Tag: VA

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50 State Series

Family travel in Virginia

My son in Jamestown VA aboard the Godspeed, with the Susan Constant in the background (photo by Sheila Scarborough)Every Tuesday (this week we’re a day late – sorry!) until we run out of states, I plan to post about family-friendly travel ideas, attractions and events in each one of the US states, taking input mostly from Twitter and Facebook.

We’re going in alphabetical order but started with the end, so our first state for the series was Wyoming, then we investigated Wisconsin , West Virginia , Washington and now we’re moving on to….Virginia!

These guys are HOPPIN’ online  —  you can find their state tourism organization on Twitter at @VisitVirginia plus @VATourismPR, and here is the Virginia travel and tourism Facebook page.

Their state parks folks are on Twitter at @VAStateParks. There is also a Virginia tourism YouTube channel, the Virginia Flickr pool and a whole site for Virginia Green Travel.

When I asked for ideas, here’s what came in….

Twitter Travel Tips for Virginia

From Dwight Silverman via @dsilverman on Twitter  —  [Virginia Beach’s] Capt. George’s Seafood Buffet is good for kids. Huge amounts of good food; my sister calls it “Capt. Gorge”. She lives in VA Beach.

From Nancy Schretter via @KidTravel on Twitter  — Virginia’s my home state. Two of my favorite VA parks for families are Lake Anna and Smith Mountain Lake. They’re fabulous!

From Jenna Schnuer via @JennaSchnuer on Twitter  — Here’s one of my favorites – and definitely a great family travel spot. Link is to my WorldHum piece about [the Clinch Mountain’s Carter Family Fold dance hall, with old-time country and bluegrass music]  The Most Joyous Place in the World.

From @jayne52 on Twitter  — My favorite place: Arlington National Cemetery, so moving, & historical Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Kennedy gravesite esp. at holidays.

From Char Polanosky via @charpolanosky on Twitter  — Williamsburg, Busch Gardens, Great Wolf Lodge, Water Country USA make for a great family vacation in VA.

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USA

Good food in the Shenandoah: Brookside Restaurant in Luray VA

Brookside Restaurant near Skyline Drive in Luray, Virginia (photo by Sheila Scarborough)I’m warning you, the sweet potato fries here are embarrassingly addictive.

We’d just popped off of Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park near Luray, Virginia and were looking for a local restaurant for a late lunch when we passed a group of cabins tucked next to the road under some pretty trees, and a stone building next to them that said “Restaurant.”

Can you say u-turn, with a spray of gravel?

It turned out to be the Brookside Restaurant, a well-known eatery in these parts and perfect for our lunch.

The cuisine was down-home and there were many sandwich and salad options, with homemade veggie sides (I liked the green beans.) Those sticks of sweet potato came with a sweet honey-butter dipping sauce that contrasted divinely with the saltiness of the fries.

Beverage listings at Brookside; note Yuppie beer (photo by Sheila Scarborough)

There’s a food and salad buffet as well, a kid’s menu with the usual chicken tenders suspects and a dessert menu full of pies and fruit cobblers.

I laughed at the beer listings at the bottom of the menu, which included three brews labeled “Imported and Yuppie Beer.” Since Sam Adams is based in Boston and Killians is made by Coors, they must be the Yuppie ones.

Don’t miss the pretty running stream (hence the name “brookside”) just behind the restaurant.

First Lady Michelle Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia ate here recently during a family trip to nearby Luray Caverns.

I wonder if they ordered the fries?

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Photos USA

Photo of the Week: Lunchtime in Colonial Williamsburg

Chicken pot pie at the King's Arms Tavern, Colonial Williamsburg VA (photo by Sheila Scarborough)This is the chicken pot pie served at the King’s Arms Tavern restaurant in Colonial Williamsburg, Virginia.

Don’t you want to jump right into it?

Anyone can eat at the taverns in the historic area (you don’t have to buy the admissions pass to the other exhibits, buildings and performances, although I’d certainly recommend that if you have time.)

Try Christiana Campbell’s, Chowning’s and Shields in addition to King’s Arms;  they all have children’s menus (and pssst….Tarpley’s store nearby has old-fashioned candies if you don’t want a tavern dessert.)

If you want to stay in Colonial Williamsburg and truly immerse your kids in Revolutionary history, always check on the Web site for special packages that usually include hotel, breakfast and passes for everyone.

For example, I love the interactive street theater of the Revolutionary City mini-plays that reenactors stage all over the historic area, all day. Your family can participate in them with the Revolutionary City Adventure package.

Mostly, just make an excuse to get ahold of some of that pot pie.

(This post is my contribution to this week’s WanderFood Wednesday on the Wanderlust and Lipstick blog.)

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USA

Getting nautical at Nauticus in Norfolk, Virginia

Nauticus National Maritime Center in Norfolk, VirginiaThe Nauticus National Maritime Center in downtown Norfolk, Virginia is a family-friendly travel destination for anyone who is interested in seafaring.

An interactive history, science and technology center, it features hundred of exhibits, including deep ocean exploration, US Navy history and NOAA’s “Science on a Sphere” weather display.

There is also a shark petting lagoon and a 2000-gallon touch tank (with a new horseshoe crab family!) that is quite a hit with young kids.

A zippy AEGIS Command Center lets visitors see a narrated, simulated engagement using much of the display equipment that is currently installed aboard Navy AEGIS destroyers and cruisers.

The 887-foot-long battleship Wisconsin is permanently docked adjacent to the main Nauticus museum building, and you can climb around on a lot of it, both topside and below decks.

There are often special events and exhibits, and on January 21, 2009 there’s a day of educational programming just for homeschoolers.

The city of Norfolk (adjacent to Virginia Beach – the whole region is called Hampton Roads) has a promotional right now called “Half-Off.”  Family travelers can get 50% off of admission to many popular city attractions (including Nauticus) and some restaurant discounts by booking one night at participating hotels, until January 31, 2009.

I’ll bet you anything that given the current economic client, they’ll either extend that offer or come up with a similar one, so contact the Norfolk CVB at (757) 664-6620 or click here for info on tourist special offers and packages.

Remember that this is a heavily military area, with lots of bases and Department of Defense facilities, so military families may have options available in temporary lodging. For more details, I like the military recreation facility books by retirees Ann and Roy Crawford: Military Living.

Update: I forgot to include a link to this excellent article by Budget Travel on other things to do and see in Norfolk VA.