One of our favorite hangouts this winter and early spring has been Outlook Beach at Fort Monroe. It all started when our friend Sam visited one day in February and saw a pod of migrating humpback whales swimming through the shipping channel! Well, after that we all had to go and try to spot them. And spot them we did, many times, even up close enough once or twice to hear the sound of their spray.

The whales moved on as spring approached but the boats are still there, in the channel that runs right by the beach, and that's almost as cool for little ones. From big container ships to small tug boats to teeny tiny sailboats, they're all there. Tons of boats go by every hour, close enough again for the kids to see the words on the side and imagine all the types of cargo on board.

As far as actual beach attributes go: Outlook Beach is clean. It's a small beach, really just a strip of sand, but that makes it more accessible for little legs. It is also bordered by a concrete boardwalk that's the perfect place to ride a bike or scooter. The breakwater rocks make sheltered little swimming or wading areas with the mildest of waves. Parking is ample (so far, summer may be a different story) and close by. And surrounding the beach is the awesome scenery of one of America's oldest and most historic forts.

Speaking of Fort Monroe, there are some really awesome events coming up, including concerts by the water, living history tours, and memorial day flag raising. Check them all out here.

Would it surprise you to learn that one of the prettiest and remote beaches in the HRVA area is just a few minutes from Downtown Hampton? Grandview Nature Preserve starts out with a walk down a gravel path that begins in a neighborhood but by the time you reach the beach, a half mile away, you have left it all behind. The two-mile stretch of beach is pristine, covered with driftwood and shells and clean fresh sand. You hear the cheeps of birds and the grasses moving in the breeze but not much else. It's like a world into itself.

Grandview wasn't always so remote. Back in the 1800s, Grandview was a swinging social destination. There were parties and dances in the glow from the old lighthouse and dozens of painters set up their easels to paint it. You can walk to what remains of that old lighthouse from when it finally succumbed to erosion and disrepair in the '50s, a lonely pile of rocks standing a few yards offshore. It's kind of eerie to look at them -- if you stare long enough you can almost see the old light standing up from them again.

The nature preserve covers 475 acres of salt marsh and wetlands, and there is excellent canoeing through the inlets. Besides that, it's a good place to observe migratory birds and sea turtles (be sure to save this number in your phone before you go  -- it's not out of the ordinary to see wildlife stranded and in need of help). In summer the swimming is great but the walk down to the beach may be too far for very little ones in the heat.

To read another local blogger's take on Grandview (and see her gorgeous pics), click here! Have you been to Grandview Nature Preserve? How did it compare to other area beaches, in your view?

A few weeks ago, James's parents came to visit and we spent an afternoon at Bluebird Gap Farm, one of our favorite weekend spots. That October day the Hampton Master Gardener's display garden was in bloom with fall pretties and we spent some extra time exploring it. A lot of time, actually -- there was a lot to see.

The garden is bigger than it looks from a distance, divided into beds for flowering plants, veggies and fruits, bulbs, grasses, and evergreens. There's a scent garden and rain garden and spots to showcase things like bog plants and compost and xeriscaping (A. and I loved poking around the Bug House and I think we might end up making one for our own yard?). Oh, and there's also a little free library full of books on nature and gardening manuals. Don't forget that. (We brought home Manfish, which has started us on a journey of all things Jacques Cousteau).

Most people head to Bluebird Gap for the animals but the garden is worth a trip in itself. And if you're thinking of visiting, make sure to stop in for the Bluebird Gap fall festival this Saturday (Nov. 21). More info about that here.




If you're looking to enjoy this fair fall weather and get outside a little more before it gets cold, check out our #HRVA Garden Guide here. 

With our renovations and home stuff going on, I've been too busy to blog much lately, on one hand -- but on the other, we've been having so much fun that it's hard not to share a little of it (even if it is with blurry iPhone photos, apologies). So here's the quick and dirty, three new-to-us places that we're glad we discovered. We think you might like them, too -- so if you're in the HRVA area, stop by!


East Beach Sandwich Company: Located right by our favorite beach, the East Beach Sandwich Company is the perfect place to stop for lunch on a beach day (or any other). Not only do they have some of the best sandwiches and salads in the area, but they have a great selection of baked goods, craft beer, and handmade ice cream. AND they'll even deliver to the beach if you get hungry while you're there but don't want to give up your spot. Our picks: the Front Porch (curried chicken salad) and the Windjammer (turkey with onion jam!) Anouk loves their PB&honey.



Paradise Ocean Club: A private beach club on the grounds of decommissioned Fort Monroe -- it used to be the officers beach. Admission is $10 per adult ($5 per child) but it's worth it for the amenities -- beach and pool and cabana boys to bring your food and drinks out to the sand. There's almost always some music going on, and the waves can be pretty active for a bay beach, which is nice. Crowded on weekends, so if you're going on Saturday or Sunday, plan to get there early.

