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Virginia

Good Old Virginia! We read about Jamestown and how eight U.S. presidents were born in this state. After an early morning flight to Norfolk, we hit the ground running and stopped by the Children's Museum of Virginia (an ASTC museum). We only stayed an hour, as it's the first time I'm noticing our older kids are getting a little old for children's museums which are more geared for toddler to early elementary age kids. Still, they had fun.

Only a short 9 minute drive away was Nauticus (another ASTC museum) where we learned about and explored the Battleship Wisconsin. They also had a drones exhibit, and the kids all had a turn flying a drone. 

From the battleship, we could see the Pagoda & Oriental Garden which was a gift to Norfolk, Virginia from Taiwan. The cafe was closed, but we enjoyed the koi pond and garden.

Afterwards, we drove about 40 minutes to Margie and Ray's for a late lunch. They have great reviews on Tripadvisor, and I was planning on getting the large seafood platter but no one was very hungry so we opted for two shrimp platters, she-crab soup, and Hatteras clam chowder which was a clear broth. Everything was delicious! Our youngest especially liked the hushpuppies. 

Close to the restaurant was Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge where we hiked a short trail to a beach. Unfortunately, the visitor's center was closed, and we didn't see many creatures. 

Finally, we ended our day at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk. This was probably my highlight along with the delicious seafood lunch, and we thought about renting a large family surrey bike but everyone was a bit tired. We finished the day off at our hotel's indoor pool and everyone was quick to fall asleep.

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