Wednesday, October 14Virginia living, mountains to the bayShenandoah · Richmond · Tidewater · the Shore
The Virginia Guide

Virginia, mountains to the bay

Virginia stretches from the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic. Here is the short guide to its tables, trails, homes and weekends.

The numbers
1607Jamestown: the first permanent English settlement in the Americas
8Presidents born in Virginia, more than any other state
105Miles of Skyline Drive through Shenandoah National Park
469Miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway, starting at Virginia’s Shenandoah
300+Wineries across the Commonwealth
1Of only four states that call themselves a commonwealth
01

Mountains

The Blue Ridge runs down the western side of the state, with Shenandoah National Park and Skyline Drive at its heart.

Fall color, overlooks and long hikes make it one of the most visited mountain ranges in the East.

  • Skyline Drive105 miles of overlooks
  • Parkway469 miles south to the Smokies
  • FallPeak color in October
02

The bay

The Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States, and Virginia’s side of it is famous for oysters, crabs and waterfront towns.

From Tidewater to the Eastern Shore, life moves with the tides.

  • EstuaryWhere rivers meet the sea
  • OystersA Virginia specialty
  • TidewaterThe coastal plain
03

Wine country

Virginia has more than 300 wineries, many within an hour of the mountains, and its wine history goes back to the colonial era.

Tasting rooms, farm stands and country inns make for an easy weekend.

  • 300+Wineries
  • ViognierA signature grape
  • CideriesApples, too
04

Historic homes

Few states have as many historic houses and gardens open to visitors, from presidents’ homes to plantation estates and tidy colonial towns.

Garden Week every spring opens private homes and gardens across the state.

  • ColonialThe oldest towns
  • Garden WeekEvery April
  • 8Presidents born here
05

Weekends

Festivals, fairs, concerts and farmers markets fill the calendar from spring to late fall.

Pick a direction, mountains or bay, and there is a weekend waiting.

  • FairsSummer and fall
  • MarketsSaturday mornings
  • Road tripsRidge to coast
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