Advice Please? Hotel on Virginia Beach while attending MAMA? (Norfolk: oceanfront, hotels)

[TNNative]

My husband has an upcoming two day course while attending the Maritime Academy on Robin Hood Road. We are visiting the Outer Banks beforehand and then I planned to stay near the Boardwalk to do some photography while he's in class. A co-worker has already done this and stayed on the beach the first night and said the 20 mile commute was awful early in the morning. The last thing my husband wants is to be late for class due to circumstances beyond our control. Any advice from locals? Thanks.

[goofy328]

If you would rather commute to the Oceanfront rather than from the Oceanfront just stay at any of the hotels near the airport. I would rather be at my destination and have to endure the traffic for leisure than to get in the traffic to make it somewhere on time, which is very difficult in Virginia Beach.

Quickest is probably 264 to 64 anyway (if you are staying at the Oceanfront). Recommended route, plus you avoid that traffic jam at Janaf. If you drive through town you run into all types of trouble. Your co-worker probably got jammed up once he got onto 64 before Northampton, due to the outlet mall and the usual jams that occur when you're trying to cross the Bridge Tunnel. If rush hour he probably got stuck on 264 out by Mount Trashmore.

[TNNative]

Originally Posted by goofy328

If you would rather commute to the Oceanfront rather than from the Oceanfront just stay at any of the hotels near the airport. I would rather be at my destination and have to endure the traffic for leisure than to get in the traffic to make it somewhere on time, which is very difficult in Virginia Beach.

Quickest is probably 264 to 64 anyway (if you are staying at the Oceanfront). Recommended route, plus you avoid that traffic jam at Janaf. If you drive through town you run into all types of trouble. Your co-worker probably got jammed up once he got onto 64 before Northampton, due to the outlet mall and the usual jams that occur when you're trying to cross the Bridge Tunnel. If rush hour he probably got stuck on 264 out by Mount Trashmore.

Thanks for the advice. I've done some Google "street view driving" and read some reviews, looked at hotel prices for possibly spending just Saturday night on the oceanfront in VA Beach but the prices are way too high. After three days scouting the Outer Banks, I think we'll just spend the day out on the Boardwalk before we head over to the airport hotel for a couple of days. From Google satellite, there's not much scenery around that area so I will go find some elsewhere. Just too much traffic to deal with making two round trips and mileage on our personal car from the beach each day...especially after driving 10 hours to get there. I've never been to Norfolk and was picturing it to be a mid size place. I guess no place is anymore.

[goofy328]

Originally Posted by TNNative

Thanks for the advice. I've done some Google "street view driving" and read some reviews, looked at hotel prices for possibly spending just Saturday night on the oceanfront in VA Beach but the prices are way too high. After three days scouting the Outer Banks, I think we'll just spend the day out on the Boardwalk before we head over to the airport hotel for a couple of days. From Google satellite, there's not much scenery around that area so I will go find some elsewhere. Just too much traffic to deal with making two round trips and mileage on our personal car from the beach each day...especially after driving 10 hours to get there. I've never been to Norfolk and was picturing it to be a mid size place. I guess no place is anymore.

Norfolk would be a mid sized place if Hampton Roads were not so large. You may be looking for something more along the lines of Richmond or some of the cities in Northern Virginia, like Alexandria and Arlington. Virginia is nothing but mid sized cities and small towns it is the close proximity to other cities that make it feel larger.

They never got the word out to people that it is not just Norfolk or Virginia Beach, but seven cities and three suburbs around here. I didn't know when I first moved here. I love it reminds me a lot of Columbus Ohio. There are things to do one just has to go out of their way to find it. The internet is your friend type in "what to do near me" or try Eventful, VisitNorfolk, or Virginia Pilot for ideas.

[randomlikeme]

I would get a hotel near his course and then uber to do your photography - then, you can go to multiple places which I am sure is more fun.


I also see people taking shots near Stumpy Lake Golf Course every day, Norfolk Botanical Gardens (where their motto is literally there is always something in bloom here and is close to the airport), Norfolk Pagoda and Park. You should look into it.