Well, our planned Summer Vacation got pushed up from September to Last week. On May 28th we hitched up the trailer and headed for Virginia Beach, all 6 of our crew and my in-laws, 8 in all. We left out around 1:00pm on thursday and hit the road. We got to Va Beach at around 7:00pm and checck into the Holiday Tav-L Park and were impressed from the moment we entered the gate. From first glance we were impressed with the mini golf course, the store, the pool the cleanliness and the nice spacious parking for rigs to park so check in can be performed. The staff was very helpful and made the check in painless as possible. We were given site 22 on Michigan Ln. 2 streets from the pool, playground, mini golf, bath house and the Calypso Cafe. The site was spacious, very clean and level.
We got the trailer set up and headed in to town for some dinner at Salvatore’s Italian Dining, food was pretty good, bill was higher than expected. ( Just a note after the week was over we learned that alot of the restraunts in Va Beach add the tip to the bill, we did not know that before we tipped on the bill for Salvatores, you have been warned check the ticket, do not double tip!!!!) Alright enough disclaimers. After dinner we went back to the Trav-L put the kids to bed and had a fire. The campground was quiet and enjoyable.
Friday morning breakfast was cooked and the family hit the pool and than off to the beach. Tra-L park has a convenient parking lot at 9th and Pacific Avenue that is reserved for campers only which allows you to park at the beach without paying for parking, great benefit, the park is only three minutes from the beach. We walked the strip enjoyed pizza at Albies New York Pizza on 23rd St. Walked the strip back to the parking lot and grabbed our beach gear and went into the ocean. Faith and I (my daughter) used our newly acquired body boards and caught some waves. We checked out the rocks at Rudee Inlet, met some local surfers, enjoyed the Patriotic Festival thrown by the USO and other businesses to support our Heroes in our Mighty Military. We left the beach around 6:00pm went back to the Trav-L showered off, adults inside, kids used the outdoor shower on the trailer, how convenient. We at dinner that night at the Calypso Cafe which is poolside at the Trav-L, the Panini’s are awesome. We put the kids to bed and enjoyed the fire. I cooked my Father-inlaw his very first Smore. Yep he is 62 years old and never had or heard of a Smore. He loved it and regreted never having one, I told him now your life is complete.
Saturday morning we hung around the Trav-L pool which was a blast. We headed for my uncle Dean’s house around 2:00pm, he is retired Navy and stayed in Va Beach. My father-inlaw, my uncle and myself went back to the campground to get Jacob our middle sons bathing suit and also checked out the rest of Trav-L. This campground is a great value for all it has to offer. We than left and went to the Commisary to get lunch. Back at my uncles house the kids and their cousins were enjoying my uncle beautiful garden with inground pool in the middle. Uncle Dean grilled up some, “Get Up and Slap Your Momma Good”, Bubba Burgers. Those burgers are so good with Martin’s Potato Rolls, Umh Umh. We left Uncle Dean’s and headed back to the Trav-L.
Sunday morning we checked out the Wave Church on Great Neck Rd. and Old Charity Rd., what an Awesome Church, Praise and Worship was like being in a rock concert. Check it out on Sundays if you go the Beach. After church the inlaws went their own way and our family went and checked out Sandbridge Beach, the locals beach, not as nice as Atlantic Beach. This beach had bugs, biting bugs crawling all over it. We left the beach and headed back to the Trav-L and got dressed and headed out to meet Uncle Dean and Aunt Barbara to go eat at Chick’s Raw Bar, (not one of those overpriced Seafood Buffets), this is a local hang out. Chicks has valet parking, is on Lynnhaven Inlet and is right on the water, boats dock and eat on the back deck, that’s fresh. We had the sampler, she crab soup, fries and 6 fresh blue crab Jimmies, kids popcorn shrimp, 2 kids cheesburger meals and drinks with tip $81.00 not to bad for fresh great seafood. Afterwards we went home to Trav-L and slept off our food hording.
Monday morning every one went to the beach except for me, the baby and my father- inlaw. We packed up the trailer, checked out, waited for the rest of our vacation crew got back from the beach and headed to Williamsburg for the day on our way home.
The price of the Trav-L park was very reasonable after our Good Sam discount we paid $225 and change for 4 nights at a top rated campground, full hookup pull through sites. I highly recommend this campground at Virginia Beach, it has all you need, 4 pools, cafe, nince mini golf, 2 stores, gas station, convenience store, paved roads ( the kids enjoyed this for bike riding). You name it they had it. Also the park is acroos the street from Ocean Breeze Water Park and go cart track.
Williamsburg was only an hour and very enjoyable ride past the Naval Base. We got to see the Aircraft Carrier as we drove by, went through a tunnel and enjoyed our ride. We pulled into Colonial Williamsburg and parked at the visitors center, they have RV parking but not over night parking. We checked out the Colonial Williamsburg area. We did not by a pass because we got there around 2:00pm. I recommend buying a pass so you can get into all exhibits, however do not let that deter you. We got into the old colonial stores, the Church which boasted the pews in which Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, James Monroe and President Taylor would sit in when they were in town for services. We ate at one of the pubs and enjoyed our stroll around Colonial Wiliamsburg. We got back to the visitor center around 9:00pm and decided to stay the night. The visitor Center does not offer over night spots for RV’s like some other Welcome Centers do, i.e. Bedford Virginia $20.00 per night full hook ups. The info. desk in the welcome center supplied a list of Campgrounds, after numerous attempts to reach one, the only one that answered was KOA Colonial Williamsburg. They wanted $82.00 for the night, $54.00 for 2 adults, $5.00 per child age does not matter, they charged for our 11 month old child, seriously and $7.00 for each extra adult. So $54.00 plus 4 kids equals $20.00 and 2 more adults equals $14.00 comes $88.00 plus tax. Than we got a %10 AAA discount, no Good Sam Discount, it came to $82.00. The site was small and actually I could not get into the site they gave me, I was surrounded by small rigs and the area was tight. I guess they did not hear 30 feet with Super Slide.
Tuesday morning we hit the pool and the Air Pillow, (huge pillow about 60 feet long by 30 feet one giant trampoline). The KOA was nice but not worth the money. Do not wait until 9:30 pm the day of to find a campground on a Monday night, you will pay for it. Off to IHOP we go to fill up and hit the road. We rolled back into Bedford around 7:00pm to conclude our vacation.
We went over 700 miles and spent almost $365.00 in gas. With gas prices the way they are make sure you save up just for fuel, I am serious $365.00. All in all it was fun and enjoyable, but the gas makes you think HYBRID trailer.
Well enjoy and please stoke the fire.
