I was lucky to squeeze in one more vacation before the Labor Day weekend, with our family gathering to celebrate a major birthday in Norfolk, Virginia of all places…
With the exception of a brief football camp we attended in Williamstown, I’ve never spent any time in the Norfolk area. And if I hadn’t been cleaning out old emails a few months ago and stumbled upon a credit I had with Evolve I would have never thought of Norfolk as a possible location for our gathering. Since the voucher expired in September, I was determined to use it rather than lose it. I entered our rental needs into the site filters (like location, bedrooms, service animal’s allowed, etc.) and voila! 3201 Pretty Lake was one of 5 selections that met our criteria, and looked to so picture perfect I booked it immediately. I’ve probably rented 25 homes over the years and very few places truly look like pictures that made you choose the rental in the first place. Not 3201. The home was exactly as pictured, brand new and beautifully appointed, with enough space for our family to enjoy the things we love – cook, play games, talk about sports, watch movies, and catch up with each other around the indoor fireplace and outdoor fire-pit overlooking Little Creek.
Norfolk was a real surprise in how laid back it was. We were never far from the bay or the ocean, but our little section of town was primarily residential with a very mellow vibe, so we hardly felt like tourists at all. We had a short 3-block walk to twelve miles of pristine bayside beaches, all of which were free to use and remarkably uncrowded. The water was bathwater temperature and very calm, perfect for hanging out with our beach chairs in the water watching dolphins at play. We thought we should take a dip in the ocean, so one afternoon we made the 20-minute drive to Virginia Beach to experience the Atlantic, but the beaches were so crowded and the undertow so strong we quickly headed back to the tranquility of 13th Bay Street Beach.
Even though we only spent 4 days at 3201, we quickly established a relaxed routine for our time there, hitting the beach early each day for a few hours to enjoy long walks, cutthroat frisbee and football games, and hang in the water with each other. In the afternoons, the more adventurous of our group piled into the van and drove around the city, exploring vintage stores (like Nomads and Packed House) and coffee shops (like Cafe Stella and Cure) to get a feel for the vibe of the city. We even got a slice of what has to be the biggest pizza I’ve ever seen in my life at Benny Damato’s.
Because our entire family loves to cook, and eat, we choose to make dinner each night. The kitchen at 3201 was a cook’s dream, fitted out with every state of the art appliance and kitchen gadget imaginable. The oven even talked to us! We did eat dinner out one time, at Captain Groovy’s, because the birthday boy was promised 72 oysters (1 for each year and a few extra to grow on) to celebrate. On our last night in town, we also hit up Doumar’s, (which we found out about from watching Andrew Zimmerman’s show) where the waffle cone originated. For a family that loves ice cream as much as we do, it was a must-stop for dessert!
How about you? Ever gone on vacation with your extended family? Have you ever been to the Norfolk/Virginia Beach area for fun and adventure? If so, what were your favorite things to do, places to go, etc.?
As for me, I made two vows as we drove away from 3201: 1) I will try my hardest to arrange for our family to have a shared holiday every year, and 2) I will definitely return to the Norfolk area to explore more of what eastern Virginia has to offer.
*Sweet Virginia – The Rolling Stone
The Grey Goddess 