A Kid’s Guide to Cape Charles
Isaac has been a Cape Charles local since 2018 – his family owns a business in Cape Charles and a rental home. He loves meeting both local and visiting kids!
My name is Isaac. I am 10 years old and writing is my favorite subject in school. My family has visited Cape Charles for many years and I thought other kids who visit might want to know what there is to do in Cape Charles. My mom helped me write this article and I took some of the pictures. If you ever visit Cape Charles, I hope you will find this list helpful.
# 1 The Beach
When I go to the Cape Charles Beach I like to build sandcastles and dig deep holes in the sand. The Chesapeake Bay is shallow a far distance from land, so it’s fun to wade out and swim with my mom and dad. I enjoy kayaking and paddleboarding when the bay is calm. Last summer my dad bought a giant floating mat for our family vacation. All my cousins and I loved to play and jump off the mat on hot July days. If you have a good eye, you might find sea glass in the sand. My friends and I have found lots of colorful glass over the years, including blue, green, pink, and purple sea glass tossed in the surf. My brothers and I also like to fish on the Cape Charles Pier. I have caught many Sea Bass, Spot, and Puffer fish. Puffer fish are especially interesting because they puff up like a balloon when you catch them. My mom has fried Puffer fish for us to eat. I really liked it!
#2 Cape Charles Candy Store
You might think that I would be tired of candy, since my parents own Cape Charles Candy Company, but you would be wrong! I’ve spent lots of time working in the store and taste testing all the candy to make sure it’s good for our customers. Most of all I like our soda collection and gummy section. The store has turtles, which are pecans placed in a circle with caramel and chocolate on the top. We make our own fudge which I like to sample when it’s still warm. We have a kid section loaded with kid candy like Warhead sour candy, giant gummies, Pez, lollipops, and lots more. I started helping in the store when my parents opened it in 2018, but I started to work at the register helping customers this year.
#3 July 4th Parade
Every July 4th Cape Charles is filled with excitement when the parade starts. The parade is jam-packed with decorated golf carts, bikes, tractors, and firetrucks from all the local stations. All the parade participants throw candy out to the kids lining the road. This past year I rode on my bike which I decorated with red, white, and blue streamers. After the parade there was a free movie showing at the theater. In the evening, the day ends with fireworks set off near the beach.
#4 Cape Charles Central Park
Did you know that Cape Charles Park is modeled after New York City’s Central Park? I like to go to the park with my friends and play soccer in the center field. I’ve had many great Nerf battles with friends there too. You can ride your bike to the park from anywhere in town. The playground has all kinds of fun equipment like a zip line, slides, and a merry-go-round, but my favorite is the swings. Recently the town changed the decorative fountain into a splash pad for kids in the summer. In the summer there are free concerts in the park every Saturday.
#5 Cowlicks Frozen Custard and Chase’s Soft Serve
One of my favorite ice cream shops in town is Cowlick’s Frozen Custard. My favorite ice cream dessert there is the apple sundae. I especially like sitting in the “cow seat” located in the store. Sometimes they have gluten free cones which I appreciate since I can’t eat wheat. Chase’s Soft Serve is located on Mason Avenue, just a few blocks down the road. My favorite flavor there is the strawberry soft serve. They have a huge Connect Four game located within their outdoor sitting area. You can sit and eat your ice cream at their picnic tables under the outdoor lights.
#6 Cape Charles Sailing Camp
Each summer Cape Charles Sailing Camp is held at the Oyster Farm Maria. Kids of all ages learn how to sail on small sail boats called a Sunfish. I’ve attended for 3 years and it’s a highlight of my summer. The kids practice sailing in the shallow creek and if the weather cooperates, we sail out into the Chesapeake Bay. We play water games like sailing in a pattern, then whoever sails to the dinosaur pool float first gets to shoot the water gun at the other sailors. We learn to tie knots, the parts of the boat, and sailing terms. We learn to capsize our boat and then we learn to turn it right again. Turtling is when your boat is completely upside down and the mast is in the mud. This is the hardest position to free your boat from. My favorite part is learning to sail with friends.
#7 Staying in a Beach House with Friends and family
My family has been vacationing in Cape Charles since I was a baby. Many years later my parents bought a beach house of our own. Every summer or fall we spend time at the house with our friends or family. This past summer my cousins came to visit and we enjoyed water balloon fights in the yard and throwing Pop-It fire crackers on the sidewalk. We spent time at the beach playing in the water, digging in the sand, and watching sunsets. We rode bikes around town and stayed up late talking past our bedtime. My cousins had never gone salt water fishing before so we spent a lot of time at the Cape Charles Pier. One of the fun things to do in town is renting a golf cart. We cruised around town on our rented cart every day.
#8 Festive Fridays
Each year Cape Charles has a weekly event called Festive Fridays during December where businesses offer discounts and fun activities every Friday night after Thanksgiving. My favorite part is walking around town where I often run into my friends. Many businesses have hot chocolate and hot apple cider for free or for sale. This year Cowlicks had a hot chocolate float! Santa and Mrs. Claus ride into town on a fancy red car and take their place in Peach Street Plaza. You can tell Santa all your Christmas wishes while you are there. In the plaza “snow” falls around you, which is really soap bubbles from a machine since Virginia winters are not usually that cold. Kids can get free balloon animals and face painting and they can stop by the petting zoo to see all the animals. All the stores have sales and offer specials or free items for Christmas.
