Visiting Botanical Gardens 🌹🌸🌼🌷🌻

💐 🌷Bellingrath Botanical Gardens Theodore 2002 with hubby
Touring Bellingrath Gardens and Home means experiencing 65 acres of year-round beauty. Within this beautiful estate are gardens and landscapes that showcase their own specific variety of wonder

💐 🌷Huntsville Botanical Gardens 2006 with daughter *& granddaughter 

💐 🌷Huntsville Botanical Gardens 1997

💐 🌷Birmingham Botanical Gardens with hubby 2013

💐 🌷Taking a trolley ride through the Norfolk Botanical Gardens 1996

💐 🌷US Botanical Gardens in Washington DC with my grandson in 2002
It’s balmy year-round inside the U.S. Botanic Garden on the National Mall. Considered a living museum of plants, the lavish garden rooms are housed inside a glass Conservatory. Exhibits range from plants native to Hawaii and tropical territories, deserts, medicinal plants, orchids, and a Children’s Garden. The museum is free and opens every day of the year from dawn until dusk.

💐 🌷Birmingham Botanical Gardens with granddaughter & daughter  2009

The Gardens' 67.5 acres contain more than 25 unique gardens, 30+ works of original outdoor sculpture, and miles of serene paths. The Gardens features the only public horticulture library in the U.S., conservatories, a wildflower garden, two rose gardens, the Southern Living garden, and Japanese Gardens with a traditionally crafted tea house.

💐 🌷Norfolk Botanical Gardens with sibling 2010
The Norfolk Botanical Gardens offer many different signature and theme gardens for guests to stroll around, such as the Virginia Native Plant Garden, the BBristolButterfly Garden, and the Enchanted Forest.

💐 🌷Creation Museum Botanical Gardens 2016
The Creation Museum’s beautifully themed gardens and three-acre lake invite guests to enjoy more than a mile of paved and accessible trails. Crossover five bridges and view a variety of waterfalls as you explore the Koi Pond, Carnivorous Bog Garden, Hummingbird and Butterfly Garden, Rainforest Garden, a mining sluice, and more.

💐 🌷Huntsville Botanical Gardens 2016
Huntsville Botanical Garden is an oasis of calm and tranquility. The garden has winding roads surrounded by trees, flowers, streams, and waterfalls.

💐 🌷Callaway Botanical Gardens 2013
Callaway Gardens is a 6,500 acres (2,600 ha) resort complex located in Pine Mountain, Georgia, just outside Columbus, Georgi

💐 🌷Dothan Area Botanical Gardens with grandkids 2008
the Dothan Area Botanical Gardens consists of 50 acres of cultivated gardens, nature trails, and an undeveloped, wooded landscape.

Historic Markers of Norfolk Virginia

Commercial  Place Norfolk VA ~Commercial Place & East Main Street Norfolk, Virginia 

When a survey was done in 1680 to lay out the town of Norfolk, one of the few streets shown was “the street that leads to the waterside.” The original location was just to the west of this site. It fanned out from Front (now Main) Street south to the Elizabeth River. As the new town developed, this area became its commercial hub. When a market was built here near Front Street in the early 1700s the area became known as Market Square. At the river’s edge, a ferry dock and commercial wharves developed. About 1900 the name changed again, to Commercial Place. This illustration “Old Norfolk Evening” by artist John Morton Barber, recreates the southern end of Market Square/Commercial Place in 1887. Double-edged steam ferries shuttle back and forth across the Elizabeth River to Berkley and Portsmouth. The English ship Carnarvonshire is being towed into the harbor to load goods for her voyage across the Atlantic, and the side-wheel steamer Luray is carrying passengers downstream toward Town Point.

Commercial  Place

Epworth United Methodist Church 1894 ~124 W. Freemason Street Norfolk, VA

Epworth United Methodist Church, 1894 

This 1894 Richardsonian Romanesque granite and sandstone church was designed by Norfolk architects James E. R. Carpenter and John V. Peebles. It was built to accommodate the growing congregation of the 1850 Granby Street Methodist Church at the Northeast corner of Granby and Freemason Streets. Both churches originated from the 1802 Cumberland Street Methodist Church, the first Methodist congregation in Norfolk. 

The congregation named their new house of worship "Epworth" after the English home of John Wesley, the founder of Methodism. Gothic features on the 135-foot carillon tower include eight gargoyles. In the sanctuary, a stained glass dome designed by Edward J. N.  Stent of New York is supported by arches bearing mosaic likenesses of female figures representing the cardinal virtues of faith, hope, love, and charity. The Aeolian-Skinner organ was considered to be the finest in the South at the time of its installation in 1959. 

Epworth members organized Norfolk's first chapter of Goodwill Industries and the city's first Circle of the King's Daughters. They also participated in the establishment of Virginia Wesleyan College. 

City of Norfolk

Epworth United Methodist Church, 1894 

Four Farthing or Town Point Granby St. near East Main StreetNorfolk

Four Farthing or Town Point

Here at a cedar tree was the western limit of the fifty acres constituting the original Town of Norfolk. The land was bought in 1682 as a port for Lower Norfolk County from Nicholas Wise, Jr for "ten thousand pounds of tobacco and casket." It was deeded to Captain Wm. Robinson and Lt. Col. Anthony Lawson as Feoffees in trusts for the county.

