Things to Do in Norfolk

Founder Isa Cohen can describe Tula Adventure Sports' mission with a single word: balance. The company's staff draw from certifications and internships as teeter-totters to create balance of mind, balance with nature, and balance aboard various watercrafts. The kayaks, standup paddleboards, and charter boats that form their fleet let customers see Virginia Beach through new eyes. Whether on tours or self-guided adventures, these vessels pass along scenic coastlines and into the native habitats of dolphins, waterfowl, and goldfish crackers.

For more intense thrills, Tula Adventure Sports' instructors unlock the secrets to shredding across waves and launching into the air. Their adrenaline-packed activities include water skiing, wakeboarding, and kiteboarding.:m]]

KJ's ReBall Arena](http://www.kjreball.com) houses a field of play filled with adrenaline on which players fire soft rubber balls in quick-paced games where strategy counts but quick reactions reign supreme. In the arena, players wield paintball guns without creating colorful messes and or the need for subsequent dips in a bleach jacuzzi. Reballers utilize strategy and catlike reflexes to negotiate the terrain populated by big, yellow and black inflatable obstacles placed over an enclosed space and multicolored patchwork carpet. KJ's hosts open play, during which teams of friends can face off against each other, as well as league play for those wishing to take the competition up a notch.

Inside a spacious playing field you sit with your back against a wall, acutely aware of all movement around as you take a breath with finger resting on trigger. It’s been a clean fight so far—you’ve climbed over towers, passed submarines and helicopters, and sought refuge inside bunkers—and you have the flag in sight. You make a run for it but you feel something crash into your leg as red residue spills onto your clothing. Another shot is fired, and a blue blotch explodes across your protective eyewear. The entire experience disproves the fallacy that paint can't get more exciting than when a grandmother has you cover her walls with it and rewards you with sugarless candy.

On the woodsball field, games of capture the flag, attack-and-defend, and elimination allow for entertainment and strategic planning. Over at the Sup’Air field, speed is key as the speedball field accommodates any format including three man, five man, and one man with four invisible friends. The paintball park also hosts parties on the woodsball field during the week and a smaller, private field during normal business hours.

Scott Sarkozi and his training staff groom their students for basic proficiency or state and national competition. Along with private instruction, the bustling Sarkozi Training Centre hosts private stables for more than 50 horses, who train in an expansive outdoor arena or a well-lit indoor training arena. After a long day of galloping, guest horses enjoy free time in one of Sterling Meadow’s turnout pastures, where they snack on grass and share betting tips for this week’s greyhound races.

In 1791, Alexander Hamilton–hoping to enhance trade and safety along the coasts of Virginia and Maryland–contracted renowned architect John McComb to design a lighthouse at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. McComb quickly fulfilled his duty in 1792, with the illumination of Cape Henry Lighthouse’s inaugural flame lit by the lighthouse’s first keeper, who was appointed by George Washington himself. In the centuries since the octagonal tower cast its first guiding beam across the bay, the Cape Henry Lighthouse stood sentinel over the coast and ensured the safety of incoming ships and immigrating krakens until it was replaced in 1881. Stewards of the lighthouse’s past, Preservation Virginia, ensured in 1930 that the inoperative structure and surrounding lands were reopened to the public and maintained for the enjoyment of future generations.

Today, visitors ascending the twisting iron stairs step out to the window-enclosed observation deck, drinking in 360-degree views of the water and surrounding verdant forests. A team of passionate and knowledgeable staff–most of whom have been guides for years–remain on hand to answer questions relating to the lighthouse’s history and how lighthouse keepers stave off land invasions of ghost sea captains.

Walking across the dock to Nauticus, visitors' eyes are inevitably drawn to the sleeping giant nestled up alongside it: the 850-foot battleship Wisconsin. One of the largest battleships ever built by the United States Navy, its massive, 16-inch guns lent their firepower to WWII, Korea, and Operation Desert Storm. The hulking warship is now retired, its gigantic mass a testament to both its immense power and the strength of the open ocean whose waves it once plied.

This dichotomy between peaceful repose and thundering wrath is fully embraced by Nauticus, immersing visitors in exhibits that explore the ocean and man’s use of it at their most peaceful and destructive. On the Wisconsin, visitors can tour crew messes and officer lounges, getting a taste of naval life. Inside the center, permanent exhibits include Our Mighty Seaport, which delves into Norfolk's busy maritime commerce, with real-time updates on ships sailing past and an observation deck overlooking the port. Turning to nature, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Science on a Sphere exhibit simulates extreme weather conditions on a 6-foot video sphere. In Horseshoe Crab Cove, visitors can pet starfish, crabs, and sea urchins without having to take turns with nearby seagulls.

Following Memorial Day weekend, the Nauticus will host new features to their exhibits such as access to new interior areas of the battleship [Wisconsin], including the chapel, post office, a section of enlisted berthing, and dental office, a WWII era song and dance revue, and an interactive top secret mission on board the ship.