Sandy Bottom Nature Park has always been a go-to when it came to walks. Starting back in 2018,…read moreit's never disappointing during each visit. Last month, I joined a friend of mine for a morning stroll. Let's see how the visit turned out. I met my friend outside of the information center on an early Saturday morning. The weather was cold but not to where walking was impossible. The path we took, Wetlands, was pretty good and mostly dry. It's the main one we take everytime I visit. I was surprised there weren't other people out and about since it had sunshine, but it was cold and breezy. Just the way a nice trail should be on a Saturday morning. Overall, a pretty good time to get some exercise in. This park is one which will continue to be one of my favorites. Till next time :)

The trails are mostly wide and shaded. The dog park also, my Enzo loves it,as do I !!read more

Old Point Comfort lighthouse is on Fort Monroe I did drive right by it the first time because I was…read moreexpecting it to be on the water side. It's actually sandwiched in between two houses, but if you're walking around I think you would have noticed it quicker than driving. Either way, a beautiful drive or a beautiful walk

Not exactly sure why this was only given 2 stars. The lighthouse and landscape both were beautiful…read more Now I realize this can only be seen from outdoors. Still it deserves more than 2 stars even for the upkeep of the landscape and views alone. We came in the spring. The flowers were blooming. We paid a visit on a weekday. Next to it was the light keeper house. It did state private property. So it was not available to view. You could still take pictures from the outside. Directly across the street is the amazing view of the water. Plenty of parking available and you can take a nice stroll to catch the views and Sunray. We stopped by here on our way back to Maryland. I have a thing for lighthouses. So definitely on my list for returning while in the area. Overall I'll give it a 3.5 rating.

Very low key park - at least for the purposes of my visit. I primarily stopped by to go for a quick…read morerun. I think the main trail in the woods is 1.5ish mile loop with a flat terrain. The park also has a decent amount of parking although there were not too many people in the park during my visit. Also, the park/trails were pretty maintained with plenty of markers to keep you going in the right direction. While the park is nice, I probably would not go too far out of my way (30+ minutes by car) to visit unless I want to take advantage of the kayaking/paddle boating opportunities.

Great place to kayak! Quiet near a golf course. Huge lake to paddle. Love the scenery and seeing…read moreall the animals around.

It's been a long time since last on the Noland Trail and I really enjoyed my two hour, six mile…read morehike. I started at Lions Bridge where there is limited parking. Much more availability of parking is at the Mariners Museum. The Noland Trail is not on public land, it's private and donated for public use. The trails snakes around the James River with beautiful scenery of woods and water. The trails snakes around is well marked. Every bridge has a marker, there are a lot of them. What impressed me the most was the trail is engineered. There is a massive amount of drainage to keep it dry. The elevations have wood ties to help with climbing. It's the most engineered trail I've ever hiked. You have options with length, but it's approximately 5-6 miles. There are no trash cans, or restrooms. However, the Mariners Museum has both and they welcome hikers. When talking to several friends about the Noland Trail they are unaware of its existence. Don't snooze on this trail and enjoy with the warmer weather.

A wonderful natural get away in the middle of a busy area but secluded by the buffer of…read morenature-trees! Thank you Noland Family and MM!! So glad developers cannot get their hands on this gem.

It's difficult to hide my excitement of a road. But no ordinary road mind you. A historic trail…read moreturned present day park most likely used by the Indians to travel by horse. It stretches 23 beautiful scenic miles and cuts through gorgeous wooded terrain. The Parkway runs along the James River in sections and is an absolute must if time permits to avoid the highway and travel at slower speeds to enjoy the scenery. The project to build the Parkway began in the 1930's and coincides closely with the construction and rehabilitation of Colonial Williamsburg. The project concluded in 1957. The road connects the Historic Triangle of Yorktown, Williamsburg and Jamestown Virginia all on one incredible tour. The Parkway is considered a park and is ran by the National Park Service. It also has the unique designation of being just 1 of 31 of its kind considered a "National Scenic Byway". Speed limits range from 35-45 mph and are patrolled by the NPS. Semi trucks are not permitted. The surface is concrete in excellent condition and well maintained. You can jump off and on at the tree cities. I can't help but be giddy about such a cool road with neat history connecting such historic communities. Best times of the year are Fall and Summer. Whether a tourist, or local it's a fun road to travel.

Colonial Parkway is a 23 mile scenic parkway linking the three points of Virginia's Historic…read moretriangle, Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown.

Stopped in to pick up the Christmas light tickets for this year and the visitor center part opens…read moreat 9:00. The park itself opens at 8:00 but this was such a cool little office visitor Center and they were so wonderful. So go in and get your tickets. I've honestly only been through the park for the Christmas lights so I do need to go back and check it out for a good hike

A lovely gem of a park that is kind of tucked away and would be easy to miss when in the area, that…read morewould be a shame, so do make a point of checking it out. Good for bikes, hikes, walking, running, dog walking, fishing, birding, etc. Plenty of parking is available and trails are well marked.

