hurricane Barbara damaged the Norwegian lady beyond repair and she was removed from the site. When they heard about the loss in Norway, a joint venture was sent out to raise the funds to build a new memorial. The Norwegian Shipping Association raised enough money, not for one memorial statue, but for two: in Virginia Beach and in Moss, Norway. The "new" Norwegian lady statue has been at its present location since 1962. The words that are inscribed there are "I am the Norwegian Lady. I stand here, as my sister before me, to wish all men of the sea safe return home."

Naval Aviation Monument

The Naval Aviation Monument in Virginia Beach is inside the Naval Aviation Monument Park. The park containing the monument encompasses 16,000 square feet. It is located right where 25th Street and Atlantic Avenue meet. The first photo shows the columns at the entrance of the park. In the second photo, there is a statue of a scene of a family greeting their pilot husband and father reflects the joy and celebration of a Navy homecoming. The third photo shows a World War II pilot and his crewmen who are leaving their hatch, hoping to get to an aircraft. The fourth photo shows a monument into which the names of all U.S. Navy aircraft carriers are etched.

Address: 25th St. & Atlantic Ave., Virginia Beach, VA 23451

Directions: Next to the Courtyard by Marriott

George Washington Birthplace

This national park covers the land on which America's first president was born. Sadly, the birth house itself, burned to the ground in December, 1779. Its foundation is marked by crushed oyster shelves. The Memorial House and colonial kitchen were built in the 1930s, around the 200th anniversary of Washington's birth, to recreate the kind of home in which he was born. They are not true replicas, but they do give a flavour of the culture and social standing the Washingtons enjoyed in the 1730s. Besides the house and the birthplace, my friends Lee and Christian were impressed at its location right along the Potomac River. That day, it was so clear we could see the southern shores of Maryland off in the distance. At the entrance is an obelisk- a much smaller one than the one in the city bearing his name. We got there within a half hour before the park closed for the day. In fact, we were so late, the last ranger's lecture had ended right before we got there. Because of that, we didn't have to pay the $4 fee. Christian said it was his favourite part of the Northern Neck tour given by Lee.

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Address: 1732 Popes Creek Road, Colonial Beach, VA 22443

Phone: (804) 224-1732 ext. 227

President's Garden

Near the Westmoreland County Courthouse in Montross is the President's Garden which features the marble busts of the three presidents who were born in Westmoreland County: George Washington (the first president), James Madison (the fourth president), and James Monroe (the fifth).

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Transportation Workers' (VDOT) Memorial

We don't often think of how dangerous it can be to maintain the state's highways. The VDOT memorial honours state highway transportation workers who died on the job. The names of 131 employees who died between 1928 and 2005 are engraved on the memorial. The memorial is 13 feet (4 m.) long and nearly 10 feet (3 m.) high. It is on a large grassy area within the second scenic pulloff on I-64, east of Afton Mountain between mile markers 103 and 104. The design shows three profiles of workers wearing hard hats cut into black, white and gray granite layers. The layers reflect the diversity of VDOT's employees. An open profile at one end implies a "missing" worker and lets visitors see the scenic view of the overlook.

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Directions: On I-64 between mile markers 103 and 104.

Busch Gardens (Williamsburg)

The overall theme of the park is The Old Country meaning a European theme. Each section of the park is a country: England, France and Germany were the original three. They added Italy round about 1980. When I was last there in 2000, I heard they were building an Ireland section.

Address: Williamsburg, VA

Virginia Beach

The largest city in Virginia is not Richmond, Roanoke, or even Norfolk, but rather Virginia Beach. The military presence and tourism are the driving force in this fast-growing city's economy. I personally am not keen on Virginia Beach because it is merely a city by the sea. It does have the longest pleasure beach in the world and is at the southern end of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, the longest bridge and tunnel system in the world. However, the boardwalks are much more crowded than the Outer Banks of North Carolina just 50 miles (80 km.) to the south. The souvenir shops along the Boardwalk appeared, to me, to be as seedy as those along Hollywood Boulevard. The only reason I went in August, 1995 was to show my friend Fernando (who was visiting from Spain) the difference between the urbanised Virginia Beach and the more unspoilt Outer Banks. He says that while there may be more nightlife opportunities in Virginia Beach, he prefers the latter overall.

Shenandoah Valley

In the John Denver song Take Me Home Country Roads, it was this area in western Virginia, not the state of West Virginia, that was referred to in the verse Almost Heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River. The Shenandoah River doesn't flow in West Virginia. Nevertheless, the folks over there have adopted the John Denver song as an unofficial state song. The Shenandoah Valley and Foothills are located north of Roanoke and Southside, south of the Northern Virginia suburbs, and west of the Richmond area. Some prominent cities are Winchester, Harrisonburg, Staunton, Waynesboro, Charlottesville, Buena Vista, and Lexington. This area of Virginia is a popular summer destination as it is a little cooler in the higher elevations than in the cities in Tidewater, Central and Northern Virginia. Apples are one cash crop in this region and Winchester has an Apple Blossom Festival every year. Skyline Drive is a scenic route especially in autumn where people flock to watch the changing leaf colours. Also, there are the Luray Caverns, just off Interstate 81 in Luray. Enlarge photo to see full panorama.

Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon is where George Washington called home from 1754 to his death in 1799. The interiour of the mansion is impressive, but the way they conduct the tour is not. It is unbelievably crowded and there is a guide in each section of the house. I, personally, was more impressed with the outbuildings, the Potomac River view, the farmland, and the forest trail.

When I toured this with Matt and Urszula, we made a couple of key mistakes. We were wrong when we thought we could blow through there in 2 hours like we did at Berkeley Plantation the previous day. You will need 4-5 hours, if not the whole day, to get a true sense of life in Mount Vernon when Washington lived there. Also, plan on staying long enough and splurging for a real colonial dining experience at Mount Vernon Inn instead of settling for the "cuisine de food court" like time limitations forced us to do.

Fredericksburg

Because of its strategic location, Fredericksburg has been in the thick of American history almost from day one. Two U.S. presidents- George Washington and James Monroe- spent significant time here. At the halfway point between Washington and Richmond, Fredericksburg and its outskirts were the scene of several major battles in the War for Southern Independence. Nowadays, Fredericksburg is a centre for antiquing and tourism. Unlike some places who appear to turn real history into a theme park, Fredericksburg tastefully depicts the history of which it took part and most of it is original, not reproduced.

Directions: To the old town from I-95: Take exit 130A. Go Route 3 East. You will cross under the Rt. 1 bypass (get in left lane). Follow signs to historic area. Take a left onto Rt. 3 Business East.