Virginia (VA)

Virginia State Flag

 

"Mother of Presidents" and "Old Dominion"

"Dominion", "Down Where the South Begins", "Mother of States", "Mother of Statesmen" and "The Cavalier State"

Why visit Virginia?

Known for amusement parks, beaches, boating, fishing, hiking, historical sites, history, mountains, military sights, vineyards, wild horses and white water rafting.

A popular destination for:

• Amateur & Professional Photographers
• Conventions, Meetings, Reunions
• Cruise: Disembark/Embark
• Groups: Family, Friends, Multigenerational
• Milestones: Bachelor Party, Bachelorette Party, Birthday

"Virginia is for Lovers"

Luray Caverns, Luray, VA. Photo Credit: Julia S/Pixabay 

At a Glance

• Capital: Richmond
• State Bird: Cardinal
• State Dessert: None
• State Flower: Dogwood
• State Gemstone: None
• State Mammal: None
• State Rock: Nelsonite 

Roanoke, VA. Photo Credit: Michelle Maria/Pixabay 

Fun Facts

• In 1880, James Albert Bonsack (Richmond) invented the tobacco cigarette rolling machine changing the industry's scalability.
• From 1907-1923, Newport News Shipbuilding (Newsport News), built six World War I-era dreadnoughts, seven battleships and twenty-five destroyers for the U.S. Navy. 
• Pentagon Memorial (Arlington) is for the 184 deaths from the American Airlines Flight 77 and The Pentagon on September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. 
• Name derives from Queen Elizabeth (England) noting her status as "Virgin Queen" and native phrase, "Wingandacoa" or "Wingina".
• Virginians were instrumental in writing the United States Constitution.
• U.S. Naval Station (Norfolk) is the largest naval installation in the world. 
• Sea level rises have eroded the Chincoteague and Tangier Island.
• In three mountainous regions coal mining thrives. State also known for mining gravel, kyanite, sand and slate.
• The first of the states (Jamestown) to be settled and craving of other states earned the title, "Mother of States".
• Led to Gun Control after mass shootings at Virginia Tech (2007) and Virginia Beach (2019). 
• Tysons Corner, is the state's largest office market.
• Headquarters for the FBI Academy (Stafford) and Marine Corps Base Quantico (Triangle).
• Their economy is farming, government, high-tech and military.
• Has the highest concentrations of veterans compared to any other state.
• Hub for nearly 70% of our nation's internet traffic.
• Farmers have been forced to plant cotton instead of soybeans to survive considering the ongoing China - U.S. Trade War.
• Third largest producer of  Chesapeake blue crabs, hardshell clams, menhaden, oysters and sea scallops in our country. 
• Protected by State Law, "Virginia Ham" can be produced only in the town of Smithfield (Smithfield Ham).
• Educational System consistently ranks in the Top 5 States according to U.S. Department of Education's National Assessment of Educational Progress in all subject areas and grade levels.
• Home to the oldest state military college, Virginia Military Institute (Lexington). 
• Features 2 National Forests, 16 State Forests and 44 State Parks.
  

Virginia Beach, VA. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

Thank You!

• Spotlight Celebrities: Allen Iverson (Athlete), Camilla Mendes (Actress), Chris Brown (Musician), Ella Fitzgerald (Musician), George Washington (President), Grant Gustin (Actor), James Madison (President), James Monroe (President), John Tyler (President), Melissa "Missy" Arnette Elliott (Musician), Pharrell Lanscilo Williams (Musician), Rob Lowe (Actor), Sandra Bullock (Actress), Shelby Simmons (Actress), Skeet Ulrich (Actor), Thomas Jefferson (President), Tremaine Aldon Neverson "Trey Songz" (Musician), William Harrison (President), Woodrow Wilson (President) and Zachary Taylor (President), just to name a few.
• Movies to Inspire You: Cold Mountain (2003), Dave (1993), Dirty Dancing (1987), Evan Almighty (2007), Foxcatcher (2014), Gods & Generals (2003), Hannibal (2000), Minority Report (2002), Patriot Games (1992), Transformers (2007) and True Colors (1991), just to name a few.
• Reads Set in Virginia: All That Remains (written by Patricia Cornwell), Heading Out to Wonderful (written by Robert Goolrick), Mercy Creek (written by Matt Matthews), Miss Ophelia (written by Mary Burnett Smith), Prodigal Summer (written by Barbara Kingsolver), She's My Dad (written by Iolanthe Woulff). The Known World (written by Edward P. Jones), The Wettest County in the World (written by Matt Bondurant) and Wish You Well (written by David Baldacci), just to name a few.

