Ocean Park is an area of the City of Virginia Beach. The area is off Shore Drive from Shady Oaks to…read morethe Lesner Bridge. This includes the neighborhoods across the street where Pleasure House Point is. There is signage for the area off Shore Drive. The recent mural that was painted on the side of the Ocean Park Volunteer Fire & Rescue Service has made Ocean Park much more recognizable as an area. Neighbors meet once a year to discuss business of the neighborhood at this building. Ocean Park has been known for their legendary Fireworks display during the 4th of July weekend. It's never on the 4th. The Ocean Park Association collects donations for the display which runs north of $10k. There is beach access which is a draw living on the East side of Ocean Park. It's also utilized by visitors, but parking is extremely limited. I live next to Ocean Park and they are wonderful neighbors and friends.

Old Point Comfort lighthouse is on Fort Monroe I did drive right by it the first time because I was…read moreexpecting it to be on the water side. It's actually sandwiched in between two houses, but if you're walking around I think you would have noticed it quicker than driving. Either way, a beautiful drive or a beautiful walk

Not exactly sure why this was only given 2 stars. The lighthouse and landscape both were beautiful…read more Now I realize this can only be seen from outdoors. Still it deserves more than 2 stars even for the upkeep of the landscape and views alone. We came in the spring. The flowers were blooming. We paid a visit on a weekday. Next to it was the light keeper house. It did state private property. So it was not available to view. You could still take pictures from the outside. Directly across the street is the amazing view of the water. Plenty of parking available and you can take a nice stroll to catch the views and Sunray. We stopped by here on our way back to Maryland. I have a thing for lighthouses. So definitely on my list for returning while in the area. Overall I'll give it a 3.5 rating.

When you think "Norfolk" I hope you also think "Mermaids." Norfolk has dozens of Mermaids all…read morearound the city. They have some in neighborhoods and some inside of stores. I'm confident I haven't seen them all, but if you want to guarantee to see a large handful starting at Town Point Park is a great place to start. Each mermaid is reflected to represent the sponsoring company's brand or the artist's vision. They create fun little landmarks hidden throughout the city. "Mermaid Trail" is not a marked trail. To start on this adventure, you will need to go to the official City of Norfolk Mermaids website and check out the spotting map. You can create your own best route to see as many mermaids as you would like to see. I was told that somewhere there are actually three defined trails for the "Parade of Mermaids." I've looked, but haven't seen them. This is from MyActiveChild "Beginning at Nauticus, three separate trails take you along the Elizabeth River past Waterside, to the heart of downtown or to the Chrysler Museum while telling local history from the perspective of the 26 Mermaid statues along the trail." Happy mermaid hunting!

This annual event organized to benefit the Children's Hospital of the King's Daughters (CHKD) is…read moreone of the most wacky, creative and fun events of the summer. Always held at the end of August on Oceanview beach, the Duct Tape Regatta challenges businesses, groups and individuals to build a small boat using only the most basic materials of plywood, screws and duct tape. For a small entrance fee, teams can sail the homemade and brightly decorated vessels off the docks and see who sinks, who swims and who can make it to the finish line with their boat still in tact. Whether you're participating or watching, the event is always a great time with food and drinks on deck. With the seventh annual installation coming soon, this event is sure to last a lifetime. Come out and join the fun for a great cause.

I remember years ago, when the project was first discussed, the vision that there should be a…read morerevitalized pathway between the Oceanfront & the Convention Center. The area would provide a walking zone for tourists, turning the rundown area into an arts & entertainment center. Fast forward to 2015 when City Council voted to establish the ViBe Creative District. In addition to the city's participation, a nonprofit organization was created and the vision of the ViBe began to be created into reality. An area adjacent to the Oceanfront didn't need to be filled with rundown buildings and vacant lots. It deserved to be a vibrant area that both locals and tourists would love and appreciate. Today the area contains restaurants, coffee shops, art galleries and a plethora of beautiful murals. Longtime popular surf shop WRV shares new neighbors that range from a distillery to leather smiths. The district is home to an annual mural festival and the Old Beach Farmer's Market. It's an area that calls for walking and exploration, rather than driving to a favorite eatery or coffee shop. If one motors through the area today there isn't a lot of foot traffic, even during tourist season. That's disappointing. Hopefully its new neighbor, the long anticipated Atlantic Park, will change that. The Dome Concert Arena has already opened as has the Surf Park, the only man made wave park in the world located near an ocean. Under construction are still urban residences, office space, shopping & restaurants. The future looks bright for the ViBe Creative District. So park your vehicle and walk the area built on the vision of a world where art is an integral component of the community.

