THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, April 25, 1995 TAG: 9504250053
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E4 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: MOM, I'M BORED
SOURCE: Sherrie Boyer
LENGTH: Medium: 79 lines
MAYBE IT WAS the 92-degree heat of last week, but we just had to get to a beach. So we headed for Hampton's Grandview Nature Preserve for a mix of woods (think shade) and sand.
The preserve is a lovely spot. We arrived under blue skies, parked outside the gates and suddenly realized that with four preschoolers, a wagon or stroller would be helpful. But we had none. Cindy and I shouldered backpacks loaded with water and snacks and started the endless encouragement, ``Come on. Let's go. Isn't this a pretty walk?''
And it was. Our path wound through a forest of tall grasses, inlets and live oaks. At the first little swamp off the path, we spotted a huge turtle sunbathing on a log. Birds sang from hiding places in the brush. A lone duck splashed for food. Dozens of minnows circled beneath whispering dragonflies.
The little girls ran ahead, trying to catch up with a muscular military man who paused only long enough to tell us that the beach lay one-quarter mile ahead. Then he was off, long strides pulling him around the bend and out of sight.
I kept pace with the girls, and Cindy ambled along with the boys who were happily exploring every stone on the path and every tall stalk of grass on the edge. When she rounded the last bend, long after we'd paused to wait, she was carrying both.
Then we hit the beach. The children were thrilled. Maddie, 4, and Samantha, 3, both got wet and started a morning-long game involving dozens of pearly shells, feathers, rocks and sandy birthday cakes.
But the beach was not what Cindy and I expected. The early section was thick with decaying seaweed, broken chunks of concrete from a barrier long since eroded, rusty chainlink fence and tree stubs or pillars jutting up from the bay just a yard off shore. We both groaned.
I walked another quarter-mile farther along the shore with the girls and found true beauty with every step. The shoreline became a lovely, natural border with the sea - with the only debris a nature preserve could proudly boast: remnants of spongy sea critters, crab shells and smooth driftwood littering a 20-foot-wide strip of sand that ended in a forest on one side and an endless view of water on the other.
Though we didn't walk farther, the beach stretches for more than 2 miles along the bay, ringed on the inside by the preserve.
Because there are no lifeguards, this isn't a beach where you'll want to take the children swimming. But it's a super beach for a stroll, to wander along the sand, free from the distractions of buildings and crowds.
You'll also encounter wildlife here. Calvin Pearson, parks administrator, says the preserve is home to three endangered species and 150 species of birds. There are loads of shells or 500 million-year-old fossils on the beach. Though there are occasional trails into the woods, all walking is limited to the shoreline so that the woods area will not be altered.
Some interesting critters to look for include the black crown knight hero, leaft vittern, sharp-tailed sparrow and tiger beetle.
If you want sand and surf, a better place is Buckroe Beach, which you nearly pass while driving in. Buckroe is much like the Oceanview beaches of Norfolk, with lovely stretches of white sand ending in the gentle, child-friendly waves of the Chesapeake Bay.
There is also a bandstand, green lawns, ample parking and a summer schedule of movies Wednesday nights and big-band concerts Sunday nights. For more information on Buckroe or Grandview, call Hampton Conventions & Tourism at (800) 487-8778.
To get there, take Interstate 64 to Hampton and take the first exit, 268, after the bridge. Turn left onto Mallory Street. Turn right onto East Pembroke Avenue to reach Buckroe Beach. Parking is available in lots next to the beach.
To get to Grandview, follow Mallory farther, turn left on Buckroe Avenue, then right on Old Buckroe Road. Eventually, you'll turn right on Silver Isles Boulevard, then left on Beach Road. Follow Beach almost to its end, turning left into Grandview. Park on the neighborhood streets. The beach is one-quarter mile farther along a wide, smooth path, good enough for bikes, a stroller or a red wagon. by CNB