Norfolk, VA. Photo Credit: David Mark/Pixabay 

Good to Know

• Ranks as a Top Wine Producing State with more than 100 wineries. 
• Along Virginia Beach profanity is fined.
  
• Between April-September prone to late afternoon and evening thunderstorms.
  
• Smoking is banned in bars and restaurants.
  

Chincoteague Island, VA. Photo Credit: skeeze/Pixabay 

Subject to earthquakes, hurricanes, snowfalls, tornadoes. Hurricane Season is June - November, their impact August - October.

• Best Time to Visit: April - October
• Coldest Month: January
• Hottest Month: July
• Peak Season: May - September

Monticello, Charlottesville, VA. Photo Credit: skeeze/Pixabay 

Your Must-See & Do

• Historical Sites: Alexandria Historic District, Aquia Church, Bacon's Castle, Ball's Bluff Battlefield & National Cemetery, Banneker (Benjamin) SW-9 Intermediate Boundary Stone, Barracks Virginia Military Institute, Berkeley, Berry Hill, Brandon, Bremo Historic District, Bruton Parish Church, Camden, Camp Hoover, Cape Henry Lighthouse, Carter Glass House, Carter's Grove, Cedar Creek Battlefield & Belle Grove Plantation, Christ Church Alexandria, Christ Church (Lancaster County), City Hall (Richmond), Confederate Capitol, Charles Richard Drew House, Cyrus McCormick Farm & Workshop, Drydock Number One Norfolk Naval Shipyard, Egyptian Building, Ellen Glasgow House, Elsing Green, Eyre Hall, Five Forks Battlefield, Gari Melchers Home, Gerald R Ford Jr House, Fort Monroe, Fort Myer Historic District, Franklin & Armfield Office, Gadsby's Tavern, General George C Marshall House, General William "Billy" Mitchell House, George Washington Boyhood Home Site, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Green Springs Historic District, Greenway Court, Gunston Hall, Hampton Institute, Hanover County Courthouse, Holly-Knoll-Robert R Moton House, Humpback Bridge, Jackson Ward Historic District, James Monroe Law Office, James Monroe Tomb, James Semple House, John Marshall House, Kenmore, John Tyler House, Lee Chapel Washington & Lee University, LIGHTSHIP NO 101 "PORTSMOUTH", Lunar Landing Research Facility, Maggie Lena Walker House, Main Street Station & Trainshed, Marlbourne, Menokin, Monticello (Thomas Jefferson House), Montpelier (James Madison House), Monument Avenue Historic District, Monumental Church, Mount Airy, Mount Vernon, Natural Bridge, New Kent School & George W Watkins School, Oak Hill (James Monroe House), Oatlands, Pear Valley, Pentagon, Petersburg Breakthrough Battlefield, Pittsylvania County Courthouse, Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine, Poplar Forest, Potomac Canal Historic District, Prestwould, Quarters 1 (Fort Myer), Peyton Randolph House, Rendezvous Docking Simulator, Reynolds Homestead, Ripshin Farm, Rising Sun Tavern, Robert Russa Moton High School, Rotunda University of Virginia, Sabine Hall, Saint Luke's Church (Smithfield), Saratoga, Sayler's Creek Battlefield, Scotchtown (Patrick Henry House), Shack Mountain, Shirley, Skyline Drive Historic District, Spence's Point (John Roderigo Dos Passos House), St John's Episcopal Church (Richmond), Stonewall Jackson Headquarters, St Peter's Parish Church, Stratford Hall,  The Homestead, Thoroughgood House, Thunderbird Archeological District, Tredegar Iron Works, Tuckahoe, University Of Virginia Historic District, Variable Density Tunnel, Virginia Governor's Mansion, Virginia Military Institute Historic District, Virginia Randolph Cottage, Washington and Lee University Historic District, Waterford Historic District, Westover, White House of the Confederacy, Wickham-Valentine House, Williamsburg Historic District, Woodlawn, Woodrow Wilson Birthplace, Wren Building College of William & Mary, Wythe House and Yeocomico Church.
