Virginia Off The Beaten Path

 
by Ewingjr98
 
  •   Off The Beaten Path
    by Ewingjr98
  • Virginia Beach
      Virginia Beach
    by chewy3326
  • Pandapas Pond with Fall foliage
      Pandapas Pond with Fall foliage
    by mikelisaanna
  • Cape Henry Lighthouses
      Cape Henry Lighthouses
    by tpangelinan
  • Navy boat and buoy
      Navy boat and buoy
    by grandmaR
 

Most Viewed Off The Beaten Path in Virginia

1.

Shockoe Bottom   Richmond

Shockoe Bottom, Richmond

 1 Review  Off the beaten path a bit from downtown Richmond, but within walking distance of the Virginia State Capital, is an area of Richmond known as Shockoe Bottom. This area of Richmond is known as one of... 

 See All 39 Off The Beaten Path in Richmond

2.

James River Plantations   Richmond

James River Plantations, Richmond

 1 Review  There are five historic plantation houses and grounds along scenic Route 5 in Charles City County along the north side of the James River east of Richmond. Many date from the earliest years of... 

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3.

BB & T (old First National Bank) Building   Richmond

BB & T (old First National Bank) Building, Richmond

 1 Review  The old First National Bank Building was one of the first high-rise buildings in Richmond (built in 1913). It helped create the skyline of Richmond and dominated it for almost 40 years and was the... 

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4.

Outlying Areas   Richmond

Outlying Areas, Richmond

 4 Reviews  drewry's bluff is one of 13 sites managed by the richmond national battlefield park. this 90 foot bluff has a commanding view of the james river. at the begining of the civil war the confederates... 

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5.

Shockoe Slip   Richmond

Shockoe Slip, Richmond

 1 Review  Shockoe Slip is the name give to the area on the Southeastern side of Richmond's financial district, which is also the area closest to the river. This area was fairly unique, as we went from a fairly... 

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6.

The River   Richmond

The River, Richmond

 2 Reviews  Many Richmonders go for bank holiday weekends to the river. I don't mean the James River that bisects the city, but to cottages they maintain or rent along the Rappahannock or Potomac Rivers. In the... 

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7.

Flora and Fauna   Richmond

Flora and Fauna, Richmond

 2 Reviews  I saw a few, quite pretty dogs in Richmond but nothing compare to... that stone dog on my picture. He was alone, kept the basket with a pot in his mouth and welcomed to one of the houses on Monument... 

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8.

University of Richmond (or U of R)   Richmond

University of Richmond (or U of R), Richmond

 1 Review  The University of Richmond (or U of R, as it's locally called) is the closest thing in Virginia to a northeastern Ivy League School. My friends who attend (or are alumni of) the University of Virginia... 

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9.

Trip around University of Richmond   Richmond

Trip around University of Richmond, Richmond

 1 Review  If you have a good deal of time on your visit to Richmond, touring the University of Richmond campus is a must do. The campus itself plays host to some of the finest architecture on college campuses... 

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10.

St. John's Church   Richmond

St. John's Church, Richmond

 1 Review  Visiting St. John's church is a must do for anyone who visits Richmond. St. John's church is one of the most historic churches in the entire country. This is the famous place where Patrick Henry gave... 

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11.

Richmond's Byrd Theater   Richmond

Richmond's Byrd Theater, Richmond

 1 Review  Located in the heart of the artsy Carytown district of Richmond, there is a grand ole theater called the "Byrd", named for William Byrd I and II. Its name around Richmond is "Richmond's Movie Place",... 

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Reviews from VirtualTourist Members

One Island AKA Sea Gull Island

by grandmaR

One Island on the Bay (aka Sea Gull Island) on the southernmost of the Bridge-Tunnel's four manmade islands is an opportunity to stop, stretch your legs. There is a Scenic Overlook where viewing machines are located. An interpretive display of the construction of the Bridge-Tunnel is located just outside the Restaurant/Gift Shop There is a free 625-foot fishing pier where bluefish, trout, croaker, flounder, shark, and other species of fish are caught. There is a certified fish weighing station available. We did stop to stretch our legs but did not go out on the fishing pier. We did have fun watching the visitors on the pier and on the Navy boats with the big fan on the back zipping around.

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Natural Bridge

by mikelisaanna

Natural Bridge is an unusual rock formation in western virginia that is worth visiting if you are in that part of the state. It is a naturally-formed bridge of rock that is about 70 meters tall and 30 meters wide, and is the largest such formation in the eastern US (there are larger ones in Utah in the Western US). The bridge was formed when the roof of a large underground cavern collapsed, except for the section which now forms the bridge. The cavern had been carved form the rock over millions of years by the small creek that now flows under the bridge.Natural Bridge was surveyed by George Washington in his younger days, and was actually owned for a while by Thomas Jefferson, who purchased it and the surrounding land from the British government for 20 shillings.Natural Bridge is privately owned, but open to tourists. It is a fun day for families with children. In addition to the bridge,...

