The North End

Our friends from DC visited this past weekend and of course we had to take them to our favorite  beach, which, for us, means the North End of Virginia Beach. The North End beaches are the beaches that I picture in my mind when anybody says the word "beach:" acres of golden sand, and the big blue Atlantic, just past the curve of Cape Henry, where there are always enough waves for bodysurfing. Some pretty impressive beach homes hunker down in the dunes, but there are plenty of old-school cottages, too, charming and shingled, half-hidden behind the stands of sea oats.

The North End runs from about 38th Street to 86th Street, and it's been my experience that every local has their favorite number in that range (it's kind of like those commercials for that sleep number mattress...there's one that's just right). Some people pick a street in the 40s -- out of the way of the throngs of tourists, but near enough to walk to Oceanfront amenities like restaurants and bathrooms. Some pick a stretch in the 80s, where the beach is widest and most remote, and you can see past the rows of residential homes to the trees in First Landing State Park. (For the record, our preferred beach access is at 66th -- right smack in the middle somewhere.)

We had the perfect beach weather for our visit, 85 degrees and partly sunny. After a string of 90-degree days, the water was warm enough for swimming (but still jellyfish free). The toddlers let us adults know pretty early on that they had no interest in braving the waves, so we did it for them while they played in the sand and fought over who would get to hold the handle of the beach wagon. Later in the day, a few kitesurfers put on a show for us, and a half dozen sky-writers steamed out messages overhead. All in all -- even including a nasty sunburn on my part -- it was a wonderful beach day. 

Like all good things in life, visiting the North End requires a little bit of work -- finding parking on the neighborhood streets can be a challenge at the height of summer, and once parked, you'll most likely have to schlep all of your stuff a few blocks. But it is definitely, totally worth the effort.