• Museums: AAF Tank Museum, Abby Aldrich Rockefeller Folk Art Museum, Agecroft Hall & Gardens, Air Power Park, Alexandria Archaeology Museum, Amazement Square, American Civil War Museum, American Revolution Museum, Army Transportation Museum, Atlantic Wildfowl Heritage Museum, Birthplace of Country Music Museum, Black History Museum & Cultural Center of Virginia, Blue Ridge Institute & Museum, Casemate Museum, Children's Museum of Richmond, Children's Museum of Virginia, Chimborazo Medical Museum, Chrysler Museum of Art, Cold War Museum, Colonial Williamsburg Historic Area, Danville Museum of Fine Arts & History, DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, Edith Bolling Wilson Birthplace Museum, Eleanor D Wilson Museum, Fairfax Station Railroad Museum, Fredericksburg Area Museum, Freeman House Store & Museum, Frontier Culture Museum, Gadsby's Tavern Museum, George Washington's Mount Vernon, Hampton History Museum, Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Heritage Farm Museum, Hermitage Museum & Gardens, Historic Jamestown, Hunter House Victorian Museum, James Madison Museum, James Monroe Museum & Memorial Library, Lee Chapel & Museum, Lee-Fendall House Museum, Legacy Museum of African American History, MacArthur Memorial Museum, Maymont, Meadow Farm Museum, Military Aviation Museum, Muscarelle Museum of Art, Museum of Chincoteague Island, Museum of the Shenandoah Valley, National Inventors Hall of Fame, National Museum of the Marine Corps, National Museum of the United States Army, Nauticus, NRA National Firearms Museum, Portsmouth Naval Shipyard Museum, Ralph Stanley Museum, Reedville Fishermen's Museum, Roanoke Pinball Museum, Robert Russa Moton Museum, Science Museum of Western Virginia, Shenandoah Valley Civil War Museum, Stabler-Leadbeater Apothecary Museum, Steamboat Era Museum, Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center, Taubman Museum of Art, The American Civil War Museum, The Art Museums of Colonial Williamsburg, The Branch Museum of Architecture and Design, The CIA Museum, The Exchange Hotel Civil War Medical Museum, The Fauquier History Museum, The Fralin Museum of Art, The Harrison Museum of African American Culture, The John Marshall House, The Mariners' Museum & Park, The Poe Museum, The Valentine, United States Army Quartermaster Museum, United States Army Women's Museum, Virginia Air & Space Center, Virginia Aviation Museum, Virginia Discovery Museum, Virginia Holocaust Museum, Virginia House, Virginia Living Museum, Virginia Military Institute Museum, Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Virginia Museum of History & Culture, Virginia Museum of Natural History, Virginia Museum of the Civil War, Virginia Museum of Transportation, Virginia War Museum, Walton's Mountain Museum, Warren Rifles Confederate Museum, Watermen's Museum, White House of the Confederacy, William King Museum of Art, Wilton House Museum, Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library & Museum.
• Popular Attractions: Air Force Memorial, Appalachian Trail, Appomattox Court House National Historical Park, Arlington National Cemetery, Assateague Beach, Assateague Island National Seashore, Atlantic Fun Park, Atlantis Waterpark, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, Bethel Beach, Blue Ridge Parkway, Buckroe Beach & Park, Bull Run Regional Park, Busch Gardens Williamsburg, Cameron Run Regional Park, Cape Henry Lighthouse, Cedar Creek & Belle Grove National Historical Park, Children's Science Center