May is Bike Month in Williamsburg, VA

"Put the pedal to the metal"

So this week, I'm deciding to do something a little different. I had to write a press release for a job interview on "May is Bike Month" in Williamsburg, Virginia and I think it does a pretty good job of explaining different things throughout the town of Williamsburg and the surrounding counties so I am just going to share it so you can see what's going on and hopefully come to Williamsburg! Here it is:

― The Greater Williamsburg Area welcomes the League of American Bicyclist’s national “May is Bike Month” ―

Williamsburg, VA ― Get your helmets on and your pedals going because “May is Bike Month” in the Greater Williamsburg area. The League of American Bicyclists has claimed the month of May as the national bike month and the Greater Williamsburg area is participating with the entire month planned with daily festivities.

During “May is Bike Month”, bikers will have the opportunity to participate in daily themed events which will lead you through the eight beautiful and unique trails located in the Greater Williamsburg area. The Williamsburg Area Bicyclists coordinated with other local area bicyclists groups to plan the events through the historic, urban, and woodland areas of the surrounding counties.

The fun begins on Saturday May 1st with Pedal the Parkway, where the Colonial Parkway will be shut down to vehicles from 8:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The event is free and will begin at the Newport Avenue entrance to the Parkway where bikers will travel eight miles along side the serene landscape of the James River. Free helmets will also be distributed, while they last, to children who participate in the Bicycle Skills Rodeo.

The next big event planned during “May is Bike Month” is the Tour de Chesapeake’s Bikes, Bands and the Bay Festival which will last from May 14-16th. This event brings riders from all over the country to Mathews County for a variety of ride lengths from 15 to 62 miles at a self pace. The festival also includes water activities, a farmers market, wine tasting and a concert by the Easy Street Bluegrass band. The event requires a $60 fee for adults, $40 for teens and $25 for youth which will cover a t-shirt, lunch, rest stops and signed routes. Tour de Chesapeake is a program sponsored by BikeWalk Virginia and Mathews County.

The month comes to a close with the Williamsburg Weenie Rides sponsored by the Peninsula Bicycling Association. This event begins at 7:45 AM on May 29th at Upper County Park and takes bikers on numerous trails throughout James City, Williamsburg and York County. The rides range in length from 12 to 64 miles and there is a pre-registration fee of $15 which includes maps/cue sheets, snacks and of course, the weenie roast lunch.

Many of these events are sponsored by BikeWalk Virginia which, according to their website is, “a statewide non-profit organization that promotes biking and walking for health, environmental, and economic benefits.” For more information on BikeWalk Virginia please visit http://www.bikewalkvirginia.org

If you want more information on the other festitvites going on throughout the month, check out these websites:

• http://www.bikeleague.org/
• http://www.wabonline.org/
• http://www.virginia.org/site/description.asp?attrID=42775 

Dallas, Texas

"Live Large. Think Big."

For some reason I could not think of a good place to blog about this week, but thankfully my boyfriend came to rescue and suggested a place I know absolutely nothing about... Dallas, Texas. Just starting out I thought, what the hell could there be to do in Dallas for a college student? I mean the last few places I wrote about are the definition of college student destinations with plenty of bars and beaches, but Dallas? What could there possibly be to do in a city who's motto is "Live Large. Think Big." other than shop for Hummers, watch Nascar and have pig roasts in the front yard. Sorry if I'm offending anyone, but being a northern city girl myself, my idea of Texas (the state that elected George W as their governor) isn't exactly stellar.
Unfortunately, I was wrong about Dallas. Just from looking at their Convention and Visitor’s Bureau website, I found that there actually are some cool things in Dallas. For example, the city has an entire Entertainment District. That alone sounds like a good time. Now you may ask, well what's in the Entertainment District? Well a lot actually and it's all broken down into different sections. The Fair Park District, holds the largest state fair in history and is also home to the Cotton Bowl. The Uptown District, which used to be a boring historical area, is now home to a bunch of new restaurants and clubs like the Uptown Bar and Grill which claims to serve the best burger in Dallas (count me in). There is also the Knox-Henderson District which has one street devoted to unique shopping places like antique galleries and funiture shops and the other street devoted to more restaurants and clubs. Once you're done getting your grove on, eating and shopping you can take a trip to the West End District where there are a bunch of historical sites to visit and take the typical tourist-y type pictures.
Not only does the Entertainment District sound inciting, but there are some amazing deals on hotels in Dallas. By just doing a quick search on kayak.com, I found hotels from as low as $38 just outside of the city and hotels as high as $400 (but who cares about those?). Of course these rates depend on what time of the year you go, what days during the week you want to stay, and how many people you're going with. All in all, I have to say my boyfriend (here's his facebook in case you wanted to leave him some love) made a good choice in suggesting Dallas for this blog, who knew!

Panama City Beach, Flordia

"What happens on spring break, stays on spring break."

