Virginia Beach Offers Many Attractions

It doesn't have the airs of Hilton Head or the party atmosphere of South Beach. Instead Virginia Beach gives off a quiet sophistication for visitors who are looking for a beach resort town with just the right mix of tourist and hometown fun. If you are planning a trip to Virginia Beach, there are museums, outdoor sports, nightlife entertainment venues, and much more.

The area is warm in the summer but misses the stifling heat of locations farther south. While Virginia Beach gets a fair amount of rainfall, most of it is not during the tourist season. The winters there are cool, with average January temperatures around 40 degrees and about eight inches of snowfall. Virginia Beach is a tourist's dream because it is not overcrowded but provides plenty of entertainment opportunities to fit any type of weather or lifestyle.

For visitors interested in space exploration, a quick jaunt to Hampton will bring you face-to-face with the Apollo 12 Command Module. This partially burned module will give you an up-close look at the world of space exploration in the 1960s. In addition, the Virginia Air and Space Center houses an IMAX theater and other fascinating exhibits. Back in the city of Virginia Beach, the city schools provide inexpensive screenings and presentation through the school system's planetarium.

If you are trying to keep yourself in the spirit of visiting the beach, consider checking out the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center in downtown Virginia Beach. This expansive center is home to more than 800,000 gallons of water with hundreds of species of live fish in addition to a bird sanctuary where you can walk around with various birds flying overhead. The aquarium also has live exhibits, many of them interactive, so that you can experience the excitement of marine life.

When you want to get near the water and stay outdoors, two great Virginia Beach options are the state boardwalk and the Chesapean Kayak Tours. The boardwalk, located along the tourist beaches, allows visitors to take a three-mile stroll along the beach. The boardwalk features plaques and displays of famous Virginians so that you can soak up the cultural significance of the region while you take in small concerts and watch for other live entertainment, as well as eat from the various kiosks along the boardwalk.

The kayak tours are a wonderful experience and one of the most unique you can get in Virginia Beach! The Chesapean Kayak Company, which is the area's premier kayak touring group, leads tours through the ocean waters that will put you up close and personal with the bottlenose dolphins often spotted in the waters off the Virginia coast. The unique design of the kayaks is perfect for beginners because they can kayak without any experience and still have the ability to see the dolphins in the water. This experience is great for the entire family or for a romantic date night for couples.

Anyone interested in Christian mystics or holistic healing should visit the Association for Research and Enlightenment. The brainchild of the mystic Edgar Cayce, ARE has been in Virginia Beach for more than 70 years, and visitors has self-guided tours as well as a number of educational exhibits throughout the year that allow visitors to explore the areas of philosophy, spirituality, and holistic medicine. Virginia Beach also is home to the Beach Garden Park, which has 15 acres of botanical beauties as well as a basketball and playground area. This park is wonderful for a lazy day with a picnic because of the vast area where children can run around and enjoy the sunshine of Virginia Beach, where July is the warmest month with average temperatures of 78 degrees.

As the evening begins, try visiting the 17th Street Stage or the 24th Street Park on the beachfront where there are numerous stages for live entertainment, including acting, singing, and playing. The Hampton Roads Shakespeare Festival brings early modern Britain to life as thespians from around the country gather to act out Shakespeare's plays and sonnets. With indoor and outdoor performances, you can visit the festival despite the weather.

Certain weekends also provide ethnic and special entertainment. Start the summer with the Latin Fest, held in early June, with the tunes of the salsa, mambo, and other traditional Latin dances as well as food and fun. The summer also brings the PANorama Caribbean Music Fest to Virginia Beach along with Latin and Caribbean music and high school band competitions. Try to plan your trip to coincide with the Neptune Festival Boardwalk Weekend if you make it at the end of summer. Experience athletic games, wine-tasting, and more at this very Virginia Beach goodbye to summer.

The evening also has plenty of music and food. Some of the restaurants, like Awful Arthur's Oyster Bar, are famous for their evening entertainment, and this is where you should go if you are looking for a taste of Virginia Beach's local musical talent. Peabody's is the most well-known dance club in Virginia Beach, but it is only one of many places where you can groove away the night to the sounds of contemporary music. Seafood is the specialty in this beachfront city, but there is some of everything available. Try Croc's, an inexpensive casual dining place with beer-battered shrimp next to the beach, or go for a special night out at The Swan Terrace, where you can enjoy food sitting outdoors or next to a cozy fireplace. They city also boasts Italian, Mexican, and various Asian cuisine.

Other possible activities include history museums, African American exhibits, swimming, tennis, miniature golf, and even rollerblading. Virginia Beach is one of the rare oceanfront tourist destinations that provides activities that will suit anyone or any family. All of these attractions should not take away from the beaches, however, as Virginia Beach has several areas where the public can enjoy the sand and surf with other sun-lovers. A trip to Virginia Beach will provide a fun-filled vacation, no matter what activities your family loves.