October Weekend at Virginia Beach

Best Things Nearby:
The boardwalk and the beach, right across the street.

Lots of restaurants and bars right on the water.

Best Things About the Resort:
The location and the helpfulness of the staff.

Resort Experience:
This is an older resort and some effort has been made to keep it up, but we found some things on our unit that needed repair, replacing and/or cleaning. One of the twin beds had a mattress which needed to be replaced, the kitchen (very, very small - they mean mini when they say mini) was in need of deep-cleaning and the unit had a horrible odor upon entering that you got used to, but took home on your clothes! The dining table was tiny, suited for two but not for the six that the unit was supposed to have room for. When we let the front desk know about a closet door off the track they fixed it promptly.

This is not a fancy or classy resort, but the location is great and it is passable. Check-in was about the quickest I've ever seen! And check out was easy too. We would return to this resort since there are very few RCI resorts in VA Beach and it is a nice area to visit.

• Unit Type: 2 Bedroom
• Activities: Not Available
• Amenities: Good
• Unit Satisfaction: Good
• Family Friendliness: Very Good
• Service: Very Good

The location of this restaurant was ideal - right across the street from our resort and the girl at the front desk recommended it. We visited there twice with mixed results. The first night we had dinner with our friends. The booths are hard to get into and out of and we're not huge people - average. The service was indifferent. And the food was average. I had a shrimp bisque which was not especially flavorful, the salad was hard to eat because it was piled high on a small plate instead of served in a bowl - I got tired of fighting with it, and the seafood was over-breaded.

The following afternoon my husband and I went to their outdoor area so we could have a drink and watch the people walking and biking up and down the boardwalk. The drinks were okay, but we also order a boiled shrimp appetizer and the shrimp were perfect - well-seasoned, cooked just right, succulent, and fun to shell and dip in the butter sauce or cocktail sauce provided. I would go back for the shrimp!

This is a great gathering spot for residents and visitors alike. The boardwalk is great for walking, jogging, people-watching, ocean watching, boat watching and sea bird watching. It is a happening place. With the Naval base nearby and the Chesapeake Bay there are ships coming and going all the time. It is fascinating to watch and try to figure out what kind of ships they are. There are numerous spots up and down to boardwalk to rent the bikes and surreys. The four of us rented a surrey and had a great time riding up and down the bike path parallel to the boardwalk. At each block there is a walkway from the street to the boardwalk and each is decorated with a different ocean-themed sculpture. We enjoyed checking these out as we rode around them and by them. It was also the perfect opportunity to scope out the various restaurants and bars all facing the boardwalk and ocean and decide which one to try each night.

The beach itself is well maintained and nice to walk on or play volleyball, gambol in the waves, or just lay on the blanket and read.