Soak up the sun and save some money in Virginia Beach
Virginia Beach, the lively four-season Atlantic Ocean vacation spot, attracts nearly 14 million visitors a year. They come for the beach and stay for the fishing, golf, cycling, history and festivals galore.
Beyond the beach, the community is packed with activities including the Ocean Breeze Water Park, kayaking and dolphin watching. There are an astounding 20 microbreweries, plus countless eateries dishing up local delicacies like oysters and gold-standard she-crab soup.
A promenade along Virginia Beach Boardwalk is a must. It's an entertaining, sociable five-kilometre stretch of shopping, sunning and noshing, with separate lanes for cycling and strolling.
Visitors can explore with the VB Wave Shuttle or the Virginia Beach Freebie, which is an on-call transit using electric vehicles.
Loonie discount: Many Virginia Beach hotels, restaurants and outfitters offer the Loonie Saver (a free pass) that entitles Canadians to modest discounts around town. Some examples are the Three Notch Brewing and Craft Kitchen, the Military Aviation Museum, First Landing Charters (fishing) and Patriotic Excursions (dolphin viewing).
What to do: Cool, modern-day happenings take centre stage in a destination that was founded more than 400 years ago. The Vibe Creative District is home to street art, galleries, coffee culture and, on Saturdays, the Old Beach Farmers Market. The adrenalin-packed Jackalope Festival will rock with world-class skateboarding and beach volleyball May 31 to June 2. A new event, Point Break Music Festival on June 1-2, will feature more than 20 bands including headliners Sublime and Rebelution, along with Wiz Khalifa, Stephen Marley and Steel Pulse. There will be more entertainment at La Fiesta Virginia Beach that will showcase Latin music, food and costumes June 28-29.
The 62nd edition of the Coastal Edge east coast surfing championship, Aug. 18-25, also will have volleyball, a swimsuit contest and a Boardwalk five-kilometre walk/run. It's believed to be the oldest continual surf event in the world. The 50th anniversary Virginia Beach Neptune Festival, Sept. 29 to Oct. 1, draws thousands to 20-plus concerts, an Art & Craft show and the Neptune's international sandsculpting championship.
Native son Pharrell Williams, creative director of Louis Vuitton and Grammy Award-winning musician, plans to open Atlantic Park in 2025, an oceanfront surf park with a huge wave pool at the centre of a tourist village.
Classic sites include the two-century-old Cape Henry Lighthouse; the First Landing State Park, where colonists arrived in 1607, which now is popular for walking trails, picnic spots and a beachfront; and the fascinating Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, home to more than 700 species. Hotels: About 75 hotels in Virginia Beach are within walking distance of the Atlantic Ocean. Among the biggies is the all-suite Delta Hotels by Marriott Virginia Beach Waterfront on Chesapeake Bay, which has an outdoor pool and family features like rollaway beds, mini-fridge, microwaves and casual dining at Tides Coastal Kitchen.
Moxy Virginia Beach Oceanfront is a new full-service getaway with a hip, playful and unconventional beat. You get a welcome drink with your room key; the lobby is animated with a video wall; and the boho-cool rooms boast smart storage desks that hang on the wall until they're needed. The Belvedere South Coffee Shop and Diner is a slice of nostalgia in a very modern milieu.
Times change, but the prestige of the nearly 100-year-old landmark, the Historic Cavalier Hotel and Beach Club Autograph Collection, does not. Listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, its guest register lists luminaries like Frank Sinatra, Elizabeth Taylor, F. Scott Fitzgerald and at least 10 U.S. presidents, including Franklin Roosevelt, John Kennedy and Richard Nixon.
After a four-year overhaul that polished its exquisite neoclassical architecture and sumptuous interiors, the Historic Cavalier Hotel glows. It is a comprehensive luxury resort with pools, a beach club, the Seahill Spa and top-drawer dining, including the renowned Hunt Room. Activities include dance lessons, yoga, aquafitness and for juniors, Meet a Mermaid sea lore and a Jungle Jim animal experience.
On a different note, the charming Inn at Old Beach has a smaller footprint, a more intimate vibe and a more upscale offering, but still at budget-conscious prices. It's a cluster of vintage cottages with nine guest rooms, all totally renovated and decorated by local artisans. Breakfast is included on weekends.
The Inn is part of Transcendent Stays, which promotes tours of the Vibe district, dolphin watching and visits to nature-oriented sites like the Osprey Trail and quiet, off-thebeaten track beaches.