Grubb Grove Farms is a wonderful place for horseback riding lessons. My daughter took lessons here…read morefor three years, and the instructors were patient, knowledgeable, and truly invested in helping her grow. The horses are well cared for, and the farm has a peaceful, welcoming atmosphere. We will definitely be going back. One thing worth noting is that the ranch could use more diversity. The quality of instruction is is great, the representation matters especially for kids. Overall, Grubb Grove Farms is a great place to learn and build confidence around horses. We had a positive experience and look forward to returning.

I signed my child up for summer camp under the beginner class. Very calm horses but it is NOT ok to…read morewear bike helmets instead of proper riding equipment! At the time she was quite new to horseback riding and had only ridden a few times before along with a few other kids in the camp, according to her everyone was nice but I think it was a little advanced for a beginner class considering that they asked kids who had never ridden before to trot on the 3rd day. Overall I think it would be a great camp for riders with some experience but if you're not comfortable with taking things quickly and haven't been riding for a while don't go here! Also, DO NOT wear a bike helmet it's not safe to do!

Did you know that the SPCA accepts old bedding, blankets and towels for their animals?…read more They have bin in the front of the building to drop off any donated food, toys, crates and cages.

We came here to visit the petting zoo which I feel is a hidden gem. It's so cheap (think it was $3…read morea person?) and then $1 for little tubs of food. I would def recommend grabbing a few tubs. We grabbed one per person and it was not enough . The animals are hungry and love to eat! The goats were so gentle with my three year old son. They had bunnies, a turtle, donkeys, chickens, alpaca (I think?) and goats. I may have forgotten an animal or two haha. But it was so fun. We walked around and visited the adoptable animals too. I used to volunteer here when I was younger and it changed a lot! There's a dog area, cat area and smaller critters (hamster, birds, Guinea pigs). The shelter is kept clean and the cages were so clean as well.

My daughter wanted a sunset horseback ride on the beach for her 13th birthday. Virginia Beach…read morehorseback riding had great communication and emails and detailed instructions from where to park, what to wear and more. My daughter,, her dad, and her two were paired with Horses. The staff were best suited for them. Although it was cold, they had a wonderful time and a smooth ride! Thank you so much!.

The ride was perfect for my horse happy bunch. We got matched to horses with our skill level,…read morelearned their names, were given a run down on stop/go/turn and then we were off to enjoy the walk/trot on the beach - both through the sand and through the waves. The head guide was very warm and did wonderfully with my younger, greener daughter while the second guide let us have some independence but still kept us feeling safe and, well, guided. Definitely worth doing!

Park is disgusting, and isn't very clean. Got told to leave due to lack of a membership. Not only…read moredo you have to pay but you have to go all the way to city hall to get access to a park full of feces, old abandoned toys and cases of "water" (That may have parasites or be nasty due to being left in the sun...)? How about they use that money from the memberships to actually make it worth the visit.

A simple dog park with just one giant pipe for the dogs to run through. The separation between…read moresmall and big dogs is nice and lets owners feel at ease. However, I've never heard of paying to use a dog park. Especially not one as simple as this. Had a Park Ranger tell us we weren't allowed to use it unless we had proof of membership. Then proceeded to tell us we're allowed to roam the actual park surrounding it no problem. Seemed a bit contradictory. If you wish to visit be aware of the membership. If you pay for the membership, I'd advise you'd put the money towards improving the dog park making it worth a membership.

