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P RESENT Prepare to be taken aback with Fort Monroe’s flip side. It’s an islet, floating between big Mill Creek and the Chesapeake Bay. With three miles of Buckroe Beach’s soft, golden sand to dig your toes into, a pier to fish from, a marina to dock your boat, grounds to park an RV or camp on and a sea wall to bike, jog or walk on, make this area a vacation surprise. For more fun at Fort Monroe, stop by the Firehouse Coffee café for a cup of hot java or a cold drink to power up for the Patriot Segway Tour, housed in the same building. To power down, pop into the Ocean Club to eat, relax by the pool or drink at the Tiki Bar. Board the Miss Hampton II for an on-the-water three-hour ad- venture. This touring vessel sails the world’s largest natural harbor and passes the Norfolk Naval Base. You’ll see humongous air-craft carriers, imposing warships, nuclear-powered submarines and in- ternational merchant ships. A knowledgeable and entertaining narrator comments on every ship, and also includes the local lore found in these waters, like pointing out the spot where the severed head of the pirate, Blackbeard, was displayed. A highlight of the cruise is the 45-minute stop at Fort Wool, a battered Civil War is- land fortress. Miss Hampton II also passes Hampton University which was founded in 1868 for the education of newly-liberated slaves. Its mission was to prepare them for a life of freedom by offering an academic curriculum and vocational training. The school has grown from a small farm setting with two teachers and 15 students to a nationally-renowned university set on 204 acres, a faculty of more than 300 and a student body of 600. The public is invited to tour the campus and view notable build- ings and landmarks. Don’t miss the Hampton University Museum that was established in 1868 and is the oldest African American museum in the nation. Its extraordinary collection includes African and Asian art, Native American treasures and important works by African American artists. The most famous painting is The Banjo Lesson by Henry O. Tanner. Another must-see site is the Emancipation Tree under which early students learned, and where the Emancipation Proclamation was first read. The National Geographic Society has proclaimed it as one of the world’s ten great trees. B ACK AND TO THE F UTURE The one place to experience the past, present and future is the Virginia Air and Space Center. America’s space program began in 1958 when NASA was created. Hampton became a part of it by training the first astronauts. Nearby Langley Research Center has designated this facility to be its official visitors center. Therefore, people can get up close to NASA’s most exciting projects. Exhibits include the four space capsules, dozens of hanging iconic aircrafts; a model of a Red Tail plane flown by the famous African American pilots, the Tuskegee Airmen; a DC9 simulator, a Mars meteorite; and a charred ruin of an Apollo capsule. More than 100 interactive exhibits thrill both kids and adults. A look into the future features the Orion spacecraft. It will enable long-term space exploration while ensuring crew safety. Come back down to earth across the street from the space center. Take a spin on an old-fashioned amusement. Housed in a building is one of the last 70 remaining working carousels in the United 42 AL/ Metro 360 www.almetro360.com
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