Portsmouth is one of the older cities in the Tidewater Region of Virginia, where the James, Rappahannock and Elizabeth Rivers enter Hampton Roads. Located on the west bank of the Elizabeth River where it opens into the large, natural harbor, Portsmouth is home to the Norfolk Naval Ship Yards. The Norfolk Navy Yard has always been in Portsmouth, but took the name originally from Norfolk County, which Portsmouth was the seat of until 1963.
A city of 101,000, Portsmouth is one of the communities of "the Seven Cities of Hampton Roads," a metropolitan area of 1.7 million people comprised of Portsmouth, Norfolk, Newport News, Hampton, Suffolk, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach
From its inception, Portsmouth has been water oriented. The bustling harbor is home to a number of marinas that offer long-term slips, transient slips, ships stores, repairs and fuel. The Waterfront Shopping area is adjacent to the Olde Towne business and historic district.
Among the attractions in Portsmouth are: The Children's Museum, housing many interactive exhibits for children of all ages, a planetarium and the largest model train exhibit in the USA; the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame, featuring famous Virginia athletes; the Military Museum, a private collection of uniforms, weaponry and equipment from all of the wars in which the USA participated.
The number of fine eateries include: The Blue Hippo, featuring upscale bistro offerings; The Monastery, providing Hungarian influenced cuisine; and soul food at Alice May's.
Portsmouth and the Tidewater Region are served by the Norfolk International Airport from which seven airlines offer flights to twenty-five destinations. Rail service was introduced to Portsmouth in 1830, the first such service into the Tidewater. The Tidewater is also accessed by Interstates 264 and 664, connecting most of the cities to the capitol, Richmond, less than 100 miles to the northwest.
For more information on Portsmouth, Virginia visit http://portsmouthvirginia.travel.
0 comments:
Post a Comment