Ocean View Station Museum

Sometimes, when Anouk and I visit the Pretlow Library in Norfolk, we stop in and visit the Ocean View Station Museum on the ground floor before we leave, if it's open. It's one of our favorite places to visit, so I can never quite believe that many people don't even know the little museum is there.

Which is kind of like Ocean View itself: a lot of people don't know that this quiet-but-colorful neighborhood in Norfolk used to be one of the most popular beach vacation destinations on the East Coast. In its heyday, Ocean View featured an amusement park, resort hotels, a bustling boardwalk and fishing pier.





When my mom was a little girl, her grandparents, my great-grandparents, Anouk's great-greats (!), lived in a little brick house right on the beach in Ocean View, and she and all of her siblings and cousins spent a lot of time there. So Ocean View has a special place in my heart, and it's fun to be able to peek in and take a look at how it used to be. A. and I like to take our time moving through the museum, looking at everything: the old ticket stubs and photographs, old Granby High yearbooks from the 1920s and '30s, and even the restored front car of the Rocket, the amusement park's most popular roller coaster (which was spectacularly demolished in a made-for-TV movie in the 1970s).

More information about the Ocean View Station Museum's hours and exhibits can be found here. Be sure to stop in the next time you return your library books and have a chat with one of the staff, most of whom remember Ocean View the way it used to be and are all too happy to tell you all about it.

Is there a place that means a lot to your family? Tell us about it. And have a great weekend!

Elizabethan Gardens (Manteo, NC)

It seems like we can't get enough of the Outer Banks this summer. A few weeks ago, James, Anne and I went back -- this time, to Roanoke Island, to explore the little town of Manteo, which is one of the most charming spots I've ever visited. There was so much to see and do, but our favorite part of the day was spending time at the Elizabethan Gardens on the grounds of old Fort Raleigh.

Roanoke Island is the site of the first English colony in America. It was founded by Sir Walter Raleigh in 1587; by the time he returned from a voyage to England in 1590, all of the 115 Roanoke colonists had disappeared without a trace.

The Elizabethan Gardens were designed as a living memorial to this Lost Colony. Spanning 10 acres, the gardens were laid out to resemble a traditional 17th century English pleasure garden but also includes native plants and a few modern-day flourishes. There's a rhododendron garden, a tobacco walk, and rose and herb gardens, all extending from the Gate House, which houses a mysterious portrait of Queen Elizabeth I.

We enjoyed so much about the day, but I think Anne's favorite part of the gardens was the larger-than-life statue of Queen Elizabeth I. We had a hard time explaining to her that what she was seeing was a princess, since she's used to them being a little more sparkly. But I think Elizabeth serves as a better role model than any of those Disney waifs, for sure.

We're having a ridiculous week, thanks to some unexpected home repairs (long story), so things might be a little slower around here than usual. We'll be back in full force ASAP. Happy Monday!

The Hermitage Museum and Gardens

Last week, Anne and I met up with some friends and visited the Hermitage Museum and Gardens. I had heard of the Hermitage many times growing up, but this was my first visit, and I really wasn't prepared for how gorgeous it would be. The Hermitage, an Arts and Crafts style house, was built in the early 1900s by the a family from New York, and at points over the next hundred years served as their summer retreat, a soldiers' home, and finally, a hub for the local arts community in the Hampton Roads area. Currently, it houses a collection of fine, decorative, and student art.

The house is surrounded by a whopping 12 acres of gardens, which slope down to the Lafayette River on three sides. After exploring some of the house, the kids ran outside to play in the grotto, jump from stone to stone in the millstone courtyard, and exclaim over the fountains and the crenelated wall in the large, circular East Garden. We followed a series of winding paths that crossed over the river wetlands area and finally led us to a sweet little English garden surrounding a beautiful old water tower -- definitely the prettiest water tower I'd ever seen.

I think that was my favorite thing about the Hermitage -- the fact that everything was so thoughtfully useful and decorative. The window-panes featured tiny stained-glass insets, the crown mouldings were set with jaunty inscriptions, and even the roof joists were carved with patterns of fruits and flowers.  Everywhere we turned, there was something to discover, and if you looked closer, something else in that to discover, too. It was shocking how much attention the designer (Mrs. Sloane -- you can see her hand-drawn plans in the Hermitage's library) paid to all of the small stuff. It made me very aware of how people don't do that so much anymore.

I also have to say that I really didn't expect the kids to love the house nearly as much as the gardens, but they did. Pretty early on, Z., the oldest of the three, pronounced it a castle, and they were enthralled from then on out. They were fascinated by the grandness of everything and the little whimsical touches (the pipe organ, the small doors, the old-fashioned, bubbly windows). Unfortunately, photos weren't allowed inside the museum or else I would have taken about a hundred.

Admission to the Hermitage is $5 for adults, and free for children under 6 and to all active duty military personnel. A great bargain, especially considering the wide variety of programs and events they have happening on a regular basis. You can check out their calendar here. FYI -- registration for the Hermitage's summer arts camp starts April 8! (Click here for more details on that).

The Virginia Living Museum

The Virginia Living Museum was one of my favorite places to go growing up, the absolute best field trip destination. While I always loved the zoo and the aquarium, there was something special about the VLM. The animals weren't exotic but native to my home state, ones I could, theoretically encounter in my backyard. And yet at the museum, I had a chance to see them up close in their own habitats, not bounding away or freezing in fear but doing the kind of things they do in their daily animal lives.

I was excited to share it with Anne. This is a kid who loves all things outdoors and animals of all stripes. She's a Virginia girl, too boot. So J and I hit the museum on a cloudy day last week with high hopes of initiating her into the tribe.

But we ran into trouble early on. Surprise tantrum -- hit the deck! I think it was prompted by the fact that we wouldn't let her take her coat off. Oh, almost two...you are a delight.

Still, despite a few squalls, we ended up having a great time exploring the VLM (which was nice, because after paying over $30 to get in, we weren't looking forward to 1-2-3 Magicking our way out before we'd seen everything). The interior exhibits, featuring plants and wildlife from different geographical regions of Virginia, were punctuated by interactive discovery centers where kids can piece together fossils, climb through tree trunks, and examine brightly-painted butterfly wings. We especially loved the Coastal Plain aquariums and the World of Darkness gallery, and seeing all of the animals that have so creatively adapted to life without light.

But the real highlight of the trip was a stroll over the elevated boardwalk that spans Deer Park Lake to see the big stars of the museum: coyotes, foxes, eagles, deer...  My favorites were the crafty (and slightly neurotic?) raccoons, James liked the wolves, and the playful otters made A. laugh out loud. Not an easy task on this particular day, but those otters are seriously charming. Even the most crotchety of toddlers cannot resist.

Have you been to the VLM lately? What was your favorite exhibit?