A Walk About Town is a weekly feature hosted here at Coffee and a Book Chick. You do not need to have a book blog to join; any blogger can participate. Write about a spot in your town, or in another city you've visited, include the button for A Walk About Town, and add your link in the Linky below so we can visit your post. I post on Thursdays, but you can post any day of that week. Just make sure to add your link to the most recent week's post here at Coffee and a Book Chick. If you're on Twitter, use the hashtag #AWalkAboutTown.

After reading the incredible story Baker Towers by Jennifer Haigh, it seemed fitting to be in the mountains of Virginia. Granted, the book took place in the mountains of Pennsylvania, but I was daydreaming about history, and trying to envision what the area looked like seventy years ago.

As you may know, I've been traveling for work quite a bit. I was in Dallas last week, and this Monday I had a meeting four hours west of Virginia Beach in the Salem/Roanoke area in Southwestern Virginia. (Which of course meant listening to an audio book...)

I know, I know. Never take pictures while you're driving, and especially when you're driving in the mountains. About twelve years ago, I drove the Blue Ridge Mountain Parkway at night, and let me tell you that the little metal guardrail is not a reassuring sight when eighteen-wheelers are blowing past you and you're at a few thousand feet elevation.  White-knuckle driving that night. I gripped that steering wheel so hard that my back, neck and shoulders felt like I did an intense upper body workout the next day. Thankfully for this trip, the area of Virginia I was traveling through was not as frightening, but was beautiful. I can only imagine what it will look like in the next couple of months for the springtime and I can't wait to return.

I wish I had taken more pictures. Next time, I promise. I'll stop at the designated scenic view spot. I missed the road to pull off for it this time, and I was not going to cut anyone off. I mean, it is the mountains.

A Walk About Town is a weekly feature hosted here at Coffee and a Book Chick. You do not need to have a book blog to join; any blogger can participate. Write about a spot in your town, or in another city you've visited, include the button for A Walk About Town, and add your link in the Linky below so we can all visit your post. You don't need to include a picture to participate. I will post on Thursdays, but you can post any day of that week. Just make sure to add your link to the most recent week's post here at Coffee and a Book Chick, and if you're on Twitter, use the hashtag #AWalkAboutTown.

Although this event happened a few months ago, I wanted to share a few quick pictures of the annual wine festival at Town Point Park in Norfolk, Virginia, right at waterside. The 2011 festival held in October was its 23rd year, and yes, it was quite the fun day. It was a beautiful and clear, crisp afternoon, and was a welcome event to reacquaint myself with an area I love. I encourage you to attend a wine festival in your area. You really can't go wrong with paying an entry fee and then wine-tasting away...

A Walk About Town is a weekly feature hosted here at Coffee and a Book Chick. You do not need to have a book blog to join; any blogger can participate. Write about a spot in your town, or in a city you've visited, include the button for A Walk About Town, and add your link in the Linky below so that we can all visit your post. You don't need to include a picture to participate. I will post on Thursdays, but you can post any day of that week. Just make sure to add your link to the most recent week's post here at Coffee and a Book Chick, and if you're on Twitter,use the hashtag #AWalkAboutTown.

One of the things I love about Virginia Beach, and the Hampton Roads area, is the strong connection to the military. Norfolk has the largest naval base in the world, and many of the personnel, service members, and staff supporting the base and other bases around it, live directly in Norfolk, Virginia Beach, Portsmouth, etc.

Right on the oceanfront, in the same area as last week's visit to The Norwegian Lady, is the Naval Aviation Monument. Dedicated on May 6, 2006, this monument  of incredible bronze sculptures by artist Michael Maiden, recognizes not only the Navy, but the Coast Guard and Marine Corps aviation history from the 1900s through today. It was an exceptionally clear and bright day, so since a lot of the beautiful bronze sculptures were difficult to see, I thought a nice sepia filter made it look a little more vintage in the first shot. I love how this is situated right on the boardwalk and the Atlantic Ocean is visible in the background.

This is what it all means, at the end of the day, right?

Is there a spot in town you'd like to highlight? Link your post below and visit your co-participants.

