Globe Pequot Press (GPP)
With over 600 new books published each year, Globe Pequot Press (GPP) is the largest publisher of regional travel in the United States. Their imprints include the Footprint Guides, The Lyons Press, FalconGuides®, and the Insiders’ Guides®.
GPP has partnered with Trekaroo to provide their Fun with the Family™ series to parents through the Web for the first time. The Fun with the Family series is an opinionated, personal, easy-to-use set of state guides. Each book is packed with hundreds of great ideas for keeping kids age’s two to twelve entertained for an hour, a day, or a weekend. From historical attractions and children’s museums to wildlife habitats, festivals, and parks, each guide includes hundreds of fun—and many free—things families can see or do. Each book also provides comprehensive listings of family-friendly places to stay. Now through Trekaroo, parents can get all this great information for free online.
"Bound to lead you and your kids to fun-filled days . . .
that help compose the memories of childhood."
—Family Travel Times
GPP_VA's Passport
Member since:
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Candyce H. Stapen has written more than 2,000 articles on family travel. She is the
Adventure Living travel editor for BellaOnline.com. Her articles appear on Away.com and in Caribbean Travel and Life, the Washington Times, the Miami Herald, the New York Post, National Geographic Traveler, and many other publications. The award-winning travel journalist has written 27 books, including National Geographic Guide
to Caribbean Family Vacations. Her Web site is www.gfvac.com.
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May 16 2009
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The Beach
Atlantic Avenue,
Virginia Beach,
Virginia
Virginia Beach,
Virginia
"Fun with the Family"
Where you stay and where you park your beach blanket depends on what you like. The highest concentration of boombox, bikini, and college crowds are usually found in the resort area from Twentieth through Thirty-fifth Streets. The bodies can be blanket to blanket and the people-watching is prime, especially along the boardwalk, the 30-foot-wide paved path edging the sand.
For families who like more quiet, there are some good spots. These include the strip of sand along the North End, from Forty-third Street north toward Fort Story. The southern end of town, the Sandbridge area, has lifeguards and a quieter pace than the hubbub in the heart of town.
For something different, you might try the beach at Fort Story, the Army base, which is open to the public. Whatever stretch of sand you pick, time-honored traditions include swimming, sunning, and bodysurfing.
Here you can look up from your sand castle and maybe see dolphins breaching the sea. On summer evenings Atlantic Avenue transforms into a family-style street party called “Beach Street USA,” with a variety of entertainers, including crooners, strummers, magicians, and jugglers.
Near Virginia Beach’s see-and-be-seen strip of sand, you can still view the land as it was seen by America’s first settlers. Located at the southernmost end of Virginia Beach, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park share similar topography, but have different functions. Back Bay is mostly a wildlife refuge,
whereas False Cape is primarily 10 miles of rustic beach area. At both Back Bay and False Cape, you can surf, cast for flounder, or sight white-tailed deer that dart through the thickets. Both serve as havens for nature lovers, because access is primarily by foot, bicycle, private boat, or by an open-air electric tram operated by False Cape State Park.
For families who like more quiet, there are some good spots. These include the strip of sand along the North End, from Forty-third Street north toward Fort Story. The southern end of town, the Sandbridge area, has lifeguards and a quieter pace than the hubbub in the heart of town.
For something different, you might try the beach at Fort Story, the Army base, which is open to the public. Whatever stretch of sand you pick, time-honored traditions include swimming, sunning, and bodysurfing.
Here you can look up from your sand castle and maybe see dolphins breaching the sea. On summer evenings Atlantic Avenue transforms into a family-style street party called “Beach Street USA,” with a variety of entertainers, including crooners, strummers, magicians, and jugglers.
Near Virginia Beach’s see-and-be-seen strip of sand, you can still view the land as it was seen by America’s first settlers. Located at the southernmost end of Virginia Beach, Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park share similar topography, but have different functions. Back Bay is mostly a wildlife refuge,
whereas False Cape is primarily 10 miles of rustic beach area. At both Back Bay and False Cape, you can surf, cast for flounder, or sight white-tailed deer that dart through the thickets. Both serve as havens for nature lovers, because access is primarily by foot, bicycle, private boat, or by an open-air electric tram operated by False Cape State Park.
It's helpfulMay 16 2009
0 families found this helpful
0 families found this helpful
Gunston Hall
10709 Gunston Rd,
Lorton,
Virginia 22079
Lorton,
Virginia 22079
"Fun with the Family"
George Mason, who drafted the Virginia Declaration of Rights and was a framer of the Constitution, lived at this nineteenth-century manor home originally set on 5,000 acres. Mason, in the end, refused to sign the Constitution because it did not abolish slavery. The film at the visitor center presents some background on Mason’s life. The house is known for its intricately carved woodwork, particularly apparent in the Palladian Room.
Children on the tour are given a Sleuth Score Card and asked to solve a mystery that takes them through all the rooms. Despite the manor home’s grace, children may like the 550 acres of grounds best, especially the farm, where they can see (and sometimes pet) piglets, turkeys, geese, and lambs. The formal gardens, which contain only plants found in colonial times, is noted for its 12-foot-high boxwood.
Kids like the nature trail that leads past a deer park and along the river. They’ll also love the terrific programs held throughout the year, such as Behind the Scenes Farmyard Tours; Camp Gunston Hall, which includes archaeology, garden projects, games, and storytelling; and spring and fall festivals that include crafts, food, and hayrides. Check the Web site for dates and discount coupons.
May 16 2009
0 families found this helpful
0 families found this helpful
Between the Waters Bike Tour
16388 Courthouse Road ,
PO Box 882,
Eastville,
Virginia 23347
PO Box 882,
Eastville,
Virginia 23347
"Fun with the Family"
This is a seasonal event held in October. This fund-raiser for Citizens for a Better Eastern Shore gives riders a choice of 20-, 40-, 60-, or 100-mile rides on back roads of the Eastern Shore. Riders are given snacks and lunch at rest stops along the way as well as sag wagon services, if they’re needed. An oyster roast ends the day. Fee.
May 16 2009
0 families found this helpful
0 families found this helpful
Eastern Shore Harvest Fest
19056 Parkway,
Post Office Box 460,
Melfa,
Virginia 23410
Post Office Box 460,
Melfa,
Virginia 23410
"Fun with the Family"
This is a seasonal event held in October. Check website for dates. Harvest Fest celebrates the foods—such as seafood, sweet potatoes, crab, and chicken—that make Virginia’s Eastern Shore famous. Craft vendors sell their wares.
May 16 2009
0 families found this helpful
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Eastern Shore Birding Festival
Mason Avenue,
Cape Charles,
Virginia 23310
Cape Charles,
Virginia 23310
"Fun with the Family"
This is a seasonal even held in September. Check website for dates. Located at various sites including Kiptopeke State Park and Sunset Beach. The two-day-long festival coincides with the peak of fall migration. Workshops, exhibits, children’s activities, crafts, and bird art.