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Simeon

by matcrazy1

On the way from Charlottesville to Jefferson vineyards I stopped for a while in a settlement called Simeon to visit a church built in 1892 - Saint Luke's Episcopal Chapel. But doors were closed in the late afternoon. Scenes in Ford's novel Janice Meridith are laid in Simeon. Ive got to know from the sign (picture 3) that there was a house of Jefferson's friend Philip Mazzei in Simeon - it was called Colle. He was Italian surgeon, merchant, and horticulturist. He adapted grape culture to Virginia. Some 300 yards south of VA-53 and VA-732 crossroads I've found the old Simeon farm store. Now it's BRIX Marketplace, a fantastic place to get lunch, I suppose but I was not hungry. Instead I amazed countryside landscape with vineyards along hills and meadows with pasturing cows.

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Fabulous Public Gardens, any time of year!

by TaberTouch

Meadowlark Gardens is a location that's always gorgeous and never crowded. Be sure to visit the hilltop gazebo and stroll around the ponds. Get a taste of autumn in this hidden gem.

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Belvior Mansion & Gravesite, Fort Belvoir

by Ewingjr98

After George Washington moved to Mount Vernon, his closest neighbor, both in distance and friendship, was Colonel William Fairfax, who built and resided at Belvoir Plantation on a bluff overlooking the Potomac. William Fairfax was the grandson of the 4th Lord Fairfax of Cameron, and his bother Thomas was the 6th Lord Fairfax of Cameron.William Fairfax first lived in the Colonies in Marblehead, Massachusetts, but he moved to Virginia in the 1730s to oversee his bother Thomas' vast quantities of land. In 1741 William Fairfax construct Belvoir Plantation, an elegant mansion with splendid views of the River and into Maryland. William Fairfax had a tremendous political career, serving in such positions as President of the Governor's Council in Williamsburg, member of the House of Burgesses, Justice of the County Court, and as County Lieutenant.William's bother, Thomas Fairfax, the 6th Lord...

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Washington's Birthplace National Historic Monument

by Ewingjr98

George Washington Birthplace National Historic Monument is a 550-acre National Park Service site that commemorates the location where our first President George Washington was born and lived his earliest years. The main features of the monument are a marble obelisk, the family cemetery, a Memorial Mansion that was typical of the time, a colonial farm, a National Park visitors center, and the outline marking the foundation of the original house where Washington was born.This area was settled by George Washington's Great Grandfather, John Washington in 1657 at a site called Bridges Creek, just north of George Washington's birth site. Washington's father Augustine expanded the family plantation by purchasing the land along the Broad Creek, moving the family's main house and renaming the entire estate the Broad Creek Plantation. The new house at Broad Creek was built sometime around 1718 and...

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Stratford Hall - Home of the Lee Family

by Ewingjr98

Stratford Hall was home to four generations of Lees, including two signers of the Declaration of Independence, several diplomats, a Revolutionary War hero, and a Civil War hero, among numerous other distinguished members of the Lee family, one of the "First Families of Virginia."Colonel Thomas Lee, who was once the acting Governor of Virginia under British rule, purchased the land for Stratford Hall in 1717 and began construction on the main "Great House" in 1730. Here he established a plantation, a dock on the Potomac, and numerous other businesses such as blacksmith shops and a gristmill. Thomas Lee had eight children. The eldest son, Philip Ludwell Lee, Sr., was a member of the Virginia House of Burgesses, and he took over operations at Stratford Hall. The next two sons, Richard Henry Lee and Francis Lightfoot Lee, were delegates to the Second Continental Congress and signers of the...

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Monroe Hall - Birthplace of President James Monroe

by Ewingjr98

James Monroe, the fifth President of the United States, was born 28 April 1758 in a rural area now known as Munroe Hall in Westmoreland County, Virgina, just a few miles from George Washington's Birthplace. His parents were certainly not aristocracy. Monroe's father, Spence Monroe (1727–1774) was a farmer and carpenter. His mother, Elizabeth Jones Monroe (1730–1774) married Spence Monroe in 1752, and they had five children, four of which lived to adulthood. Monroe lived at his father's farm until he was sixteen, and his childhood was spent learning to boat, fish, ride, and hunt. From age 11 through his 16th birthday, Monroe studied nearby at the Campbelltown Academy, a school nearby his home in Westmoreland County. Among his classmates was John Marshall, later chief justice of the U.S.In 1774, around the time his mother died, Monroe left Monroe Hall to go to the College of William and...

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A day long trip to Washington, D.C.

by Faiza-Ifrah

On July 09, we traveled to Washington, D.C. for a day and had a touristic bash there. It was a day of tourism for historic resources for us. We visited Iwo Jima Statue (the most recallable of images in the books), Arlington National Cemetery (covered extensively in an issue of National Geographic last year), Pentagon City Mall (where we had our lunch and a shopping spree), United State Capitol, Botanical Gardens, Supreme Court of the United States, The Washington Monument, World War 2 Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Roosevelt Memorial, and took a glimpse of many other sites.On that day, it was hot like crazy. We were all perspiring profusely. However, we were pleasantly surprised to see so many tourists at all the sites. Washington is definitely a touristic hotspot now with hundreds and thousands of tourists at any given monument.The total driving distance from...

