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Virginia Beach: Family Vacation Ideas - Live Beach Music, Dolphin Watching, and a Purple Cow.  Imagine a beach with soft clean sand, sunshine filtered by puffy clouds, pleasant music caressing the sea breezes. Add to the picture a traditional boardwalk, ice cream, Italian ice, pizza by the slice, air conditioned shops and no tight schedules? Think Virginia Beach and imagine no more. Not only is it the home of the world’s longest pleasure beach, but it also features a bountiful list of activities and attractions well-suited for families with school age kids.
Do a little or do a lot – the beach is waiting. From festivals that honor the "King of Rock and Roll" to natural adventure opportunities for families, Virginia Beach offers the “Classic American Beach Vacation” deemed the world’s longest pleasure beach by the Guinness Book of World Records. A recent “Big Beach” project extended the shore’s width to more than 300 feet with the addition of 3.2 million cubic yards of sand. The result is more beach blanket space with more room for games on the sand.
The stars are free. The Virginia Beach City Public Schools Planetarium provides free presentations every Tuesday evening at 7 pm for the general public. The programs change monthly. Conducted by skilled astronomers the themed evenings include interesting facts about the ten brightest stars, galaxy encounters, constellations of the Zodiac and their familiar star groupings as well as the significance of the sky during the winter season. This is a cool thing to do with kids so reservations are recommended.
Skate the boardwalk. Granted it’s no longer made of boards, but Virginia Beach’s 2.6-mile boardwalk can’t be beat for walking, biking, and roller skating. The most fun for families is the chance to pedal a surrey bike path that runs parallel to the Boardwalk. Well, maybe the most fun depends on who actually does the pedaling. Bonus points: No need to bring your own wheels, rent surreys, bikes and roller blades at stands along the Boardwalk.
Take a crabbing class. Kids and adults can scamper along the shoreline during a First Landing State Park crabbing class. Grab clothes that can get wet, some old shoes and scurry along the shoreline in classes led by park rangers. Bonus points: The Park also offers night hikes, stargazing and nature hikes. The park itself is the most-visited state park in Virginia and was the landing site of the first permanent English settlers in 1607 before they colonized Jamestown.
Watch for dolphins. Virginia Beach is also the home of the mid-Atlantic’s largest population of bottlenose dolphins. Each year, dolphins make Virginia Beach their summer residence and visitors can get up-close to them on dolphin watching boat excursions sponsored by the Virginia Marine Science Museum. Visitors observe the dolphins as they feed, dive, and leap from the water in acrobatic displays. Bonus points: For active families kayaking tours along the Atlantic shoreline or Chesapeake Bay waters.
Pet a ray.  Families will get a front row seat at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Museum, one of the best in the in the country. Its blockbuster attractions include more than 800,000 gallons of aquariums, an outdoor aviary, and river otter and seal habitats. It is also home to the six story-high Fox Family Channel IMAX® theater, one of the nation’s first and the only one in the state. Bonus points: The touch tanks make any visit awesome. Docents provide both encouragement and explanations about touch tank creatures making the activity truly memorable. Visitors may touch a sea star's bumpy limbs; feel a stingray's wet and slick body; hold a hermit crab's claw or brush a horseshoe crab's legs.
Have a purple cow. After enjoying the beach, chill out with some ice cream. The Dairy Queen on the boardwalk at 17th Street is known as the world’s busiest and is the perfect stop on a lazy beach afternoon. For local culture try the Purple Cow, a place known for ice cream guaranteed to turn your entire mouth purple. Or sample ice cream from Ben and Jerry’s on Atlantic Avenue at 14th and 25th Streets. Bonus points: One huge advantage of being on the beach, there are vendors along the Boardwalk selling flavorful Italian shaved ice. Try fresh-squeezed lemonade from the lunch counter at Ingram’s Pharmacy, on 25th Street between Atlantic and Pacific Avenue.
Being on vacation is a breeze. In Virginia Beach the vacation breeze may be found at Ocean Breeze Water Park and Motor World. It’s the place with water slides, go-carts, batting cages and a helicopter ride. What more is there? Four fun vacation options easily meet the needs of all family members. From the Wild Water Rapids, a water theme park with water flumes & speed slides to Shipwreck Golf, 36 holes of miniature golf it’s all for fun. Bonus points: Add practice at the Strike Zone, a spot with batting cages for all levels.
Take a wild ride. When beach boredom takes over Virginia Beach Amusement Park has the solution. The friendly facility located on the oceanfront at 15th & Atlantic Avenue offers families a thrill-a-minute. From the Skyscraper, a thrill ride soaring 165 feet at 65 mph to the wild-and-wet lo g flume, it’s a blast. They offer a variety of rides and games and a cure for boredom. Bonus point: Discounted day passes are available and regular day passes may be purchased at the park.
Make it happen. Located in the southeastern corner of the state where Virginia meets the sea, Virginia Beach is four hours southeast of Washington, D.C. by car, and within a day’s drive or less from one-third of the U.S. population. Log on to the website and order a free vacation catalog or go paper-free with the online trip planner. To ask a question call toll-free 1-800-VA-BEACH (800-822-3224) or www.vbfun.com
Area Details
Virginia Beach City Public Schools Planetarium. Plaza Middle School, 3080 South Lynnhaven Road Virginia Beach, VA 23452 (757) 431-4067 or www.planetarium.vbschools.com
Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Museum. 717 General Booth Boulevard, 1 (757) 425-3474 or www.VMSM.com
Ocean Breeze Water Park and Motor World. 849 General Booth Blvd. 23451. 1(757) 422-0718, 422-4444 or 1-800- 678-WILD or www.oceanbreezewaterpark.com
Annual Family Events
May: Annual Beach Music Weekend. Kick off your shoes and shag in the sand as beach music entertainers perform free concerts on a giant stage set on the sand. During the previous years performers have included The Embers, Chairmen of the Board, The Spinners, and many more beach music favorites.
June - August: Beach Street USA. One of the best benefits of a Virginia Beach vacation is the free entertainment that creates an automatic vacation atmosphere. Held at several points along the boardwalk from June until the end of August, a myriad of musicians, magicians, and strolling entertainers perform for guests.
July: Mid-Atlantic Hermit Crab Challenge. Cheer on your favorite hermit crab during this wacky contest begins with a beauty pageant for the most beautiful crab followed by preliminary racing heats and the championship race. Prizes will be awarded for all heat winners and the fastest hermit crab will receive the coveted “Order of the Mercury Claw” trophy.
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Content and images by FamilyTravelFiles.com. Copyright 2008.
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