Owen Foundry Mfg. Company Inc Norfolk VA

Four Farthing or Town Point

Freemason Street Baptist Church Northeast corner of Freemason and Bank Street Norfolk

Freemason Street Baptist Church 

In May 1848 former members of Cumberland Street, Baptist Church organized to become the Freemason Street Baptist Church. A new church building was begun that year and completed and dedicated in May 1850. The Reverend Tiberius Gracchus Jones, a noted author, and preacher was the church's first pastor. Thomas Ustick Walter (1804-1887) of Philadelphia, one of the most prominent architects of the mid-19th century, designed the Gothic Revival structure. In Norfolk, Walter also designed the Norfolk Academy building (1840) and consulted on the dome for the City hall and Courthouse (1850). He later gained fame as the architect of the massive dome of the U. S. Capitol. With its original steeple, higher than the present one, Freemason Street Baptist Church was the tallest structure in Norfolk from 1850 to 1879. During a severe storm in August 1879, the steeple was blown off and landed on Freemason Street. It was replaced with the present steeple in 1897. The church building is included on the National Register of Historic Places. City of Norfolk

Freemason Street Baptist Church 

Governor Tazewell W. Tazewell Street West of Granby Street Norfolk

Here stood the residence of Littleton Waller Tazewell, attorney, Virginia legislator, U. S. Congressman, Senator, and Governor of Virginia. The Williamsburg native came to Norfolk in 1802 to practice commercial and maritime law and was widely known for his skill in debate. He successfully negotiated with the British against their blockade of Norfolk in 1807, helped finalize the purchase of Florida from Spain in 1821, and participated in the 1829 Convention to rewrite Virginia's Constitution.

Tazewell declined Henry Clay's invitation to serve as running-mate in Clay's unsuccessful bid for President in 1828 and President Andrew Jackson's offer of a post as Secretary of War or Minister to Great Britain. He received 39 votes from the Electoral College in the 1836 presidential election, even though he was not a candidate. That Littleton Waller Tazewell's reputation was not more lasting is attributed to his distaste for politics and dislike of being separated from home and family.

Tazewell's home was moved to Norfolk's Edgewater neighborhood around 1900. It is on the National Register of Historic Places. City of Norfolk

Governor Tazewell W. Tazewell 

Granby Street ~Granby Street between Main & Plume Streets Norfolk

Granby Street 

Granby Street was named in 1769 to honor Englishman John Manners (1721-1770), Marquess of Granby. The original street ran three blocks from Bute Street south to Town Back Creek, a semi-navigable stretch of marshland running the length of today's City Hall Avenue. Town Back Creek was a barrier to development in the northern portion of the Borough until a bridge was built in 1818 to span the creek at Granby. As it became more accessible, Granby Street was transformed into a residential area of stately homes. 

The electric streetcar debuted in Norfolk in 1894, and neighborhoods were established along the route. Many Granby Street residents moved to the new suburb of Ghent, and businesses of every kind replaced their former homes. By 1910, Granby surpassed Main Street as Norfolk's busiest shopping district. From 1976 to 1986 part of Granby was closed to vehicular traffic and renamed Granby Mall. Granby Street declined through the 1990s, but with the opening of Tidewater Community College and MacArthur Center, it has been revitalized with residences, theaters, and restaurants.  City of Norfolk

Granby Street

James W. Hunter House 1894 ~240 West Freemason Street, Norfolk, VA

James W. Hunter House, 1894 

James Wilson Hunter (1850-1931) was a prominent Norfolk merchant, banker, and civic leader. In 1894 he commissioned Boston architect W. P. Wentworth to design and build this impressive townhome for his family on West Freemason Street. The design represents the Romanesque Revival style of architecture made popular by noted architect Henry Hobson Richardson in the late 1800s. James and his wife Lizzie Ayer Barnes Hunter had three children. None of the children married and all lived out their lives in this house. James W. Hunter, Jr (1878-1940) served as a medic in World War I and was later a noted physician specializing in the fields of cardiology and radiology. The Hunter sisters, Harriett Cornelia (1880-1958) and Eloise Dexter (1885-1965) were very active in local, state, and national patriotic and genealogical societies. As the last surviving member of the family, Eloise left her family home and its collection to be used as a museum of Victorian architecture and decorative arts. A foundation created by her estate refurbished the house and administers the museum today. City of Norfolk

James W. Hunter House, 1894 

Littleton Waller Tazewell Lawyer

On this site stood the residence of Littleton Waller Tazewell 1774-1860 Lawyer Congressman US Senator Governor of Virginia his life was spent in the service of his native Virginia

Littleton Waller Tazewell Lawyer

Main Street Norfolk Va ~ East Main St & Martin's Ln, Norfolk, VA hanging on Marietta Building

Main Street 

In his 1680 survey of the site that was to become the Town of Norfolk, Lower Norfolk County surveyor John Ferebee laid out the principal street along a ridge of highland extending from Foure Farthing Pointe (Town Point Park) to Dun-in-the-Mire (Harbor Park). Originally called Front Street, it is now Main Street. The first house was built by mariner Peter Smith in 1683 on a lot at the Southwest corner of Main Street and Market Place. The county courthouse was located on the north side of the street in 1694. Main Street today follows its original corridor. The street was widened in 1782, trolley cars were introduced in 1894, and Belgian block paving was installed in 1897. Throughout its history, Main Street has been the center of community activities in Norfolk. Following a period of decline and the "Honky Tonk" era of World War II, the redevelopment of the 1960s through the 1990s has returned Main Street to its traditional role as the economic heart of the city. City of Norfolk

Main Street 

Margaret Douglass~East City Hall Avenue, between Monticello Avenue and Granby Street Norfolk

Margaret Douglass 

Margaret Douglass, a white woman from Charleston, South Carolina, moved to Norfolk with her daughter Rosa in 1845 and lived near here on the former Barraud Court. She was a vest maker by occupation. In June 1852 she and her daughter opened a school in the second-story back room of her house to teach 25 free black children, both boys and girls, how to read and write. Tuition was three dollars a quarter. After she was seen walking in the funeral procession of one of her deceased students, her school was raided, and she was arrested. She argued her own case in court, pointing out that the wives and daughters of several court officials taught black children weekly in Sunday School classes at Christ Church from the same books she used. After being on her booklet about her experience in Norfolk that was published in 1854. City of Norfolk

Margaret Douglass 

Monticello Hotel 1898

Corner of City Hall Ave & Granby St, Norfolk, VA 23510

The Monticello Hotel, which opened at the corner of City Hall Avenue and Granby Street on September 27, 1898, was the largest and finest hotel in Norfolk for over 60 years. By 1885 Town Back Creek had been filled to Granby Street. Construction of the hotel spurred additional development along the new City Hall Avenue. The hotel suffered a devastating fire on January 1, 1918. In addition to the flames, firefighters had to deal with bitter cold and ice. When it reopened in 1919, two additional floors had been added, including a large dining room and horseshoe-shaped ballroom known in later years as the Starlight Room. This became a favored location for balls, dances, and community events. The grandly appointed mahogany bar doubled as a billiards parlor during Prohibition. During the 1933 hurricane, the hotel and a broad area of downtown suffered considerable flood damage. The Monticello Hotel was the first building in Norfolk to be imploded in January 1976 to make way for the Norfolk Federal Building now on this site.