Lab, Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge, Colonial Williamsburg, Cobblestone Park, Dolphin Beach, Downtown Mall, False Cape State Park, First Landing State Park, Fleeton Beach, Fort Dickinson, Fort Monroe National Monument, Fredericksburg & Spotsylvania National Military Park, Fun Land of Fredericksburg, Gargathy Beach, George Mason's Gunston Hall, G-Force Karts, Governor's Palace, Grand Caverns, Grandview Beach, Great Falls Park, Great Waves Waterpark, Harpers Ferry National Historical Park, Hollywood Cemetery, Huntington Beach, Jamestown Settlement, Kings Dominion, Lake Fairfax Park, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Little Island Park, Luray Caverns, Maggie L Walker National Historic Site, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Massanutten Outdoor WaterPark, Maui Jack's Waterpark, Maymont, McAfee Knob, Mill Mountain Star (Roanoke Star), Monticello, Mount Trashmore Park, Natural Bridge, Neptune Statue, Norfolk Botanical Garden, Ocean Beach, Old Town Alexandria Waterfront, Petersburg National Battlefield, Pirate's Cove Waterpark, Prince William Forest Park, Sandbridge Fishing Pier, Shenandoah Caverns, Shenandoah National Park, Smith Island, Skyline Caverns, Skyline Drive, Splash Down Waterpark, Splash Valley, Texas Beach, The George Washington Masonic National Memorial, The Pentagon, The Pentagon Memorial, The Rotunda, The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, Torpedo Factory Art Center, Town Point Park, United States Marine Corps War Memorial, USS Wisconsin BB-64, VCU Institute for Contemporary Art, Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center, Virginia Beach Fishing Pier, Virginia Beach Oceanfront, Virginia Safari Park, Virginia State Capitol, Virginia Zoological Park, Volcano Island Waterpark, Water Country USA, Waterworks Waterpark, White Stone Beach, Willoughby Beach, Wolf Trap National Park and Yorktown Beach.
• Popular Cities/Towns to Visit: Abingdon, Alexandria, Arlington, Charlottesville, Chincoteague, Fredericksburg, Jamestown, Luray, Middleburg, Monticello, Mount Vernon, Norfolk, Richamond, Roanoke, Smithfield, Virginia Beach and Williamsburg.
• Islands of Virginia to Visit: Bay Island, Chincoteague Island, Elk Island, Eppes Island, Gwynn's Island, Jamestown Island, Smith Island, Tangier Island and Wallops Island.
• Special Events: (January) Lee-Jackson Day, (March) Civil War Weekend, VCU French Film Festival, (April) Historic Garden Week, Shenandoah Apple Blossom Festival, (May) Herndon Festival, Of Ale and History Beer Festival, Pungo Strawberry Festival, (June) Boardwalk Art Show, Chautauqua Festival, Hampton Jazz Festival, Norfolk's Harborfest, Shenandoah Bach Festival, Virginia Herb Festival, (July) Mineral Bluegrass Festival, Pony Penning, Virginia Lake Festival, Wintergreen Summer Music Festival & Academy, (August) Carytown Watermelon Festival, Shenandoah Valley Tastefest, Virginia Highlands Festival, Virginia International Tattoo Festival, Wolf Trap, (September) American Music Festival, Bay Days, Neptune Festival, Neptune Festival, Virginia State Fair, Virginia Wine Festival,(October) Old Fiddlers' Convention, Old Time Fiddlers' Convention, Poquoson Seafood Festival, Richmond Folk Festival, Virginia Film Festival, (November) Bull Run Festival of Lights, Holiday of Lights at the Beach, Urbanna Oyster Festival, (December) Civil War Encampment, First Night Winchester, Richmond Christmas Parade and Walking in a Winter Wonderland. 
• UNESCO World Heritage Sites: Monticello and the University of Virginia.

Shenandoah Valley, Rockingham County, VA. Photo Credit: Pixabay 

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