February 3rd, 2012 by Katherine Jackson
 This week’s Beach Report is courtesy of ShoreLines blogger and Virginia Beach Walking Tour Guide Katherine Jackson, author of Walking Virginia Beach.
A Whale of a Walk
I can’t make any promises, but I’ve heard that beach walkers at the North End of Virginia Beach have been spotting humpback whales offshore. That’s right, whales off the coast of Virginia! According to a recent newspaper article, Winter Wildlife Boat Trips, sponsored by the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center, are reporting record numbers of whale sightings, especially in the waters off Ft. Story. You can see a portion of the ocean at Ft. Story from the beach at Eighty-ninth Street. Humpback whales are described as graceful acrobats that perform dazzling acts such as slapping their flippers and tail on the water; “spy hopping,” which means raising a third of their body above the water to look around like a periscope; and “breaching,” which means launching their entire body out of the water.
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Tags: humpback whales, walking in Virginia Beach, whale watching in Virginia Beach, Winter Wildlife Boat Trips
Posted in Living the Life, The Beach Report, The Great Outdoors
February 2nd, 2012 by Sherry Friel
“Sometimes we have to walk from the past and sometimes we have to embrace it. Heaven help us know the difference.” ~Adaleen Henrickson, character in the HBO Series Big Love.
 Awhile back my Dad and I visited my childhood home with my son, Nathaniel. Having grown up locally, this only entailed a short 30-minute trip and lots of courage. Why courage? I’m not really sure. I guess I’ve never been one to look back so much, and the idea of seeing the home where awkward childhood and pre-teen years unfolded held about as much appeal as middle school gym class (and I hated gym class!).
But with my son approaching 8 years old, I naturally found myself reminiscing more and more about the places and activities I enjoyed when I was his age. I also kept wondering if my favorite climbing trees were still standing, so I called Dad to see if he’d like to photograph them with us. Of course he wanted to! My parents planted three small pine trees well before their children were born, and to them they would always symbolize the three lives they brought into the world. By the time we were in elementary school, those trees were as tall as the house and perfect for climbing and hiding out.
To my surprise and delight, what were once small pine trees now tower enormously over the tiny house my parents lived in as a young couple. It was pure joy to take my son back to my humble childhood home. He took to the trees in that yard as we had as children: climbing, playing, and fearlessly stretching further to see how high he could go before I’d stop him. The house is currently vacant, which gave us a rare opportunity to explore the yard, peek in the windows, and warmly embrace the lights of the past. We also got a treasure trove of photographs.
 My son, Nathaniel, enjoyed the trees just as much as I did as a kid
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Tags: growing up in Virginia Beach, Playgrounds in Virginia Beach, Top City to Raise a Family
Posted in Living the Life, With The Kids
February 1st, 2012 by Mike Halperin
Captain’s Log: On January 20, what began as a normal Virginia Beach fishing trip suddenly turned into a fabulous forever memory for Cary Wolfe when he fought and defeated an absolute monster striped bass. Trolling a parachute jig just off the Virginia Beach oceanfront, the Bristow, Virginia, angler enjoyed the thrill of a lifetime when he landed a likely new Virginia state record striped bass of 74 pounds!
The striper, caught while fishing with one of our expert local charter boat captains, promises to become the new state record striped bass once certified by the Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament. Tournament director Lewis Gillingham’s prediction that it would only be a matter of time until someone would set a new striped bass record has come true.
The huge bass, fought on 80-lb. monofilament line on a 4/0 Penn reel, was so powerful that it had been fraying the heavy line. The line finally broke, not a moment too soon, just as the fish was being netted. Special congratulations to Cary Wolfe on this outstanding catch.
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Tags: citation catches, Flounder, red drum, striper capital of the world, Virginia Saltwater Fishing Tournament, white marlin, world class fishing
Posted in Fishing, Living the Life
January 31st, 2012 by Sherry Friel
If your daily life seems poor, do not blame it; blame yourself that you are not poet enough to call forth its riches; for the Creator, there is no poverty. Maria Ranier Rilke
 I’ve always loved poetry. As an undergraduate at Old Dominion University, I tried my hand at writing a few poems, but the results were pretty embarrassing. Eventually I gave up trying to write in stanzas and focused instead on courses in journalism and technical writing. Such training served me well, but I can’t seem to shake that longing to write in the vein of Emily Dickinson or Mary Oliver. Over the years I have read poetry that caused the hair on my neck to stand on end and my ears to tingle. If it’s a particularly good read, my whole body goes completely cold! For me, good poetry taps something deep and inexpressible and I am grateful to have encountered such moving works.
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Tags: First Landing State Park, outdoor experiences in Virginia Beach, photographing nature
Posted in Living the Life, The Great Outdoors
January 20th, 2012 by Teresa Diaz
 It’s no secret Virginia Beach is a great vacation destination. The sun, sand, and surf are obvious draws but once you’re here, it’s clear we have a lot more to offer. Fabulous restaurants, tons of open space, diverse shopping, great fishing, cool attractions like our world-class aquarium, golfing, the list goes on. It’s an easy city to fall in love with and many visitors end up becoming residents. Clearly I’m biased, as that is I came to “Live the Life” in 1976. My parents decided they’d had enough of city life and wanted to raise their family “in the country.” (You had to know VB in 1976 to get that last part.) One vacation later, the moving van was packed before we could say “Virginia is for Lovers!” Yes, life is good here. We’ve known that for a while but this week, the financial news website 24/7 Wall Street named Virginia Beach the second best city in the nation for raising a family. Kudos to first place holder, Madison, WI. The news website said, “Virginia Beach is extremely prosperous, due in large part to the presence of several military bases in the area. It has the eighth-lowest rate of violent crime among major cities and the fifth-lowest unemployment rate. It also has the second-largest acreage of parkland per capita, behind only New Orleans, which has suffered huge population losses in recent years. Virginia Beach also has one of the highest numbers of playgrounds per capita in the country.” Nice!
Earlier this month , 24/7 Wall Street ranked Virginia Beach as the best run city in America. Women’s Health magazine ranked our fair city as the seventh healthiest city in America. Yes, Virginia Beach is a great place to visit and a great place to live. Come see for yourself………we’d love to have you!
 Now is the perfect time to start planning a trip to Virginia Beach.
Tags: #2 city in America to raise a family, Best Run City in America, fishing in Virginia Beach, fun in Virginia Beach, golfing in Virginia Beach, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, Virginia Beach dining, Virginia Beach vacations
Posted in Beaches, Culinary / Dining, Fishing, Golf, Living the Life, The Beach Report
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This week’s Beach Report is courtesy of ShoreLines blogger and Virginia Beach Walking Tour Guide Katherine Jackson, author of Walking Virginia Beach.
