Articles

Mermaids, ahoy
Norfolk's sights go beyond naval-gazing

Howard County Times
September 16, 2010

You don't need an F-18 to get to Norfolk, Va., in a jiffy. You can drive there in about four hours, take a passenger jet (Southwest is the only airline of five flying out of BWI International that flies nonstop to Norfolk) or even take an Amtrak train to Newport News and then catch the connector bus to Norfolk (the city is part of the campaign for direct train transportation).

The Nauticus museum (www.Nauticus.org) and the adjacent battleship, the U.S.S. Wisconsin, highlight the city's connection to the sea and naval history. You can even take a 45-minute tour of Naval Station Norfolk (www.cnic.navy.mil/norfolksta), the world's largest naval station. World War II history buffs can spend hours at the Gen. Douglas MacArthur Memorial (www.macarthurmemorial.org).

But Norfolk is more than the military.

Forty local artists have located at d'ART Center in the Selden Arcade (www.d-artcenter.org), so you can discuss their works and buy something you saw them create.

You can enjoy the water with tours by Rover Marine Inc. on the 51-foot, custom-built Chesapeake Bay deadrise Mariner IV (www.americanrover.com), as well as other tour boats and the paddle-wheeler ferry that connects Norfolk to Portsmouth every half hour for $1.50.

No matter where you go in the city, you're sure to see the Mermaids on Parade (www.mermaidsonparade.com), a project started in 2000 as a fundraiser for the Public Arts Commission. You can find the 100 plus 10-foot mermaids by downloading a map from the website. You can even vote for your favorite.

Old Dominion orchids

Whatever you're doing, you're sure to think it's time to stop and smell the roses (and orchids and hydrangeas and wildflowers) because flowers and plants, and other beautiful growing things are everywhere.

You might want to start first at the Arthur and Phyllis Kaplan Orchid Conservatory (http://sci.odu.edu/biology/botany/greenhouse), on the grounds of Old Dominion University, because it's only open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. and by appointment. The nearly 3,000-square-foot greenhouse holds the orchid collection of retired Norfolk physician Arthur Kaplan.

The more than 1,000 plants include 275 species in 72 different genera. You'll also see other tropical plants, some of which are endangered.

One special flower is the Bulbophyllum phalaenopsis, which is said to smell like an elephant, a dead one. The little fringes on the petals are said to mimic maggots so flies will visit the flower thinking it's a good place to lay eggs, thus assuring that the flowers are pollinated.

Remember, says conservatory curator Steve Urich, "Although we always have some orchids in bloom, the peak season is November through March."

Should you fly into or out of Norfolk International Airport (www.norfolkairport.com) or have a layover, you can walk (about 15 minutes) to the Norfolk Botanical Garden (www.norfolkbotanicalgarden.org/home) during daylight hours and not pay the admission price. Built in 1939 by a 220-woman force of the Works Progress Administration, the 155-acre garden and arboretum has special and seasonal gardens. For the fall, enjoy the 2-acre Bristow Butterfly Garden and the Enchanted Forest-- a mature overstory of oak, hickory and pine trees.

In the spring, you can see millions of blooms, particularly in the Bicentennial Rose Garden and the Border Garden, which includes shrubs such as a row of white-flowering Diane hibiscus. The Colonial Garden reflects the days when plants were used for everyday culinary and medical reasons.

The rhododendron glade features more than 175 varieties of rhododendrons and azaleas. A summer butterfly garden provides a place for butterflies and moths to run through their life cycles. Nearby, is a 1.5-acre garden with about 300 hydrangeas.

The 3-acre WOW Children's Garden is not a plot of little ones, but flowers and activities that will foster their interest in growing things.

Wildlife includes wood ducks, owls, hawks and warblers.

By wintertime next year, you can have a head start by watching the tree-top bald eagle cam. On Jan. 31, the first of three eggs appeared, and the first egg hatched March 11. The eagle cam is deactivated once the eaglets fledge.

Looking east

The huge Pagoda and Oriental Garden (www.pagodagarden.org) on the Freemason Harbor waterfront serves as a tranquil place for people to stroll along the winding walkways and watch koi do their stroll through the ponds. A gift to Virginia and Norfolk from the Taiwanese government in recognition of a trade agreement, the tower was dedicated in 1989. The garden, with plants of Asian origin and granite lanterns, was dedicated in 2000.

