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Old 09-15-2009, 10:47 AM
 
Location: Buffalo, NY
10 posts, read 39,833 times
Reputation: 13

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I'm traveling to the Norfolk, Hampton, Newport News area the weekend after this coming weekend and have about a day to spend in the area. I'm looking for some places to see, things to do while I take the area in. I'm pretty good at wandering, but could use some help in regards to finding the bright spots of the area.

The general area is on my short list of places I'm considering moving to in the near future and since I'm visiting Ocean City that weekend, I wanted to spend a day scoping it out. Any other recommendations would be much appreciated. Thanks.
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Old 09-15-2009, 11:12 AM
 
Location: Hampton Roads, Virginia
1,123 posts, read 5,331,410 times
Reputation: 710
What types of things are you interested in? Do you want to see the tourist sites or wander neighborhoods? Ghent is my favorite part of Norfolk - lots of cute little shops and overall it is historical with great neighborhoods and architecture. In Hampton, downtown has the Air and Space museum and is in a trendy area too. Newport News, well there is not too much touristy stuff - but there is the Mariners Museum and the Living Museum (kind of like a small zoo). Newport News is a great city to live in (the NE section, NOT downtown) but not really touristy.

It is good that you want to see areas on both sides of the water, because IF you moved here, you definitely want to try to live on the side of the water where you work. It is best to try to avoid a tunnel commute if you have a choice.
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Old 09-15-2009, 07:47 PM
 
Location: Buffalo, NY
10 posts, read 39,833 times
Reputation: 13
I would say that I wouldn't mind seeing tourist or historical sites, but I'm not planning on going on tours or other guided events that will take longer periods of time. I guess it would sufice to see, that I'm looking to get a pulse on the area and take in what it has to offer, not necessarily go through and do it all. I know that's a scratch the surface type approach, but unfortunately, its all I have.
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Old 09-15-2009, 08:05 PM
 
1 posts, read 5,687 times
Reputation: 10
An interesting place to shop at is the Williamsburg Outlet Mall (Lightfoot for you old timers .) It's not your usual outlet mall. Wear walking shoes. You can find amazing deals on most anything.
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Old 09-16-2009, 06:21 AM
 
Location: Buckroe Beach, VA
3 posts, read 12,638 times
Reputation: 10
Hampton Science Museum in downtown Hampton grew from NASA Langley's closed museum. A lot of good things there. Settlers Landing Road. The end of J Clyde Morris Blvd in Newport News has the Mariner's Museum with a life sized model of the USS Monitor outside and the turrent from the real ship inside to view. A lot of other 'water' history displayed there. Fort Monroe Casemate Museum @ the end of (east) Mercury Blvd. Is a nice little museum. from the early days of Hampton Roads to today. Yorktown Battlefield Route 17 at the Coleman Bridge is a drive through and a visitor's Center. There is the Colonial Parkway from there to Williamsburg. From there the Colonial Parkway goes almost to Jamestown. There is a detour where a boat hit a bridge and damaged a small section of the Parkway causing the detour. I believe there is a pass you can buy to include Yorktown, Williamsburg & Jamestown. Yorktown I believe is free but Williamsburg & Jamestown has mostly paid to see sites. You can walk the streets of Williamsburg but to go inside many of the buildings has a fee. Ft Eustis has a transportation museum. Route 17 at the James River Bridge has a small War Memorial Museum. Be careful with I-64. Near Ft Eustis the 'parking lot' begins. Many auto wrecks there. Also the Hampton Roads and Monitor / Merrimack Bridge Tunnels are known for their back ups. Worse at tourist season. The real FIRST Thanksgiving was held in Virginia at the Berkley Planation just west of Newport News on Route 5, 18 months before the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock MA.

Stay away from East End Newport News (Jefferson Ave south of Mercury Blvd.) Numbered street less than 50th is bad. So is Denbigh around Old CourtHouse Way. Hampton has 'blood block' just a few street over from Downtown that is not to go near especially at night. Hampton use to have some read bad neighborhoods but they tore them down and pushed the low lifes into almost every neighborhood. I'm a native and have seen this whole Hampton Roads area develop the "Big City" Crime. There are a lot of nice things to do here, just have to be careful.
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Old 09-16-2009, 09:56 AM
 
Location: Hampton Roads
140 posts, read 540,440 times
Reputation: 51
Here are some things to see and do in Hampton and Newport News when you visit. Some things on there lists are seasonal but there is still plenty to check out! (click on the thumbnail twice and it should enlarge so yo can read them):

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