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Skyline Drive - 18 April 2008

by lonestar_philomath

The Skyline Drive is part of the Shenandoah National Park system in western Virginia. The park runs the full north-south length of Virginia extending down into Waynesboro, NC. I entered at the north entrance. Easiest way to get to the park from points east:Take route 66 heading westExit at the Front Royal exit for 340.Follow 340 south for about three miles.Watch for the very small sign to your right and be prepared to turn left!I hope in another 2 weeks the park will start looking different!Entrance fees:Car: Day+a week $15.00Motorcycle and hikers: $10.00Since I plan to viist the park sevel times a year, I purchased an annual pass for $80. This annuls pass allows me entry into any national park system in the US.This is what I found on 18 April 2008:Trees bare half way up to the top of the mountainsNo ground plants visibleSome flowering bushesFlies! I do not know why the plants and trees...

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Unique Places in Virginia

Top 3 Hotels in Virginia

The Jefferson Hotel  Richmond

 8 Reviews and 281 Opinions  the jefferson hotel was built in 1895 by tobacco tycoon lewis ginter. ginter hired the famous... 

 Hotels in Richmond

Williamsburg Inn  Williamsburg

 5 Reviews and 134 Opinions  I couldn't afford to stay here. But if you want luxury, and are willing to spend $300 or more per... 

 Hotels in Williamsburg

Embassy Suites Alexandria Old Town  Alexandria

 6 Reviews and 280 Opinions  Only 2 stops off the metro line from DCA airport, 8 minute trip, can't beat that to the airport! The... 

 Hotels in Alexandria

1,884 Hotels in Virginia
 
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Reviews and photos of Virginia attractions posted by real travelers and locals. The best tips for Virginia sightseeing.

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Off The Beaten Path: Cities in Virginia
  1. Richmond Off The Beaten Path
  2. Virginia Beach Off The Beaten Path
  3. Williamsburg Off The Beaten Path
  4. Alexandria Off The Beaten Path
  5. Charlottesville Off The Beaten Path
  6. Arlington Off The Beaten Path
  7. Norfolk Off The Beaten Path
  8. Blacksburg Off The Beaten Path
  9. Fredericksburg Off The Beaten Path
  10. Roanoke Off The Beaten Path
  11. Mount Vernon Off The Beaten Path
  12. Luray Off The Beaten Path
  13. Shenandoah National Park Off The Beaten Path
  14. Fairfax Off The Beaten Path
  15. Mechanicsville Off The Beaten Path
  16. Hampton Off The Beaten Path
  17. Winchester Off The Beaten Path
  18. Lexington Off The Beaten Path
  19. Ashland Off The Beaten Path
  20. Chincoteague Off The Beaten Path
  21. Petersburg Off The Beaten Path
  22. Natural Bridge Off The Beaten Path
  23. Newport News Off The Beaten Path
  24. Staunton Off The Beaten Path
  25. Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania County Battlefields Memorial National Military Park Off The Beaten Path
  26. Yorktown Off The Beaten Path
  27. Harrisonburg Off The Beaten Path
  28. Fredericksburg Off The Beaten Path
  29. Charles City Off The Beaten Path
  30. Leesburg Off The Beaten Path
  31. South Boston Off The Beaten Path
  32. Lynchburg Off The Beaten Path
  33. Herndon Off The Beaten Path
  34. Occoquan Off The Beaten Path
  35. Tangier Island Off The Beaten Path
  36. Portsmouth Off The Beaten Path
  37. Manassas National Battlefield Park Off The Beaten Path
  38. Danville Off The Beaten Path
  39. Woodbridge Off The Beaten Path
  40. Gwynn Island Off The Beaten Path
  41. Doswell Off The Beaten Path
  42. Shirlington Off The Beaten Path
  43. Assateague Island Off The Beaten Path
  44. Manassas Off The Beaten Path
  45. Rosslyn Off The Beaten Path
  46. Waynesboro Off The Beaten Path
  47. Washington Off The Beaten Path
  48. Reston Off The Beaten Path
  49. Virgilina Off The Beaten Path
  50. Reedville Off The Beaten Path
  51. Monticello Estates Off The Beaten Path
  52. Chincoteague Island Off The Beaten Path
  53. Deep Creek Off The Beaten Path
  54. Great Falls Off The Beaten Path
  55. Front Royal Off The Beaten Path
  56. Norton Off The Beaten Path
  57. Radford Off The Beaten Path
  58. Tappahannock Off The Beaten Path
  59. Culpeper Off The Beaten Path
  60. Vienna Off The Beaten Path
  61. Hillsville Off The Beaten Path
  62. Deltaville Off The Beaten Path
  63. Great Bridge Off The Beaten Path

More Cities in Virginia

 

Questions and Answers

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Q:  My Husband is coming home from deployment for two weeks and we would like to stay a few days in a nice hotel. We are not so much... 

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A: Sounds like you may find some luck at the Tides Inn. Tides Inn 480 King Carter Drive Irvington, Va.22480-0480 Hotel Direct: 804.438.5000 Toll free:... 

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