There’s A Lot To Love About Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach, VA (cloudy skies, 76 degrees, low 56 degrees)

John driving on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

Tunnel

 

Chesapeake Bay Bridge

 

 

 

The pictures above are the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.  It is a beautiful 28 mile bridge with two under water tunnels.   We experienced these spectacular views on our way to Virginia Beach. It’s rather pricey ($28 for a motorcoach + toad) but it saves you having to drive through Baltimore, Washington D.C., & Richmond.

 

 

 

View Larger Map

We spent three fun filled days at Virginia Beach. The weather was warm and delightful and our first view of the ocean was exhilarating. Walking along the beach is so enjoyable.

 

  

 

We stayed at the Ocean Pine RV Park near the Naval Air Station Oceana. It’s a peaceful military FAM campground, except when the planes are flying over (the sound of Freedom). It has full hookups and the staff are very friendly.  Cost per night is $25 which is a great price for the area. 

 

 

The only compliant are the sewer hookups.  The location is right in the middle of the site and not very user friendly.  First time we have seen a set up like this one.  Sheesh!

 

We spent most of our time at the beach. This is the off season and the boardwalk was not crowded.  Trip  Advisor recommended Sandbridge Beach.  It is off the beaten path and a very nice beach about 30 minutes from Virginia Beach. 

 

 

 

 

Our favorite beach was at Ft. Story  It’s a military base, however, civilians can go out lighthouse (Cape Henry). It's  one of the first lighthouse commissioned by George Washington. 

Jimmy liked it  too.  Virginia Beach is very dog friendly. 

 

Jimmy Doodle enjoying the boardwalk

 

 

John took this cool picture of a kayak and sail boat.  Look closely and you can see a dolphin playing in the ocean too.

 

 



 



Edgar Casey Health Center & Spa

We also treated ourselves to a massage at the Edgar Casey A.R.E. Health Center & Spa.  Be sure to check out this spa if you are in the area.  They also have a massage school offering reduced rates if booked far in advance 



 

The grocery store (commissary) was amazing.  It’s one of the largest  we have seen.and the prices were fantastic especially compared to New York. 

 

 

 

We will definitely return here again.  We think the  best time to visit is in the spring or fall. 

New "Shoes" For The Motorcoach

New Castle, DE (68 degrees, cloudy skies)

We are on the road again and heading down to Florida for the winter. Our motorcoach needs new tires and after a lot of research decided to have them replaced in Delaware.  Some of our Facebook friends have asked for information and we thought some of our blog friends might find our experience helpful too.  We have attended seminars at rallies in the past about tires and it's recommended to have them replaced at 5-6 years of age regardless of wear or mileage.  Did you know there is actually a birth date on your tire (click link -how to tell how old a tire is)?

 

We wanted to replace them as a planned event and not as an emergency going down the road due to a blow out.  Along the side of the highway you can be at the mercy of a tire shop and a blow out can cause a lot of damage to the rig.

FMCA (Family Motorcoach Association) has a great benefit to its members.  They have a special program though Michelin Advantage Program (click link for program details).  We saved $92 per tires by utilizing the program. We also researched the state tax of the ones on our route to Florida.  Delaware has no state tax. In New York we would have paid 9%.  These new "shoes" are expensive ($3546 for a set of six).

FMCA is a motorcoach organization that offers rallies, seminars, forums, and much more for motorcoach owners.  We've attended several of their rallies and found them very informative and well organized.  If you are a new motorhome owner we would highly recommend joining.  There is a big learning curve to a motorhome and their seminars have been very helpful.  Right now membership is open only to motorhome owners, however, this may be changing in the future.

From the website on FMCA we found Service Tire and Truck Center  in New Castle Delaware (suburb of Wilmington).  Brian was very responsive to all our questions by phone and looked for tires with a recent birth date.  Our tires were quickly replace and we were back on the road in about two hours.   We were very pleased with this tire center. 

 

 

They did say we could boondock in their parking lot.  However, we decided to stay at a nearby Elks Lodge about one mile from the center.  It is tucked in the middle of a neighborhood and there are two sites with 120 electric only.  We were welcomed warmly and enjoyed our stay there for the night. 

Elk Lodge New Castle Delaware

 

 Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks are next on our itinerary.  Check back soon for all the details.