When I was young, a Virginia beach family vacation was a yearly tradition. We were lucky to relive those memories by taking our family. Virginia Beach is around nine and a half hours from where we live. Usually we break up our road trip by stopping on the way down or when we drive back up North. I would suggest if you are driving from the western New York area stopping at Fulton Steamboat Inn or in Fairfax, Virginia. These areas have fun Family activities that all ages will enjoy and helps if you do not enjoy long drives.
Once checking in we were blessed with a rainy day. luckily the Virginia Beach area has some great local attractions even if the weather does not always cooperate! We spent the first day at the Virginia Aquarium and Marine Science Center. I was lucky and found a great ticket deal on Rakuten which also included 6% cash back for buying them online!
My not so little guy was even able to touch sting rays, hermit and horseshoe crabs. Sad the baby sea turtles were not on exhibit ( guess we have to come back). We did find a cobra snake which is unusual. He has been a lover of cobra snakes since he was 2 and I know of only one other place that has one.
Once the weather cleared a bit that afternoon we set off to explore their nature trails 🦅. They have some beautiful docks to walk along wooded and waterways. You can see osprey nests, sit in their bird watching stations or just have fun hiking with your family. A perfect way to enjoy a rainy day that did not last to long.
On our second day we explore the Virginia Beach and Virginia Beach Pier. On the pier you could watch anglers bringing in their catches if the day or spot the local water life swim by. Since our son is a minor he could fish! He caught his first ever ocean fish! While pier gazing we saw horseshoe crabs, sting rays, squid, dolphins and all sorts of fish the anglers caught.
If you’re thinking about heading to Virginia Beach, VA , walk down and see the Neptune Statue! This work of sculpture art is stunningly handsome. The beach is covered in many different fun sculptures and photo areas.
This statue though was honestly my favorite. I had seen pictures of it before going but nothing prepared me for the shear size of it.
With most destination guides, I usually suggest accommodations and food. If you have read any of my past reviews you know they reflect my true thoughts and experiences. Without credibility in the writing industry you are toast! Who wants to spend their hard earned money on rubbish? The hotel I picked, with high ratings, mind you, was plan gross! Unclean, loud, unprofessional workers, no elevator ( after I had a hysterectomy so not ideal), only four parking spots onsite ( meaning our car was parked elsewhere miles away), the list could go on. We focused on the positives and walked everywhere to leave our car in the four car parking lot. I looked into relocating but everyone was booked. Our ocean view was unbeatable but that was the only redeeming quality at this hotel. I borrowed cleaning supplies from the house keep station (never maned) and cleaned our room myself. Upon leaving I made the beds and even pulled the trash. My family is so resilient! through all the struggles we still had fun. I do not want that to happen to you so learn from us! Vet your hotel even though I thought I had). Before booking your Virginia Beach Family Vacation read reviews, ask others where they have stayed in the past. This establishment was rated 9.8 stars with amazing reviews and a top tier brand name. It was worse than living in a college dorm on pledge week. In the future I would rather rent a timeshare or beach house. Having said all that I would be remiss if I gave you suggestions on accommodations or food since we did not have the best experiences with either.
I do not want to discourage anyone from visiting the Virginia Beach area. We had fun exploring and the area had several family friendly things to do! I hope you found some of the Virginia beach vacation ideas I listed helpful. If you have any other suggestions please leave us a comment!
