All I can ever say about this bridge is " what a feat of engineering"…read more And it's fun to travel and see beautiful water vistas. The tunnels and bridges are well maintained

The tunnel is $16 Monday - Thursday and $21 on Friday - Sunday. The view is beautiful. It can be…read morenerve wracking when there is a lot of traffic. The distance is 28 miles. But it gets you from point A to point B. It is nice interacting with humans when paying. So many toll booths are automatic.

This is a very small plaza area that features a gazebo with a bunch of cement benches in front of…read moreit. It is reminiscent of the Hollywood Walk of Fame, but instead of stars on the ground, there are granite plaques on tall brick pillars. It is a self guided tour, whose honorees are Virginians, by birth or residence, who have made a significant contribution to the nation and the world. Some of the honorees include Woodrow Wilson, Edgar Allen Poe, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill "Bojangles" Robinson, Pearl Bailey, Booker T. Washington, Arthur Ashe, Patsy Cline, Thomas Jefferson, Pocahontas and Captain John Smith. Inductees can be nominated by anyone, but are officially chosen by judges from various backgrounds such as the heads of various historical societies, college presidents , and the heads of public libraries. There is an annual event to announce the newest additions to the Legends Walk. Be sure to check both sides of the pillars. That is where you will find plaques. This is a living attraction, with lots of room for expansion. (just see that spaces available to place a plaque on the pillar). Oceanographer Mathew Fontaine Maury and bluegrass musician Ralph Stanley were inducted as the Class of 2019. It is relatively easy to get to and is marked with a huge archway on each side of it. There is metered street parking and a few commercial lots within walking distance that you can park at to visit here. The meters cost about $2/ hour and the lots vary in price depending on what is going on and the season. There were a few urban campers taking a nap and hanging out while I was there. And the place could be a bit cleaner and maybe a little maintenance. The bronze plaques could also use some periodic polishing. All in all, it is still an attraction to see in Virginia Beach. It is not a destination spot though and would be best if it was visited during a trip to the boardwalk or one of the other local attractions.

This park has several arches with pair of plaques on each side. These have the names and…read morecontributions of several well known artists, politicians, leaders, and sports personalities who were born in Virginia. There a section with some open space benches too for visitors. The park is kept neat and clean by the city. When I was at the park, I saw city employee removing litters from the grass area. I would also recommend visiting the park during day time. Overall a decent small park to get to know some of the greats of Virginia ie. George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, James Madison, Arther Ashe, and the famous Triple Crown champion, Secretariat.

A first for me, I didn't know this house existed. I found out about the holiday decor/open house…read morevia an IG story that VBhistory museums posted. Apparently they have been doing these holiday open houses for a couple years or so now. Admission is free but suggested donations range from $3-$5 (there's a sign outside the house and the info is on their website). The holiday open house showcased the house decorated with 18th century decor with flowers, cotton, fruit and oyster shells designed by the garden club. The original house structure contained one room on the first floor and a loft upstairs, but after ownership had transferred across three families -Whitehurst, Bratten and Buffington it has undergone expansions. The house has been occupied up until 1986 and is considered one of of the 50 historically significant structures in Virginia Beach. It was built soon after the first lighthouse was erected in Cape Henry. Daniel Whitehurst was a commissioner and allowed for the VB courthouse to be built near his home. During the holiday open house they had refreshments consisting of mints, various cookies and nuts, with the accompaniment of coffee and cider. The house boasts four fireplaces where on the left, Bob Clark was doing what he does well, playing sweet sounds from the dulcimer. For those not familiar with the dulcimer, it's essentially an open stringed portable piano. The sounds that originate from it are very clean, calming and relaxing. Upstairs are three rooms, one which holds an old singer and a quilt, another with historic maps of the area and the last room has a bed and a bassinet. In an attic? Or small partitioned area was a violinist gliding her bow in a frenzy of holiday cheer. It was neat to see the house, however the kitchen had been updated and renovated in a 1950s style, which truly lives up to a "house over time."

While walking on the West Neck Natural Creek Area with my dog. I thought I could check out the…read moreWhitehurst Buffington House within the area. It was a nice stroll through the trees on the horse trail. I imagined how it was like before cars when one would ride a horse carriage. This place takes me back in time. Unfortunately, they would not allow dogs and I wasn't surprised. I got a peek at the nice house.

This is the worst toll in VA. Avoid it at all cost. They will scam you even if you have an EZ pass…read more If there is an issue with your EZ pass or you incur a charge for some reason , They won't contact you until they send your account to collections. This toll road is also unnecessary, you don't save enough time to justify the hassle.

Awesome pedestrian path across the bridge. About 2.5 mile round trip. Great way to grab some…read moreelevation during a walk, run or bike There's also a very nice park with restrooms a fishing pier with a bait shop and snack bar and a large boat launch check out the Facebook page and the City Page for different events they have there. Parking is free and plentiful the pathway is advertised to be open from sunrise to sunset but I've never been yelled at for being there early in the morning. Also worth noting the fishing pier does not require a fishing license if you want to use it.

