It’s been touted as one of the first sandy vacation spots, and the “longest pleasure beach” by Guinness World Records. Toss in a strikingly contemporary arts and music scene, a modern food history as rich as its Colonial feasts (from piles of crumbly Southern cornbread to steaming bowls of Japanese dashi), and you’ve got many good reasons to visit Virginia Beach.
The first English settlers arrived over 400 years ago in an area known today as First Landing in the Chesapeake Bay — before heading north to Jamestown. The historic First Landing State Park is now home to 19 miles of hiking and bicycle trails, campsites, and salt marshes navigable by guided kayak or boat tours.
As the Bay area became home to a diverse range of European immigrants and African slaves, the once powerful Powhatans, and other native populations were largely destroyed. Though many of their customs were lost, their transport vessels — simple log canoes — were integrated into the new English, Italian, and Irish Bay-area fishing culture.
Today, Virginia Beach is a seafood-driven enclave in a state perhaps best known for its pork. Freshly shucked Bay oysters and piles of boiled shrimp are served up at dozens of seafood restaurants lining the waterfront. Sop it all up with piles of cornbread, one of the many traditional foods influenced by the African-American culture, or try one of the many Southeast Asian and Indian restaurants in the area.
Perhaps the best way to follow the city’s history is through the lives of its past residents. The oldest home open to the public is the modest brick cottage built by descendants of former indentured servant Adam Thoroughgood between 1680 and 1720. Now a museum, the home’s whitewashed walls, and period furniture provide a window into the simplistic life of early colonization.
In contrast, the Francis Land House, built almost 100 years later during the height of the slave era, is a sprawling plantation home that now operates as a historic museum with period rooms, gardens, and special exhibitions. In addition, a visit to deWitt Cottage, a 22-room waterfront home that now houses the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, will catapult you to back to 1895 — just seven years before the first railroads were built, connecting this coastal city to the mainland.
The railroads brought vacationers from neighboring states and turned the city into the culturally diverse beach town it is today. The central beach is home to a Victorian-era oceanfront boardwalk dating back to the late 19th century. Today, the winding pathway stretches three miles and is almost 30-feet wide. It’s teeming with walkers, rollerbladers, and bikers enjoying a sunny afternoon, while popping into a café to refuel.
Each year the Neptune Festival culminates with the Boardwalk Weekend, a three-day extravaganza of outdoor concerts, arts and crafts, and sporting events worthy of the Roman Coliseum, including the North American Sand-sculpting competition, sand wrestling tournaments, and a classic regatta.
Afterwards, settle in for a classical music concert at the new Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. It’s the perfect finish for a city that weaves and intricate tapestry of the old with the new.
Visit Virginia Beach for more information on local activities.