# 62 Virginia Beach

# 62 Virginia Beach

October 5, 2019

Our first touring day in Williamsburg happened to be day we needed to make reservations for a Washington State Park. For us the  magic hour was 10 AM. Then my phone needed care, so we made a run to the Verizon store.  The day came in overcast and a bit rainy so we opted to do Williamsburg Colonial Village tomorrow and head for Virginia Beach.

The wind nearly blew you over!  We entered the boardwalk on 21^st Street.  Each street has a sign I appreciated knowing where we were.

Condos, Time Shares, Hotels stand like sentries and line the boardwalk.

Surf’s up on this windy day. People on the beach don’t seem to mind the cold wind. Some even brave a dip in the waves.

All kinds of vehicles can be rented for use on the boardwalk.  I was pleased to see that two area are provided for walkers and riders, even if several people ignored the sign.

Jay found an Ice Cream shop to check out.

Many statues and memorials dot the boardwalk.  This museum told the surf and rescue story.

This marker commemorates an erosion control plan and hurricane protection.

Check out the flags!  The Norwegian lady looks out to the sea toward her sister statue in Moss, Norway wishing all men and women of the sea a safe and prosperous voyage. The statues commemorate the wreck of the ship Dictator from Norway, off of Virginia Beach and the lifesaving efforts of the community. The statue was modeled after the wooden female figurehead found floating after the wreck. She had stood here 60 years.

Behind the lady stands the Naval Aviation Monument.  It focuses on their beginnings 1910-1939.  Their WWII era 1940-1949.  The Modern Era 1950 to Present and the airmen’s homecoming.

Eugene Ely made the first landing on the platform of an armored cruiser and started Naval Aviation.  He wore a football helmet of the day.

The caption here depicts pilots running to their planes in WWII.

The Modern Era shows a team working together. Derrille thought the cradled carrier could be  loading armament.

Living in a Navy town for 40 years, we have witnessed many homecomings.  Even though the  Navy wants to keep the ship’s arrival under wraps, any elementary teacher, especially in the primary grades have a pretty good idea of the arrival date.

The Memorial included a salute to carriers.  Derrille worked on The USS Enterprise for three years.  Lots of overtime and rotating shifts.

Neptune makes an impressive appearance on the boardwalk.  The man in the right corner can give you some perspective of Neptune’s size.

The Conch Shell sculpture sits surrounded by other shells found in the area.

The Virginia Beach Law Enforcement Memorial stands as a nice tribute to those people who put their lives on the line for the community.

The beach has regular playground equipment for kids and then a ways away we found this fitness park.

The Navy Seal Memorial honors the Seals and their contributions.  The top side on the back of the memorial provides a timeline of the SEAL’s history.  At this point we were cold and wind blown so we decided to leave the boardwalk. Even though weather conditions were less than favorable, it turned out to be an interesting outing.

Tomorrow Williamsburg.