Norfolk Favorites

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Favorite thing: If you see a red castle on a building or installation, you know that's the Army Corps of Engineers. The Corps is quite important to boaters, because they maintain the waterways. There is a better picture of the logo in the second picture.

Their main building (pictured) is at:
803 Front Street
Norfolk, Va 23510-1096
757-441-7500

From the Corps of Engineers website

Major projects:
F/A-22 Raptors at Langley Air Force Base
Craney Island Expansion
Norfolk Harbor 50-foot Deepening
Chesapeake Bay Oyster Restoration
Elizabeth River Restoration Project
Embrey Dam Removal
Wind Farm Permit
Maersk Terminal
Richmond Floodwall
Virginia Beach Erosion Control and Hurricane Protection Project
Great Bridge Bridge Replacement Project

Fondest memory: Thier website says "Some 450 civilians and three Army officers work at the Norfolk District’s headquarters on the Norfolk waterfront and at more than 20 field offices .

"... In civil works, Norfolk District oversees the James, Rappahannock, York and Chowan River basins, the Chesapeake Bay area in Virginia and the Eastern Shore of Virginia, approximately 23,000 square miles...

"A key mission, the Port of Hampton Roads has steadily grown to become the world’s largest coal port and sixth largest port overall in the U.S. On April 23, 2003, Norfolk District officials and the Virginia Port Authority moved forward with a project to deepen the inbound shipping channel in the Hampton Roads harbor to 50 feet... In addition to Hampton Roads Harbor, Norfolk District maintains some 70 navigation channels, using material dredged from these channels to nourish beaches, re-create habitat, re-establish oyster ground, create marshes and other beneficial uses whenever possible.

"The district's beach erosion and flood protection projects have prevented more than $130 million in damages throughout the state since 1968. During Hurricane Isabel alone, the district’s recently completed hurricane protection and beach erosion control projects in Virginia Beach and Sandbridge prevented $105 million in damages.

"The district’s innovative environmental restoration initiatives have attracted nationwide attention for their success and innovation. The $10 million Chesapeake Bay oyster restoration project is seeing major gains in efforts to restore native oysters to the once thriving Chesapeake Bay. The Elizabeth River Restoration Project was recently cited by the Environmental Protection Agency as a model for the nation in public-private partnership. The district is also working with the Environmental Protection Agency on environmental restoration efforts at contaminated sites throughout the Commonwealth."

Fondest memory: We bought our first sailboat when we lived in Norfolk. It was a homebuilt catamaran on a trailer. I was pregnant. We took it out to sail on a Sunday around my due date and got becalmed in the sea plane landing lane area with no motor and no paddles.

We had to launch the boat and then sail it across to the slip. After I had the baby, a hurricane threatened and my mom had to go help Bob get the boat ready to sail to the other side to haul it. In the picture, Bob is kneeling with his back to us (I was in the car with the baby) and Mom's head is just peeking up over the top of the sail.

We sold the boat and trailer (and the car - a 1949 Plymouth which I now regret geting rid of, but we had three cars at that point -a 1964 (new) Ford station wagon and a 1932 Plymouth 4 door sedan in addition to the 1949 Plymouth) and one of them had to go)when Bob was transferred to Monterey California.

Favorite thing: I like to go to a particular club downtown, called Backstage Cafe. Nice. Good music, good pizza, leather couches, and good beer. Expen$ive, though. Cheaper place is Lovely Ladies on Little Creek Rd.

Fondest memory: Leaving.

Favorite thing: The Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel is a 17 mile bridge across the Chesapeake Bay. It connects the Norfolk area with the Delmarva peninsula. To me, it was like going across the sea. The bridge was very interesting. It certainly made my trip shorter. If you want to see a unique bridge, this is worth the trip. A word of caution, this bridge costs $10 to cross.

Favorite thing: A friend and neighbor of mine, Sean Hanrahan, climbing out of the cockpit of his F-14 Tomcat after landing at Oceana Naval Air Base, Virginia. Sean flew off the U.S.S. Saratoga during the Liberation Of Kuwait.

Favorite thing: Visit the MacArthrur Museum. It features the military career of one of the greatest generals of America.

Fondest memory: Norfolk's affinity with the sea and how man has tamed the waters for man's s own purposes is exemplified in Norfolk.