Virginia Beach Fun Blog

Santa...in the sand?

McDonald's is hosting this year's "Holiday Lights at the Beach," a magical family fun attraction at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk November 16 - January 1st. It's the perfect way to start the holiday season. Join thousands who flock annually to this festive and creative holiday light display on the oceanfront featuring a surfing Santa, a three-story Christmas tree, and 250 animated nautical and holiday-themed light displays.

PLUS, this is your once a year chance to actually "cruise" the boardwalk in your car.

So c'mon...come see Santa at the beach! It's just one more reason Virginia Beach is such a great family vacation destination...year-round.

For times, fees, plus how to get a free holiday music CD, go to www.virginiabeachfamilyfun.com.

Want to find other unique holiday events? Virginia Beach Family Fun is offering a free "VB Holiday Guide," showcasing Christmas and holiday fun, as well as their Top 3 holiday fun itineraries. For details, go to Virginia Beach Family Fun.

November 5, 2007 09:07 - It's a Holiday Parade at the Beach!

Remember what it felt like going to see Santa arrive in his sleigh?

Feel like a kid again at the 13th Annual Holiday Parade at the Beach in Virginia Beach! Join tens of thousands lining the street to ring in the holiday season. Marching bands...fire engines...cool floats...and huge balloons from New York's Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. Last year, over 20,000 people attended the event.

The Holiday Parade at the Beach begins at 5:30 pm at 15th Street and Atlantic Avenue and travels north to 25th Street.

For more information, go to www.beachstreetusa.com.

Want to find other unique holiday events? Virginia Beach Family Fun is offering a free "VB Holiday Guide," showcasing Christmas and holiday fun, as well as their Top 3 holiday fun itineraries. For details, go to Virginia Beach Family Fun.

November 5, 2007 09:17 - Great Virginia Beach Restaurants at a Fraction of the Price!

Feel your taste buds jumping? Virginia Beach Restaurant Week-- an eagerly-awaited annual opportunity to sample the best Virginia Beach Restaurants for a reduced, fixed price--is coming soon!

Coming January 13-20, you can let your appetite run wild at this citywide culinary event, featuring three-course prix fixe lunch and dinner menus.

Some of our favorite restaurants will be participating again, including Baker's Crust in Norfolk, and Rockafeller's, Il Giardino Ristorante, and Tautog's in Virginia Beach...plus 33 other delicious spots.

(Check out www.virginia-beach-family-fun.com for insider reviews of both Baker's Crust-- love those dessert crepes!-- and Rockafeller's.)

Watch this site for more details as they become available: www.virginiabeachfamilyfun.com.

Looking for holiday fun? Virginia Beach Family Fun is offering a free "VB Holiday Guide," showcasing Christmas and holiday fun, as well as their Top 3 holiday fun itineraries. For details, click here.

November 8, 2007 17:32 - Best Holiday Gift! Give the Gift of Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg has the answer to that age-old question: What on earth do you get for the person who has everything?

The historic attraction is offering a series of gift cards that you can buy and use throughout the Historic Area. And they come in all price ranges, from $5 to $1,000, and are good for three years. Use them at Colonial Williamsburg's 40+ stores, restaurants, and certain attractions, such as the new Spa of Colonial Williamsburg.

Where do you get them? Visit any of the stores in Colonial Williamsburg's Merchant's Square and voila-your Christmas shopping is complete.

Want to save some real money on your visit to Colonial Williamsburg? Check out "Secrets of a Cheap Colonial Williamsburg Vacation."

Source: Associated Press

November 8, 2007 17:35 - Virginia Beach Motel Bitten by the Bug

You might want to avoid this spot for awhile. According to WAVY TV 10 News, The Castle Motel in Virginia Beach has been closed by the local health department, thanks to an infestation of bed bugs.

Local authorities say that this is the motel's management is cooperating with the closure and exterminating the bugs, and will reopen once the bugs are gone. Bed bugs don't carry diseases, but they do bite, and their bites often itch like the dickens.

