Courtesy Virginia Beach CVB
Pancakes and Patriots
The next day began at a Virginia Beach breakfast institution: Pocahontas Pancakes. We beat the rush because by the time we left there, this pancake emporium was filling up.
“On Friday and Saturday mornings, the lines go down the street,” said Coggin.
I had the blueberry pancakes, but the selection was endless. Chocoholics could get chocolate chip pancakes, there was french toast; and there were plain pancakes; for traditionalists. It would be interesting to know how many families make a stop at Pocahontas Pancakes as part of their vacations there.
We made a stop in the rain at the Edgar Cayce Association for Research and Enlightenment facility because Cayce, among the most famous clairvoyants of all time, was born in my hometown of Hopkinsville, Kentucky. In a dream state, he was told to build a hospital in Virginia Beach, which he did. There, he used trances to diagnose illnesses and prescribe treatments for patients. A faithful Presbyterian, he never fully understood his clairvoyance.
Coggin and I made a trip out on the Big Bay Bridge Tunnel to the visitors center his bureau runs. Despite the stormy weather, there were naval boats running through the bay, mostly smaller cargo or personnel carriers that were probably traveling back and forth from larger ships farther offshore.
“Sometimes we see Navy SEALS training right out here,” said Coggin. “You’ll also see aircraft carriers, cargo ships and others.”
Oceana, a major naval air station, is located there, nearer to Norfolk, which is basically adjacent to Virginia Beach. Nearly 300 naval fighter jets are based there to support the Navy’s Atlantic and Pacific Fleet Force.
One of the great added values of any trip to Virginia Beach is the sound of aircraft overhead. Frequently, you’ll hear two or more of these F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet fighter jets overhead, practicing touch-and-go’s on aircraft carriers anchored offshore or doing other maneuvers. As Coggin pointed out, the sight and sound of these aircraft gives rise to a feeling of patriotic pride that’s hard to describe.
Attractions Old and New
After lunch, we drove out to Cape Henry Lighthouse, one of the city’s historic landmarks, and I joined a few others in climbing up to the top of the old lighthouse that was built overlooking the Chesapeake Bay in 1792.
The original overlooks a newer one built in 1881 that is still in operation. Both stand very near the landing site of the Jamestown Company in 1607. The older lighthouse is thought to be the first federal work project in America, authorized by the American government after its victory in the Revolutionary War.
Our guide pointed out several ships moored in the bay, awaiting harbor pilots who are brought onboard to navigate passage there.
“Sometimes you’ll see the same ship out here for a day or more,” he said. “They can’t go anywhere until a harbor captain is onboard.”
Before taking me to the airport, Coggin took me by one of Virginia Beach’s newest Town Center facilities: the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts. Built in 2007, the center draws national and international performers to Virginia Beach and serves as the cultural hub for the area. The Sandler Center staff are also key players in the production of one of Virginia Beach’s best new events: the Flying Proms.
Now entering its third year, the Flying Proms (short for “promenade”) is held in early summer and already draws more than 2,000 guests to an outdoor picnic at the Military Aviation Museum, where the Virginia Symphony Orchestra performs to a choreographed air show by vintage airplanes. Modeled after a similar event in England, this spectacular event is growing each year as local patrons and visitors from out of town reserve space on the lawn for an unforgettable evening beneath the stars.
