Virginia Beach, VA

This month's Southeastern Virginia city features the most populous city in the Commonwealth, Virginia Beach. Virginia Beach is the first place that attracted me to this area, and it is surrounded by water on two sides, the Atlantic Ocean and the Chesapeake Bay. In the summer, you can watch a beautiful sunrise over the Atlantic Ocean and then another gorgeous sunset over the bay's waters. 

The oceanfront features a three-mile boardwalk with a large beach on the Atlantic Ocean, lined with high-rise hotels, restaurants, and shops. A large fishing pier is still in use and continues to be used by locals and visitors. My favorite place at the oceanfront is owned by my friend Jesse Wykle and called Aloha Snacks, an excellent place for burgers, bowls, malasadas, and his famous lumpia that beat Bobby Flay on the Food Network. 

The north end of the beach is still public and features a mix of beach cottages and homes. It is also the route to the Cape Henry Lighthouse, which is the first federally funded public works project authorized by George Washington. It is also where the first permanent English settlers landed before moving up and starting Jamestown. 

First Landing State Park, the first State Park in Virginia, is probably my favorite spot in the city, filled with trails and walkways, surrounded by bald cypress trees and Spanish moss. 

Not forgetting its farming roots. Virginia Beach has a variety of Farmer's Markets. Offering up all kinds of fare. 

Virginia Beach has continued to grow outside of the bay and oceanfront with it's Town Center. It boasts the tallest building in the Commonwealth of Virginia, the Westin Virginia Beach Town Center. The area is now a big hub of nightly entertainment, shops, and restaurants. 

Whether you want to relax at the beach, catch a sunrise or sunset, or learn a little about our history, Virginia Beach has something for everyone.