Before you blame the motel, keep this in mind. According to Skip Scanlon, an environmental health manager, while bed bugs had been wiped out in the U.S., they're still alive and biting overseas. Top tourist spots like Virginia Beach-which draw many overseas visitors-are seeing a resurgence of the little critters.

Source: WAVY TV 10 News

Winter is a great time to visit the greater Virginia Beach area! Rock bottom prices on hotel rooms, spas, indoor waterparks --plus hot museums are just two reasons. Then there's great holiday events. Virginia Beach Family Fun has a free "VB Holiday Guide" that will help you celebrate the holidays in style. Click here for details.

November 8, 2007 17:42 - Save Money at Great Wolf Lodge This Month!

Williamsburg's Great Wolf Lodge is offering a $189 "Get Loose with the Moose" special until November 29, 2007. The offer includes family suite, full access to the spectacular waterpark, its 67,000 sq. ft. arcade and entertainment area, and breakfast for four.

Now (of course) there are some restrictions. The offer is based on availability and is limited to the first 100 suites sold per arrival date and is not available during blackout periods.

But a special getaway at Great Wolf Lodge is worth the effort. Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg was ranked one of the "Top 10 Best Pools in the US" by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards for the second year in a row.
And no matter how cold it is outside, at the Lodge's indoor waterpark, the water's always 80+ degrees.

Don't forget MagiQuest, their new 3-D, interactive, live-action adventure game.

For details on why Great Wolf Lodge is such a great vacation spot--and to see their "Flowrider" in action--click here.

November 13, 2007 12:52 - Rowenas Offers Discount on Delectable Thanksgiving Desserts

Just in time for Thanksgiving, Rowena's, the mail order arm of Norfolk, Virginia's Rowena's Tea Room, is offering a discounts on select delicious cakes and gourmet items.

You can take up to 20% off Rowena's famous Cranberry Lemon Torte, Double Chocolate Pound Cake, Chocolate Cappucino Pound Cake, Double-Delicious Chocolate Heart-Shaped Cake, authentic Lemon Curd Sauce, and more.

Hurry--the offer is only good through November 30th. Visit Rowena's site at www.rowenas.com or call 1-800-627-8699. Or, visit Rowena's Tea Shop is person, at 758 West 22nd Street in Norfolk.

We love Rowena's Tea Room so much, we've voted it our #1 Girl's Spot! To read our review of their memorable high teas, click here.

November 13, 2007 13:59 - Free Holiday Guide to Scuba-Diving Santas and More!

Want to find holiday parades, light parades, Christmas happenings, and other unique holiday events?

Virginia Beach Family Fun is offering a free "VB Holiday Guide," showcasing Christmas and holiday fun. Want to cruise the Virginia Beach boardwalk under thousands of holiday lights? Where can you sail with Santa, or watch him scuba dive and feed fish? The answers are here.

PLUS, you'll have access to the travel site's Top 3 holiday fun itineraries. For details, go to Virginia Beach Family Fun.

November 15, 2007 17:44 - This Colonial Williamsburg Travel Deal is Hot!

Want to see Colonial Williamsburg and stay in a nearby three-diamond hotel "almost" for free?

Williamsburg's Patrick Henry Inn Hotel is offering a fantastic package deal rate of $78 for one night's lodging and two free one-day adult passes.

How great a deal is this? With passes to Colonial Williamsburg priced at $34 each, it's almost like staying for free! Plus, you get an outdoor heated pool, kids playground, game room, and free continental breakfast-all at a hotel just ½ block from Colonial Williamsburg and near to Prime Outlets Williamsburg, Williamsburg Pottery, and other great shopping.

The offer is good for stays between November 14-December 31 (blackout dates are November 28-December 4). To get the rate, you must stay at least two nights.

To get the rate, go to SideStep.com.

For other tips for visiting Colonial Williamsburg without paying an arm and a leg, check out our "Secrets of a Cheap Colonial Williamsburg Vacation." The free tips include how to see Colonial Williamsburg for "free," inexpensive places to eat and shop, and other money-saving ideas.