A Walk About Town is a weekly feature hosted here at Coffee and a Book Chick. You do not need to have a book blog to join; any blogger can participate! Write about a spot in your town, or in another city you've visited, include the button for A Walk About Town, and add your link in the Linky below so that we can all visit your post. You don't need to include a picture to participate. I will post on Thursdays, but you can post any day of that week. Just make sure to add your link to the most recent week's post here at Coffee and a Book Chick, and if you're on Twitter, use the hashtag #AWalkAboutTown.

There are just some spots in a town that don't have the right foot traffic or recognition, and the Moses Myers House in Norfolk is one of those spots that deserves more publicity. Part of the Chrysler Museum's Historic Homes, the house is situated at the corner of Freemason and Bank, and right next to one of the largest malls in the Commonwealth known as MacArthur Mall, but the spot seems to go completely unnoticed. We had no idea how much history was in this one brick house and were completely blown away, yet again, by the story of Norfolk.

I went on a Saturday afternoon, and my husband and I were the only ones there. We received a wonderful guided tour by the helpful staff and enjoyed every tidbit they shared. For us history buffs, the abundance of charm was an unexpected pleasure and I highly recommend a visit. With more than 80% of the furnishings original to the home itself, it made the feel of the house even more intriguing and unique as we walked through small passageways and turned corners. After all, normally when you visit an historic house, you're lucky if you can see anything that is original to the home itself; most of it will be a reproduction, or are simply authentic to the time period only.

Moses Myers and his family became the first Jewish residents of Norfolk, Virginia, and the house has passed through five generations of the family who carried on Moses' tradition of public service, and  patronized the arts and the theater. Barton Myers, a notable public servant who tirelessly advocated for awareness of Virginia and brought even more business to Norfolk, continued to set the stage for the city that we know today. I think I was the most touched by the story of Moses and Eliza's daughter Adeline, who was engaged to a local grocer named Solomon Nones. He died just a few days before their wedding and Adeline remained single and lived in the family home until she passed in 1823. I could not imagine the pain and sadness she must have experienced. What a tragedy, and my heart broke for her as I looked in on her room.

In one room at the top of the house, a small desk is positioned with a multitude of personal and business letters, correspondence by and to the Myers family. Of course, these are photocopies, but they are available for you to pick up and closely read, and quite frankly, I could have pulled up a chair to the small desk that the Myers' used and read all day. Fascinating stuff! The letters I read dealt with someone being beat up at a dock, and another discussing the results of the Yellow Fever epidemic which killed approximately 2,000 Norfolk residents. Pictured here is a letter detailing the prohibition of Jews from trading, and how Moses' son was almost unable to retrieve a passport. (Click on the image to read it).

Norfolk is home to the largest naval base in the world, Norfolk Naval Station. This base currently supports 75 ships and 134 aircraft, and also houses the largest concentration of Naval forces. Were it not for Barton's efforts and hard work in the early 1900s, this port would more than likely not be the military powerhouse it currently is today. Barton was also the Executive Director of the Jamestown Exposition of 1907, which brought more public awareness on this famous settlement.

This is truly an integral piece of history for both Norfolk and America, and it's a shame more don't know about this amazing family. I strongly encourage you to learn more about this site, the family, and the Chrysler Museum. For more details on visiting the house, please click here.

This is at the top of the house. Notice the shorter doors!

Artist: Thomas Sully

Side note: Remember how my blog looked just last week (before the awesome new design by Forever Design Studio!), with the portrait of this woman in my header? That was painted by Thomas Sully... what a shock to me when the staff informed us that the artist for the paintings of the family was none other than... Thomas Sully! Small world (sort of), right?

What about you? Tell us about a spot in your town that you recently visited by linking up your post here!

This rowboat was positioned on the grass by the peaceful lake at Mt. Trashmore in Virginia Beach when I was there a couple of weeks ago (visit this week's A Walk About Town post to find out why this beautiful place has this name). I loved the way the light reflected off the water and I punched up the filter a bit to give it this hazy look to it.

For more of this week's Saturday Snapshots, visit Alyce with At Home With Books.

