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First Landing State Park
Virginia Beach, VA
- Dates: August 25, 2017.
- Site Number: 118
- Coordinates: 36° 55′ 30″ North, 76° 2′ 52″ West
- Vibe: Beach camping in fun Virginia Beach resort
- Weather:
- Friday: Sunny, but threatening to rain at dusk.
- Saturday: Sunny and clear
- Pros: Great store. Ample sites with privacy. Great showers!
- Cons: Our site was a little too close to Fort Story. Choose another site next time.
- Verdict: Top-notch! We would come back!
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Steve's Review:
We got to First Landing State Park in the mid afternoon on Friday. After checking in and setting up camp, we met my dear cousin Lisa and her 11-year-old son, Rocco, who immediately hit it off with my boys, ages, 17 and 20. We ate at the lovely Pier Café in the Chick's beach section of Virginia Beach. The location was stunning, overlooking Chesapeake Bay and the bridge to DelMarVa. We hit is just as the sun was setting. The Food and service were great! The skies threatened to rain, but it never materialized. So great to reconnect with Lisa and to hang out with Rocco!
Our site, #118, was very nice with sandy soil. The one downside to this particular site is that it bordered a checkpoint to Fort Story. That meant that there was a bit of traffic, as well as all-night lighting. And, there's speaker playing Reveille first thing in the morning! If and when we stay here again, I would try to get a site close to the boradwalk to the beach, such as site #153.
The campground, however, was top-notch! It's adjacent to an ocean beach that makes it a great summer destination. There's a terrific camp store with ice, bikes & beach carts for rent, and a multi-machine laundry! The park has trails and a nature center with activity backpacks for the kids to borrow. I would be eager to spend more time in this park.
That said, on Saturday, we decided to cut out a day early as well; we were just a bit worn out from all of the traveling. We decided to visit the Military Aviation Museum in Pungo, six miles south of Virginia Beach, and then come back, break camp, and head home.
B is really into military aircraft and had picked this museum out ahead of our trip. It is located in two hangars at the Virginia Beach Airport (really, just a long, flat grassy field). It was really fascinating and everything is kept in pristine condition. A number of the aircraft still actually fly! Worth seeing when you visit VB.
We drove straight home with a short visit to a rest stop in Maryland. We arrived home around midnight after travelling a total of 2,885 miles!
What an epic trip we had! We stayed at three terrific campgrounds (Big Meadows/Shenandoah, Claytor Lake SP and First Landing SP, all in Virginia). we had a rich and pleasant experience traveling through the South, seeing spectacular scenery and a variety of fauna, and got to experience a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle of nature! It was well worth it!
—SBW