Paradise Donuts: My dad, who works in downtown Norfolk, has been telling us about Paradise Donuts for a while, so we decided to check it out last weekend. The verdict: YUM! Paradise offers both yeast and cake donuts in some creative combinations (Creamsicle and Blue Raspberry were two of the ones we tried). They also have old classics done well.


Have you discovered any new-to-you places around town lately?

A few weeks ago, Anne picked up a horse barn and a dozen plastic horses at a yard sale, and immediately started asking to see some real horses in person. I figured it would be a great opportunity to introduce her to Bluebird Gap Farm in Hampton, which was a favorite place of mine when I was a little older than her. Bluebird Gap is kind of a magical place for a little kid -- not only can you see and meet all sorts of barnyard animals but you can, in many cases, get the chance to pet and feed them, too.

We set off on a perfect day and made friends with some very nice chickens, turkeys, goats, fluffy sheep and alpacas, and even a very inquisitive emu or two. Anouk loved seeing the cows grazing and was fascinated by the pigs. And as for horses, we not only got to pet several, but we got to see them being exercised in the yard, which was a treat.




Besides the barnyard, Bluebird Gap features one of the prettiest flower and vegetable gardens in the area, and a really boss playground and an easy, kid-friendly nature trail, too. We spent a good chunk of our Saturday there, checking it all out. It was one of the things I love best about living in this area where I grew up -- sharing places that I loved as a child with A., and seeing her fall in love with them just like I did.

Bluebird Gap is a city park, which means it's FREE and open to the public seven days a week. If you go on a Wednesday morning between 10:30 and 11:30, you just might get the chance to see the sheep being sheared in the livestock barn! Too cool. Find a checklist of things to plan to see/bring to the farm for a wonderful visit here.

IthI I think a milestone in every #HRVA kid's life is the first time they ride the Hampton Carousel. First installed in Buckroe Beach in 1920, and running from April to September, the carousel is kind of a rite of summer passage in these parts and a pretty interesting piece of history, too. It's one of only 180 antique wooden carousels left in the US, a beautiful display of American folk art, and just everything a fairy-tale carousel should be, with oil pantings, bevel mirrors, gilded hooves, music, the works.

Anouk was in love from the first moment she saw it. She spent a long time picking out her favorite horse. As the organ began to play and the carousel began to go she looked a little scared but she soon settled in for the ride and her face, every time it came around, was completely joyous.

For her next ride, though, she chose to sit on the gilded bench, and try as we might to get her to pick another of the intricately carved horses (they are so detailed that the veins stand out in their necks!), she wouldn't budge. A woman walking past with her grandson elbowed me and said, "That bench was my favorite place to sit when I was her age."

For the rest of the summer, the Hampton Carousel is open Monday through Sunday, 12:00 to 5:00 PM and rides are $2 apiece, or $25 for 25. It now stands in Settlers Landing Park, right outside the Virginia Air and Space Center. And speaking of VASC, have you entered this giveaway for a free annual family pass yet? Today's the last day!

The City of Hampton asked us recently to visit the Virginia Air and Space Center and we were only too excited to take them up on the offer! We've visited VASC before but if there's one thing we learned on previous visits it's that there is so much to see there that one visit doesn't cover it all. The Virginia Air and Space Center is that rare place that manages to entertain parents and kids alike
and when we find a place like that, we put it on our favorites list and go back again and again.

VASC is really a local gem, a place where science and innovation meet, showcasing so much of what makes the Hampton Roads area important in the area of aerospace exploration. With a collection of vintage biplanes to WWII bombers to rockets and space capsules, the whole history of aviation and space exploration in the US is represented. Besides the planes (which are truly awesome in the truest sense of the word), the center is dotted with hands-on exhibits that make out-of-this-world seem a little closer to home (Anouk could not wrap her head around the fact that she was able to actually touch rocks from outer space, and to be honest, neither could I).

We built paper airplanes and tested them, took turns "flying" a commercial jetliner (James's favorite part), and climbed the outdoor observation deck to take in the beautiful view of downtown Hampton. The center had set up a craft table where kids could make silly putty from simple ingredients, so we did that, too. And we still have more to look forward to for our next visit: the state of the art IMAX theatre, the MaxFlight simulator, and the Simulated Ride Vehicle (SRV), which takes riders on a journey through a Haunted Mine!





One lucky reader and their family will also have the chance to experience the VASC as we did, free of charge -- the City of Hampton is hosting a giveaway for a FREE annual family pass to the Virginia Air and Space Center! The membership will include free admission for one year for two adults and dependent children living at the same address, 4 IMAX tickets, 4 MaxFlight tickets, unlimited rides on the SRV, and all of the other benefits that membership affords.

To enter, simply sign up to join the City of Hampton's enews list to keep up with events going on around the city. For extra chances to win, you can like Hampton's Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram accounts (and follow Virginia Air and Space Center as well). The giveaway will run through June 3, and a winner will be notified the next day.

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If you're looking for more fun to be had in Hampton, don't forget to check out the upcoming Blackbeard Festival, which runs May 31 to June 1 and looks to be a ton of fun for little pirate lovers out there!