Virginia Beach surfer

Photo credit: Virginia Beach CVB

20 miles E of Norfolk; 110 miles E of Richmond; 207 miles S of Washington, D.C.

Given its more than 20 miles of unbroken sand and surf, it's not surprising that Virginia Beach comes alive during the summer. Although big hotels line the beachfront and block off ocean views from everywhere except their own rooms, the 59-block-long Boardwalk (it's actually concrete) boasts immaculate landscaping, wood benches, small parks, a bike-skating path, public restrooms, and attractive white colonial-style street lamps.

Adding to Virginia Beach's allure as a family vacation destination is the Virginia Marine Science Museum, the most popular museum in the state. History lovers will find several sites of interest, including the First Landing Cross where the Jamestown settlers came ashore. Nature lovers can drive a few miles south to the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, which attracts migrating birds and protects several miles of beach and marshlands from development.

Thousands of families from throughout Virginia and the nearby states take their annual beach vacations here. Many of them are of modest means, and the oceanfront area has scores of cheap motels catering to them. It's not unfair to say that the area takes on a certain "Redneck Riviera" flavor from Memorial Day to Labor Day. It's also a popular beach with African-Americans -- not surprising since the population of nearby Norfolk, Hampton, and Newport News is approximately 40% black.