Monticello Hotel 1898

Moses Myers House 1792 - 323 East Freemason Street Norfolk Va

Moses Myers House, 1792 

Moses Myers (1753-1835) was a shipping merchant who came to Norfolk in 1787 from New York. He acquired this site in September 1791 and built his distinguished Federal townhouse in 1792. It was one of the early brick buildings to be constructed in Norfolk after the destruction of the town during the Revolution. The distinctive dining room and kitchen were built about 10 years later. In addition to his shipping business on Market Square, Myers became the superintendent of the Norfolk branch of the Bank of Richmond. He was active in public affairs as well, holding diplomatic positions in Denmark in 1812 and in Holland in 1819. In 1828 he was appointed Collector of Customs for Norfolk by President John Quincy Adams. The Myers family continued to own and occupy the house until 1931. The house welcomed many distinguished visitors over the years including Stephen Decatur, the Marquis de Lafayette, James Monroe, Henry Clay, General Winfield Scott, President William Howard Taft, and President Theodore Roosevelt.  City of Norfolk

Moses Myers House, 1792 

Norfolk College for Young Ladies ~College Street & Granby Street Norfolk

On this site was the Norfolk College for Young Ladies, which was chartered on February 20,1880 with Capt. John L. Roper as President of the Board. The school was designed by James H. Carlow, one of Norfolk's leading architects at the time. It opened that year with 125 students. The school offered educational opportunities for young women both in traditional academic subjects and in such social refinements as music, drawing, deportment, elocution, and "mental and moral science." When the public school expanded programs for women, the College closed. Its last class graduated in 1899. An active Alumnae Association supported your Norfolk women with grants and scholarships for many years. College Place, originally Green Bush Street and later Washington Street, was named for the College in the mid-1880s. The building became the Algonquin Hotel in 1905, in time to accommodate visitors to the Jamestown Exposition. The name was changed to Hotel Edwards in 1918 and to Hotel Lee in 1936.

The name was changed to Hotel Edwards in 1918 and to Hotel Lee in 1936.

Stores occupied the first floor until the building burned and was demolished in 1983. City of Norfolk

Norfolk College for Young Ladies

Old City Hall and Courthouse, 1850~Bank Street & City Hall Avenue Norfolk

When Norfolk became an independent city in 1845, space was needed to accommodate municipal functions. The Classical Revival building was begun in 1847 and completed in 1850 as Norfolk's City Hall and Courthouse. The architect was William Singleton, a Portsmouth native then practicing in St. Louis. He was assisted, particularly in the design of the dome, by Thomas Ustick Walter, a Philadelphia architect who designed the dome of the U. S. Capitol in Washington. On the steps of this building, Mayor Lamb surrendered the City of Norfolk to Union General John E. Wool on May 10, 1862. City offices occupied the building until they were relocated in 1918. Court use continued until 1960. The interior of the building was then completely reconstructed as a memorial, containing a historical museum dedicated to General Douglas MacArthur (1880-1964). The General chose Norfolk as his final resting place because his mother, Mary Pinkney Hardy, was born and raised in the Berkley neighborhood of the city. General MacArthur died in April 1964.

Old City Hall and Courthouse, 1850

Old Norfolk Public Library Norfolk  345 West Freemason Street Norfolk, Va

Old Norfolk Public Library 

Norfolk had several libraries for public use during the nineteenth century, among them that of the Norfolk Library Association, organized in 1870. Though designated "public," membership was not free. The fee to use the reading rooms and to check out books continued even after the Norfolk Public Library was incorporated by the Virginia General Assembly in 1894. 

The book collection of the Library Association was moved from one rented space to another for more than 30 years. In 1901 the library board applied to philanthropist Andrew Carnegie for a grant to build a permanent home and received a pledge of $50,000. The children of William Selden donated the site for the library on West Freemason Street in memory of their father. 

The Beaux-Arts Classical library was designed by the Boston firm of Herbert D. Hale and Henry G. Morse. Details include a bust of Minerva over the entrance and a frieze engraved with the names of classical authors on the lintel cornice. The library opened free of membership dues on 21 November 1904. City of Norfolk

Old Norfolk Public Library

Taylor Whittle  House 1791~227 West Freemason Street, Norfolk

Taylor-Whittle House, 1791 

This Federal-style house is one of the oldest remaining buildings on Freemason Street, a fashionable address in the expanding Borough of Norfolk at the turn of the nineteenth century. It stands on property confiscated from the estate of Loyalist Thomas McKnight after the Revolutionary War and sold to George Purdie in 1788. Purdie built the house in 1791 but apparently never lived here. Merchant John Cowper occupied the house when he became Mayor of Norfolk in 1801 and sold it to Richard Taylor (1771-1827), an importer and English immigrant, in December 1802. Taylor's descendants lived here until 1972, passing the home down from generation to generation through the female line. Prominent nineteenth-century Naval officers who resided in the house included Taylor's son-in-law Captain Richard Lucien Page, who accompanied Commodore Perry on his historic voyage to open up trade with Japan in 1854, and Page's son-in-law William Conway Whittle, the executive officer and navigator of the Confederate blockade runner CSS Shenandoah. The house was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971. City of Norfolk

Taylor-Whittle House, 1791

The Customhouse 1859 101 East Main Street Norfolk

The Customhouse, 1859 

Construction of this customhouse began in 1852 and was completed in 1859, replacing an 1819 customhouse located at Water and Church Streets (now Waterside Drive and St. Paul's Boulevard). This building was designed by Ammi B. Young (1798-1874), the first supervising architect for the United States Treasury Department, who established high architectural standards for federal buildings. During his, career Young designed some 70 government buildings around the country, including the customhouses in Richmond and Petersburg. Departing from his more customary Tuscan designs, Young developed a rich Classical Revival design for this granite structure. Adapting a new material to traditional forms, both the interior columns and the capitals of the exterior columns are made of cast iron. All of the Federal agencies in Norfolk, including courts on the upper floor and the post office in the basement, were housed in this building until space needs prompted the construction of a new federal courthouse and post office in 1900. The exterior of the building has not been significantly altered since its construction. City of Norfolk

The Customhouse, 1859 

Tidewater Community College

Tidewater Community College  Founded in 1968 as part of the Virginia Community College System, Tidewater Community College serves the Hampton Roads region with four comprehensive campuses and five centers in the cities of Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Suffolk, and Virginia Beach.