Living in Newport News, trail walking has been a great hobby for myself. Checking out local nature…read moretrails has been one that I'm trying to upgrade. And it looks like I found a brand new one to add to my locations. Riverview Farm Park is located by Menchville High School. It has a playground area and soccer field for kids to play. They also have group shelters reserved for large picnics. For you trail lovers, they have a 2-mile loop where you can walk, jog or run. Some can even ride bikes. There aren't many trees around so walking during the summertime may not be your cup of tea. But it was really nice to take a morning stroll here with friends, even during cold weather. Everything was paved, which helps when your avoiding water puddles and such. Also, there is a separate trail located by the park visitor center where you have a view of the Warwick River. We didn't get the chance to go that route but will check it out when the weather becomes warmer. Again, this trail gets a thumbs up from yours truly and my friends. Till next time :)

This is a beautiful park with walking trails hills and plenty of room for skating or biking…read more There is even a small Skate park The playground is very big and fenced in they have a butterfly garden with beautiful flowers as well There is a dog park located on the far side of the park Close to the gymnastics studio my kids love this park because they have so much space to hang out and run and play. I love the fitness aspect

My daughter attended a 3 night/3.5 days aquatics sleep away camp there and absolutely loved it! It…read morewas her first camp of the sort. This was focused on water sports, so she spent a lot of time on the James River stand-up paddle boarding, kayaking and swimming (in the pool). They even did archery, campfires, sang songs, learned to make bracelets, play games and much more! My daughter even loved the food. It was great that they even allowed her to bring green juices + probiotics (that needed refrigeration), so she could consume daily! This is part of her daily healthy regimen and I am so glad they were thoughtful enough to allow this. She came home with a lot of stories + journal entries! I was excited to read and listen to all of the camp experiences! Of course she's already excited for the opportunity to attend next year!

Amazing place! Lots to do! Great staff great food. Would definitley book my event here!read more

Overall, we had a nice experience at this dog park. I was surprised in a good way because the dog…read morepark has ample space and a separate section for smaller dogs. While there is a shaded area with picnic tables, I kind of wish that the dog park had a few more trees for more shade, but that is a very minor complaint. Since the park is maintained by PETA, there is a lot of PETA messaging (e.g., why crating dogs is "bad") in certain parts of the park. Although I disagree with some of the messaging, it did not negatively impact my visit.

This dog park is absolutely beautiful and in such a perfect location--right next to the PETA…read moreheadquarters, overlooking the river in the Ghent/Waterside district of Norfolk. On top of giving your dog a great play space, you can actually enjoy watching the cruise ships go by, which makes it a really unique spot. The park is divided into two sections: one side for small dogs and one for larger dogs. I love that they've thought of the details--there are two little kiddie pools with running water, so you can refresh them as needed. It's always clean, well-maintained, and has a few toys out for the pups to enjoy. Another plus is that it's not usually overcrowded, which makes it much more relaxing for both dogs and owners. The surrounding neighborhood is gorgeous (and honestly, I'd love to live there if it were in my budget!). All in all, Bea Arthur Dog Park is a wonderful place to bring your pup for some exercise, playtime, or just to enjoy the views. Definitely one of Norfolk's dog-friendly treasures!

Team Sarkozi is the absolute best! professional, exceptionally knowledgeable, focused, and care for…read morethe horses.

I taught lessons here a few years ago for the current owner's former business partner. I don't…read morehave a very high opinion of the trainer/owner. There is minimal turn out space for the horses. To feed the pasture horses, they drive a truck around the pasture and dump feed into feed pans. The pasture horses have to fight it out, so those at the bottom of the pecking order get really skinny. If you don't own an Arab and aren't interested in spending a lot of money showing, this probably isn't the barn for you. I never saw a lot of solid horsemanship being taught at that barn. I also saw a lot of "tricks" being used to get the horses to move the way they wanted them to. For example, they would put leather straps around some of the show horses ankles connected by a rubber band, to force the horse to pick it's legs up higher. Then they would chase the horse around with a whip. It was a bit absurd. I also saw a lot of tendon injuries to the show horses while I was there. I don't known if it had to do with too deep footing in the indoor arena or the way the horses were treated. Before I went to that barn, I have only seen 1 other bowed tendon. In the 1 1/2 years I was at Sterling Meadows, I saw 2 or more at any given time. This barn is in a pretty good location, but I would reccommend driving a bit further to some of the barns in Pungo to get quality training. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions!