“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
Hey Jillian!
ReplyDeleteThis is a good start for your first post. I enjoyed the amount of links you put in the post. It was easy, and more importantly, enjoyable to read. Of course, I'm from Virginia and have been to most of these places, but a person not from VA would probably find this informative and interesting to read. I love the picture of the Santa Monica Pier at the top, but I wanted to see pictures in your post itself, like a map of Virginia or pictures of some of the attractions that you mention.
Good job for your first one! Can't wait to see where you're heading for this week!
-Laura Beth :)