The tower was built on the former footprint of a 500,000-gallon molasses storage tank. The views of the pagoda, framed by the greenery, change with the seasons. Should all that strolling make you hungry, there's a teahouse to sate your appetite.

Now, instead of shipping piers, warehouses and other industrial sights, the area is surrounded by condos and homes.

That's the Mei Madeline mermaid parading between the pagoda and the water. Artist Marysharon Melchiorre left this message about the statue:

A NorFolkTale

Off she strode

Down the road.

This mermaid had a vision.

She decided she would make

The most beautiful decision.

Making a splash

Just a couple of blocks from the Norfolk Waterside Marriott Hotel (www.Marriott.com) and the Norfolk Convention Center on one side and the Half Moone Cruise and Celebration Center (www.halfmoone.org) on the other, you can take off your shoes and socks (bring a towel) and play like a child again at the Waterside Landing fountain, with its 28 jets thrusting water sprays into the air and dancing with you.

The Chrysler Museum of Art (www.chrysler.org), which no longer charges an admission fee as of September 2009, has one of the largest collections of Tiffany-blown glass in the United States. The collection is augmented by examples of pottery, metal work and enamels. Located in the Ghent district, the museum's collection spans more than 5,000 years of history and provides the lectures, tours, programs and other information to help you understand and appreciate what you're seeing.

Also managed by the Chrysler Museum, the Moses Myers House is an excellent example of late Federal period architecture that gives insight into the life of a prosperous Jewish family. The museum has two gardens.

The Memorial Garden is located off the museum's glass gallery and includes a fountain surrounded by lush landscaping. A hedge encloses the garden, which overlooks The Hague Inlet and surrounds a small pool with a lit fountain.

Mary's Garden was created within the last five years, with seating and spaces for you to enjoy a few quiet moments along the beautiful Hague. The Garden Club of Virginia has undertaken a continuing restoration of the Myers House garden.

The Norfolk History Museum at The Willoughby-Baylor House lets you explore the city's architectural, commercial, maritime and military history. The garden, designed by Siska Aurand Landscape Architects, was installed in 1991 and represents the most current understanding of Colonial gardens at that time. They even used oyster shells for the paving.

Dining

Norfolk's local cuisine continues to shine brightly, with more than 80 chef-owned restaurants within walking distance of the city's center. You can easily find Virginia wines and locally grown meat and produce.

When you want to combine history and food, stop by Doumar's Cones & Barbecue (www.doumars.com) to see the original waffle machine, first used to make ice cream cones at the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair.

The "Dou" is known for its barbecue, which is minced or chopped, not pulled, and has a vinegar-based sauce rather than sugar and tomato. They create beautiful pastel milkshakes (strawberry, pineapple, banana, cherry, etc.) and the limeade is superb. Note, the waffle machine sometimes makes personal appearances, so it isn't always at the restaurant.

Guy Fieri, from the Food Channel, visited twice in 2008, so, you'll see his posters on the window and wall.

Rowena's Jam and Jelly Factory (www.rowenas.com) is even more whimsical on the inside than it is on the outside. You're sure to find some tasty treats that become delectable souvenirs and memories (if you don't eat them before you gift them) and provides lunch in a gracious tearoom.

You can tour the factory with reservations. It's almost impossible to ignore the almond pound cake and the lemon pound cake and the lemon curd and the raspberry curd. Note to Paula Deen fans, Rowena Fullinwider makes several of the products Paula uses and resells.

For the early morning must-have (complete with maybe half the local police force catching breakfast before or after the shift change), stop by d'Egg Diner, where owner Phil Decker and his friends and family will provide you with a heaping plateful that will keep you going all day.

One of the great treasures of Norfolk is the ease of getting from one place to another. A fairly easily walkable city to begin with, there are other options from free and personal to mass transit. A light rail system, the Tide (www.ridethetide.com) is 91 percent complete as of the last update and is scheduled to start operation sometime in 2011.

In the meantime, you can catch a free ride on a NET (Norfolk Electric Transit, www.norfolk.gov/visitors/net.asp) bus. Or call on F.R.E.D. (Free Ride Every Day, www.downtownnorfolk.org/business/parktrans) operated by the 10-city Public Service Ambassadors, for a downtown ride in a solar-powered, battery-operated green hut on wheels.

For other info on things to do in Norfolk, check out www.visitnorfolktoday.com.