Mini-Vacation to Norfolk Virginia

Staying at our friend's farm in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia has been like a vacation. But then came another opportunity for a mini vacation as we accepted the invitation of one of our friends. They have a house in downtown Norfolk which was going to be empty for four nights.  It has been a while since we visited the city so we were anxious to see it again as it is a very vibrant, walkable city and the RV is happily snuggled in at the farm so off we went..

Norfolk, known for its mermaids, is a long 4 hour drive from the farm but is really a nice scenic drive through the rolling hills. We stopped to pick up some groceries before driving into town and once we got settled we immediately headed out for a walk to reacquaint ourselves with the city.

Our friend's house is near the Chrysler Museum and is just a short walk to the center of town. We pretty much walked all over town each and every day we were there. The downtown area has tons of bars and restaurants as well as a large mall. This makes walking in the city fun while at the same time we got plenty of exercise.

The harbor walk reflects the city's naval presence and the Armed Forces Memorial with the plaques of letters written by our military men to their loved ones is an emotional experience for sure. Also docked here is the magnificent USS Wisconsin. The Waterside District is where we spent most of our evenings as there was a lively bar we enjoyed right in the middle of all the action.

Best of all on Friday our daughter made the two hour drive up from Raleigh and spent two nights with us. A coup considering we weren’t sure when we would see her again. When life opens doors leading to opportunities, by all means we try to jump through every one of them we can.

While in Norfolk we did visit the Chrysler Art Museum as well as the General Douglas MacArthur museum. Both museums were interesting and a great stop on hot days. We ate out on several occasions taking full advantage of Sharon’s app on her phone called Retail Me Not which led us to several buy-one-get-one-free opportunities. Anytime we can save a few bucks we are always pretty happy as it allows us more entertainment dollars to spend elsewhere.

We really had a blast spending four nights in Norfolk but it was time to return back to the farm. We drove a longer route back so we could take in part of the Skyline Drive as well as making a stop for happy hour at one of our favorite Virginia Breweries – Blue Mountain Brewery. A few hours later we were back at the farm looking back out over the Shenandoah Valley…. Boy we are so lucky to have met such wonderful people during our travels on our Road of Retirement…

NOTE: We plan to stay here in the Shenandoah Valley until the end of the month and then move on northwards.