A Walk About Town is a weekly feature hosted here at Coffee and a Book Chick. Anyone can participate! Write about a spot in your town, or a spot you've visited, include the button for A Walk About Town, and add your link in the Linky below so that we can all visit your post. You don't need to include a picture to participate and although I will post on Thursdays, you can post yours any day of that week. Just make sure to add your link to the most recent week's post here at Coffee and a Book Chick, and if you're on Twitter, use the hashtag #AWalkAboutTown.

What's that, you say? A beautiful spot called Mount Trashmore?! Why, yes. I do say.

Who would ever think that a spot in Virginia Beach, which was once a landfill, would become one of the most unique, beautiful and fun spots in town? Whether it's going for a run around the beautiful lake, flying your kite on a windy day at the top of the "mountain", or watching the fireworks with family on the 4th of July, the spot called Mount Trashmore would be one of the best places to be.

Take a look at this glorious stairway up to the main lookout point. I visited on a beautiful and cold, crisp day, the type of day I just never got when I lived in Florida. I'll be revisiting again in spring when the grass is a lush green. (The last photo is my favorite since the two people at the top were doing some form of interesting dancing. It certainly shows the scale and size of the place). In one section of the park, there's even a cool skateboarding facility, and from what I understand, professional skateboarders including Tony Hawk, have visited here.

First opened in 1974, it's a remarkable example of being able to reuse what was once a trash-filled area of almost 200 acres, and turn it into a lively and healthy land with walking trails, picnic spots, volleyball courts, and a kid's playground. It's no surprise that the park clocks in over a million visitors a year. Well done, Virginia Beach!

What about you? Have you had a chance to walk about town and want to share a fun, education, and hip spot on your blog? Add your link below and make sure you visit other participants!

A Walk About Town is a weekly feature hosted here at Coffee and a Book Chick. Anyone can participate! Write about a spot in your town, include the button for A Walk About Town, and add your link in the Linky below so that we can all visit your post. You don't need to include a picture to participate and although I will post on Thursdays, you can post yours any day of that week. Just make sure to add your link to the most recent week's post here at Coffee and a Book Chick, and if you're on Twitter, use the hashtag #AWalkAboutTown.

This is my dream. For either Guy Fieri from Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives or Adam Richman from Man vs. Food to come visit Route 58 in Virginia Beach, Virginia and give this deli/café/restaurant the proper attention they deserve.

*Warning ~ there will be a lot of CAPITAL LETTERS in this post.*
People, LISTEN. If you are in Virginia Beach, you must head to The Route 58 Delicatessen to EAT.

And, oh, I do mean eat. A LOT.

When we first walked in, the hustle and bustle of this cozy joint was perfect. With a retro feel and wicked awesome 1950s-style signs, I knew this was going to be *the* spot that would quickly become a regular hang out for us.

Talk about character!

Not only are the menus (pictured below) made to look like magazine advertisements, but even the owner Jeff Goldberg's REPORT CARD when he was a kid, is laminated and tacked to the wall. It was hilarious, setting just the right kick-back-and-relax atmosphere.

And. The. FOOD. Fellow lovers of food, I am not kidding. If you are in Virginia Beach ever, and I MEAN EVER, stopping at the Route 58 Deli is now my requirement for you. Let's just say that when one of the slogans on a server's t-shirt reads, "If you finish, we made a mistake," then you know you're in for the type of food that makes your eyes bug out when the server brings it to your table. And when other diners then peek over your shoulder to ask what you got, that's another good sign.

I'll start out with the coffee. I drink mine black with one sugar in it, and my husband has his with cream and sugar. We both ended up asking for to go cups when we neared the end of the meal, it was THAT GOOD.

And for the food? Ahhhh. I had a Potato Knish, which was some magical creation of hot, flaky, soft bread wrapped around mashed potato and more magic. I'm still dreaming about it. My husband ordered something called "The Almost Famous" omelet with PASTRAMI and CORNED BEEF HASH and a gazillion other tasty things in it, but it also had MORE corned beef hash on top of that, and then it was finished off with two potato latkes balanced on top, almost like an exclamation point at the end of it all. It was in your face eating pleasure. (Guy? Adam? Did you wanna visit yet?). To do this plate true justice, I would suggest you just visit Route 58 now and order it. Suffice it to say that my husband eats everything on his plate every time, but this time? He could only eat half of "The Almost Famous."

