Virginia

Virginia

Virginia is for lovers, and what is there to love? How about four-hundred years of American history, easy access to the nation’s capital, outstanding hiking including more than 1/4 of the Appalachian Trail, and over 7,000 miles of shoreline. From biking to beaches, skiing to sight seeing, you’ll find adventures of every size and description.

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Language(s)

English

Currency

US Dollar

Exercise Increased Caution
Summer Winter
Roanoke 89 33
Richmond 89 29
Norfolk 88 34
Outlets
Type-A
Type-B

Best Time to Visit

Spring and fall have the best weather for being outside. It’s hot and muggy in the summer (especially in the east) and can get icy and cold in the winter (especially in the mountains). Washington DC has some significant festivals, such as the Cherry Bloom Festival and 4th of July, which could be reasons to visit or stay away. One more interesting DC phenomenon is the spring school trip season which is definitely a thing. Virginia Beach is relatively far north for a beach destination, so summer is going to be the high season.

Fun Facts

  • Virginia is for lovers, but it’s illegal to tickle a woman or have sex with the lights on
  • Virginia’s counties were originally called ‘shires’
  • Virginia was named after Queen Elizabeth I, the ‘Virgin Queen’
  • Naval Station Norfolk  is the world’s largest naval base
  • The Pentagon is the world’s largest office building with 3x the floorspace of the Empire State Building
  • Jamestown was founded in 1607 as England’s first colony in America
  • More Civil War battles were fought in Virginia than in any other state

Bucket-List Activities

  • Cruise the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway (Fort Royal to Cumberland Knob)
  • Visit every Smithsonian Museum (DC)
  • Go mountain biking in Roanoke America’s’ East Coast Mountain Biking Capital’ (Roanoke)
  • See the Cherry Blossom Festival (DC)
  • Explore Luray Caverns (Luray)
  • See the wild ponies of Chincoteague (Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge)
  • Raft the James River (Scottsville)

Natural Wonders

  • The Great Dismal Swamp (Great Dismal Swamp National Wildlife Refuge)
  • The Chesapeake Bay
  • Shenandoah National Park (Shenandoah National Park)
  • Luray Caverns (Luray)
  • The New River
  • Virginia Natural Bridge (Natural Bridge)

Major Attractions

  • Washington DC (DC)
  • Colonial Williamsburg (Williamsburg)
  • Virginia Beach (Virginia Beach)
  • Mount Vernon (Mount Vernon)
  • Monticello (Charlottesville)
  • Arlington National Cemetery (Arlington)
  • Colonial National Historic Park (Yorktown)

Native Foods

  • Country Ham (salt-cured ham)
  • Blue Crab (boiled and served whole)
  • Brunswick Stew (the namesake county is also my familial home)
  • Oysters (Virginia is the ‘Oyster Capital of the East Coast’)
  • BBQ (it’s argued that Virginia BBQ came from the Powhatan technique of slow-cooking foods above smoldering coals)

General Travel Tips

Common Phrases

  • NOVA – NOrthern VirginiA
  • Tidewater – The low-lying plains of southeast Virginia
  • Beltway – The Washington DC outer belt
  • Beltway Bandits – Consultants and Lobbyists who work in DC
  • The (Red/Blue/Orange/Green/Silver/Yellow) Line – The color indicates which DC Metro line it is
  • Arlington / Ronald Regan Washington National Airport (DCA  ✈✈✈✈) – DC’s airport inside the city
  • Dulles / Washington Dulles Airport (IAD  ✈✈✈✈) – DC’s airport outside the city
  • Richmond / Richmond International Airport (RIC ✈✈✈✈) – Virginia’s capital city
  • Norfolk  / Norfolk International Airport (ORF ✈✈✈✈) -Also the gateway to Norfolk and Virginia Beach
  • Charlottesville / Charlottesville/Albemarle Airport (CHO ✈✈) – Home of University of Virginia and Monticello
  • Roanoke / Roanoke Regional Airport (ROA ✈✈) – The Star City in the Blue Ridge Mountains
  • Newport News / Newport News-Williamsburg International Airport (PHF ✈✈) – Gateway to Norfolk and Virginia Beach
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Here at Coleman Concierge, we encourage everyone to travel responsibly and believe there is potential for tremendous good for the world following that ethos. There is also the potential for horrific consequences from irresponsible travel.

Before you go, please check out the latest CDC recommendations for travelers.

Even if you can’t physically explore the world, we hope that you enjoy the escape our site provides. Keep your spirits up and your hands clean. There will be a time to travel soon enough.

Meet Ed & Jenn

Hi! We are Jenn and Ed Coleman, and together we are Coleman Concierge. It is our goal to inspire you to get out, expand your world, and to seek adventure, even in your own backyard.

We deeply believe in the transformational power of travel. Our tagline is amazing adventures for ordinary people because we believe that you don’t have to be super rich, super fit or super anything to have an amazing adventure. Expanding your comfort zone and trying new things will pay huge dividends in both health and happiness.

We advocate for sustainable and ethical travel and truly believe in the power of travel to transform both ourselves as well as the world around us.

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