It's still summer {although I've gotten a frightening number of emails telling me to check out the fall fashions and look at new laptop bags and backpacks... shudder! It's only July!} and E and I are still just chilling at home. We've had a busy past couple of weeks - swimming lessons and lots of friends coming into town to visit.
As much fun as we're having right here, I can't help but think how I wish I could take him on a vacation this year! E has NEVER been to the beach {and admittedly, I haven't been nearly as often as a normal person...}. After getting comfortable in the water at swimming lessons, I know he'd just love it. One place I would absolutely love to take him is Virginia Beach, VA.
E was actually born in VA, and my mom lived there {in Virginia Beach! How lucky is that?!} when she was a young girl, so those are both huge reasons why I'd love to take him back.
Besides personal ties, there are soooo many fun things to do there....
Obviously, the beach. Laying out, letting E dig in the sand with a bucket and pail, seeing him dip his little toes into the water... *sigh* There are tons of beautiful beach areas there {duh! Virginia Beach!} and it would be a great place for him to have his first beachtastic experience.
There's a place there called Grommet Island. I would absolutely LOVE to take E there! It's like a splash pad park.. on.the.beach. How perfect would that be?! We have a splash pad here... but come on. It's in the middle of the desert. It would be way, way better on the beach. Plus? It's completely handicapped accessible. It would be a great place to hang out with some of our differently-abled friends so everyone could participate!
And speaking of the beach? On the beach... there is a boardwalk. The Virginia Beach Boardwalk. While I'm sure E would love it... this one is more for me. The closest I've ever come to being on a boardwalk? Is at Disney's California Adventure park. Seriously. I have never been on a real beach boardwalk. I imagine it would be kind of like a fair... lots of good tasting/bad-for-you food...{like fried Oreos... YUM}.. games... and even better than the fair... the beach.
I love, love, love seafood, but I rarely ever get to eat it - for one reason, it's super expensive here... and when you can get it, it's well... not all that fresh. In Virginia Beach, there are tons of great seafood restaurants. My personal style would be to go try all the really local places... things you can only get there... but I'm sure there are a lot of chains as well, in case you're in a more stick-to-what-you-like mood. Or if you have picky toddlers and want to stick to what they know. Not that I would know about that or anything ;)
E just loves animals - he's learning a lot of animal noises right now, and even pretends to be a kitty sometimes (I don't know why a kitty... since we have a dog...), so of course we couldn't miss the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. They of course have lots of water animals, but they also have birds and reptiles. I have a feeling E would loooove the Komodo Dragons.
In Virginia Beach they have a ton, and I mean a ton, of family activities. The one that caught my eye? The Family Great Adventures Series.
"Throughout the summer, families can take part in an interactive adventure along the oceanfront to unravel a mystery. Each adventure ends with a family-friendly movie shown on a giant inflatable screen on the beach! "
How fun is that?! A MOVIE. ON THE BEACH.
There are tons of different choices when it comes to where to stay in Virginia Beach. You can always camp... but I'm not a big camper. I might feel differently on the beach instead of in the woods, but still... if there's no plug for my flatiron, I'll be staying somewhere else thankyouverymuch. I'd much prefer a resort and spa, especially a small one exclusive to the Virginia Beach area. No chains for this lady {of course, on this imaginary vacation, money is no object!} I know lots of people rent vacation homes, and I think that would definitely be the way to go if you were going with a group. But just for myself and E? Housekeeping and spa services are definitely required.
I'm kind of a history nerd, so I would be super interested in taking one of the historical tours. I'm not sure that it's something I'd do while I had a toddler, but I think when E gets older it would be awesome to see all the military and religious history that is in Virginia Beach!
It won't be happening this year, but Virginia Beach is definitely on my vacation wishlist for summers to come. In 2001, Virginia Beach was ranked #2 in Child Magazine's Top 10 Cities for Families - and after doing a little research, I can see why! There's so much to do there for adults and children... lots of fun with lots of educational value hidden in between :). I can't wait to go... someday!
I wrote this blog post while participating in the SocialMoms and Virginia Beach Tourism blogging program, for a gift card worth $40. For more information on how you can participate, click here.
