So far so good

[Poquoson7]

Originally Posted by vboryork

Another great weather weekend. Saturday felt like summer and Sunday felt like fall.

On the recommendation of Pyroninja42 we went to Sandbridge beach on Saturday... I do agree it is a really nice beach although we may wait to go back again when the water is warmer because there is not much to do there besides the beach and it was a bit of a drive compared to the resort area. It was very picturesque though, great looking houses, big dunes, nice water, people fishing, paddling, and walking their dogs etc.... Also made it to the aquarium which my kids had a blast at. Looking forward to trying out that zipline course at some point.

Sunday went down to Norfolk so the wife could check out MacArthur Mall and downtown. Ended up walking around to the areas around the mall too including Town Point Park, past the Nauticus (that giant battleship is really cool), and around Granby street. Had a late lunch at the grilled cheese bistro, Holy SH*T that place was good. I love grilled cheese! I left with the same impression as before. It is a nice area and has a really good vibe, it is just kind of small. I think downtown St Louis has a bit more to offer, especially with the Cardinals and the Arch on the river, but we had a good time and felt safe down there. Looking forward to checking out a Tides game (which will be MUCH cheaper than a Cardinals game) and hopefully the finish that waterside place soon.

All and all a pleasant weekend again. We are enjoying getting a feel for the area. Next weekend probably gonna do first landing if the weather permits and maybe head over to the Peninsula to check out the living museum in Newport News... coworkers have told me that place is great for the family.

When you visit the Peninsula give the Hilton Village/Riverside area of Newport News a shot. There are 2 good restaurants in Hilton Village, Circa 1918 and Kismet Bistro. After or before dinner take a ride up along the James River on Riverside Drive from Hilton Village to the Mariners Museum/CNU area. The ride takes you through a beautiful residential neighborhood on the bluffs along the river up to the Lions Bridge, through Mariners Museum Park/Noland Trail and CNU. CNU is just down the street from The Living Museum.

Note: Hilton Village was the first planned community in the country. It was plated and developed after WWI to house workers from the rapidly expanding Newport News Shipyard. The neighborhood came to fruition in the years leading up to 1920. It includes several streets of homes, a commercial strip (Warwick Boulevard) and a fishing pier on the James behind the elementary school.
Gorgeous and unique area.
For dining options almost forgot the Crab Shack on the fishing Pier at Huntington Beach Park, midway between Hilton Village and NN Shipbuilding in the shadow of the James River Bridge.

[krabbas]

Love The Crab Shack.

[vboryork]

Got my first taste of tunnel craziness yesterday afternoon. When I left the office the HRBT was blocked due to an accident and backed up 3 miles so I decided to take the MMMBT. Right as I am going into the MMMBT things come to a screeching halt, about 5 cars in front of me there was a 4 car pileup where a couple of compacts had rear ended each other and the last car was a lifted pickup that had actually landed on top of a lowered civic.

Fortunately, everyone looked OK even though the civic was basically being crushed by a monster truck (that's why it's usually illegal to lower or lift cars too much). Luckily for me I was only a few cars behind the accident so I was able to get around it before the emergency vehicles arrived and shut everything down. If I had left work 5 minutes later who knows how long it would have taken me to get home with accidents in both tunnels.

On the upshot, this is the first time I've seen this in 3 weeks of making the commute... but it definitely gave me a taste of how my commute could potentially be a nightmare on occasions. Luckily I am only making it 3 days a week and I travel before the rush.