Virginia State Overview
Bask in the calming and relaxing waters of the Chesapeake Bay or spend a while taking in the iconic Blue Ridge Mountains. There is a scenic backdrop to suit all tastes within Virginia’s ten regions. Explore charming small towns, visit fun attractions for the kids, and travel along the scenic byways to discover lesser-known destinations where you can unplug and reconnect with the ones you love.
Various Ways to Play
Wash the world away on pristine Eastern Shore beaches or play hard with Virginia Beach’s nightlife. Liven things up at their theme parks, waterparks, wildlife adventures, and hands-on historical fun every day of the week. Be amazed by world-class performers at Wolf Trap in Vienna and the famed Carter Family Fold in the Heart of Appalachia, Virginia crackles with live music. Plan your trip full of vivacious adventure and make memories that will last a lifetime.
Virginia Aquarium
One of the best aquariums in the country, the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center is home to more than 10,000 animals representing 300+ species. Exhibits and hands-on experiences provide an incredible amount of fun for the whole family. Boat trips to see dolphins and whales in the Atlantic Ocean are available Wednesday–Sunday. The onsite Adventure Park also offers endless fun including an eco-friendly zipline and aerial adventure experiences.
virginiaaquarium.com
Hampton Roads Combat Games
Recruit your friends for an unforgettable, adrenaline-packed experience with Hampton Roads Combat Games. Their action-packed bubble games will be sure to excite players and spectators. Get in The Bubble and bounce into your opponents in an attempt to play soccer. The fun doesn't stop there, as a licensed provider of Archery Tag®, they have the newest activity that's hit the market. With this experience, you'll go into combat, archery style. Ready your bow. Aim. And Let Loose! It's just like dodgeball, but with bow and arrows that have giant marshmallow-like foam tips.
HamptonRoadsCombatGames.com
Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden
Voted as one of the top four best public gardens in North America by USA Today readers, The Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden offers year-round beauty on a historic property with more than 50 acres of spectacular gardens, dining, and shopping. A classical domed Conservatory is the only one of its kind in the mid-Atlantic with more than 200 orchids. A Children's Garden offers a wheel-chair accessible Tree House, an Adventure Pathway, Sand and Water Play areas, an International Village, and more than a dozen themed gardens.
lewisginter.org
Wine & Dine
Across Virginia, you'll find inspired culinary delights featuring Virginia's heirloom grains and vegetables, heritage meats, savory cheeses, and of course, their signature Virginia oysters. Virginia chefs continue to innovate by marrying Virginia flavor with international flare and making their mark on the national stage. Feast on award-winning fine dining or savor down-home Southern cooking at family-run restaurants, there’s something for every type of foodie. When it comes to food and drink in Virginia, there’s a lot to love and they invite you to explore the epicurean adventure that awaits!
Vola’s Dockside Grill & Hi-Tide Lounge / Alexandria, Virginia
Vola’s Dockside Grill is a relaxed, fun seafood restaurant that embraces the simpler times and has been designed as a spot that feels as integral to the area as the cobblestone streets. Boasting with a raw bar and the largest outdoor riverside patio in Old Town, the food, atmosphere, service, and experience are always fantastic. The Hi-Tide Lounge connected to Vola’s by a hallway is a retro-cool hideaway bar that beckons with classic cocktails and fun frozen drinks. The high tide water marker on the outside of the building carries through to the interior, exemplifying that just as “rising tides lift all boats, a Hi-Tide cocktail will lift one’s spirits”.
volasdockside.com
Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard / Charlottesville, Virginia
Merrie Mill Farm & Vineyard is an elaborate 5,000-square-foot clubhouse on two levels with a veranda that overlooks seven acres of vines punctuated with tables, awnings, and sculpture-sized balls and jacks. Inside, the tasting room is lavishly decorated in vivacious colors with eccentric trappings from portraits to mobiles. Intriguing spaces both indoors and out invite small groups to cluster and enjoy Merrie Mill's seven different varieties, including Petit Manseng and Petit Verdot. Their menu includes several sharing platters that pair perfectly with their wines.
merriemillfarm.com
DJ’s Rajun Cajun & Steakhouse / Petersburg, Virginia
There's no mistaking the theme of this restaurant, as soon as you walk into the building! Adorned with Mardi Gras masks, beads, feathers, and the like, this is a place to "Laissez Les Bons Temps Rouler”. With a delightful garden patio and one of the longest happy hours in town, this is a great place to grab some drinks, listen to a band or DJ and try some New Orleans fare. Everything from Alligator Bites to Po’boys and Etouffee is served, and you can always wash it down with a classic Hurricane. Save room for a huge piece of Confession Cake, surely the largest serving of cake in Old Towne, if not the region!
djsrajuncajun.com
Spend The Night
Whether you’re looking for a romantic resort for a weekend getaway, a beachfront hotel for summer vacation, a mountain cabin rental, or primitive campsites that allow you to experience the Great Outdoors, Virginia has you covered. They even have pet-friendly lodging options for guests traveling with their four-legged friends. Virginia welcomes you, your family, your friends, and even your beloved pets to experience fresh air, woodlands, mountain streams, rolling surfs, wildflowers, star-studded skies, critters, and so much more.
Sessions Hotel / Bristol, Virginia
The Sessions Hotel complex offers beautifully designed authentic accommodations, Simply Grand by Southern Craft Restaurant, a SPA, The Rooftop Bar, and outdoor and indoor music venues. The property is comprised of three historic buildings - a candy factory, grocery building, and granary mill making the experiential property very unique. Fine linens and fabrics, plush bedding, and interesting design and art make this property the place to stay in Bristol. Named after the 1927 Country Music Sessions, the hotel features music and original art telling the story of country music.
sessionshotel.com
Bella La Vita Inn Bed & Breakfast / Floyd, Virginia
Experience the unexpected... quite possibly the most beautiful property in Floyd County. Extraordinary accommodations and warm, exceptional service. Bella La Vita Inn offers a calming retreat from the hustle and bustle of daily living. Refresh your spirit and restore your sense of peace. They offer luxurious queen rooms at an affordable rate with a delicious homecooked breakfast every morning. Just one mile from the Blue Ridge Parkway, the B&B provides expansive decks with comfy chairs, swings, and rockers all overlooking a fishpond and a wisteria-covered gazebo.
bellalavitainn.com
Mountain Lake Lodge & Conservancy / Pembroke, Virginia
Set in the middle of a 2,600-acre nature preserve and surrounded by the Appalachian Mountains, rustic and historic Mountain Lake Lodge is the ultimate retreat and a filming location for the hit movie “Dirty Dancing.” Breathe in the crisp, fresh air, dine on gourmet fare and build family memories with fun indoor and outdoor activities from the aerial adventure course, wagon rides, educational programs for children, and more. They offer a variety of accommodations, from rustic cabins and cozy cottages to lodging in the historic Main Stone Lodge.
mtnlakelodge.com
