Hampton
VIRGINIA
WHAT MAKES IT UNIQUE FAST FACTS • Located at the southern tip of the Virginia peninsula, at the mouth of Hampton Roads • Old Point Comfort Lighthouse is the oldest one still in use in the Bay. • Hampton is the oldest continuous Englishspeaking settlement in the United States.
The Hampton River leads right to the city’s doorstep, so coming in by boat is a snap. Hampton has several excellent marinas and one of the friendliest yacht clubs around. It’s also easy to walk around the historic downtown, home to one-of-a-kind restaurants and unusual shops, an excellent air-and-space museum and a gorgeous carousel from the 1920s (temporarily closed for repairs but available for viewing by special appointment). Across the U.S. 60 bridge, you’ll find Hampton University’s wonderful museum. A little farther afield is Old Point Comfort, the first place that English Colonists stepped foot after sailing over in 1607. Fort Monroe National Monument is a national historic site unlike any other, with the historic fort plus restaurants, a brewery and beaches on the surrounding acreage.
• The Mercury 7 astronauts trained at NASA Langley Research Center.
Located above Fort Monroe, Buckroe Beach and Park overlooks the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean beyond.
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ChesapeakeBayMagazine.com | Weekends on the Water 2022
