On the road from the airport, some signs look rather familiar: Norfolk, Suffolk, Portsmouth and Windsor; but others are not so close to home: Indian River, Arrowhead, Stumpy Lake and Mount Trashmore Park. We’re on our way to the gorgeous American resort of Virginia Beach, which has a historic flavour of Britain.
From 1607, when the first English ships landed at Cape Henry, bringing the pioneers who would go on to form the first British colony at Jamestown, this area, where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic Ocean, has become one of America’s most desirable beach locations – and one of its best-kept secrets as far as Brits are concerned.
The city has a three-mile boardwalk along golden sands, backed by hotels, restaurants and cafes, a thriving arts scene and a generally vibrant atmosphere that attracts festivals and events throughout the year.
In the wider area, there are some 35-miles of beaches, major army and naval air bases and the largest naval port in the world. Our base was the excellent Moxy Oceanfront Hotel, directly overlooking the beach and wooden pier on the boardwalk, right in the centre of the action. Owned by the Marriott Bonvoy group, there are several of these stylish yet relaxed Moxy hotels dotted around the UK.
Check-in is at the funky bar and there’s a feeling of relaxed fun in the décor but the rooms are seriously comfortable. In Virginia Beach, the pool area spills onto the boardwalk and the early bird can watch a magnificent sunrise over the Atlantic. In the evening, you can enjoy cocktails and great food while watching the sunset at Orion’s Roof restaurant at the top of a Marriott hotel a few blocks down.
We hired bikes from Cherie’s Bicycle And Blade Rentals to explore the length of the boardwalk and the exciting Vibe arts district.
We were delighted to find two festivals on the beach during our stay. The Jackalope Festival is a celebration of skateboarding culture and music which had set up at the northern end of the beachfront. At the southern end we had the two-day Point Break Music Festival, with headliners Sublime and acts like Wiz Khalifa and Stephen Marley on the main stage.
Live music with the sand between your toes and a cold beer really does add to the atmosphere. The Chesapeake Bay area is famous for its oysters and we got a first-hand look at both the wild and farmed oyster beds courtesy of Captain Chris Ludford, who also encourages regrowth of the wild oyster reefs.
Chris took us out on the Lynnhaven River, where he farms with careful consideration of the ecological impacts on the river and wider bay area. And, believe me, there’s no fresher way to taste an oyster than one freshly shucked while your feet are in the waters where they grow.
With careful handling as they rapidly grow in size, the farmed oysters take around a year to reach the desired three inches that provide the ideal mouth-sized snack. It takes their wild neighbours three years. After the tour we headed to Chick’s Oyster Bar on Shore Drive – a laid-back rustic clam shack with a waterside deck. It’s a place where the cool people hang out, and one favoured by off-duty US navy Seals who train in the Norfolk area.
But Virginia Beach is not standing still… the city is looking to the future and the creation of a multi-million dollar surf park is well under way just a couple of blocks back from the beach. And one of the main backers is VB’s very own home-grown superstar Pharrell Williams. This is Pharrell’s very own Happy place and the surf park is definitely very close- to his heart.
When completed next year, it will provide permanent, thrill-seeking waves for the surf-mad visitors even when the sea is calm. The complex will include hotel accommodation, restaurants, retail space and, of course, parking. On our trip to the oyster beds, we even passed Pharrell’s magnificent beach house overlooking the bay.
We were set up for our trip to the surf park with a visit to May’s Parlor café and take-out bakery and followed it with lunch at the Aslin Beer Company, a popular micro brewery on Virginia Beach Boulevard in the Vibe District. This area has been completely regenerated, attracting coffee shops and cafes like the Beach Bully BBQ and the Java Surf Café and Espresso Bar.
The Vibe District is awash with colourful street art projects and massive wall murals and you can watch as artists work on various street installations. You can even join in and leave your own mark on this lively free art show. Our final dinner was at Becca Restaurant and Garden within the historic Cavalier Hotel. After a traditional martini, I enjoyed succulent rack of lamb with Yukon Gold potatoes and a strawberry-mint sauce. Delish!
The imposing Cavalier was built in the Roaring Twenties and has played host to many US Presidents, including John F Kennedy and Calvin Coolidge as well as stars like Frank Sinatra. The US capital Washington is just a three hour drive from Virginia Beach, so one clever way to enjoy this great beach resort could be to incorporate a city break and beach stay. Numerous cities like New York and Philadelphia are just a short hop by plane.
So whether you just want to relax or find adventure, why not follow in the historic footsteps of the first British settlers. You can even tread where they arrived in the First Landing State Park – a 2,888 acre area of hiking trails and campsites – and climb the steps to the Cape Henry lighthouse which was authorised by President George Washington in 1792 after the revolutionary war with Britain.
Book the holiday
Expedia offers seven nights on B&B at the Moxy Virginia Beach Oceanfront hotel from £1,319pp, flying from Heathrow to Norfolk, Virginia, on May 12. expedia.co.uk
More info at visitvirginiabeach.com