Hampton Roads: Why You'll Love Being Stationed Here!
by PCSgrades Staff - March 21st, 2018
If you just received orders to the Hampton Roads area, congratulations! You’ll find there are many fun things to do near Hampton Roads, for military families stationed at Joint Base Langley-Eustis or Naval Station Norfolk.
Hampton Roads, home of Joint Base Langley-Eustis
Joint Base Langley-Eustis (JBLE) is situated in a metropolitan area called Hampton Roads on the southeastern shore of Virginia. With loads to do in this maritime area, you’ll have many opportunities for your next adventure.
Depending where you’re moving from, you may quickly notice that Virginia has all four seasons. In this part of Virginia, autumn is incredible. The vivid colors hang on to the trees much longer than in more northern locations, which allows one to really take it in and enjoy. Winter is crisp and clean with dustings of snow, but it never lingers long and is rarely bone-chilling. Once spring and summer hit, It's time to get outside and find creative ways to beat the heat. The warmth and humidity will be all that you need to hit a local beach and become a sweet tea fan if you aren’t already one.
Hampton Roads is a thriving military community
In this area, you’ll find families from every branch of the military. Yes, even the Coast Guard! Norfolk Naval Base is one of many bases in the Hampton Roads area and is home to the largest Naval Station in the world. No matter what branch you represent, Navy Norfolk will awe and inspire.
Langley Air Force Base merged with Fort Eustis to become Joint Base Langley-Eustis, supporting both Air Force and Army units. You’ll also find a Coast Guard base in Portsmouth and a small satellite Marine base in Norfolk called Camp Allen. Those are only some of the local bases in the Hampton Roads area, so you can see there is a strong military presence in this part of Virginia.
Things to do in Hampton Roads
Military families will find plenty of things to do in Hampton Roads, in any season. It seems as if there is a festival of some sort almost every weekend. You can get your fill of festivals for music, food, culture, and the arts with a quick online search. Norfolk Botanical Gardens offer an escape from the hectic city life and a great retreat for all ages. North of the area is Busch Garden’s Williamsburg, which has fantastic rides for everyone, plus a water park to retreat from the heat in the summer.
Soak up history in Hampton Roads
While in Williamsburg, you can visit America’s Historical Triangle, comprised of Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown. All three locations give you a taste of American history in the colonial days. You can step back in time with the costumed characters at Colonial Williamsburg, explore the historic settlement at Jamestown, or brush up on Revolutionary War history at Yorktown,
Great beaches for military families stationed in Virginia
Although the Hampton Roads area is pebbled with beaches you’ll want to take advantage of Virginia Beach and the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Virginia Beach is nearby and has a great boardwalk as well as a hopping nightlife.
For the ideal beach life vacation, drive south to the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It is less than two hours away and a great place to rent a beach home. While there, make sure to visit the Wright Brother’s Museum and some of the local lighthouses.
Orders to Hampton Roads? Do your homework first!
When you get orders to the Hampton Roads area you’ll want to make an informed decision about where to live and where to you’re your kids to school. Speak to people who have or are living here and speak to the school liaison officer. You’ll find the areas with the best schools cost more to live in and there is good reason for that. Some schools handle military kids better than others. You can find reviews of local neighborhoods written by fellow military and veteran families at https://www.pcsgrades.com/.
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