Insight Guides....

TIDEWATER AND HAMPTON ROADS

For more than 300 years, the sea has sustained and romanced the Tidewater area. In the wide wake of U.S. Navy warships, foreign merchant ships, fishing vessels, and weekend pleasure craft, visitors will find a region in love with the water.

Norfolk: Norfolk is at the heart of the Tidewater area and serves as a great base for exploring the region. Visitors discover Waterside as a delightful place to begin and end any visit to Norfolk. The festival marketplace now offers almost 150 shops along the waterfront. From the promenade, visitors enjoy harbor tours on a variety of vessels.

You should also head to Nauticus. The three-level, 120,000-square-foot maritime museum features one-of-a-kind interactive exhibits, allowing visitors to undertake an adventure in marine discovery.

The Douglas MacArthur Memorial presents the perfect opportunity to reflect on World War II and the role played by this controversial war hero. The memorial houses 11 galleries of memorabilia tracing the life and military career of the general, including surrender documents signed by Japanese Emperor Hirohito. Visitors will also find the general's trademark corncob pipe and even his official 1950 limousine.

The Norfolk Naval Base is home port to more than 125 ships, 50 aircraft squadrons, and 65 shore-based military activities. It opened in 1917, on 474 acres, and has grown extensively to 5,200 sprawling acres, playing a major role in the history of the military and becoming the U.S. Navy's capital.

Base personnel conduct the excellent tours on and off the tour buses, providing an insider's view of the base. Tour highlights include the massive ships along the waterfront; the huge drydocks; and the historic houses on Dillingham and Willoughby Boulevards (built for the Jamestown Exposition in 1907).

Portsmouth: Across the river in Portsmouth, more military history awaits. The Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum was established in 1949 in the shipyard and was later moved to its current waterfront site, successfully improving visitation. This comprehensive museum covers local and naval history, from pre-Civil War times to modern events.

Just around the corner, visitors are drawn to the bright red Lightship Museum, which is not a typical location for a museum. In addition to standard lighthouses, lightships (with lights fixed to their masts) were used to help mariners avoid dangerous shoals or enter harbors safely at night. This museum (the lightship Portsmouth), has been restored to its condition when it was commissioned in 1915.

Hampton and Newport News: Well-situated on a strategic peninsula, the Hampton/Newport News area has been home to many military bases, huge shipbuilding facilities, and as a port of embarkation and debarkation for troops throughout American history.

The War Memorial Museum of Virginia provides a unique look at the state's role in this and other conflicts. The saga of military history unfolds inside this fascinating museum, with more than 50,000 artifacts on display which document American wars from 1775 to the present. Located on Ft. Eustis in Newport News, the U.S. Army Transportation Museum examines more than 200 years of Army transportation history, from miniature models to huge aircraft, trains, and marine craft from yesterday, today, and tomorrow.

The Hampton/Newport News area includes many other fascinating sightseeing possibilities for those interested in the area's military presence. For instance, the Virginia Air & Space Museum and the Hampton Roads History Center features ten air and space craft suspended from the 94-foot ceiling, the official Visitor Center for NASA Langley Research Center, and an in-depth look at the history of the area. Also in Hampton, the Air Power Park & Museum reveals the vital role the area has played in early space exploration and aircraft testing. The military presence in the area has been greatly influenced by the ocean. The Mariners' Museum in Newport News has many displays related to the military at sea.

Virginia Beach: At 28 miles, Virginia Beach is the Atlantic Coast's longest run of resort beach. The sand and surf serve as Virginia Beach's major attractions, but there's lots more to do in this resort area. Beach lovers are often interested in the Virginia Beach Maritime Historical Museum. The building was originally a U.S. Life-Saving/Coast Guard Station and now houses interesting nautical artifacts, scrimshaw, ship models, photographs, marine memorabilia, and a great gift shop for those who want to take a little bit of the Atlantic home with them.

Northern Neck: The northern portion of the Tidewater area provides a less urban environment. A trip north through the region is rewarded with pretty water-oriented scenery and quiet water-oriented towns.

After crossing the Tappahannock on Route 3, Irvington provides perfect introduction to the region, thanks to The Tides Inn. This elegant waterfront resort offers great accommodations, golf, dining, and many other amenities.

In Kilmarnock, look for the road to Christ Church. It's well worth the detour. Historic Christ Church is the only virtually unchanged Colonial church in America and it's a beauty. It was built in a lovely setting by Robert "King" Carter between 1730 and 1734 and has been continuously used for services since 1850. The church was carefully restored and features entrancing brickwork, windows, pews, and a rare three-decker pulpit.

Further north, Warsaw is a quaint Northern Neck town that serves as the Richmond County seat. The County Courthouse has been there since 1748, as has the Clerk's Office nearby, which is still heated by the original open fireplace.

Route 3 continues meandering through the middle of the Northern Neck. The town of Montross features the European-style Montross Inn and Restaurant and the helpful Westmoreland County Museum and Visitor Center. Both are typical of small town Northern Neck charm.