Explore! So fun. So close.

Autumn is slowly grabbing hold of Hampton Roads, with shorter days and cooler nights. Why not take the time to explore your own backyard? We offer a stop in each of the five Southside cities, activities that will take you out on the water, up to the heavens and to a few places in between.

American Rover sunset cruise

NORFOLK

This is what living by the water is all about. Chillin' on the top deck of a schooner, drink of choice in your hand, while the river breeze carries your worries away - at least for the two-hour sunset cruise on the American Rover. The journey is not only a maritime loop along the Elizabeth River and into the Hampton Roads harbor, but it's also a quick voyage through history, as narrated by the Rover's captain. Along the way, you'll feel like you're seated, somewhat, in the days of old. The three-masted topsail ship was inspired by a 19th century cargo schooner. Yet, the Rover has lounges below deck with a ship's store, bar and bathrooms. Get a seat next to the railing topside, and listen to tidbits about how the nearby ferry service, which runs paddle-wheel boat-style, dates back to the early 1600s, when it was a mere skiff being rowed across the river. Hear about the old Portsmouth naval hospital, old Fort Norfolk and the War of 1812, the coal piers and Christopher Newport. Even if you've heard the stories before, they're a nice reminder of the breadth of our history. Plus, it's cool to see it all from the perspective of how much of it began - from the water.

The American Rover docks behind the Waterside Festival Marketplace. The season for public tours stops at the end of the month. Daytime, 90-minute harbor cruises are $16 for adults, $10 for children. Sunset cruises, $25 for adults, $15 for children. Reservations are encouraged, but walk-ups are welcomed. (757) 627-7245 or visit www.americanrover.com.

Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum

VIRGINIA BEACH

If you think the Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum at the Oceanfront is for the birds, think again. It's a gallery of contemporary wildfowl carvings, artifacts and art, but it's also a tribute to the craftsmanship of transforming wood and bronze into realistic representations of nature. Be sure to linger - nah, go ahead and pull up a chair and examine Mason's Decoy Factory, a miniature "doll house" in the main gallery hall that can keep the kids busy for a spell as they pick out the tiny details (see if they can find the mouse hiding in the kitchen). The factory sits in the middle of the current exhibit, which displays the work of well-known Canadian decoy carvers, covering pieces from 1900 to the 1950s. The museum itself is a throwback in time. It is housed in the historic de Witt Cottage, which dates to 1895 and is the oldest remaining structure on the Oceanfront built during the city's first significant development period. The upstairs of the cottage offers photos of the generations who lived in the house until the 1980s and pictures of old Virginia Beach, including newspaper clippings from The Princess Anne Times and Virginia Beach news. The grounds include a seaside garden, which leads to the beach; the tiny wooden hut that was the city's first library; and the Boathouse, where the public can watch carvers at work.

Free. 1113 Atlantic Ave. Tuesday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday, 12-5 p.m. Call (757) 437-8432 for more information or visit www.awhm.org.

Cedar Hill Cemetery

SUFFOLK

The elaborate carvings and charming epitaphs of the 32-acre Cedar Hill Cemetery in Suffolk, circa 1802, will draw you farther than you wanted to go, but the walk is worth it. On one corner is the beautiful headstone of Lucy F. Allen, beloved wife, covered with passion flowers. A few steps on is an unusual stone shaped like a small propane tank and typical, the handy brochure says, of monuments from the Sears catalog of 1902. The Nansemond River Garden Club prepared the pamphlet, which outlines a walking tour of the cemetery, points out highlights and explains the symbolism on the stones. For example: a tree trunk means shortened life; ivy, immortality and undying affection; an anchor, hope; a partly opened rose, a teenager's grave. The pamphlet is available at the adjacent Seaboard Station Railroad Museum, which also has a binder listing every person buried at Cedar Hill. The brochure only maps out 12 sites, so the real charm of this walk is in discovering on your own. See if you can find the 1893 headstone of Algernon Sidney Darden, who was "Not Slothful in Business." Check out the star on the obelisk in honor of Thomas D. Knight, who died in an English hospital during World War I. Look for the stack of logs in remembrance of a member of the Woodmen of the World.

Free. Cemetery is open daily dawn to dusk. Drive in from Mahan Street in downtown Suffolk, near Riddick's Folly, or walk in from entrances on either side of the property.

Chesapeake Planetarium

CHESAPEAKE

The lights dim, the music rises. Lean your head back against the cushioned seats of the Chesapeake Planetarium and relax, but not too much - you'll want to keep your eyes open so you don't miss anything. A projection of the Norfolk skyline in winter, with its buildings outlined in white lights, runs 360 degrees around the planetarium's dome, and stars shine above in the night sky. It looks nice, but then Robert Hitt, the planetarium director, extinguishes the city lights and the real beauty of the sky is revealed. Without light bulbs to blot it out, the Milky Way arcs overhead, a sight that city dwellers never see. Then the show moves on to another celestial rarity, a total eclipse of the sun. September's planetarium show featured solar and lunar eclipses. Hitt has traveled the world to see and photograph eclipses, and he uses those images to explain such mysteries as solar prominences and the "diamond ring" effect. The show changes monthly. October will look at planets outside our solar system and the possibility of life elsewhere in the universe. November will focus on the constellations of winter, and December will examine the night sky as it appeared long ago, looking at possibilities that have been suggested to explain the story of the Christmas star. The planetarium is popular - reservations may have to be made several weeks in advance.

Free shows at 8 p.m. Thursdays. Reservations are required; call (757) 547-0153 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. weekdays. The planetarium is next to the Chesapeake Municipal Center on Cedar Road.

Path of History Walking Tour

PORTSMOUTH

It's almost enough to stroll along Portsmouth's seawall this time of year and simply take in the work and play along the Elizabeth River - but the official Path of History Walking Tour is an added treat, and the self-guided tour is easy to navigate by picking up a brochure at the visitors information center or Starboards Coffee Kiosk. The first stop, near the High Street Landing, is the Fresnel Lens, which began its service in 1896 and lighted the path for ships from atop a Hog Island lighthouse on the seaside of the Eastern Shore. The rest of the tour takes you through downtown Portsmouth, primarily its Olde Towne historic district, where notes of the area's Revolutionary and Civil War past have been preserved. Often the architecture is as interesting as the stories behind the landmarks. On North Street, check out the Grice-Neely House, which dates back to 1820 and features intricate ironwork details. The Ball Nivison House on Middle Street was built around 1780 and is an example of what was dubbed a "tax-dodger" house. Homes such as this, with dormer windows and roofs that sloped to the first floor, were built throughout the Virginia colony so owners could avoid paying taxes to the motherland for two-story structures. Pause and raise a toast of Starboards coffee to the ingenuity.

The Portsmouth Visitor Information Center is at 6 Crawford Pkwy. at the North Ferry Landing; call (757) 393-5111 or visit www.visitportsva. com for more information. Starboards is at 101 High St., across from the Elizabeth River Ferry, which is cash only. Call (757) 478-0056 or grab more details at the website above.

Autumn is slowly grabbing hold of Hampton Roads, with shorter days and cooler nights. Why not take the time to explore your own backyard? We offer a stop in each of the five Southside cities, activities that will take you out on the water, up to the heavens and to a few places in between."