The place is inviting, the decor is retro-amazing, the food is to drool over and pack your bellies with, and the service is TOP NOTCH. The owner, Jeff Goldberg (still just a kid from Jersey, per his site), and his super-fantastic staff (thanks, to our server Rachael, who happens to be a blog writer herself at The Witty Hippie), have a rock solid deli that would make New York, Chicago, and Boston drool and dream.

"Go, you must," said the ever-wise Yoda to the awesome blog reader. "Tonight. And then, with a belly content, you sleep."

The owner's report card! Ha! Below grade level, my a#$

LOOK AT THIS!! Eat this Potato Knish in one sitting. Dare ya.

Join me this week! Have you walked about your town and want to share something fun, educational, or intriguing that represents where you live? Write up a post, add the button to your blog, and enter your blog link to the Linky below.

After Thursday's humbling and inspirational visit to Grommet Island Beach Park for my feature "A Walk About Town," I had a few pictures of Rudee Inlet and the Virginia Beach Boardwalk that I wanted to share. The angle here is right around the 2nd street area for both the inlet and the start of the boardwalk. I don't know about you, but while I enjoy going to the beach on a warm day, I think I actually prefer it when it's a bit cold, with a little bit of wind. Something about it makes it a bit more peaceful.

For more of this week's snapshots, please visit Alyce with At Home With Books.

A Walk About Town is a weekly feature hosted here at Coffee and a Book Chick throughout the month of December. Anyone can participate; for those who do, simply write a post, include the button you see to the left in the sidebar, and add your link in the Linky below so that we can all visit your post. You do not need to include a picture to participate.

"A beach park & playground for every body."

It's time to put aside simple disagreements with others. Not only is it the holidays, but no matter how big it might feel at the time, anything is pretty inconsequential after you visit Grommet Island Beach Park in Virginia Beach, Virginia.

On the History tab of Grommet Island's web page, the tag line reads "From Adversity, the Birth of an Idea." Nothing could be more compelling and humbling. In 2006, at the incredibly young age of 33, Josh Thompson was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. A passionate surfer, Josh was forced to begin a new chapter in his life.

While family and friends headed to the beach one summer day, Josh had to stay back because there just wasn't any access to the beach that could accommodate his wheelchair, nor was there any place that he would be able to get across the sand to the shoreline and see the waves he loved. It is this obstacle that inspired Josh's father Bruce to begin the plans to create a place that would be accessible to everyone. The city of Virginia Beach also came through and with the help of the city and local companies, not to mention the resounding support of the residents of Virginia Beach, Grommet Island Beach Park at 2nd Street became a reality and just last year, in 2010, the Grand Opening was held. Since that time, more than $4 million has been raised to support research, park funding, and the ALS association.

This is one of the most extraordinary places I've ever been to. The vision of creating a spot for anyone, regardless if they were in a wheelchair or not, to comfortably access the beach and shoreline also produced a playground and a statue of father and son surfers. I loved every moment today, but I started to wonder about other beaches in the country, in the world. How easy is it for someone who is wheelchair-bound to access the shore and see the ocean that brings peace to many? How could you help make a difference in your community?

It is an unprecedented location and I was honored to be there today. I tip my hat to Bruce Thompson, the city and residents of Virginia Beach, the companies supporting it, and most especially to one surfer named Josh.

To see more about the site and to make a donation, please click here. For more information on the ALS Association and to make a donation, please click here.

To participate in A Walk About Town and to highlight a spot in your area, grab the button in the sidebar, write up a post, and then add your link to the Linky below.

A Walk About Town is a weekly feature hosted here at Coffee and a Book Chick throughout the month of December. Anyone can participate; for those who do, simply write a post, include the button you see to the left, and add your link in the Linky below so that we can all visit your post. You do not need to include a picture to participate.