Fort Monroe is small, but packs in a lot. From a museum (Casemate), a beach club, public beach…read moreaccess, beautiful properties and stunning landmarks. Make sure to manage your speed and park in designated areas. The beaches never seem to be super crowded. They are generally clean as well. I have noticed boats anchor aching. Not sure how I feel about that, safety wise. There is one area that has lifeguards. The casemate museum is really great. It offers a lot of good education for the area. I highly recommend stopping and spending time inside.

This place did not disappoint. OMG I learned so much, first it was so clean and beauty well kept…read moreplace. Not crowded the videos and speaking set up for the walking tour done by 1619 project was everything. I was in awe. The first place for enslaved people straight from Africa, the house where Abraham Lincoln plan the fight at Norfolk. Just looking at the buildings that are 200 years old built by our ancestors and they are still holding up! Place was just amazing! The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was because the place where the first Africa's landed from Angola was blocked by construction and those little moat entrances that I had to drive my car through

going on six years that I'm aware of and the only thing that has changed here is the calendar; the…read moreanticipated renovations to the fishing pier have yet to materialize and the southbound tunnels remain tragic fictions while the poutine eaters up north have nearly completed the Gordy Howe International Bridge across the Detroit River... so yeah, I was hoping to see some real progress here - any progress actually - but the equipment just sits rusting away in the salt air as traffic crawls painfully along and the urge to turn hard right into the bay grows evermore compelling except I've paid sixteen dollars american for the privilege of being bored to death at low speed. ¿so how about it?

I love driving over the CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE tunnel - either to Cape Charles or just to enjoy the…read moreEastern Shore of Virginia which is littered with adorable small towns with amazing fish. Also, recently, we've discovered this is the best way to get to Maryland, Annapolis or Delaware - forget driving up I-95. This is it! This tunnel is over 17 miles long and is so relaxing - an engineering marvel and very well-maintained. My husband and I visited the Florida Keys a few years ago and were so excited to drive between them on the famous bridge, well, it was far less beautiful, less well-kept, and less impressive than our own bridge.

Super scared... I think in my lifetime I have driven across this bridge at some point in my 20s,…read morebut it was so during the daylight. Well a few weeks ago, I drove across this bridge and clearly remembered why I do my best to avoid this route at all accounts. From a decade ago, I could only recall: this bridge is super long, super scary... I was routed to this bridge due to a severe accident at the Monitor Merrimac Tunnel (my preferred route to Hampton/Newport News). After sitting in traffic for 90 minutes, daylight quickly turned into nightfall. During my travel on this Friday night, I was only able to snap one picture as my passenger was asleep. And this snap wasn't until I reached the end of the (at least) four mile stretch. But please do not try to snap your own pictures while driving. There is no shoulder lane at all. This four lane bridge features two lanes of travel for each direction. I traveled from Suffolk, Virginia and drove through at least two other cities including Isle of Wight. On the route (route 17) prior to the reaching the bridge, there are a few gas stations and several shopping stores. Please make sure you have enough gas before approaching the bridge. The bridge was built in the 1920s (I believe) and it is still standing and traffic flows heavily. Just be safe and have a passenger (awake) to take your pictures. Have fun and enjoy life :)

I love a bridges & this one has special place in my heart as it connects me to my GRANNY!!!!!…read more I don't care for the 12 hr drive from the NOLA; but once I dawn this bridge I know I'm closer to my dear heart. The 4.5 mile long bridge crosses the James River, duh, hence the name right??? And there couldn't be a lover sight. Quite scenic; once at the very top, one can see the expanse of the coast & most of the approaching city. 4 lanes coming & going, the dawn & dusk drives are equally breathtaking. Often times, I'd like to stop & take pictures, but in that this is a bridge & cars are always abounding, I refrain.

Beautiful place for small elopement! Just park at the kayak launch and walk down the path. You come…read moreto a wooden dock overlooking the wetlands and the Cypress Creek. Photos are wonderful!

I like Windsor Castle Park - it's a cute and well-maintained popular walking trail in Smithfield…read moreright across from Smithfield station. Smithfield station provides free parking in a gravel lot across the street from their main parking lot. This park has several nice wooden bridges over the water and is a peaceful quiet walk around for about 1.8 miles through the wooded/water park of Smithfield. It runs parallel to Main Street at some points and intersects with a few neighborhoods via wooden bridges. It's really cute and has a nice shaded wooded part of the path as well as some sunny uncovered spots and tons and tons of marsh and water that looks like a Nicholas Sparks movie - it has a little something for everyone!