10 Reasons I Want To Visit Virginia Beach

Socialmoms have teamed up with the Virginia Beach Convention and Visitors Bureau and are asking bloggers to share their top 10 reasons why they would want to visit Virginia Beach.

As someone who has traveled extensively Virginia is actually one of the places I don’t think I’ve ever seen, but after researching it it’s definitely been added to the list of cool places to visit.

Here are my top 10 reasons.

The Ocean – It’s been so long since I put my feet in the ocean! I’ve flown over the Atlantic a dozen times in the past 10 years but I haven’t actually dipped my toes in it in more than 20 years. Although we have the Great Lakes here and sometimes you can mistake them for an ocean, they are no replacement for the Atlantic. The waves, the sand, the sounds… aaah.

The Boardwalk – I have never been on a boardwalk! I’ve seen it on tv, in movies. I’ve read about it in books but I’ve never actually experienced a real boardwalk. What better place than in Virginia where it’s been newly renovated and there are 28 miles of beaches.

The Norwegian Lady Statue -  First, read a little about the Norwegian Lady Statue: After the wreck of the Norwegian bark "Dictator" on March 28, 1891, its wooden figurehead, which washed ashore in the ship’s wreckage, stood at the oceanfront as a memorial for sixty years. The city of Moss, Norway commissioned a nine-foot bronze replica of the original figurehead and presented the gift to Virginia Beach in 1962 to commemorate the tragic loss. An exact duplicate was erected in Moss to unite the two sister cities.

My husband is from a small town only a few miles from Moss, Norway. I’d love to see the surprise on his face when he seen the same exact statue from back home!

Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center –  It has over 800,000 gallons of aquariums along with live animal habitats, more than 300 hands-on exhibits, a nature trail, an aviary, two animal touch pools and a 3D IMAX theater. We have NOTHING like this around here in Michigan. We had an old aquarium in Detroit on an island called Belle Isle but sadly it was closed down. I love marine animals and I know my kids would be thrilled to see something like this.

D. Ralph Hostetter Museum of Natural History – Once again we don’t have many museums here in Michigan. There are a couple small ones near me that I love to visit as often as I can because it’s super education for my oldest son.  Of course we have the Henry Ford which is like THE museum of museums. I’ve been to them all several times over. Whenever I’m in a new city I always take in the local museums if I get a chance. For someone who once strived to be an Archaeologist, I can never learn enough about history.

Lighthouses – Once again, living in Michigan, I’m a lover of lighthouses. I never tire of visiting them and getting to experience new ones. With the ocean and beaches come lighthouses and new opportunities to perfect my photography skills.

I Need A Vacation To Somewhere Warm –  Have I mentioned that we had about 67 inches of snow where I live this past winter? Yeah.. it snowed in April! I need a vacation to somewhere warm and sunny. Do I need to explain this further? lol.

Virginia Has Caves – Have you ever been in a cave? Ooh if you haven’t it’s something you must experience. It’s wonderful. I’ve been in caves and caverns from here to Tennessee. I’ve sat in glass bottom boats and viewed blind fish swimming beneath me. I love caves and every chance I get to visit them I do. You’re able to see history in the making. It’s certainly something you don’t forget.

Dolphins Tours – Who doesn’t love dolphins? We don’t have them anywhere near where I live. In fact I don’t think I’ve ever seen a real live dolphin. Well in Virginia you can go on a boat tour or even kayak while watching pods of dolphins swim in the ocean.

Sitting on The Beach At Sunset – Come on, who doesn’t want to do this in their lifetime? No explanation necessary.

More About Virginia Beach

Virginia Beach entices visitors to “Live the Life” year-round! Located in the southeastern corner of the state, Virginia Beach is four hours southeast of D.C. by car and within a day’s drive or less from two-thirds of the U.S. population. For visitor information, call 1-800-VA-BEACH (800/822-3224) or visit www.VisitVirginiaBeach.com for online trip planning. For media information and digital images, click on www.VisitVirginiaBeach.com/pressroom. Please
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Well now that you’ve heard all about why I want to go to Virginia, why not tell me what you dream of doing this summer! I’d love to hear all about it.

Disclosure: I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Virginia Beach Tourism blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.