This week's "A Walk About Town" feature was an absolute thrill. To think I've never visited the Chrysler Museum of Art in Norfolk, Virginia when I lived here before (and it is free)! Walter Chrysler (the son of the car guy*), donated thousands of art objects from his PERSONAL art collection. An unbelievable collection, it boasts artists such as Salvador Dali, John Singer Sargent, Georgia O'Keefe, Winslow Homer, Mary Cassatt, Henri Matisse, Edward Hopper, Jackson Pollack, and much more... Click here to see their collection highlights.

I actually went to see the special Colorama exhibit by Kodak, which featured scaled down versions of the 18 x 60 feet photographs once placed in Grand Central in New York through the 1960s, but I couldn't take any pictures due to Kodak copyrights. However, I did buy a book about it (touristy me!) and I'll take a funky picture of that and post it for Alyce's weekly Saturday Snapshot at At Home With Books. (If you haven't participated in that meme before, you should! So much fun).

I couldn't believe the sheer magnitude of this museum for the small city of Norfolk. The first floor alone has THE LARGEST glass collection in the WORLD. The WORLD, people. In Norfolk, Virginia. 10,000 objects spanning 3,00 years take up a good section of the museum. And yes, there is quite the selection of Tiffany's art, lamps and all. The museum also has an extensive glass studio which includes a workshop and class schedule (yeah, I'm not taking any classes, as I am quite accident-prone).

Did I forget to mention that there was a wine tasting with jazz music playing in the ballroom this evening? It was quite the experience to appreciate amazing artwork while listening to lovely live jazz in the background.

This was a real treat and I'm looking forward to this weekend for the museum's Historic Houses.

Chrysler Museum of Art Entrance

Ballroom Floor (Wine Tasting)

Glass Chess Set

Tiffany's Stained Glass

Gustave Doré (French) 1866-68

Frank Kline (American) 1940

And then here's a silhouette of me looking at a really cool wall of photos of celebrities. I punched up the grittiness of the picture because I was in a funky art mode. There ya go.

What about you? If you want to recap a spot about your town this past week, why not join A Walk About Town?

*[Edited 12/30/11 to include correction on William P. Chrysler, Jr.]

I need motivation to "re-visit" the city I used to live in years ago.

Although I have lived in the Virginia Beach/Norfolk area (Hampton Roads) before, being away for almost six years made me look at it differently. I'm proud of this little spot in Southeast Virginia, and I wanted to reintroduce myself to all the fun and local sites.

So "A Walk About Town," a new feature here at Coffee and a Book Chick, was born. For December, I'd like to highlight each week a place I've visited. After the month, I'll evaluate and decide if it will continue. Since I also travel frequently for work, I might also want to do a quick recap of something about the city that I enjoyed. No boundaries here, you know?

And then I thought...about extending it out to anyone who may want to participate. So I've attached a Linky at the bottom of this post.

The Plan

1. For the month of December 2011, every Thursday (or Friday), I'll post about a place I've visited in the past week.
2. Whether it's a book store, a restaurant, a movie theater, or a new shop I've been meaning to visit, I want to document it.
3. The blog button in the sidebar is open for anyone who wants to participate.
4. Those who do participate, add your post to the Linky below.
5. You don't need to add a ton of pictures, or any at all. Do what you like.
6. You don't need to join every week. Whenever you like. Just post your link to my weekly post.

The picture above is actually of a street in Norfolk in front of Prince Books, an independent bookstore I'm featuring today.

So that's the plan. I hope you'll join me as I'd love to take a peek into your local town, or a city you've visited!

Prince Books, an Independent Bookstore in Norfolk, Virginia
Imagine my delight when I learned that Norfolk, Virginia had an independent bookstore. With its warm and inviting atmosphere, a lunchtime café and a great bookstore staff, I knew it was going to be *the* place to go to for author events.

Prince Books opened in 1982 and focuses on poetry, history, biography, boating, travel, and also features a children's section (along with YA titles). The books I bought were The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood, The Complete Fairy Tales by George MacDonald, and The Redbreast by Jo Nesbø. I cannot wait to attend the events they'll be hosting in 2012!

Look at all the Penguins...

The shopfront at night when we left