Virginia Beach Family Fun is offering a free "VB Holiday Guide," showcasing holiday fun in Colonial Williamsburg and the Virginia Beach area. For details, go to Virginia Beach Family Fun.

Source: SideStep.Com

November 27, 2007 16:51 - Great Wolf Lodge "Snowland" Holiday Package

Indoor snow at a waterpark? Yup. Williamsburg's Great Wolf Lodge is offering a $199 "Snowland" special December 2-20, 2007. The offer includes family suite, full access to the spectacular waterpark, its 67,000 sq. ft. arcade and entertainment area, and breakfast for four.

Plus, sample special holiday fun. Make toys at Santa's Workshop. Join Rowdy the Reindeer for Storybook time. Attend North Pole University to practice chimney sliding and make mittens and other toys.

Some restrictions apply (and you have to mention the special code "Snowland"). But a special getaway at Great Wolf Lodge is worth the effort. Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg was ranked one of the "Top 10 Best Pools in the US" by TripAdvisor's Travelers' Choice Awards for the second year in a row.

And no matter how cold it is outside, at the Lodge's indoor waterpark, the water's always 84+ degrees.

Don't forget MagiQuest, their new 3-D, interactive, live-action adventure game.

For details on why Great Wolf Lodge is such a great vacation spot--and to see their "Flowrider" in action--click here.

November 29, 2007 08:20 - James River Plantations Progressive Candlelight Christmas Carol Tour

Decorated for the holidays, the James River Plantations are more magical than ever--and a great alternative to the crowds of Colonial Williamsburg, Jamestown and Yorktown.

Just a short drive from Williamsburg and Busch Gardens, the James River Plantations--including Shirley, Berkeley, Westover, Evelynton, Piney Grove, and Sherwood Forestprovide remnants of Virginia's colonial and Civil War past.

Special holiday events in December include the James River Plantations Progressive Candlelight Christmas Carol Tour at historic Piney Grove plantation. View their collection of antiques, historic buildings and gardens, plus enjoy an elegant four-course candlelight dinner. Their holiday family decorations span five generations. For dates and details, click here.

For a free "VB Holiday Fun Guide," click here.

Kid alert: Little ones may find the mansion tours boring, so choose one that's best for kids. However, some of the tours are more kid-friendly than others. For a recommendation and description of the top family-friendly plantation, go to www.virginia-beach-family-fun.com.

Tip: Most of the James River Plantations are located on a secluded stretch of Highway 5. To avoid running out of gas or going hungry, check out the James River Plantation tour tips at www.virginia-beach-family-fun.com.

November 29, 2007 08:21 - Sail and Scuba-Dive with Santa!

Forget the Santa photo booth. Here are two unique holiday events to do with the kids: "Sailing with Santa" and "Scuba Santa."

That's right. Virginia Aquarium in Virginia Beach is offering two wet and wonderful ways to see Santa this December. "Sailing with Santa" includes a 45-minute tour of the Aquarium's Owl Creek, games, food, and more. "Scuba Santa" lets you watch Santa suit up and dive in one of the Aquarium's massive, two-story tanks to feed the fish.

For dates and details, as well as a free "VB Holiday Fun Guide," click here.

Source: www.virginia-beach-family-fun.com.

November 29, 2007 08:44 - "Holiday Parade at the Beach" Rings in the Season in Virginia Beach

Remember what it felt like going to see Santa arrive in his sleigh? Feel like a kid again at the Annual Holiday Parade at the Beach on December 1.

Join tens of thousands lining the street to ring in the holiday season. Marching bands...fire engines...cool floats...and huge balloons from New York's Macy's Thanksgiving Parade.

Later, don't miss McDonald's "Holiday Lights at the Beach," a magical family fun attraction at the Virginia Beach Boardwalk, nightly through January 1st. Join thousands who flock annually to this festive and creative holiday light display on the oceanfront featuring a surfing Santa, a three-story Christmas tree, and 250 animated nautical and holiday-themed light displays.

For details on these events, as well as a free "VB Holiday Fun Guide," click here.