Tidewater Community College

Town Back Creek and Stone Bridge ~City Hall Ave & Monticello Ave, Norfolk

Town Back Creek and Stone Bridge 

Town Back Creek, extending eastwardly from the Elizabeth River almost to St. Paul's Church, was the northern edge of the original town of Norfolk. By the early 1800s new residential development had occurred north of the creek. Two early footbridges connected this newer area to the old town, one at Catherine (now Bank) Street in 1798 and one at Granby Street in 1801. In 1818-1819 the one at Granby Street was replaced by Stone Bridge. It was built by William H. Jennings and was distinguished by an arched rise at its center. The bridge remained a local landmark until 1884 when the filling of Town Back Creek to Granby Street was completed. City Hall Avenue was developed in 1885 as a grand boulevard from the City Hall (now MacArthur Memorial) to Granby Street. Most of the remainder of Town Back Creek was filled by 1905 and City Hall Avenue was extended westward. Major construction at this corner included the Monticello Hotel in 1898 and the Royster Building in 1912. City of Norfolk

Town Back Creek and Stone Bridge

West Freemason Street Historic District  Norfolk, VA

West Freemason Street Historic District 

In 1686 one hundred acres of land in this vicinity were granted to the Elizabeth River Parish for a glebe. It was sold by the vestry in 1734 to a merchant named Samuel Smith. This was one of the first areas of Norfolk to be developed outside the boundaries of the original fifty acres of the colonial town. Today it is the City's only neighborhood that presents a visible chronology of architectural styles over three centuries. Beginning with the Federal style illustrated by the 1791 Whittle House, the area also contains notable examples of the Greek Revival styles. West Freemason Street retains the cobblestone paving, granite curbs, cast iron fences, and brick sidewalks characteristic of early Norfolk. In 1850 the City's first gas lamps were installed along Freemason Street. Through the 19th and early 20th centuries, this was one of Norfolk's finest residential neighborhoods. In 1972 the West Freemason Historic District was entered into the National Register of Historic Places.  City of Norfolk

West Freemason Street Historic District 

Whitehead House 1791 East Freeman Street Norfolk Va

Whitehead House, 1791

Patrick Parker, a wealthy merchant, built a Georgian-style home here in 1791. Later occupants of the house included Hugh Blair Grigsby and John Boswell Whitehead, sons of Elizabeth McPherson. Elizabeth's first husband was the Reverend Benjamin Grigsby. Their son Hugh (1806-1861), the famed Virginia historian, spent his boyhood in the house. After Benjamin Grigsby's death, Elizabeth married Dr. Nathan Colgate Whitehead, in whose family the house remained for three generations. Their son John was Norfolk's mayor from 1870 to 1872 and from 1874 to 1876. According to an anecdote, when the Freemason Street Baptist Church was built across the street, Dr. Whitehead worried that the large steeple would fall and damage his property during a storm. He was told, "The devil would never think to look for a Presbyterian elder under a Baptist steeple." The steeple did fall in 1879, without damage to property or Presbyterians. The last tenant of the house was the Norfolk Boys' Club, which occupied the building until 1933 when it was torn down to make way for a parking lot for Freemason Street Baptist Church. City of Norfolk

Whitehead House, 1791

🚙2010 ~August 7-17 Traveling to Virginia & sites

Day 1: Saturday, August 7,2010

My sister and I started our trip to Mooresville NC about 6:30AM 

We stopped at McDonald's for breakfast where I ordered a bacon cheese biscuit with unsweetened iced tea.

We stopped at Taco Bell for lunch I ordered Nacho and Cheese with iced tea. 

We arrived at Reggie’s (her son's home) they were not home but left the door unlocked so we could go inside. 

We were hungry so we went to Chick-fil-A for dinner. 

I ordered the kids two chicken fingers, fries, and unsweetened tea. 

Reggie, Tonya, Muron, and Gavin arrived home from the cookout on the river at about 9 P.M.

We sat around watching TV and talking and Reggie played around with the kids and dogs then Reggie, Tony, and the kids went upstairs to bed. 

They had two German Shepards that stayed inside the house. They were outside when we arrived but the older dog got in through the doggie door. 

Reggie thought he had it fixed where they could not get inside. I was lying on one of the sofas when the dog came in. 

The female dog came over and smelled me (she liked me intensely) Paula opened the back door and the male dog came inside. 

Paula and I both slept on the two large sofas in the living room.

We were up at 8:30 A.M. Reggie and family were still in bed so 

Paula left them a note saying goodbye and that we were leaving

Traveling to Mooresville 

We traveled north on hwy 43  through Lawrenceburg, TN to Spring Hill on the Saturn Parkway (396) to Interstate 65 (6 miles) then turned left onto Tn-840 toward Knoxville/Murfreesboro (45 miles), merged onto I-40 exit 76A toward Lebanon/Knoxville crossing into North Carolina (369 miles) (this takes through the Smokey Mountains where they were a large rock slide about a year ago and one lane going west was still closed).  We merged onto I–77 toward Charlotte for 15 miles. (Exit 152A) We took NC-150 exit 36 toward Mooresville/Lincolnton then onto Reggie’s house. 

