I flew from New York with my mother and then we met up with my aunt to travel to Suffolk Visitor…read moreCenter to take the Great Dismal Swamp Underground Railroad Tour. Back in September, we booked the tour for Sunday, November 16th at 9:30am. Today, when we went to check in the "gentleman" at the front desk said that we were listed for the 1:00pm tour and not the 9:30am tour. I assured him that there was no way that we would get the time wrong, given we flew all the way from New York just to take the tour. The "gentleman" then proceeded to put words in my mouth like I was blaming him or expected him to bump others from the 9:30 tour--which I promptly informed him I said no such thing. He also felt the need to put his hand on his hip like he was scolding a child so I mirrored his bad behavior by putting my hand on my hip and let him know that he should just admit that it was a clerical error on the part of Suffolk Visitor Center. The "gentlewoman" that worked at the center tried to offer that there are often cancellations so we could wait to see whether everyone would show up. All but one person who was signed up for the 9:30am tour showed up and so her offer was that one of us could take the tour. That was not acceptable since there were three of us. With that said, I am glad we did not allow the poor customer service exhibited by Suffolk Visitor Center to ruin our day. Instead, we paid the $5 permit at the Great Dismal Swamp read through the placards and pamphlets there and enjoyed the beautiful day. Given the terrible disposition of the staff, I doubt the tour would have provided a respectful or accurate account of the history of the enslaved people who sought refuge in the swamp.

Suffolk Visitor Center (SVC) is located on the corner of North Main Street and East Constance Road…read more It is an impressive brick building with a white pillar facade, and a beautiful, but small interior. The pavilion in the back is where the Farmers' Market is held, and right next door is Riddick's Folly, which I highly recommend you check out when you get a chance. (http://www.yelp.com/biz/riddicks-folly-suffolk?hrid=GbdRtZYapeJjdQl_enPx1w) *Fun Fact: The town of Suffolk was created in 1742 by an English settlement called Constant's Wharf. Guess where they got the name from? You guessed it--Suffolk County, England! There are many amenities here at SVC: -Gift shop with unique local items including books, postcards, peanuts, etc. -Restroom -Sitting room with water fountains and coffee machine -Brochures of Suffolk, Hampton Roads, and greater Virginia -Displays of the Great Dismal Swamp and the Suffolk Story -And, of course, the friendly staff is always there to help! Whether you are a local or visiting the area, I suggest you take a few minutes to stop by. SVC is a great place for buying Christmas gifts. If you need some road trip ideas, go pick up some brochures. Make sure you take advantage of SVC!

I loved my stay in cabin for so much that I rebooked let much as soon as I got home! The cabin was…read morevery private, sits far away from the other cabins with a lovely farm view. The layout of the cabin was spacious and very comfortable! It was rather hot, so walking the dog at midday was out, so he was able to stay crated with no worries if barking and disturbing neighbors. I took a tour of the mansion, and the different farm exhibits as Chippokes is one of the longest continuously farmed locations in the country, dating back nearly to the Jamestown settlement, which is a ferry ride away! Check out the fossil beaches and the visitor center for James River views and the ability to cool off!

This is a beautiful State Park along the James River steeped in history. Be sure to read about it…read morebefore you go and then take advantage of exploring the parts of the park that peak your interest the most. About a decade ago, we stayed in one of the cabins with our children. They loved it as we explored some trails, the beach, the historic buildings, the farm and equipment and rode bikes. Now my husband and I return to use the hiking/walking trails. The trails give you a little bit of everything. You can be in the shade, the blazing sun, on the beach walking in the sand, beside a field of cows or soybeans, or meandering down a rural road. We recently did a 4 mile hike and packed a lunch to enjoy on the beach. My only issue is that some people who come with their dogs have them off leash. We bring our leashed dog and I don't care for other large dogs running up to us with their owners not having control. I highly recommend going and enjoying Chippokes!

Five stars, plus. Absolutely worth your stop while driving towards Kitty Hawk. Also called the…read moreCurrituck Welcome Center, and just over the border from Virginia, this is THE place to go for all of your information needs about the Outer Banks -- maps, brochures, pamphlets, and more. Also, exceptionally helpful staff, immaculate restrooms, easy and plentiful parking, free postcards of OBX (one per patron please), and little surprises. My husband was thrilled to find hot tasty coffee, while I was excited to find a map of Florida. (We're traveling down the east coast and didn't yet have a map of florida. Who would've thought there would be one in a welcome center for the Outer Banks)?

