June 14 - 17, 2026
In the middle of June our oldest daughter invited us to join her family for 3 nights in Hampton, Virginia, where they were renting an AirBnb for the week. We could only stay 3 nights because we needed to return home and prepare to leave for a 10-day camping trip starting on June 19.
Buckroe Beach
Buckroe Beach and Park borders the Chesapeake Bay and has a 3/4-mile-long beach. We spent our first morning and early afternoon at this beach and returned again the next day to walk the beach and boardwalk in the evening. We didn't know what to expect from this beach on the bay, but we were pleasantly surprised to find it was very clean and had a large bathroom. Both the beach and the plentiful parking at the park were free to the public and there were a lot of amenities to enjoy.
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There are lifeguards on duty Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day, 3 picnic shelters with tables and grills to rent, an observation pier, a stage/pavilion for events and entertainment, and a large nautical-themed playground for children. The large restroom/outdoor shower facilities were incredibly clean for a free public park. Amazingly, we hardly saw any litter on the wide, long beach. During the summer there are food vendors and beach chair/umbrella rentals.
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If you are in the area and prefer less crowds and less waves than the ocean, this is the perfect place to go. Other amenities include mobility sand chairs, foot-wash stations, a fishing pier and bike repair stations.
Note: Only service animals are allowed in the park and beach from May 15 to September 15, and no animals are allowed on the playground. No alcoholic beverages are allowed. No styrofoam coolers are allowed. Although the town's website states that no tents or portable gazebos are allowed, we did see some tents and we were able to use our cabanas.
We enjoyed this beach and would definitely go there again if we stayed in the area.
Fort Monroe
Later in the evening, we visited Fort Monroe. The fort is a former Army base, known as "Freedom's Fortress." The fort was built between 1819 and 1834 to guard the Chesapeake Bay. It's the largest stone fort in the U.S. and played a major role in the Civil War as a Union stronghold. The fort was continuously active until it was decommissioned in 2011. Today the fort is a National Monument and is managed by the National Park Service.
The fort's Casemate Museum is located inside the fort walls. The Museum and Visitor Center were both closed when we visited, but according to their website, the museum showcases the military history of the site and the prison cell of former Confederate President Jefferson Davis.
In addition, the site features over 2 miles of undeveloped shoreline, beaches and a seawall trail.
The No. 1 Quarters, constructed in 1819, is the oldest structure within the walls of the fort. It originally served as the chief engineer's quarters. President Abraham Lincoln stayed here while planning the attack on Norfolk during the Civil War.
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| No. 1 Quarters |
The Lincoln Gun was cast in 1860 and named for President Lincoln in 1862. The gun had a range of over 4 miles and shot a projectile weighing 330 lbs. It served an important role in the defense of the fort during the Civil War.
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| The Lincoln Gun |
The Algernourne Oak is a massive 500-year-old live oak located at the edge of the fort's parade grounds.
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| Algernourne Oak |
It was interesting to see that many of the buildings within the fort were converted to rental properties. There are 174 residential units including single-family homes, duplexes, townhouses and apartments. As stated on the site's webpage, "many units are historic treasures, including stately officer's quarters and imaginatively converted office spaces."
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The main gate of the fort was constructed in 1823. In addition to serving as the main entrance to the inner fort, it contained a sallyport, stockade and a guardhouse.
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| Main Gate |
New batteries were added outside of the fortress walls between 1891-1907. Six of these batteries remain today.
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The Old Point Comfort Lighthouse was built in 1802. It's located outside of the fort walls at the mouths of the Nansemond and Elizabeth Rivers. The lighthouse played a crucial role in protecting the port of Hampton and became an important part of the Union's defense during the Civil War. The lighthouse continues to be used as an active aid to navigation.
Old Point Comfort Lighthouse
To view our Youtube Video short of Buckroe Beach & Fort Monroe, click here.
Norfolk Botanical Garden
The Norfolk Botanical Garden is Virginia's largest botanical garden. The mission of the garden is to immerse visitors in a world of beauty, lead through environmental action, and inspire through education and connection to nature. The property consists of 175 acres and 16 miles of paved and mulched paths. There are over 60 themed gardens to explore, a butterfly house, tram tour and for an additional fee, visitors can ride a boat through the park's canal. We visited the gardens during the morning of our second full day in Virginia.
The grounds were beautiful and we enjoyed wandering along the many paths. Unfortunately the huge conservatory was closed for construction of the "Garden of Tomorrow" exhibit, which wouldn't open until September. But we still enjoyed spending our morning in the park.
The video below shows some highlights of our morning in the gardens.
If you are spending any amount of time in the area of Hampton Virginia, Buckroe Beach, Fort Monroe and the Norfolk Botanical Gardens are all great family-friendly places to visit. We highly recommend them all!
* All photos and videos are the property of the blog owners unless otherwise noted. *
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