Traveling to NC 

Stopped at Rest Area

Day 2: Sunday, August 8, 2010

We left Reggie's house in Mooresville, NC traveling to Virginia Beach, VA.  

We stopped at Cracker Barrel for breakfast in Durham NC where I ordered a blueberry pancake with bacon and iced tea. Paula ordered pancakes with peaches and iced tea. 

My pancake was not completely done in the middle. 

Cracker Barrel Durham, NC 

To get to Cracker Barrel we took exit 173 in Durham, then onto I-85. 

Cracker Barrel's address is Cole Mill Rd 3703 Hillsborough Rd NC 27705.

We arrived at Paula’s at about 3:30 P.M. 

Robert cooked a supper of ribs, baked beans, potato salad, and rolls. For dessert, he had blueberry pie. 

Paula and I walked down to the swimming pool. 

We talked to their neighbors and were in bed around 9:30 P.M. 

We stopped at the Rest area in Grandville Co NC off I-85.

(I-85 in North Carolina In North Carolina, I-85 merges with I-40 from Greensboro to Hillsborough, just west of Durham. In Alamance County, the highway is also known as the Sam Hunt Freeway.)

The directions we took from Mooresville to Virginia Beach Va. We merged onto I-77 for 15 miles then onto I-40 exit 51A for 105 miles to I-85 via exit left toward Durham crossing into Virginia.

We merged onto US-58 exit 12A toward Emporia/Norfolk for 103 miles,

Merged onto I-664 S/Hampton roads belt toward I-264 E/Portsmouth, 64/Norfolk/US-13 N/VA Beach. We merged onto I-264 E via Exit 15A on the left toward Norfolk/Portsmouth 20 miles. 

Traveling to Norfolk VA 

We took Lynnhaven Parkway south exit 19A. 

Rest Area

Day 3: Monday, August 9, 2010 

We rode to Virginia Beach, Paula parked the car and we walked on the boardwalk and down onto the white sandy beach.
It was too hot for just walking on the beach so I took a few pictures and we left.

As we were leaving the beach I saw this gorgeous old hotel called Cavalier Hotel. I had Paula drive up to the hotel where I could take several pictures. 

Virginia Beach 

 Cape Henry lighthouse

We went to Fort Story to see the two Cape Henry lighthouses. 

Fort Story became a military installation in 1914 when the Virginia General Assembly gave the land to the US Government "to erect fortifications and for other military purposes." The base was named for Gen. John Patton Story, a noted coast artilleryman of his day.

We had to go through security because we were entering the military base. We had to get out of the car, open the glove compartment, the hood, and the trunk, and the guards had a wand they waved over the car with. 

We were given the okay to proceed, so we drove down to the ocean where the lighthouses were and took pictures.

I also took pictures of a statue of Francois Joseph Paul DeGrass, a Memorial cross, and several plaques.

There was a ramp leading up to the beach where there was a good view of the ocean. 

We walked up the ramp to the beach where we saw three dolphins swimming in the ocean and several ships and I took several pictures.

We walked back to the car and drove a short distance, where saw an old church "St. Mary's" We stopped and a security guard was checking out the place he said we could come in and take pictures.

"St. Mary's"

Lieutenant Général des Armées Navales François-Joseph Paul, marquis de Grasse Tilly, Comte de Grasse 13 September 1722 – 11 January 1788 was a French admiral. He is best known for his command of the French fleet at the Battle of the Chesapeake, which led directly to the British surrender at Yorktown. De Grasse was decisively defeated the following year by Admiral Rodney at the Battle of the Saintes, where he was captured. He was widely criticized for this, and on his return to France, he demanded a court-martial, which acquitted him of fault.

Some of the places that I took pictures of at Virginia Beach were A 3 D. Funhouse, Nightmare Mansion, and John Waring Beach 4.

We stopped at Wendy’s for lunch I ordered a bacon cheeseburger Jr. and tea. 

We stopped at the grocery store and bought four, 12-packs of Mountain Dew for $10, and Paula bought a box of white chocolate pretzels. 

We rode down the beach in Sandbridge looking for another lighthouse but could not find it we did find the Wildlife Refuge.

(Sandbridge, in the US State of Virginia, is a coastal community of Virginia Beach, located along the coastline at the northern boundary of the Outer Banks. The Atlantic Ocean is to the East and Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge is to the West and south. To the north, Sandbridge borders the US Navy's Dam Neck facility. )

The only public road entrance to the community is Sandbridge Road, located near Sandbridge's northern end. 

Located near the southern end of Sandbridge is Little Island Park, which is managed by the City of Virginia Beach. 

Sandbridge runs approximately 4.5 miles (7.2 kilometers) from north to south along the oceanfront.

The grocery store that we stopped at was Blooms at 2005 Sandbridge Rd SW 100 Virginia Beach. 757-426-2774.

Paula drove us down to the swimming pool it was nice and cool so we swam for a couple of hours. 

For supper, we ate fried ham, potato salad, green beans with mushrooms, and rolls.

Day 4: Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Today we rode to Norfolk, a town loaded with an old history.

Parked the car in the parking deck on Main Street and we turned left walking up Main St. Right off you could see old buildings and historic markers. 

In the far distance, I could see a Confederate marker. 

One of the first buildings that I took a picture of was the Customhouse built in 1859.

We walked up to the Marriott it had a marker telling about Main Street. 

We walked inside and looked around hanging on the walls were four huge pictures of ships made of cloth.

We walked back outside and continued walking up Main Street. 

I saw the MacArthur Memorial on Atlantic Avenue it was a gorgeous building.

We saw the Hampton Roads Maritime Marker, Commercial Place Marker, Old City Hall, and Courthouse Marker, 1850; Margaret Douglas Marker, Town Back Creek and Stone Bridge Marker, Monticello Hotel 1898 Marker, (torn down and new courthouse built), Tripoli Street Marker, Governor Tazewell Marker and Hotel, Norfolk College for Young Ladies Marker, Union Mission Building, several different Mermaid statues were on various old building some were on Plume Street, Freemason Avenue, and Main Street.

On Plume Street, we met a man named Walter who worked for the city and drove F.R.E.D.  