Brenden(sp?) was a wonderful educator. Full of natural knowledge that you could tell he enjoyed…read moresharing. He was kind and soft spoken and his enthusiasm was contagious. He made the experience what it was and it was so refreshing to hear from someone with his passion for the subject. Your was partially self lead and paced which we enjoyed as we had several slower walkers. Walk way was clear and easy to navigate. We liked having the Audio options at our disposal as we went along. Peaceful and enjoyable experience. Once we entered the church Brenden helped our group inside and allowed us time to look around. He was eager to answer all of our questions and customized his talk to what we were interested in. The history here is incredible and we enjoyed learning about this piece of American history. Kudos to St. Luke's for finding Brenden our group agrees he's a gem. Gift shop was cute and offered affordable options in order to be able to take a little something with to remember your day. Affordable tour.

The tour of this small but elegant historical church was really interesting. Lots of details about…read morethe building, which dates back to 1637, and the people who conceived of it and had it built. Great details about its renovation and the original organ that is still in place. Toward the end of the tour, they play a recording of it in action, really amazing considering its age. St. Luke's is a national historic landmark, now surrounded by graves dating back centuries (but there's still room if you want in!) No longer an active church, it is a great setting for learning a bit more about the colonial era and how the local church centered the community (and how the building was designed to be bolder than every other colonial church of its time.) It's located in Isle of Wight County, Virginia, near Smithfield. Unless you are a history fanatic, it's not worth a long trip to get here just for this. But with everything that the surrounding area has to offer in the way of historical buildings, local hams, a few good restaurants, and the hint of salt in the air, this tour is a good way to top off a day trip to the area.

I'm still not over the design of the new Lesner Bridge. I do like the walking paths on both sides…read moreof the bridge. I don't like the contemporary artwork they commissioned for such a historical area. I believe it's supposed to be an interpretation of canoes. But to me it has absolutely no meaning. I don't like the higher sides on the bridge. The view of the Chesapeake Bay beaches on the north & the Lynnhaven Inlet on the south are blocked except at entrance and exit points. I do like the decorative lighting under the bridge, which is beautiful if you're on the Ocean Park beaches. The colors can be changed for events & seasons. In my opinion the artwork that would have been best was one fitting the historical aspects of the location. The Revolutionary War Battle of the Virginia Capes was one between the French Admiral de Grasse and the British fleet. It preceded and was critical to General Cornwallis' ultimate defeat at the Battle of Yorktown. The French Navy prevented evacuation or resupply of his army during their siege of Yorktown. The Lynnhaven Inlet & River has a similar historical significance. The first Jamestown settlers landed at Cape Henry in 1607 before making the mistake of proceeding up the James River to settle at Jamestown Island. While in what would become Virginia Beach John Smith wrote of his exploration of the Lynnhaven River and the huge oysters and seafood they feasted on. The western branch of the Lynnhaven River was the location of the dunking of the only person in Virginia convicted of being a witch. The location of the first Lynnhaven Parish Church, which prosecuted her, was lost to the river's changed path due to an early hurricane. Many decades ago the early tombstones could still be felt under the water before eventually disappearing under the river's silt that covered them. The nooks & outlets of Lynnhaven Inlet were used as a hiding spot for the pirate Blackbeard when he preyed on Virginia shipping. It is said that he had a lookout at Cape Henry & relay stations to make sure the signals reached him at the distance he was located. He is thought to have frequented the Pleasure House, actually a tavern and bar rather than what its name implies in the 21st century. The current Pleasure House Road is named for it. Do I sound like a tourist guide? It's a mode I always enter when I drive visiting friends & relatives around our beautiful & historic city. So there now can be no doubt in your mind that I wanted the new Lesner Bridge to have historic artwork or statues instead of the modern art design chosen. The bridge crosses an area steeped in history, going back to the first English settlers of the New World. Close your eyes and feel the past envelop you.

Crosses the Lynnhaven inlet. The lights under the bridge is such a beautiful sight. The lights are…read moreprogrammable to change for different Holidays or in honor of certain current events. I cross the bridge quite often on my way to many different Doctors appointments.