In the spirit of spring break, which is next week for Longwood, I figured I would write about Panama City Beach, Florida. Since this is such a popular spring break destination, I have had to listen to classmates, friends, and read facebook status updates about how excited people are to go to Panama City Beach next week. Side note- I'm a little bitter, I'll admit it, because while everyone is having the time of their lives next week, I will be in an office working. But whatever, back on topic.



Through just a little bit of research, I found out just how popular spring break is. Not only is it included in the city's Chamber of Commerce website, but it also on every other website for the city as well. Since the entire city basically caters to the spring break crowd, there are a lot of things for college kids to do. For instance, you can take a canoe trip down the Econfina Creek. The prices are kind of steep ($35- $45), but it’s something to do in between partying and the beach. If that's not your style, Panama City Beach also offers a lot of good shopping and cool restaurants like Schooners. Of course if you are going down to Panama City Beach, then the beach is most likely your number one priority. And of course Panama City Beach does in fact have some amazing beaches like St. Andrews State Recreation Area which was voted America's second best beach.

Since Panama City Beach is so popular for spring break, there are a lot of deals available on weekly hotel rates. Just by doing a quick search, I found a weekly hotel rate for as low as $109. There is also an organization called Student City which rents out an entire building on the beach and you can rent it out and party with them all week long. Another side note- their mission statement is pretty funny... Our mission: To help students organize and promote trips which enable them to celebrate youth through travel. Basically saying that you promote trips, and then party your ass off once you get there.

Here are some other websites to check out:

• http://visitpcfla.com/
• http://panamacitybeach.com/
• http://www.tripsmarter.com/panamacity/springbreak/
• http://pcbeachspringbreak.com/

Seaside Heights, New Jersey

"I'm going to Jersey Shore, Bitch!" -Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi

     Even though Virginia has been rocked by three huge snow storms within the past few weeks, I thought I'd blog about a warmer, funner, more beautiful...well I don't know about that, but definitely more relaxing place- Seaside Heights, New Jersey aka the Jersey Shore. My inspiration for this blog came from the fun filled day long marathon of the show on Super Bowl Sunday. As a kid growing up in Northern New Jersey, we would take trips down to Seaside Heights all of the time during the summer. Since I was under the age of 10 I didn't notice the fist pumping, the GTL (gym, tanning, laundry), or the crazy fights that seemed to have happened in every episode of the Jersey Shore. The shore is an amazing place to go if you like the beach. Of course it has a lot of night clubs like we see the cast go to every day, but it also offers a lot of other stuff to do. One of my favorite things to do at the shore when I was a kid was go to the Casino Pier. There are a ton of rides, from the log flum to a ferris wheel. Not only are there rides at the Casino Pier, but there is also a waterpark and an arcade.
    Seaside Heights has one of the best boardwalks in the entire country. During the winter months there isn't a lot open, but during the summer the boardwalk is the place to be. There are vendors that sell comfort food, fun games, and awesome shops (like the one the cast of Jersey Shore worked in).
    Seaside Heights has a lot of decently priced hotel rooms also. After doing a quick search on kayak.com, I found hotels as cheap as $88 a night and as expensive as $400 a night. But lets be honest, there's so much to do that spending time in the hotel that doesn't include sleeping is out of the question. As for food... as long as you don't mind New York style pizza or other amazing Italian specialties, then you will never go hungry and your wallet won't go empty either because it is all pretty cheap.

Here are some other good sites:

• seasideheights.net
• Seaside Heights Tourism
• Discover Seaside Heights
• In case you haven't seen an episode, here's all of the Jersey Shore episodes

Las Vegas

"Do something crazy! Do something crazy!"  -Asher Roth

"What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas." We have all heard this slogan before about sin city and we've all learned every single line from the Hangover, but really what kind of trouble could a broke college student get into? Well my friends, you'd be surprised. This week I'm going to show you how to get a cheap flight + hotel package, tell you about some cool shows to go see, and fill you in on some other stuff you can't miss out when you come to Vegas.

Since I live in Virginia, my first thought was how I was going to get to Vegas and where I would stay. Luckily for those of us without a lot of cash, I found a great site that has flight and hotel packages for as low as $350, which includes round trip airfare and a two night stay in a hotel located on the strip. Of course this all depends where you're coming from, how long you want to stay, and where you want to stay. But still, $350 for all of that?! Sign me up!
Now that I at least have a way of getting out to Vegas and a cool place to stay, lets see what kind of entertainment Vegas has to offer. The same website that had those amazing hotel + flight packages (www.vegas.com), also has some pretty decent deals for show tickets. I had a little sticker shock when I checked out how much Criss Angel's Believe show would be (around $100), but I suppose for those with disposable income that $100 is a deal.