A free service is provided by the city for people to ride from point A to point b anywhere within the immediate city. 

He said it was a free service and we should use it if we walked too far and needed a ride. He also told us where some of the historic sites were on Freemason Street.  

We thanked him.

 Freemason Abby on Freemason Avenue Norfork, Va 

Town Back Creek and Stone Bridge Norfolk, Va

Church Norfolk, Va 

We ate lunch at Freemason Abby on Freemason Avenue.

The Abby was a church that had been turned into a restaurant.

We arrived at 11 A.M., 

We sat at the bar until 11:30 when lunch was served. 

We talked to the bartender, who was a young man, and he said, “ After college, I had saved up all my money and traveled all over Europe.” 

He said I saw the Swiss Alps, Australia, Germany, and many others. He said my mother is Columbian and my father is Italian.

For lunch, I ordered Smoked Barbecue Brisket Beef with iced tea. 

Paula ordered the she-crab soup and a California turkey club sandwich.

California Turkey Club is a sandwich of sliced smoked turkey with Provolone cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomato, onions, sprouts, and cucumber dill sauce. Served on toasted sourdough bread.

$7.95

The Smoked barbecue is beef brisket stacked with coleslaw and fried onion straws on a toasted Kaiser roll with garlic mayo – 8

The She Crab Soup is the award-winning house specialty! A perfect blend of lump crab meat and cream, with just the right touch of sweet sherry.

On Freemason Avenue, we saw several young men repairing an old brick road, one of the young men (Blackman) wanted me to take his picture and I did.

We visited the Hunter House Museum, Moses Myers House, Confederate Monument, Mermaids Statues all over town, Epworth United Methodist Church, Freemason Street Baptist Church, Tazewell Hotel, Norfolk City Hall, The US Customs House, Waterside Convention Center, Federal Building, Tidewater Community College, Hunter House Museum, Town Port, Monticello Hotel, Wells Theater, Governor Tazewell Hotel, Cannon Ball Trails, Union Mission Ministries, Taylor Whittle House, West Freeman Historic District, James Hunter House, Old Norfolk Library, Whitehead House, Granby St. 

Just to name a few of the sites. 

We were dripping wet after walking outside in the heat so after a couple hours of walking 

We decided we would come back tomorrow to finish our sightseeing.

For supper we ate leftovers, we played a game of corn throw and we watched Cash Cab on TV.

Day 5: Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Today we rode back to Norfolk to visit the Nautical and walk along the Waterfront Park. 

Parked in the parking deck, walked across the street, and started taking pictures of the Cannon Ball Trail. 

Along the waterfront, we saw markers, ships docked in the bay, Joe’s Crab Shack, and Outback Restaurants.

Along the waterfront lying on the ground were nineteen last letters home from men and women who were killed while serving our country.

We saw letters from the War of 1812, the Revolutionary War, World War 1 & II, the Vietnam War, the Korean War, the Civil War, and the Gulf War.

Along the Waterfront, we saw markers about Navy Escort carriers based in Norfolk, the Armed Forces Memorial, The First Battle of Ironclad Ships, 1862, and the Atlantic Intercostals Waterway.

The downtown waterfront revitalization where we saw Ferries to Portsmouth and Berkley, Battleship Wisconsin.

On Wisconsin Square, there were several plaques, the USS Scorpion, USS Liberty, USS Cole, USS Belknap, USS Nimitz, USS Liberty, USS Iowa, USS Newport News, USS Forrestal, and the Pentagon, the Marine Observation tower, and the USS Norfolk Bell.

 USS Wisconsin Norfolk, Va 

Waterfront Norfolk, Va 

Waterfront Norfolk, Va 

Aboard the USS Wisconsin 

Aboard the USS Wisconsin Norfolk, Va 

We paid $10.95 to tour the Nautical Museum and to tour the Wisconsin Battle Ship. 

It was terribly hot so we did not stay long on the ship. 

We met Mr. John Cummsk one of the volunteers on the boat. 

He said that he served in the US Wisconsin; we also talked to a couple of young men who were from Maryland. 

I asked how they could work on the ship all day as hot as it was and they said they drank a lot of water and stayed in the shade. 

We went back inside and toured the museum and I took several pictures.

The Battleship Wisconsin is one of the largest and last battleships ever built by the US Navy. 

Explore its deck through a self-guided or audio tour that will take you back in time to experience this majestic ship that earned five battle stars during World War II.

We ate lunch at the Chinese Pagoda Restaurant which was along the Waterfront just a few feet away from the Battle Ship Wisconsin.

Pagoda Garden Tea House

(757) 622-0506

265 West Tazewell St, Norfolk, VA 23510

 Get directions Cross-Streets: 

Between Harbor St and Yarmouth St/College Cross/Harbor Sq

Chinese Pagoda Restaurant Norfolk, Va 

We walked into the Chinese Gardens taking pictures before we went inside.

We both ordered a chicken salad sandwich with chips and iced tea. 

Paula also ordered a bowl of she-crab soup. 

Our server brought us a large jug of tea and we drank most of it because we were very thirsty.

Our server was Hawaiian

We walked upstairs to take a better picture of the Chinese Gardens outside the view was awesome.

We thanked our server and rode FRED over to the Chrysler Art Museum. (free on Wednesday)

FRED IS a Free Ride Every Day is a courtesy shuttle operated by the Downtown Norfolk Council. 

A road-ready golf cart, FRED can ferry as many as five passengers around downtown and can

We arrived around 1 P.M. and stayed until after 3 because FRED was in a meeting.

I talked to one of the curators about some of the paintings "One was the Shepherd and his Flock painted in 1880" It was an oil painting by Charles Emile Jacque (the wall size) there was a plaque beside showing how he painted it and he had to use a scaffold. 

There was another one painted by Jacque that he was commissioned to do in 3 months. The first floor was full of all kinds of glassware. 

A special display of early American furniture was also on the first floor. 

Straight back were displays of tombs of mummies, artifacts from South America, Africa, and many different tribes. There were also artifacts and clothing from Japan on display.

For supper, we ate Spaghetti and pie. 