Just the most interesting history for our area. My husband and I love the history of our hometown…read more My husband found this statue and stopped one day. What a wonderful easter egg to find. For me it is such a sweet statue. It is a sad story but we learn from history and make sure we don't make the same mistakes. If your in the area make sure you stop by and take a look. History is always cool

The Witch of Pungo statue, located at the corner of Independence Boulevard & N Witchduck Road, was…read morea project conceived and fund raised by the late Belinda Nash. An expert on Grace Sherwood, Belinda would dress in costume and present informative historic programs on the only woman condemned as a witch in Virginia and dunked in water. Although Belinda wasn't a native of the area, I came to believe that she felt she was Grace Sherwood reincarnated. It was Belinda's goal to have the vestry of the Lynnhaven Parish Church, that originally condemned Grace, pardon her on the 300th Anniversary of the dunking. When it didn't appear that would happen, she appealed to then Governor Tim Kaine. On July 10, 2006, the 300th Anniversary, Governor Kaine issued an informal pardon of Grace Sherwood, the local legend known as the Witch of Pungo. A plaque on the statue is inscribed with the pardon verbiage. The statue embodies elements that first caught the attention of her suspicious neighbors, including her love of animals. To visit the statue, one must turn off Independence Boulevard onto N Witchduck Road. Then enter the parking lot at Sentara Independence, on whose property the statue is located. Across N Witchduck Road is Old Donation Episcopal, the Lynnhaven Parish Church. On her grounds is a small monument in the midst of an herb garden, in memory of Grace Sherwood. Winding behind the adjacent neighborhood is the Lynnhaven River, in which Grace was dunked but lived to see a longer life. A re-enactment of the dunking happens annually. Following the dunking Grace was imprisoned. Later in life court records prove that she was free. No record can be found as to how she was released. There are missing older court records. The Witch of Pungo Statue stands in a continuing watch over the area in which Grace Sherwood was dunked and imprisoned. She is a tribute to a time that should be remembered throughout the ages.

I have called Chesapeake home for over 40 years and in all of that time, I've never found a better…read moreplace to live, raise a family or to call my home. Taxes are a necessary part of life but the City of Chesapeake has been a good steward of our tax dollars over the years. They provide us with the essential services that we need and they have a great track record of educating our children. The police and fire departments are consistently ranked among the best in the country.

NOTE: This review is for the City Clerk's Office/Passport Application Processing office located at…read moreCity Hall of Chesapeake. I was at City Hall this week for an appointment, and while I was waiting, I was chatting it up with the friendly security guard and we got on the topic of passports, as I needed some for my children. He informed me that I could go up to the first floor at the City Clerk's Office to obtain an appointment. I remembered this from last year when I had to obtain one to go back home to Canada, that it was appointment only based, but I remembered the office being at least 4 months out. I ended up walking in at the Norfolk courthouse because I needed it ASAP (only place in the area who processes passport applications in person, on a walk in basis FYI). I was expressing my dread of potentially finding out how far out the appointments were, but with his encouragement, I went up to the first floor to ask. Plus, it's way more convenient for me to process them at City Hall in Chesapeake than in Norfolk. With parking, tight security and the lack of patience of children, City Hall in Chesapeake was a better option for me. Lo and behold, the nice lady told me that they had one in the coming days!! *Things to note (info current as of June 15/23)* - appointment only, no walk-ins - appointments can be made by calling the City Clerk's office (located on the 1st floor) at 757-382-6151 - appointment slots are available on Mondays from 9:00 am - 11:30 am & Thursdays from 2:00 pm - 3:30 pm ONLY - for your appointment, present yourself at the little office in the corner on the left hand side of the security desk on the ground floor. Top flap of the door will be open if they are open to process applications - if you are applying for minors, BOTH parents and/or all guardians must be present. If one parent cannot be present, you must obtain some other letter/form that must be notarized - for the actual application fees, you must have a cheque or money order (US Dept of State) - you can pay the processing fees by either cheque or card (City of Chesapeake) - all card transactions will be charged a 2.2% transaction processing fee - as of this writing, the processing time for the passport is 10-13 weeks for regular processing and 7-9 weeks for expedited (obvi with extra fee). The clerk let me know that the processing center has been especially busy this year with more and more people coming out of the pandemic funk and the eagerness to travel again. - come prepared with your documents filled out in advance (you can either fill it out online and print) or they do have paper applications right by the processing office - unlike the Norfolk office, they do not provide photos here, so be sure to obtain those in advance at your nearest pharmacy. We got them done at Walgreens on Hanbury - just an FYI, in case you didn't know, but this is very stressful for me, but they take the original document of the individual (especially if it's your first passport). They took my ORIGINAL citizenship certificate last year and it didn't come for weeks until after my passport arrived solo. Very nerve wracking too, just waiting....my citizenship certificate eventually showed up in a FedEx envelope, with no note, nothing. Just the certificate all by its lonesome. After losing a small fortune on 3 passport applications (my husband decided to get his done too since his had been expired also), processing fees and the photos, the clerk processed them quickly and efficiently. So now we wait. Not sure where we'll end up, but at least we'll be ready to go, once we receive their passports... HUGE shout out to the security guard for the recommendation and encouragement, and to the clerk for being so kind in trying her hardest to find an appointment that best suited our schedule and circumstance. She ended up being the one to process the applications a few days later. She set me up for success from the get go (she had provided me a small paper with a list of all the reqs and docs I needed at the time of making my appointment). They were both so nice, friendly and so helpful! If you live in Chesapeake and you need a passport, go to City Hall! But think ahead and make that appointment now! Stay safe, Friends, and safe travels!