Here's the big shocker of this article...Vegas has a ton of clubs! According to a great website for hot clubs, there are a huge variety to pick from. From clubs that you've seen on MTV like the Palm's Ghost Bar, to lesser known clubs that still carry a big crowd like Tryst. With these clubs, you have to be 21 years or older, you have to sign yourself up on the guest list at least a week in advance and there is most likely a cover charge just to get into the club.
Not only is Vegas famous for it's incrediable shows and it's awesome night life, but of course gambling is it's most popular attraction. Many of the big hotels on the strip offer places to gamble, the biggest perk to gambling is as long as the waitress thinks you're sending your money into the long lost void that is gambling, YOU GET FREE DRINKS! Sounds like an awesome deal to me! Another long lost secret of Vegas is that hotels on the strip have amazing lobbies with free entertainment. For instance, if you take a trip down by the Flamingo Hotel and Casino, you can see a live animal exhibit where you can watch penguins eat and see pink flamingos clean their feathers...all for free! There's a whole list of really neat free stuff to do at this website.

After seeing The Hangover for about the millionth time, I think I have a pretty good idea of how to steal Mike Tyson's tiger, what kind of trouble I'll get into if I steal a cop car, and not to mess with small Asians, but there's so much else to do in Vegas and here's a list of sites to help you out:

• 25 Best Free Things in Las Vegas
• To Do List in Vegas
• Las Vegas Online Entertainment Guide
• Las Vegas Coupons
• Article About How to do Las Vegas on a Budget

Virginia

“Life is either a great adventure or nothing.”  

-Helen Keller

I am going to start my blog by talking about different places in Virginia because, well for one I am from Virginia and for another it seems like a great place to start.

Virginia can essentially be broken down into four different areas of interest- Virginia Beach, Williamsburg area, Richmond and Northern Virginia (NOVA). It goes without saying that Virginia Beach is largely popular when the weather is warmer and the day is just right for a day at the beach. Not only is Virginia Beach known for the beach scene, but it also largely known for its night life too. There are several dancing clubs and comedy clubs located around the beach. For instance, Peabody’s has a nice set up a block or two away from the beach and they have weekly specials and offer a college night on Fridays. Virginia Beach is a great place to go for the average college student because there are plenty of cheap hotels located on or near the beach, the club scene is one of the best in the state, there’s a good variety of food available and the beach is always free.

The Williamsburg area offers a different kind of fun. The Colonial Williamsburg, Yorktown and Jamestown area transport you back to the arrival of the first colonists and you are able to physically see just how they lived, where they fought the American Revolutionary War, and how they were able to survive. You are able to walk around Colonial Williamsburg and the Yorktown Battlefields at no cost, but if you wanted access to the shops or museums in either of them or access to the museum at Jamestown there is a relatively small cost. Not only is Williamsburg known for its history, but it also has Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. Unfortunately there is a pretty heavy price associated with these places ($40-60) but they are definitely awesome places to go and provide at least a full day of entertainment at both places. Williamsburg also offers really great outlet shopping for those with a pricey taste but an empty wallet.

Richmond is the capital of Virginia and is has a great blend of the night life of Virginia Beach and the historical value of Williamsburg. Richmond has a variety of different museums to go to, from St. John’s Church where Patrick Henry declared “Give me liberty or give me death!” to the Poe Museum (both require a small admission price). The Richmond night life scene is definitely one you shouldn't miss. The city has every type of club imaginable, from the Tobacco Company which has a classy restaurant apart of the club, to ComedySportz which is an improv theatre club. Not only is Richmond a good place to get your learning and dancing on, but it is also an amazing place to get your shopping on. From Stony Point Fashion Park, which is more of an up-scale mall, to Short Pump which has some pricey stores but also places like American Eagle and Hollister.

The last main attraction in Virginia is Northern Virginia or NOVA as the locals call it. NOVA is mostly popular for three main reasons: shopping, Kings Dominion theme park, and its proximity to Washington DC. The shopping in NOVA is some of the best in the country. There are, what seems like, two malls within walking distance no matter where you are. From Potomac Mills which is a huge outlet mall to Tysons Corner, it's impossible to not find what you are looking for. Much like Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, Kings Dominion is a theme park that offers days filled to the rim with fun because of their huge variety of rides and the fact that there is a water park inside the park itself. Although these things are all spread out among a pretty big space, they are all still relatively close to Washington DC. It is easy to find a cheap hotel in the NOVA area and take the Metro into DC for the day or night or whenever. NOVA is great because it is so close to the amazingness that is Washington DC but there is a downside...TRAFFIC. It's terrible, so make sure your passed down Honda Civic's are completely gassed up because it could take hours to go three feet.

Here are some other great sites to help you check out other things that Virginia has to offer for the poor, yet adventurous college student:

• http://www.washingtonian.com/blogarticles/artsfun/afterhours/7921.html

• http://festivalsandevents.com/festival.php?state=VA

• http://www.takeafuntrip.com/tourdetails.aspx?id=84

• http://www.virginia.org/home.asp