ATLANTIC COAST
COMPASS
Waterside District in Norfolk, Virginia
Ships, shops and a tattoo
If members of a group are fond of the TV series “NCIS,” they
can find the real deal in Norfolk, Virginia. Home to the larg-
est U.S. Navy base in the world, as well as one of NATO’s two
Strategic Command Centers, the city will make anyone who
loves the big guns (literally) giddy with delight.
At Naval Station Norfolk, visitors can see aircraft carriers,
destroyers and amphibious assault ships during year-round
45-minute tours conducted by actual naval personnel.
As water is so much a part of life in Norfolk, it stands
to reason that the annual Harborfest on the Downtown
Waterfront takes pride of place. The three-day event (this year
June 8–10) at Town Point Park includes activities ranging from
a tall ships parade and a build-a-boat contest to the largest
fireworks display on the East Coast.
If you tell your group they’re going for a tattoo, you could be
in danger of scaring some members off. Make sure they know
it’s not a skin design that’s on the agenda but a band perfor-
mance—as in the Virginia International Tattoo (this April 26–29).
With a colorful collection of drummers, pipers, fifers and other
musicians, it is the largest military show of its kind in the U.S.
New to Norfolk as of last year is Norfolk Premium Outlets,
where visitors can shop for brands such as Nike, Michael Kors
and Tommy Hilfiger at 25 percent to 65 percent off.
While not new, a revitalized Waterside District offers the
best in national, regional and local restaurants in addition to
live music and festivals.
For more information, contact VisitNorfolk’s Melissa Hopper
at [email protected] or go to visitnorfolk.com.
The Outer Banks’ history and highlights
38
February 2018
Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station
on Hatteras Island
In this scenic sand dunes and rolling surf of North Carolina’s
Outer Banks, the Chicamacomico Lifesaving Station on
Hatteras Island doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue trippingly.
It does, however, offer groups a chance to see one of the few
remaining sites in America chronicling the early U.S. Coast
Guard and its incredible feats.
There is even more reason to take your groups to Hatteras
in 2018 as it marks the 100th anniversary of the Mirlo Rescue,
a dramatic effort to save those on board the Mirlo, a British
tanker, when it was torpedoed by a German U-boat in 1918.
The station and other surviving buildings from the late
18th century are in Rodanthe, the same Cape Hatteras village
immortalized by Nicholas Sparks in his novels.
This may be history, but the Outer Banks focuses on the
present and future as well. Groups are welcome at the North
Carolina Aquarium, which recently re-opened after a $6.5
million renovation. A main feature at the Roanoke Island-
based attraction is an interactive Sea Turtle Assistance and
Rehabilitation Center.
If you plan to bring your group sometime in late this sum-
mer or early fall, they can be among the first to experience
the visitors center at the Wright Brothers National Memorial,
which is currently undergoing a multimillion renovation.
This will be the seventh year for the Outer Banks Seafood
Festival, held the third Saturday in October. Celebrating the
area’s local fishermen, seafood heritage and fresh Outer
Banks seafood, it continues to be a favorite for group tours.
For more information, reach out to Lorrie Love of the Outer
Banks Visitors Bureau at [email protected] or go to
outerbanks.org.