Memorial Day to Labor Day is Virginia Beach's peak tourist season, but despite the larger crowds and high prices, late May to early September is the only time to enjoy the waterfront properly. The city is humming with activity,

As someone who spent the first two decades of her life in Virginia, I can confidently say the state has seemingly endless places to explore. My childhood was spent in the Blue Ridge Mountains, camping in the Peaks of Otter, and canoeing down the James River.