Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Taphouse Grill at Ghent
PUB
(931 W 21st St)
Good microbrews are served and good local bands jam at this warm little
pub.
Getting There & Around
The region is served by
Norfolk International Airport
(NIA; 757-857-3351)
, 7 miles
Monticello Ave)
runs buses to Virginia Beach ($16, 35 minutes), Richmond ($32, 2¾ hours)
and Washington, DC ($50, 6½ hours).
Roads region. Buses ($1.50) run from downtown throughout the city and to Newport
News and Virginia Beach.
Norfolk Electronic Transit
(NET; 6:30am-11pm Mon-Fri, noon-
midnight Sat, to 8pm Sun)
is a free bus service that connects Norfolk's major downtown
sites, including Nauticus and the Chrysler Museum.
Newport News
The city of Newport News comes off as a giant example of suburban sprawl, but there
are several attractions here, notably the amazing
Mariners' Museum
( 757-596-2222;
www.marinersmuseum.org
; 100 Museum Dr; adult/child $12/7; 9am-5pm Wed-Sat, from 11am
Sun)
, one of the biggest, most-comprehensive maritime museums in the world. The on-
site
USS Monitor Center
houses the dredged carcass of the Civil War-era
Monitor,
one
of the world's first ironclad warships, as well as a life-sized replica of the real deal.
child $17/13; 9am-5pm, from noon Sun; )
is a fine introduction to Virginia's ter-
restrial and aquatic life set in naturalistic ecosystems. The complex comprises open-air
animal enclosures, an aviary, gardens and a planetarium.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Virginia Beach
With 35 miles of sandy beaches, a 3-mile concrete oceanfront boardwalk and nearby out-
door activities, it's no surprise that Virginia Beach is a prime tourist destination. The city
has worked hard to shed its reputation as a rowdy 'Redneck Riviera,' and, hey, the beach
is wider and cleaner and there are fewer louts. But the town's appeal is limited: uninspir-
