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Virginia Beach: Going to the Beach with a Baby - Park Swings, Cruising, and a Touch Tank.  Virginia Beach offers parents traveling with a baby or a toddler plenty of ways to relax and rejuvenate. After all it's parents (not the baby) that may need to getaway. From sandcastles and swing sets to trolley rides and music at sunset, the fun space is easy to find.
Play in the sand. There is something really peaceful about wiggling your toes in the sand; building a moat around a sandcastle or sitting still on the beach as the waves caress the sand. A beach vacation with a baby or toddler often means early morning time on the sand, an obvious bonus no crowds.
Follow the boardwalk. Granted it’s no longer made of boards, but Virginia Beach’s 2.6-mile boardwalk is stroller friendly and can’t be beat for walking. Biking is also an option using the bike path parallel to the boardwalk. The latest craze is four-or six-person surreys made for pedaling along the bike path that runs parallel to the boardwalk. Bonus points: Surreys and bikes, even roller blades, may be rented at stands along the boardwalk.
Take in the music. After a nap with the baby enjoy the seaside entertainment. Three oceanfront stages on the Boardwalk at 7th Street, 17th Street and 24th Street offer everything from blues bands and family movies to magicians and puppet shows. Bonus points: Most performances are free. During the summer, fireworks light up the sky over the ocean every Friday and Sunday evening.
Find a swing. A gathering place for locals and visitors alike, 96-acre Red Wing Park (General Booth Blvd and Oceana Blvd.) provides space for recess. The park has two play areas with all important swings and slides, plus picnic shelters and wide open space for running free, almost toddler heaven. A marked nature trail meanders through the wooded area. Bonus points: The fragrance garden, rose garden and the Japanese garden alone make this a pleasant stop with tiny tykes.
Walk with legends. The perfect stroller path, Virginia Legends Walk is located at the 13th Street Park between Atlantic Avenue and Pacific Avenue. While babies love a stroller ride almost anywhere this route provides an interesting route for parents. The self-guided tour path honors Virginians, by birth or residences, which have made a significant contribution to the nation and the world. Celebrated Virginians include Edgar Allen Poe, Ella Fitzgerald, Bill “Bojangles” Robinson, Pearl Bailey, Booker T. Washington, Arthur Ashe, Patsy Cline, Thomas Jefferson and Captain John Smith.
Go to touch and see. Toddlers just have to touch and the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Museum provides plenty of ways to entertain tiny hands and nourish young minds. Scattered throughout the museum, touch tanks often cause squeal s of delight. Under the watchful eyes of parents tiny fingers may touch a sea star, pet the slick back of a ray, hold a hermit crab's claw or brush a horseshoe crab's legs. On the main floor is a toddler sized play area, ideal for down time. The gift store has a love assortment of books, puzzles and puppets to complement any beach vacation. Bonus points: Connecting the two building science museum is a stroller friendly natural pathway along the edge of the Owls Creek salt marsh.
Go to sea and sleep. It’s the perfect naptime excursion if you have a baby in tow but for toddlers it depends on their attention span. From the Virginia Marine Science Museum it is possible to cruise along the Atlantic and enjoy the Back Bay waters. Excursions include dolphin watching in the summer and whale watching in the winter. Bonus points: Babies 12 months or younger cruise for free. Toddlers and children require a $10 ticket.
Treat yourself and the baby. Anyone traveling with a baby or a toddler needs downtime and nourishment. It’s easy to find a friend vendor along the Boardwalk and snag a cone of flavorful Italian shaved ice, enough to share. Need a sit down space? Try fresh-squeezed lemonade from the lunch counter at Ingram’s Pharmacy, on 25th Street between Atlantic and Pacific Avenue. The Dairy Queen on the boardwalk at 17th Street is known as the world’s busiest and the creamy soft cones with a few sprinkles will make any toddler smile, or sample ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s on Atlantic Avenue at 14th and 25th Streets.
Count sea gulls. Long expanses of quiet space greet visitors to Seashore State Park (First Landing) the 2,270-acre park that stretches along the coast. In addition to the 1.25 miles of ocean-front beach, the park maintains more than 28 miles of hiking trails open daily dawn to dusk. Within the park it is easy to spot rabbits, raccoons, and boisterous seagulls. Park admission is charged per vehicle and admission is free to hikers and bikers. The Visitors' Center is open daily April through November.
Smell the roses. Norfolk Botanical Gardens is simply a beautiful place. Blooms abound in 175 acres of gardens with year-round floral displays. From early spring to the end of September they conduct Family Bike Nights. Bonus points: Beginning in June the Treasure Island Exhibit promises an exciting exploration of themed tree house locations created to stimulate the imagination and encourage playful interaction in kids of all ages.
Keep the schedule. Babies and toddlers are creatures of habit and schedule disruptions sometimes cause them to become cranky. Luckily Virginia Beach is baby friendly allowing young families to keep a schedule yet enjoy the beach. Hoteliers are sensitive to nap times and many restaurants happily provide menu options and quick service.
Make it happen. Basically Virginia Beach offers a change of pace and plenty of options to make getting away with a baby a practical idea. Safe, clean and baby friendly, the area offers downtime plus effortless fun. Plan your own vacation with the baby. Virginia Beach Visitors Bureau staff members have plenty of suggestions for creating the perfect getaway from baby sitters to story times, they know what is available. Call toll-free 1-800-VA-BEACH, (1-800-822-3224) or go to www.vbfun.com
Area Details
Virginia Legends Walk. 1300 Atlantic Avenue Virginia Beach, VA 23451. 1(757) 437-4882.
Oceanfront Entertainment Schedule. 1 (757) 491-SUNN or www.beacheventsfun.com
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Museum. 717 General Booth Boulevard, 1(757) 441-2374, 427-4305 or www.vmsm.com
First Landing Seashore State Park. 2500 Shore Drive (757) 481-2131 or www.dcr.state.va.us/parks/1stland.htm
Norfolk Botanical Gardens. Azalea Garden Road Norfolk, VA 23510 (757) 664-6879 or www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org
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Content provided by Travel Communications Inc. Images by FTF and Virginia Beach CVB. Copyright 2009.
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