Boating Through History
In 1862, a crew of stalwart seamen, faint from lack of oxygen and drenched by leaks, sailed into Hampton Roads aboard an ungainly looking vessel some called "a cheesebox on a raft." Their USS Monitor had dueled the CSS Virginia (an ironclad built from the USS Merrimack) in a battle that forever changed the course of naval warfare. Experience the epic clash in state-of-the-art exhibits at the new USS Monitor Center at The Mariners' Museum in Newport News, a 20-minute drive from Norfolk.

Catch a ride along the Elizabeth River on the Paddlewheel Ferry. The replica boat shuttles visitors between Portsmouth and Norfolk to baseball games in the waterfront stadium at Harbor Park. When you sit high in the stands in the nifty, old-style ballpark, the water seems so close you could touch it. It's easy to imagine a batter knocking a ball high over the outfield right into the Elizabeth River. "That's only happened during batting practice in the history of the park," says Ian Locke, spokesperson for the AAA Norfolk Tides, "but fans can dream." It's still a beautiful view that gets even better when fireworks burst over the water at games on June 2; July 2, 3, and 28; August 31; and September 1.

above: A fan waits to snag a foul ball at Harbor Park.