Nicknamed the “Old Dominion State”, this state is also called “Mother of Presidents” as eight US presidents were born in this state. The state’s boundaries are defined by The Blue Ride Mountains and the Chesapeake Bay. The capital of Virginia is Richmond.
The District of Columbia including the capital of the US, Washington D.C is just a few hours drive from Virginia. There are three international airports in Virginia: Norfolk International Airport, Washington Dulles Airport and Richmond International Airport.
The climate of Virginia ranges from humid subtropical in the East and Atlantic coast to the continental climate to the north around the mountainous regions. The ocean moderates the weather from the east and the Gulf Stream (powerful Ocean currents of the Atlantic) keep the southeastern areas of the state warmer that the rest of the state. The Gulf Stream also increases the potential of hurricanes along the coast. Rainfall is about average, with a yearly precipitation of about 43 inches. In winter, the mountainous regions experience significant snowfall because of the cold air masses over the mountains. As in most of the states in Midwest and eastern United States, Virginia has its share or tornadoes and hurricanes in summer. April through October is a good time to visit this state.
Sixty percent of the area in the state of Virginia is covered with forests! Visitors who love the outdoors will enjoy seeing the wild flowers, trees and animals such as white tailed deer, black bear, beavers, turkeys, coyotes, ground hogs, gray foxes, rabbits, skunks and raccoons. (Stay away from bears and skunks!)
Richmond, the former capital of the confederacy that fought to keep slavery alive has an abundance of history to share. Stroll along the famous Canal Walk and take a history lesson at the Richmond National Battlefield Park. Another site of interest is the Maggie Walker National Historic site where the first female bank president is celebrated.
Family fun can be easily found in Virginia. People of all ages will enjoy a trip to the Maymont Park with its Garden, Nature Center and activities at the Children’s Farm. Another choice for the little ones is the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens with its interactive exhibits, a large tree house, international offerings and water based activities. Pocahontas admirers may choose to visit the Henricus Historical Park which showcases the history of Virginia with costumed actors and old world settings.
For older children (and young adults), the place to visit is the Science Museum of Virginia. After admiring the exhibits at this location, stroll over to the Children’s Museum of Richmond and the Pamplin Historic Park and National Museum of the Civil War Soldier in Petersburg, near Richmond.
After all these lessons, families can focus on fun at one of the Theme parks where people can go wild and carefree. You have a choice of Busch Gardens in Williamsburg and King’s Dominion to the north of Richmond. Busch Gardens, which was voted “the world’s most beautiful theme park”, one can visit the cultures of Italy, France, Germany, Ireland, Scotland and England which showcases their foods, landmarks, style of gardens, shops and entertainment to transport you to that part of the world. Before you eat, hit the roller coasters of each country and debate the differences of each while you enjoy the various ethnic food choices.
King’s Dominion is a 400 acre water park. There are over 200 rides and 14 top of the line roller coasters. Over 13 million visitors visit this theme park every year.
