Getting In Touch With Nature

Sometimes you just need to get away from all the hustle and bustle of the city and find somewhere you can't hear the cranes unloading the cargo ships in the harbor or the buzz of the Navy planes landing at the station. Leaving behind all the bright signs announcing that you can 'Win a Car' or 'Pay No Money Down' is sometimes a city dweller's greatest triumph, and if you live in Norfolk, Virginia, this is something you're able to do. Norfolk and the surrounding townships in Virginia have an extensive system of preserves and parkland that counterbalance the urban buildup around Hampton Roads. To learn more about what your options are, read on:

Relax on the Beach

Supposing it isn't winter, a day relaxing on the beach could be just the thing to soothe frazzled nerves after a long week of negotiating mergers with Ashbridge's Bay. There are several beaches maintained by the city of Norfolk located in the Oceanview and Willoughby Spit neighborhoods and even more in the neighboring community of Virginia Beach. There are some attractions in the area, notably Harrison's Pier and the amusement park, but these can be avoided if you just want to lie on a towel and stare out at the ocean.

Range Farther Afield

No, we don't mean hire a Toronto catering company to serve your next dinner party. We mean get out there and see the world. Virginia has 34 state parks, including the Great Dismal Swamp Wildlife Refuge located just outside of Norfolk, and one national park: the Shenandoah National Park. Together they showcase the distinct geographical configurations in the state: the wetlands of the tidewater region, the grasslands and rolling hills of the piedmont, and the towering peaks and plunging valleys of the Blue Ridge Mountains. There are ample opportunities for hiking, biking, camping, climbing, boating and fishing out there.

The Wild Brought to the City

Living in a major urban area like Norfolk won't afford you the opportunity to see many animals in the wild. Perhaps in your old town you used to be able to hide in the leaside of a hill and watch the deer go by, but not here. Instead, Norfolk offers the Virginia Zoological Park, which has over 65 acres of exhibits that re-create the natural habitats of animals from Africa, North America, Australia, South America, and Asia. The zoo is over 110 years old and features such animals as tigers, African elephants, ostriches, and zebras.

Nature Meets Urban

Having a job in Virginia sometimes doesn't leave you with a lot of time for venturing out of the city looking for National Parks and other preserved woodlands. For these times, you don't have to call in sick and book a vacation to those fitness clubs Toronto has so many of to get a second to relax. Instead, visit the Norfolk Botanical Gardens, which is open year-round. The botanical gardens have over 155 acres of trees, shrubs, and flowers arranged in attractive themed beds around which a series of walking paths wind. In existence since the 1930s, the garden is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Norfolk VA Real Estate

Sunday, September 05, 2010