Team Maryland Vs. Hurricane Irene

There's a Hurricane a'coming!!

We might have lost the battle, but I believe Justin and I won the war with Hurricane Irene by completing most of our Virginia Beach vacation this past week. Technically, this wasn't a Maryland excursion, but we won't let details get in our way here!

So despite weather reports that Armageddon was descending on the Eastern Coast, Justin and I headed out Thursday morning for Virginia Beach. Take note if you're heading out of Eastern Maryland, it makes much more sense to take Route 301 South and connect to I-95 or US-17 rather than fight through the Capitol Beltway and I-95. Still we survived the road trip with no major spats (yay us!).

We arrived later in the afternoon (it's a four-hour plus drive from Crofton when you add in traffic and a stop for lunch) at the Barclay Cottage Bed and Breakfast. If you've never been to a B&B, you should definitely try this one. It's a two-block walk to the beach and tucked away from the boardwalk and hotel strip. The inn boasts six rooms, provides bike and boogie-board rentals, and puts on a magnificent breakfast spread that definitely fills you up. Did I mention home-baked cookies and sherry in the evening? Justin and I were sorry we only got the chance to stay one night.

But we made the most of our limited beach time! Lots of splashing in the surf and catching waves. Actually, the waves were great the Thursday and Friday before the storm hit. Save some crazy sunburns, it was a fantastic time on the shore. See Justin showing off his skills:

Suffice it to say, we were like two puppies playing the water (with me being the yappier puppy that got toppled by the waves!). In addition to some great beach time, we had a fantastic dinner Thursday night at Rockafeller's Restaurant. They had a special on lobsters (2 for $22) that we couldn't refuse. Look how pretty they are!!

Friday was more beach time before we had to evacuate with the rest of the beach-goers. The LaFonds were incredibly kind to let us use the boogie boards one more afternoon after we checked out and later change at the inn. One thing about the public beaches is that there's no bathhouse with showers (just some sprinkler-like systems to rinse off sand). But we had a wonderful time enjoying the beach and exploring the area. One unexpected stop was the Fire Station:

Justin had to stop in and talk with the career firefighters there (I figured this is a guy thing and tagged along). A very nice man was happy to take a break from work preparations and talk with us. God bless firefighters and EMS!

The moral of this trip was we made the best out of less-than-perfect situations. We definitely want to return to Virginia Beach and explore some other beaches like Nags Head and Fenwick Island. We've learned we're a couple of kids when it comes to the beach!

Stats:
Destination: Virginia Beach, VA
Miles Driven: Roughly 460 roundtrip
Things to Keep in Mind: Make sure you have close access to your lodging as there aren't any fully functioning bathhouses in the public beach area.