Everyone was so nice there! They are super helpful and welcoming. Would recommend to anyoneread more

The Dismal Swamp Canal Welcome Center has plenty of parking. The center is divided into two…read moresections, one area for restrooms and another area with a gift shop and state travel brochures. They have brochures for places all over the state and some for Virginia as well. There was a note to limit yourself to 7 but I was provided with a bag and encouraged to take more as I gathered ideas for future trips. The staff was very friendly and provided suggestions on other stops to make in the area. You can walk to the boardwalk that is against the canal and read some of the signboards and markers.

Perfect weather to be outdoor? Then head on over to the dismal swap trail. It's not really a hike…read morethrough the trails tail. Great for bike rides with the family. Running a race? Then this is the place for you to practice on asphalt and not worry about cars. Plenty of parking available and restrooms are available in the parking area as well. They do have a boat ramp available as well!

Living in Newport News, trail walking has been a great hobby for myself. Checking out local nature…read moretrails has been one that I'm trying to upgrade. And it looks like I found a brand new one to add to my locations. Riverview Farm Park is located by Menchville High School. It has a playground area and soccer field for kids to play. They also have group shelters reserved for large picnics. For you trail lovers, they have a 2-mile loop where you can walk, jog or run. Some can even ride bikes. There aren't many trees around so walking during the summertime may not be your cup of tea. But it was really nice to take a morning stroll here with friends, even during cold weather. Everything was paved, which helps when your avoiding water puddles and such. Also, there is a separate trail located by the park visitor center where you have a view of the Warwick River. We didn't get the chance to go that route but will check it out when the weather becomes warmer. Again, this trail gets a thumbs up from yours truly and my friends. Till next time :)

This is a beautiful park with walking trails hills and plenty of room for skating or biking…read more There is even a small Skate park The playground is very big and fenced in they have a butterfly garden with beautiful flowers as well There is a dog park located on the far side of the park Close to the gymnastics studio my kids love this park because they have so much space to hang out and run and play. I love the fitness aspect

Fantastic visitors center. Staff are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. We are locals and are up…read moreon everything. Well the staff let us know about some upcoming events we did Not know about. Bravo!!! What a wonderful experience popping in the visitors center. We dropped In because we wanted to see the new Mural outside and while we were there decided to pop in and take a look around. I have lived here all my life and have never been inside. Well I'm so glad we did and I recommend everyone go. They have a place to walk your dog if your traveling. They have ATM. They have restrooms. Wonderful and clean. They have a water fountain. They have a couple of picnic tables go check it out

Virginia Beach Visitors Center has so many pamphlets and booklets on where to go in the resort town…read moreof Virginia Beach. The center also has pamphlets on other Virginia cities. It's funner to browse the paper copies than to scroll online and possibly miss out on a special event that's right for you.

What I like about this park is that you can see both Yorktown and Jamestown in a single day. I was…read moreimmediately captivated upon entering the park and followed the signs to the Yorktown visitor center. The former battlefield tuned memorial and later tourist attraction is easy to navigate and communicates the sites history effectively.

Overall, this is a great historical park. It is very clean and organized, while the staff is fairly…read morepolite. The quality of the archeology is astonishing and the atmosphere is amazing with the lake. Additionally, this place is accessible to anyone. tl;dr: I would recommend visiting if you are in Williamsburg and enjoy historical artifacts!

If visiting Norfolk make it a priority to go to Visitor/ Tourist Center early in your stay. It made…read moreour trip 100 times more enjoyable than anticipated. Due to pandemic (?) our hotel had no pamphlets, maps or anything we could take with us while exploring or planning our days events. The hotel TV had a very basic list of things to do in area, but other than "XYZ Museum" no information about it, address or hours. I know "you can just use the map on your phone" but that did not work at all because it didn't show you what Else is in the area to visit based on what you typed in. The woman at the Visitor Center was Very welcoming, informative and pleasant. We told her what we we're looking for (map of Norfolk with All the highlights) so we could plan 2-3 stops per day. We mentioned what we knew we wanted to do and she offered up 2 more things to visit as well. When we were leaving she advised, "Make sure you stay hydrated (it was 94 degrees that day) because if you don't the heat will sneak up on you and then you'll be in trouble." We used our "old school" map everyday for our 8 day stay, whether we planned to see something specific but also areas to explore and just drive through historic neighborhoods, along the water, etc. The center had gifts, T-shirt's and souvenirs there; I recall a lovely book about historic stained glass windows in Norfolk. I had to get a T-shirt because I got BBQ sauce all over me at lunch! LOL perfect! Get a Norfolk shirt. My sister bought some really cool glasses, juice size, with classic bikes on them: banana seat, townie, tall handle bar and they were naked down to $10! Parking on the street in front can be tricky, we found a "loading zone 10 minute max" spot, and the city meter employees nearby, but we told them where we wanted to go and wouldn't be long and they gave us the "Go ahead and park. Don't worry" which we were grateful! Lol