THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 24, 1995 TAG: 9512230069
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY CHARLENE CASON, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Long : 107 lines
FRANCIS McCORMICK says working in Washington, D.C., is like being in a boxing ring all week. When the bell rings, he gets to go to the corner. For him and his family, the corner is Virginia Beach.
And now, the place is so appealing, the McCormicks have booked their corner a year in advance.
They've already made reservations to stay at the Cape Henry Inn next Thanksgiving weekend, just as they did this year. They tried to get reservations for next summer, but there's nothing available until Labor Day.
The Cape Henry Inn is the Army's newest relaxation location, built at a cost of nearly $6 million. Its 50 hotel rooms and 18 cottages are nestled in environmentally protected sand dunes right on the Chesapeake Bay. Right on the Fort Story Army Post.
Since the facility opened Oct. 20, it has had 90 percent occupancy every weekend, 99 percent during the four-day Thanksgiving holiday. The cottages are booked to capacity every day next summer.
No wonder. Even the smallest hotel room is spacious, equipped with a kitchenette and its own private balcony with a spectacular view of the Bay. The two- and three-bedroom cottages can easily compete with rental units at area beach resorts.
And they're all cheap: The most expensive hotel room is $50 a night. A three-bedroom cottage, complete with full kitchen, private carport and huge bayside deck, is a $65 a night.
``We built this for the morale of the soldier and his family,'' said Bill Franssen, director of personnel and community activities at Fort Eustis. The inn at Fort Story comes under the jurisdiction of Fort Eustis because it's all part of the Army Transportation Center Command.
The inn is open to all active duty and retired military personnel and their families, plus Department of Defense civilian employees.
``With the military being so much smaller now, those who are left are deploying more. When they're back home, they need a place to take their families for some quality time together.
``People don't understand that this doesn't affect taxpayer dollars in any way. This facility was built with money generated through business we've done,'' Franssen said.
The Cape Henry Inn was built with Morale, Welfare and Recreation funds, money made from Army clubs, golf courses, pools, bowling alleys and other recreational activities. The Army has resort facilities around the world, including Hawaii, Korea, Germany and even Disney World.
But the new Virginia Beach resort is ``a significant milestone, a magnet to attract people from all the services, all along the East Coast,'' in the view of Maj. Gen. Daniel Brown. He is commanding general of the U.S. Army Transportation Center at Fort Eustis.
The inn will ``augment the local economy,'' Brown said, ``putting money into it by guests who go out to eat and go out for entertainment in Virginia Beach.''
The McCormicks say they ``know every restaurant up and down Shore Drive'' from previous visits to Virginia Beach, and staying in Fort Story's old guest quarters. Neither the new inn nor the old guest quarters have restaurants; visitors either cook in their rooms or dine out.
As they have every Thanksgiving weekend for the past 15 years, Francis and Kathleen McCormick left high-pressure jobs in Washington for a four-day respite in Hampton Roads. Their normal routine has been to spend the extended weekend in guest quarters at either Fort Eustis or Fort Story, and make daily shopping trips to Colonial Williamsburg.
Kathleen is an active-duty captain with the U.S. Public Health department; Francis works as a civilian economic analyst with the Census Bureau. On their trips to this area, the couple is usually accompanied by their youngest son's godmother and ``stand-in sister to Kathleen,'' retired Rear Adm. Faye Abdellah.
Francis Jr., 15, was the only member of the family to bring work with him to No. 8, the group's three-bedroom cottage. With a stack of library books and a laptop computer, he was able to write a term paper for school. Brother Chris, 8, did a little homework, too; but he spent most of his free time trying out new in-line roller skates.
``This is a wonderful environment to work in,'' said Kathleen McCormick. ``I guess the next time we come, we'll have to bring some with us.
``But the view could be distracting. The beach is so pristine, just like back home in New Hampshire. If it's this gorgeous in the off-season, it must be spectacular in the summer.''
Rooms and cottages at the inn have enough amenities to coax those who don't want to face bad weather to stay indoors. Brightly colored sofas, TVs, microwave ovens, coffee pots, maid service. Freshly ground coffee is left in the rooms each morning and, on Thanksgiving weekend, guests received complimentary champagne.
The hotel includes 10 rooms for the handicapped, outfitted with lowered shelves and appliances, and extra-wide shower stalls.
It is no surprise, then, that the Cape Henry Inn has a waiting list for accommodations next summer. Carl Greeley, the inn's business manager, said a large majority of guests are, like the McCormicks, from the Washington area.
Some were visiting for the third time over Thanksgiving; the resort has only been open since late October.
Greeley said that the Army is the most represented, but that visitors have come from all branches of the service. Military groups often use the facility during the week for conferences.
The McCormicks, and Abdellah, were certainly impressed.
``It all adds up to a superbly managed, immaculate, architecturally beautiful, reasonably priced getaway,'' Abdellah said. MEMO: For more information on the Cape Henry Inn, call 422-8818. ILLUSTRATION: Color photos
TAMARA VONINSKI/The Virginian-Pilot
Kathleen McCormick enjoys the ocean view from her cottage at Cape
Henry Inn at Fort Story. The getaway spot, which also includes a
hotel, top, is for military personnel and their families.
by CNB