Renato has a new business venture in North Carolina, so we decided to make a voyage there as a family. Since the trip from Manhattan is so long, we broke it up in both directions. Our first pit stop was one night in Virginia Beach. Fidgets and audiobooks with headphones are the keys to a pleasant drive 6 hour drive with 11 year old twins. We only stopped briefly for bathroom and drinks until we got to Seaford Delaware where we found an IHOP. The service there was excellent and the food was as expected. Just for kicks, we googled the prices to compare…classic pancakes cost $5 more per plate in New York! 😮
Where to stay in Virginia Beach
When we arrived in Virginia Beach it was almost 7pm. Everyone is so nice at our home for the night, Coastal Hotel and Suites. The lobby and halls of the hotel are notably dark and gloomy but it is directly on the boardwalk, so the view from the terrace is awesome. Everything else about it is meh. The room was a small suite with a dorm fridge and microwave. The bedroom has only a full sized hard bed (super small for two!), but the sheets are really soft. We have a tiny living area with a pull out couch and also a foldaway cot; there is barely enough space to walk when they are both open…but it’s clean, so there’s that 🙃
What to do in Virginia Beach
The Boardwalk in Virginia Beach is a lovely, calm spot for walking, biking and skating. The vibe here at night is relatively subdued. The family- sized bikes looked like fun, but since we only had one night in Virginia Beach, we had to choose our activities wisely.
Altlantic Avenue is one block inland from the beach and features lively crowds indulging in treats and shopping in the many junk-filled souvenir shops. This is the place where all of the action is to be found in this town. I really enjoyed this strip which features people watching at its finest…many scantily clad ladies walking around in bikini tops at least three sizes too small 😂.
During the summer, the government sponsors live performances all along this street. A block from our hotel, we found the awesomely entertaining Aaron Bonk, a street juggler who likes to play with chainsaws, axes and fire. We also passed many musicians along the way. These street performers do not accept tips, which really surprised me.
We walked to Atlantic Fun Park, an Amusement park / carinval / street fair. It is free to enter and costs about $1 per ticket. Some rides can require up to 8 tickets, so you might want to get an unlimited armband for $50. We enjoyed the Spinning Bumper Cars and the Ferris Wheel. Even though I LOVE carnival games, we decided not to play any tonight because it was almost 9:00 and we still hadn’t had dinner!
Where to eat in Virginia Beach
Unsure where to go, we decided to take a chance on Dough Boys Pizza. I enjoyed my first Orange Crush (fresh squeezed OJ with orange vodka) while we waited (and waited) for our food. The deep dish pizza and French fries seemed to be doused in pepper, but we ate them anyway.
Dessert was an easy decision: We noticed The Sweet Spot on the way to the amusement park. It’s tough to miss the crowds spilling out of this tacky pink place enjoying the most delectable looking treats you can imagine.…huge overloaded ice cream shakes. We chose the brownie explosion which boasts a chocolate rimmed mason jug with brownie ice cream and all of the trimmings. Sad to say, it looks better than it tastes.
Overall Impressions
Someone on my Facebook travel page advised that Virginia Beach is not safe at night, but I felt fine. (Except when I saw a guy holding what appeared to be an assault rifle…but Renato assured me that is was not. I’m still not sure). It was extremely crowded, but everyone was chill and just happy to be out on a hot summer night.
It is quiet here in our hotel room at 11:30 on a Sunday night, but outside, the streets are still hopping. I am the only one still awake (which is not unusual). One night in Virginia Beach was definitely enough to get the flavor for this lively party town.