What Virginia Beach is known for

The Chesapeake Region is known for the popular cities within the destination, such as Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Chesapeake. The latter city is what gives the zone its name. The area is also home to multiple rivers where people go fishing and canoeing. There are various activities in which visitors can participate. Some of these activities include Oak Grove Lake Park, Hickory Ridge Farm, Northwest River Park, and Cloud 9 Trampoline Park. Oak Grove Lake Park has multiple trails and parks. Some of the parks have playgrounds. Most are located in forests; however, there are a couple located closer to the water. Hickory Ridge Farm gives kids the opportunity to pick plants such as strawberries and raspberries. The farm sells pumpkins and various other plants. There are multiple activities for people to participate in, such as climbing haystacks, riding on a tractor, and picking plants. 

Northwest River Park has numerous parks and trails. It also has things like canoes and bicycles that people can rent out. Camping is available in the area, and there is a small mini-golf course provided for those visiting the park. Another part of the property is the small cafe they have there, along with different buildings that visitors can go to. Cloud 9 Trampoline Park has many trampolines for kids and adults to jump on. Birthday parties can be held at the park, along with other events. Cloud 9 Trampoline Park also has a rock wall people can climb and a miniature obstacle course. There are also foam pits that people can jump into from trampolines.[2] 

Other activities to do within the area are the Chrysler Museum of Art, Nauticus, Virginia Zoo, and the Battleship Wisconsin at Nauticus. The Chrysler Museum of Art is a large building filled with different artwork. Some examples of artwork are statues, paintings, and sculptures. Nauticus has multiple facilities with different activities guests can participate in. One of these buildings is an aquarium with many distinct types of fish, sharks, and other sea creatures. There is also a museum about airships and boats. The Battleship Wisconsin at Nauticus is a giant battleship that people can go on. Inside of the battleship is many different exhibits displaying facts about how the battleship functions and what rooms are on the ship. Virginia Zoo is home to many animals. Examples of these animals are kangaroos, monkeys, apes, elephants, giraffes, peacocks, lions, red pandas, rhinos, tigers, and meerkats.[3]

Geography

The Chesapeake Region is located in Virginia and includes a small part of the northeastern section of North Carolina. The north end of the border curves above York River and Gloucester. The west border curves to avoid Ahoskie before going down to Edenton. From Edenton, the border goes straight to Kill Devil Hills. The east side of the border goes along the North Atlantic Ocean and ends just before Cape Charles. Generally speaking, the topography of the destination is flat with multiple water sources and areas. There are many trees in the surrounding landscape, and no mountains are visible. 

The weather in the area has an average high of around 92 degrees Fahrenheit. The average low is about 50 degrees Fahrenheit. There is a higher chance of rain in March than in any other month, but overall the change of rain is low. The possibility of snow is scarce, and if it does snow, it does not stick to the ground. The most popular time to visit the area is in June, but the best time weather is from the start of April to the beginning of June.[4] 

Animals in the area often live near the ocean or in forests. Some examples of these animals include river otters, white-tailed deer, sika deer, bobcats, marsh rabbits, muskrats, and red foxes. There are also many types of snakes, frogs, fish, and waterfowl. Other animals in the region include bottlenose dolphins, crabs, and oysters.[5] Plants in the destination are often found in the forests, but some are found near the ocean or near rivers. Examples of these plants are box elders, red maples, silver maples, sugar maples, nodding onions, white snakeroot, and autumn bentgrass.[6]

History

Chesapeake was created in 1963 when the former city (South Norfolk) consolidated with Norfolk County. The consolidation was approved, and soon after, there was a vote on what the name of the new city should be. After the vote, the name was approved by the Virginia General Assembly. Norfolk County was first formed in 1961 in the Virginia Colony. Initially, it had contained what would later be known as Norfolk, Portsmouth, and South Norfolk. In 1871 the area was reduced as the cities claimed their own territory through annexations. South Norfolk was incorporated into Norfolk County in 1919. It became an independent city in 1922. The residents of the city wanted to change the position of their jurisdiction to be more similar to those of the larger cities. In the late 1950s, the city almost lost a large portion of land because of another annexation suit. The merging of the two cities resulted in the creation of Chesapeake. 

From 1952 to 1975, a lot of changes occurred in the local government because of the consolidation and formation of Chesapeake. The site of the Battle of Great Bridge is located near Chesapeake between the Southern Branch Elizabeth River and the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal. The battle was fought during the American Revolutionary War in 1775. The battle resulted in the removal of a man named Lord Dunmore. All vestiges of the English government were also removed from Virginia. Chesapeake began to grow during the beginning of the 1980s and into the 1990s. Businesses and industries were created and built within Chesapeake. The growth led to strains on the municipal infrastructure. The city hosted the trial for Lee Boyd Malvo in 2003. Malvo was spared from the death penalty for the shootings he had committed in 2002 and was instead sentenced to time in jail. His partner was convicted and given the death sentence.[1]