Away from the hustle and bustle of the nearby main beach area in Virginia Beach there is a secluded beach with lots to offer. If you like camping, hiking, strolling the beach, and observing nature, then First Landing State Park is for you. The beach is a lot less crowded than the main beach. There is park ranger guided instruction for everything such as crabbing, owl hunting at night, star gazing, etc. The campsites are between the beach and the swampland. If you get tired of the beach, go hiking through the bald cypress swamp and catch a glimpse at wildlife. Once back on the beach look for dolphins. They are visible from here. The museum will explain why the park is called First Landing, and there is even a small aquarium center as well. There are also well maintained paths for bicycling. You can enter from 64th Street, or from the main entrance on Shore Drive opposite the Chesapeake Bay Center (which is part of the park and worth a visit).
This unique museum is one of the largest private collections of World War 2 and Korean War era fighters, bombers, trainers and seaplanes. Many have been fully restored to their original condition. It is open daily and is manned by volunteers with a love of history and fighter planes. Located on Princess Anne Rd., about 15-minutes from the beach.
Association for Research and Enlightenment (ARE)
Edgar Cayce, a "psychic" from Kentucky who made predictions and claimed to have healing abilities, made his home in Virginia Beach. His followers continue to carry out his mission. At the ARE are daily programs on intuition, dreams, meditation, holistic health, and more. Massage and Day Spa facilities are available too. There are 1/2 hour meditations during the week daily at noon in the meditation room on the third floor overlooking the ocean...no charge to participate. Also during the week, there are free lectures on the concepts brought forward by Edgar Cayce. There is a labyrinth to walk that is copied from the one at the Chartres cathedral in France, and a meditation garden as well. This place is a real treasure. Located at 67th Street and Shore Drive.
CBN Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN)
This is the home of Pat Robertson and the 700 Club. CBN offers tours of its studios and of Regent University, and visitors may enjoy seeing the show live as part of the studio audience.
For a "Top Gun"-like experience, visit the largest Master Jet base, home to over 250 jet aircraft including F-14 Tomcats and F A/18 Hornets. You can join a bus tour via Hampton Roads Transit at the kiosk at 24th St. and Atlantic. (Tours run June 5 through Sept. 1) A photo ID is required; backpacks are not permitted.
Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum
There are two original victorian beach cottages remaining in Virginia Beach. Both were build in 1895. One is now the Barclay Cottage Bed and Breakfast...it has been a guest house since 1916 and was also a primary school for 50 years. The other is the former DeWitt cottage, where the DeWitt family raised 10 children. It is now a museum housing a fantastic collection of beautiful historic decoys. There is also a local carver demonstrating the delicate craft of decoy carving. The upstairs contains an extensive collection of vintage photographs of the ocean front and a 27 minute narrated DVD to pop into the available television. If you are interested at all in history, this is a must do...a little gem that honors the rich history of the Virginia Beach oceanfront area. You can also sit and rock on the porch overlooking the ocean...a nice haven from the sunshine if you are the sunburning type. There is no charge to visit, but donations are appreciated. It is located at 12th Street on Atlantic Avenue.