Beat the Heat

We have had some pretty extreme weather in our area lately! And if you are not used to the heat of a Tidewater Virginia area summer, it can be pretty tough to handle. Who are we kidding - we live here all year and it can be tough for us! Either way, heat can be brutal and if you are going to be out and about in the area this summer, we want to make sure you are being cautious of your time in the heat, so we are beginning a series of blog posts about how to beat the heat.

We want to, of course, stress how dangerous the heat can be. No matter where you are in the world, extreme hot weather requires precautions. Here in the Tidewater Virginia area, we definitely have our share of hot days. The first recommendation is to save the indoor visits (museums, shopping, etc) for the really hot hours of the day.  


All of the places you will love around the area can be visited at a variety of times, not just middle of the day. Consider your time on the sand. Get up early to hit the beach. Not only is it much cooler, but also less crowded.


 Also, with many of our awesome local attractions, summer brings longer hours so places like Busch Gardens you can go to until 9 or 10 pm. Also, there are a lot of evening programs available. Colonial Williamsburg offers a variety to choose from and don't forget our current favorite Swingtime Salute at Nauticus. 

Stay tuned for our next post on how to beat the heat and post your tips in the comments below!

Swinging Into Some Summer Fun

If you are in the area or are local and looking for some fun, Thursday marks the opening of a great new opportunity  for entertainment! Swingtime Salute: An On-Deck Revue opens at Nauticus! Nauticus is a wonderful, contemporary museum set right in the harbor of Norfolk that provides engaging and interactive experiences to showcase maritime history and education to all who visit. They have outdone themselves this time with a phenomenal display of engaging experience via their new production.


Premiering this week, get a new historical perspective on Navy life by experiencing a 40's era variety show created to be reminiscent of the show that our military members would have experienced during deployments from a time now gone. There will be retro-inspired numbers complete with glamorous performers accompanied by a live, on-stage band. A great experience for the whole family.


For more information including on ticketing, check out the Nauticus website. You can start by planning your visit the phenomenal museum including the Battleship Wisconsin, one of the largest battleships ever built by the U.S. Navy,  that is docked at the museum and which you are welcome to explore. Then, starting on Thursday, come on down and experience a little vintage fun with the Nauticus presentation of Swingtime Salute: An On-Deck Revue. 

We Heart Dinosaurs!

Fact: there are few things in the world cooler than dinosaurs. And technically they don't even exist, which makes their awesomeness downright mind-blowing. But the creatures from the past have yet to lose popularity with society, so The Virginia Living Museum is giving us exactly what we want and we want dinosaurs! 

On May 26th, The Virginia Living Museum will open its summer exhibit displaying an impressively high-tech collection of dinosaurs. With these robotic replicas of the former residents of our planet, you get mind-blowing experience as you see these creatures up close stomping and roaring about the museum. What could be cooler than that?! 

As if the dinosaurs weren't cool enough, we get to check out the current resident of our planet that is most akin to dinosaurs in the form of a rare and exotic albino alligator. After that, you can dig deeper into the history of dinosaurs by participating in some special programming including about the dinosaur dig in the program featured in the Planetarium, Dinosaur Prophecy. Also, check the museum for daily schedule of shows to learn more about other animals that are possibly related to dinosaurs.

There are also some special, limited time programs taking place. So mark your calendar for the weekends from May 26th to June 24th when there will be a dino puppet show at the museum. On Saturdays June 30th through August 4th, come back and join in on some special fossil themed fun. And the event we are most excited about is June 1st through the 2nd when you have the chance for a dinosaur-themed sleep over IN the museum. Doesn't get much cooler than that... 

For all this fun and more, be sure you head on down for the Donisaur exhibit opening at The Virginia Living Museum on May 26th. For more information, check out their website. 

Rainy Day Fun

Well, it's been a rather rainy week here in the Tidewater Virginia area... But that doesn't mean our status as greatest vacation destination changes any! Although it is not ideal to have rainy weather while you are on vacation, that doesn't mean you can't be prepared for it and have just as much fun.

So as you plan your agenda for your vacation, here is a tip: add a floating rainy day plan. Figure out which activities are best during bad weather and put them all on the same day and prepare to utilize that day as needed. That way if you wake up and discover that the clouds have rolled in, you won't have to worry about it at all.

Our area has a great selection of rainy day opportunities. Of course our museums are high on the list of opportunities - Mariner's Museum, Virginia Living Museum, Children's Museum to name a few. Although they are all wonderful choices, the list isn't exclusively museums. Be sure to add the Peninsula Fine Arts Center to the list. Just outside of the historic area, you have Ripley's Believe it or Not and just up the street from that Yankee Candle offers shopping as well as some great activities onsite.

There are a lot of great options! So pick your favorites, add them to the schedule and you are all set for vacation! If you have any great suggestions for fun around the area, be sure to add them on in the comments.

Titanic: We Remember 100 Years Later

This weekend marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic.
As the week has gone on, we have heard tell of a number of memorials and events popping up around the country and even around the area to commemorate the tragic event. Our very own Mariner's Museum joined the universal chorus of remembrance by hosting their own events including a "Titanic Day" of learning for attendees to gain a better understanding of the time and the circumstance and a period dinner fundraiser. Passengers could choose to purchase either first class or third class reservations for the event. It was an innovative way to create a memorial for the attendees to participate in.

Overall, the world is bustling with memories, flocking to relive the event in theatres, and ensuring we never forget the tragic event. The Vacation Channel is contributing our commemoration by offer these random and little known facts about the Titanic:

• Titanic was carry 20 lifeboats; it had the capacity for 64. 
• There were 13 honeymooning couples on the Titanic. 8 of them were in first class.
• The ship recorded bringing 40,000 eggs on the voyage and 1000 bottles of wine. 
• There were at least 9 dogs on the ship.  
• The length of the ship was equivalent to nearly 3 football fields. 
• The most expensive ticket to travel aboard the ship would cost about $99,000 in today's money.
• The ship cost $7.5 million to build - that translates into about $172 million today. The film cost $250 million to make. 

For more interest events and exhibits, be sure to visit the Mariner's Museum in Newport News! 

Give Me A Break...

We all know that feeling. No vacation on the horizon and we are spent. How about a day off to tide you over until that next big break right in your own backyard, so to speak? Here are a few ideas for a quick retreat...

Museums. The obvious one. Check out what exhibits are in your area and see the museums and galleries you have probably never been to or at least not in a while. Planetariums are a fun option too if one of your museums has one.

Zoos. Pick a day with some nice weather and spend it wander around surrounded my exotic animals. Add a trip to the aquarium too if you like...

Train. Grab a ticket from your local station and take a ride. Whether to another town for a night or on a scenic tour for a few hours, it makes a great get away... 

Amusement or Water Park. Everyone has one within a few hours of them. Find out what yours is and head there for a day of fun and excitement for all ages.

Behind the scenes. Find out what your local area has to offer and see if you can get a behind the scenes tour of it. Perhaps a sports stadium, a factory or other claim to fame locally, all have a complicated operation going on inside and it would be fun to check it out.

Tell us what your favorite ways to spend a much needed day off are! And check out our Facebook page for the latest updates on fun events and ideas in the Hampton Roads area.