Absolutely love wandering around & bringing friends to see all the cool art in the Vibe District! :)read more

This is an older mural by the very talented artist Sam Welty, who teamed up with Wounded Wear to…read moreput this project together. It was completed in 2011. The mural is two stories high and depicts modern soldiers carrying a wounded comrade to a medevac on a hovering Blackhawk helicopter. You will see shadowy figures in front of those soldiers that represent soldiers from the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812, the Civil War, World War I and World War II. The Vietnam War is included in the World War II figure because the uniforms were similar. The artist intended the shadowy solders of the past wars looking at "today's warriors preserving everything they fought for." Being over 10 years old and transferring ownership of the building has started to take its toll on the mural and it is starting to show signs of wear. The detail on the mural is still awesome as all of Welty's normally are. The helicopter and modern soldiers are very impressive, but as I mentioned this mural is starting to deteriorate and fade. You can also see where signs were when it was initially painted and has since been removed, leaving unpainted patches in the mural. The mural started on the Upper Deck restaurant, which changed ownership to Southern and Caribbean Bistro, to what it is now, the FFX Family Experience. It overlooks a janky looking commercial parking lot. As I previously mentioned, this mural is right over a commercial lot. There is also metered street parking and a few other commercial lots and garages 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. Anyway, as with most murals that I have visited and reviewed, this is not a very long stop. I was there less than 5 minutes. You may want to consider planning out additional stops at many of the other boardwalk attractions/shops, or making this stop part of a larger itinerary to maximize your time and trip.

This is a beautiful & long standing monument for the Native Americans. It has withstood all of the…read moreupdates and changes to the park. It's the perfect spot for a picnic as there are plenty of tables and shade. It's much less crowded than other parts of the park.

This is a sculpture by Peter "Wolf" Toth, who was adopted by the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians…read morein 1989. He made the piece in 1976 and donated it to Virginia Beach as a present for the city's 1976 bicentennial. It is now on display in a wooded and shady area in the corner of the great Mount Trashmore Park. This is not an original piece as there are dozens of similar pieces across North America and is part of a collection by the artist titled the Trail of the Whispering Giants. The 74 Whispering Giants range from 15 to 40 feet and depicts a long Native American face. This sculpture is made of cypress wood and stands about 24 feet. Toth has said that "The statue honors the struggles of all humankind against tyranny, racism and injustice," Being made of wood, the sculpture is not very durable. A few of the sculptures have been lost to the elements and vandalism. Toth returned to Virginia in 2004, almost 30 years after its initial placement, to restore this one. It was not your typical face lift though. He said that he was not going to smooth away the wrinkles. If anything, he added a few more to give the sculpture's face a little more wisdom and understanding. Additionally, the city has installed a steel spine in the statue for support. This statue looks great and I was very impressed. It has a bronze plaque that gives it name and tells a bit about the bicentennial gift. It is not in a very prominent spot in the park though. It is off in a corner by the large playground's parking lot. There are some picnic tables in that area to sit at and it is well shaded. There are no signs directing you though. Bing located in Mount Trashmore Park, there is more than enough parking spots available to park in and check this sculpture out. I understand that this is probably not a destination piece and would be better use of your time as a secondary stop during your visit to the park. The park is awesome in itself and you could make a half to full day of it,

Have a taste of the India flair at the India Fest! Here are a few key things to know:…read more * Most of the clothing + jewelry are for girls/women little choice for men it was very hard to find stuff. Clothing areas were piles of attire on tables that were grab and buy. Some were more organized. * Get at least $10 in tickets for 1 person $20 was bit much better for 2 people. The prices of food ranged from $2- $7 with a fair blend of appetizers, meals, & drinks. * Food was good and flavorful but one dish I had discovered a long hair...apart from that a great discovery into Indian cuisine. Would've been nice to know what places locally serve food besides Nawab. * Seating is terrible, people kept stealing chairs from neighboring tables. Some hawked tables for 20 minutes and after an hour still sitting in the same spot! People were careless just pulling chairs without asking and at one point someone had their food knocked out of their hand without apology. * Go to watch the dancing and entertainment that was very good to see * Also go to check out the beautiful clothing of the people that were lavishly adorned. Some articles of clothing I had no idea what they were called...a difference between the names of clothes and what we the traditional male V female dress.

Definitely a good festival to attend each year. They've had them in the past in Norfolk but after…read moreexplosive growth with vendors and attendees they held their last event at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. It's all things about India and some. If you decide to check them out in 2015, expect the event to be in the October/November time frame. They have everything from Bollywood performances, fashion shows, vendors representing various businesses and of course, food. You do have to pay for food when you're at the event but the best part is that this event is free to attend. If you like to learn about other cultures this is something that you'll enjoy. Good job to the Asian Indians of Hampton Roads for putting this event on each year.