The secret to seeing a city in comparatively unhasseld bliss is really no secret at all: see it when others don’t. A case-in-point is Norfolk in the wake of Harborfest, the city’s annual celebration of the sea. Many of the people, the fireworks and the festivities vanished June 11. But not the fun. It’s still there in abundance – sans the crowds.
Now is the time to visit the harbor. Here are some things to do:
- Take HRT’s Paddlewheel Ferry from downtown Norfolk to Olde Towne Portsmouth via the Elizabeth River. There are half-hourly departures. It’s a good way (purely figuratively) to get your toe wet.
- Sail Hampton Roads harbor in an elegant three-mast ship at American Rover Tall Ship Cruises. American Rover is berthed at the Downtown waterside, her tan sails symbolic of Norfolks’s on-going love affair with the sea.
- Explore the nautical niceties of schooner Virginia, a living symbol of the state’s rich maritime heritage. Revel in the sights, the sounds, the smells and the feel of a real wooden pilot schooner. Come away with an appreciation of what it took to sail her.
- If you’ve ever wanted to sail away, the folks at Sail Time will show you how – at least on a beginner’s level. Come on down to Willoughby Harbor Marina for lessons and daysailer rentals.
If things nautical leave you high and dry head to the Chrysler Museum of Art and see how artisans craft molten glass into timeless works of art. The Chrysler puts on free demonstrations Wednesdays through Sundays from noon till one in what’s dubbed its Hot Lunch Special. If lunchtime doesn’t fit your schedule there are a couple of other glass art demos Saturday and Sunday at 4 pm.
(Image: Mr. T in DC)