Day 6: Thursday, August 12, 2010

Today we are traveling to Edenton NC Chowan Co, we arrived at the visitor’s center at 10:20 A.M.

We bought a ticket to ride the trolley at 11 A.M.

We walked to St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and cemetery.  

On the walls of the church were plaques and people were buried under the church floor.

There were historic markers on both sides of Main Street so we walked down one side and back up the other side taking pictures.

We walked back to the visitor’s center where we talked to a black man and the woman curator until time for the trolley ride. 

We rode the trolley through the small town of Edenton which was loaded with historic homes and sites.  

A black woman named Harriet Jacobs was one of the most famous people of Edenton.

Some of the historic markers we saw were St Paul’s Esp. The church was James Iredell Justice of the Supreme Court, Henderson Walker, Joseph Hewes, Samuel Johnson (Revolutionary leader), Francis Corbin, Edenton Tea Party, Barker House, Macky's Ferry, Chowan County Courthouse, Edenton Old Cotton Mill, and the homes built to house the single men that had two front doors. 

Barker house along the waterfront, which was going to be torn down the town bought the house and moved it to the waterfront a beautiful location. 

We ate lunch at the Downtown Cafe. I ordered BLT, chips, and tea. 

Paula ordered their special and tea. 

We walked along the waterfront taking pictures of Edenton Bell Battery CSA Cannons, Roanoke River Lighthouse, and Confederate Markers. 

 Barker House Museum Edenton, NC 

Old Lighthouse in for repairs Edenton, NC 

We walked inside the Barker House Museum where we met the curator,  he told me about how the house was bought by the people of the town and how it was moved down along the waterfront. He told us about the owner of the house Penelope Barker. 

Penelope Barker was known for her uprising and the Edenton Tea Party. 

On our way home, we stopped and took pictures of George and Ann Durant's Historic Markers. 

We stopped at the grocery store to pick up some fish sticks, fries, and some sweets for supper. 

We watched  TV and went to bed.

Day 7: Friday, August 13, 2010

I watched Maverick on TV and Paula went to the drug store. 

We rode to Mount Trashmore and walked 75 steps up to the top.

We walked along at the top taking pictures then we climbed down the bank not taking the stairs back down.

I bumped my head on the top of the car when I reached inside the trunk to get my camera, boy did it hurt.

Mount Trashmore Virginia Beach, VA 

Mount Trashmore Virginia Beach, VA

We stopped at No Frills Grill for lunch.

I ordered a cup of Chili with cornbread (sweet) Paula ordered a sandwich with pasta.

Famous chili had cheddar jack cheese green onions, cornbread, and sour cream.

Funky Chicken Sandwich 

Grilled chicken breast with bacon, tomato, melted Swiss cheese, and Parmesan pepper dressing on grilled rye.

We rode to the Goodwill but did not find anything. 

We rode to Kohles where I bought two new tops, sunglasses, and socks.

Paula bought a couple of tops and some socks. 

We stopped at the grocery store for seafood to put on skewers.

For supper, we grill out, shrimp, scallops, steak, pineapple, onions, mushrooms, and slaw, and for dessert, we eat German Chocolate Cake. 

We set up talking to our neighbor until about 11 P.M. then to bed.

Day 8: Saturday, August 14, 2010

Today we rode to Norfolk Botanical Gardens, we rode the trolley getting off at various locations.

We stopped at the butterfly house, where we saw Skippers, Swallowtails, White and sulfur, Gossamers, Winded, and Brush-footed Butterflies, and Sphinx Moths.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

We visited The Statuary Visa, which features eleven, seven-foot-tall statues carved from Carrara marble by Sir Moses Ezekiel in Rome between 1879 and 1884 for William Wilson Corcoran, founder of the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC

The statues were originally designed to be set in second-story niches in the Corcoran Gallery.

We saw the Kaufman Hiragana Garden 1.5 acres, the 4 Seasons Wildflower Garden, the WOW Children’s Garden, the Renaissance Garden, the Japanese Garden the Sensory Gardens and we ordered mountain dews and snicker bars in the Fresh Farm Garden Cafe. 

After touring the gardens, we walked upon the hill to watch the jets at Norfolk Airport land and take off.

For breakfast, we ate pancakes, for lunch Paula and I split a Funky Chicken sandwich that was leftover from No Frills Grill.

For supper, we ate ribs, slaw, and crab legs. Desert cheesecake.

Day 9: Sunday, August 15, 2010 

Today for breakfast, we ate scrambled eggs sausage links, and drank Mountain Dew. 

We rode over and through the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel to Cape Charles. 

We rode through a toll booth the cost was $12 and $5 to return if you returned within 24 hours.

We stopped at the rest area and picked up pamphlets about Cape Charles. 

The woman said it was a nice little town just up the road, which was ten miles.

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to Cape Charles

Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel to Cape Charles

When we arrived I took pictures of a water tank painted like a lighthouse, the old train depot, the pier, a couple of markers, the ocean, and town.

We walked down the pier at Cape Charles and I took a few pictures and rode back to the Chesapeake Bridge. 

We stopped and I took pictures before entering the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel.  

It was a gorgeous view and birds everywhere. 

We stopped at the pier on the Chesapeake Bay that housed the Virginia Original Restaurant & Chesapeake Grill owned and run by Chris Savvides.

I took pictures of the large boats to the right side of the bridge.

I took pictures of the historic markers that were dotted along the bridge telling about the bridge and the battles at Chesapeake.

We walked to the gift shop and restaurant where we purchased a Coke and candy bar (Three Musketeers bar). 

What a view there were people everywhere fishing from the pier.

We sat by the window as we drank our cokes and ate our candy watching the people in their boat fishing.

For supper ate pork chops (Robert wanted them for several days) creamed potatoes, and corn on the cob and we finished off the cheesecake.

We all went outside and I took my camera to take pictures of the hummingbird kept feeding on the Crate Myrtles along the walls of the apartment.

Day 10: Monday, August 16, 2010  

Today we are going to President’s Park located at 211 Water Countries Pky Williamsburg VA. 23185.

