The Nees family from far left to right: Brian, Luke, Eli and Trenna at Rudee’s. Photo courtesy of Trenna Nees.
As the last day of school was quickly approaching and my mother was coming to Virginia to visit for a couple of weeks, I began thinking about where my family and I could go for a few days to kick off summer and enjoy a stress-free staycation! And I instantly knew: The 67th Street Townhomes operated by Joint Base Little Creek-Fort Story MWR.
My family and I had needed a quick getaway during Spring Break and we found ourselves at these awesome townhomes just three miles south of Fort Story and just under two miles to the North End of the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Boardwalk. Tucked away in what is mostly private and seasonal rental beach houses, the 67th Street Townhomes are a great respite for locals like ourselves as well as the vacationer visiting Virginia Beach. So this was going to be our second trip in less than three months. I think that is a pretty good testament as to how great these townhomes are!
We packed up with our groceries and essentials and headed out on a beautiful Monday afternoon that very first week of summer break 2016. As my family and I had previously stayed at the Townhomes, I remembered the helpful lessons of our Spring trip and had packed accordingly. We headed out taking 64 West to the Northhampton Blvd exit east, passing JEB Little Creek, through the Chicks Beach area then continuing through the north side of the First Landing State Park to reach the turn-off to the front gate to Fort Story.
We continued about a mile north of the gate until we reached a little rotunda-looking building on the left for check-in. We had arrived about 40 minutes prior to the 1500 hour check-in time, so we decided to go to the little Shoppette on base about a mile north of the check in almost directly across from the Cape Henry Lighthouse, lookout area and beach. So if you happen to arrive early on your trip, there is plenty of exploring at hand to kill some time if needed!
View of Atlantic Ocean from balcony of the townhome. Photo courtesy of Trenna Nees.
We returned to check-in just a few minutes before 1500 hours and although housekeeping was still finishing up our assigned townhome, they allowed me to complete the check in process, get my gate code, assigned parking passes for two vehicles and the entry security cards. I was happy to see that we had been assigned the very same end unit we had occupied during Spring Break, which also provided a spectacular ocean view and was located next to the public access walkway.
Less than two years old, the Townhomes offer a great aesthetic idea of what coastal living feels like. When you walk into your side of the duplex style townhomes, you enter into the bottom floor which is where all the bedrooms are and where the stackable full size washer and dryer are located. The ceramic floors and decor immerse you in coastal comfort the minute you set foot into the place!
We immediately headed up the steps to an open floor plan into the living area that, again, offered a spectacular ocean view! To the back of the townhome is a kitchen area that offers dining for six and a three-seated counter area for additional seating. To the left of the kitchen was also a conveniently located half-bath. We began unloading our food for the week in the very spacious and airy kitchen that provides full-size appliances with a refrigerator that also has an icemaker with water service: Another comfort of home! The fully equipped kitchen with dining for seven (in the three bedroom unit) also has a toaster and coffee maker.
Eli and his Grandma Connie. Photo courtesy of Trenna Nees.
From my previous visit, I remembered that the Townhomes do not offer either a charcoal or gas grill for patrons to use, so remember to plan meals based on that tidbit of information. And this time, I brought a slow-cooker for my convenience so that I could throw in my flank steak to make easy carnitas for the crew one of the days. That was a great decision on my part. I also wised up on bringing large aluminum disposable pans for baking as cooking utensils are just the basics and if you are serving many, you may want to pack. I would also recommend plastic utensils, extra dishwashing tablets, hand soap and cooking spices.
So once we had unloaded, everyone was ready to run down to the beach! We packed up a little cooler with snacks and drinks, gathered our beach towels and sunscreen, and off we went! We soon realized that we had not brought boogie boards, so made a plan to run to the nearest Sunsations store for the next beach day. As the busy boardwalk area is just a quick five minute run, we had that taken care of in no time at all. The convenience of being so close to all the boardwalk amenities is just another reason why these townhomes are a great vacation destination. We ordered pizza from Dough Boys the first night for convenience and it was pretty good! But if you feel like eating at the oceanfront, it is just a short hop, skip and a jump to the North End shoppes which are all nice and new with many eateries and retail shoppes.
Luke and Eli boogie boarding. Photo courtesy of Trenna Nees.
Most of our days were spent at the beach, enjoying the waves and hot sand. Although there are not stationed lifeguards, it is patrolled from 1100-1800 hours daily by lifeguards on four-wheelers. The beach is clean, relaxing and was not crowded.
My older son and his friend brought their longboards, so one evening they ventured to the boardwalk using the service road just over Pacific Avenue that is commonly used by bikers, longboarders and any other wheeled motoring device. We had previously checked out some of the little side roads on the oceanside of Pacific Avenue so they used that route on the way back from their trek. These roads, as my son and his friend declared, are better suited to biking rather than longboards FYI. So it is possible to bike to the boardwalk safely although I would recommend bringing some sort of locking device for your bicycles as there is no room inside the Townhomes and there is not a bike rack on the property either. And although it is a military MWR facility with open and close access gates, it is still situated between two public access areas and entrance is only restricted for vehicles by the gate.
Trenna and Brian at Rudee’s on the Inlet. Photo courtesy of Trenna Nees.
The last night we were there, we headed down to the oceanfront to get some ice cream at the 17th Street Dairy Queen. Everywhere we went there was live entertainment in the city of Virginia Beach open spaces and street performers strategically located every few blocks performing a variety of entertainment. Different genres of music and acts were available for enjoyment. It was pretty neat to travel a block or two and find a juggling act with knives and fire or an acrobatic performance on one of the stages. What was really impressive is that the city of Virginia Beach provides this to its visitors for free as the performers actually have signs that say they do not accept tips because they are sponsored by the city of Virginia Beach.
Trenna and her mother, Connie. Photo courtesy of Trenna Nees.
Being locals (well, sort of, we live in Chesapeake) we have always enjoyed the Oceanfront but mostly during the off season or at local hangouts to avoid the traffic and the summer season rates that generally last from April 30 through September 30. But with the easily affordable and close proximity of the 67th Street Townhomes, we have found a great way to enjoy an Oceanfront staycation when needed! It was also great that my husband, who’s in the Navy, was able to join us without taking leave because he was able to get up and go to work every morning from the beach! He also said he avoided the morning rush hour on the highway to the base. It was a win-win for everyone! My mother enjoyed her oceanfront vacation, my children and their guests as well as myself all had a great time at this great treasure of a find!
For more information on the 67th Street Townhomes and availablility, visit http://get.dodlodging.net/propertys/67th-Street-Townhomes.
Trenna Nees Military Living® Publications trenna@militaryliving.com
Report 269 • September-October 2016 • Volume 46, No. 5