Paula turned into Water Country, which was a wrong turn and we had to stay in line until we got to the ticket booth.

Paula explained where we were trying to go and the woman gave great directions. We turned around leaving the park.

President’s Park is located at 211 Water Countries Pky Williamsburg VA. 23185.

President’s Park is located at 211 Water Countries Pky Williamsburg VA. 23185.

President’s Park is located at 211 Water Countries Pky Williamsburg VA. 23185.

We arrived at President Park purchased our tickets and walked upstairs to view the park.

We saw historic markers and saw 42 presidents' heads Obama’s head was still inside the museum.

We walked outside to see the status of the presidents, there was a group of school children standing in a group getting their picture made in front of George Washington. 

We walked passed George Washington and I started taking pictures of the president's heads and markers as we walked along inside the park.

It was too hot to stay outside for long so after taking pictures we walked back inside the museum.

Presidents Park is Williamsburg’s newest educational museum

We walked among 42 magnificent 18 Ft. tall monuments with plaques telling about their accomplishments. 

In the Oval Office, we saw a display of today’s President Obama and his family. 

On the second floor was the president's park tearoom and observation deck overlooking the statues, as well as the president’s pet exhibit.

We stopped at Taste Un-Limited for lunch where we split a BLT with chips and pasta salad. The place was so busy that we sat outside under a shade tree to eat our lunch.

BLT - Applewood-smoked bacon, Romaine Lettuce, Fresh Tomato, and Basil Aioli on Freshly Baked French Bread, with your choice of small chips and a regular drink. 

For supper, we ate a rotisserie chicken from Sam’s, cheese dip, and chips. 

Supper was late because we sat outside talking to our neighbors. (Tye and his girlfriend) (She was 10 years older than him) (A very nice couple)

Day 11: Tuesday, August 17, 2010

I thought my fight was at 8:15 A.M. but it was 7 A.M.

Orbits called me at 4 A.M. Paula was already up. 

I took a shower grabbed my bags loaded them in the truck and off Robert and I went to the airport.

Robert dropped me off at Norfolk Airport had he headed to work.

I entered the airport looking for USAIR but was told that I would have to go upstairs. I went upstairs and back downstairs on the other side of the building.

I checked in and walked to my gate. 

US Airways F5Ywke e-ticket orbits record locator AP 11010132OZ14JQ 

Airline ticket number 0378611734197 

August 17, 2010, from Norfolk International (ORF) to Charlotte Douglas (CLT) departure August 17, 7:00 A.M. arrival (CLT) 8:15 A.M. economy seat 7a-flight 1445. 

I boarded the airplane and I sat in the middle seat.

To my left was a college student at the University of Alabama, and she was flying to Birmingham. 

I talked to her for a few minutes and she started using her iPhone. 

To my right sitting next to the window was a man flying to Fort Lauderdale Florida a day trip for business. 

I said what a beautiful view. 

We both saw clouds showing the shadow of the jet.

I said that would make a great picture but did not have my camera handy.

The man was ex-military,  lived in Virginia Beach, loved to travel, and took lots of pictures. 

I went through security without any problems and walked to the gate and waiting area. 

I sat down and a nice black lady named Eunice said, the strap on your dress is showing come over here and I will fix it. 

We started talking and I moved closer to hear her. 

She said she was a traveling minister. 

We talked about religion and politics. 

She was in a wheelchair and needed assistance boarding the airplane. 

I saw her again when she boarded the plane. She sat in the first-class section. 

I said goodbye when she left the airplane and wished her good luck and I did not see her again.

I walked toward my gate and loading area which was US Airways #3115 from Charlotte Douglas (CLT) to Nashville at 9:55 A.M. arriving at 10:29 A.M. 

I purchased a Coke, and a bag of chips because I had not eaten anything and I was getting hungry. 

I boarded the jet and  I sat next to the window seat 10A, and a young man sat on the aisle seat next to me. 

We started talking and he said he was from Newport News VA. He was a BA for IBEW Electricians in his area. 

I said my husband was an electrician and in LOCAL 558 in Sheffield, AL. 

He was traveling to Nashville for a district meeting about health care for Electricians. We talked about the union and health care. 

When the plane landed we said goodbye and I called my husband.

He picked me up and we rode to downtown Nashville, Tennessee. 

We stopped at the Waterfront Park area where I took pictures of the General Jackson River Boat, the river, the Tennessee stadium, Fort Nashborough, two historic markers, and markers inside the fort.

General Jackson River Boat Nashville, TN

Fort Nashborough Nashville, TN

Joe’s Crab Shack Nashville, TN

We rode to Joe’s Crab Shack for lunch located at 123 2nd Avenue South Nashville, TN 37201.

My husband ordered Dungeness crabs (1 1/4 lbs) mild, tender, and easy to eat at $23.49 with tea. I ordered the Aruba Shrimp Salad with coconut shrimp, mixed field greens, red onion, crisp Applewood bacon, candied nuts, tomatoes, and blue cheese crumbs, tossed in strawberry vinaigrette. $9.99 with tea. 

We were going to do some sightseeing, it was too hot to walk.

We could not find a parking spot next to the capitol building so we rode home. 

We stopped just outside of Nashville to look at a used van. 

We stopped at the rest area in Ardmore along Interstate 65. 

There were several war memorials a spaceship, and some plaques about the spaceship. 

We went inside to use the restrooms and I talked with the caretakers of the rest area. 

We stopped in Athens to look at a new van. 

We met his family at Ryan’s for a family birthday get-to-gather. 

We were home around 8:00 P.M. 

I uploaded my pictures to the computer and went to bed around 12 A.M.

    

Trip to Norfolk VA August 8-17 2010 Flight home

Depart Norfolk International (ORF) Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 07:00 A.M. US Airways 1445

Arrive Charlotte Douglas (CLT) Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 08:15 A.M. 

Depart Charlotte Douglas (CLT) Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 09:55 A.M. US Airways 3115

Arrive: Nashville Metropolitan (BNA) Tuesday, August 17, 2010, 10:29 A.M. CDT Seat: 10A