The Virginia state license plates even say it – “Virginia is for lovers.” With roughly 1900 Virginia romantic inns and getaways to pick from, you and your better half will soon discover the truth of it when you come to Old Dominion for your honeymoon or other romantic rendezvous.
The autumn months are an exceptionally nice time to book cabin rental accommodations or stays at any one of the quaint Virginia bed breakfasts located through the state. One incentive is the autumn colors. As part of the country’s Eastern Forest biome, Virginia is covered in deciduous hardwood forests which explode into superb technicolor around mid-September, and there is almost nothing more romantic than gazing out at the autumn leaves from your window of a charming Virginia country inn.
The another reason is that fall would be the “off-season;” no matter which of Virginia’s five major geographic regions you happen to be visiting, you are certain to uncover helpful discounts on holiday rentals of all kinds.
Also, there’s a plethora of fall festivals throughout the region, such as celebrations of the region’s wine and cuisine to festivals of the arts and concerts and even literary and historical commemorations. By way of example, do you realize that American gothic writer Edgar Allen Poe was a native son of Virginia? As you might suppose, October is “Poe Month” in Virginia. Just before Halloween, the Edgar Allen Poe Museum in Richmond holds their annual “Unhappy Hour,” a costume party which is known for a theme centered around one of Poe’s short stories (2010 was Fall Of The House of Usher). On Halloween night, take a graveyard trip at historic St. John’s Church nearby, where Poe’s mother is buried.
If October belongs to Virginia’s most famous literary figure, November is given over to the state’s wineries as the holidays draw near. All of Virginia’s five major regions from Chesapeake Bay to the Blue Ridge have world-class wineries, and there are wine-tasting celebrations every weekend in November – the majority of which provide superb food plus live music in addition to local vintages.
Regardless of your religious beliefs, December is one Festival of Lights after another – and nowhere is this more authentic than romantic Virginia since coastal areas from Richmond to Hampton Roads offer displays that would humble the Griswolds. The fun begins on the weekend prior to Thanksgiving with Hampton’s Coliseum Central Holiday Parade located in the south and then Norfolk’s Grand Illumination Parade further north. The festival goes on for a full six weeks in the capitol city of Richmond with the GardenFest of Lights that starts at the end of November and runs all the way to the second week of January. In the second week of December, you can get a sample of Christmas Victorian-style at the historic Maymont Mansion. The $25 per person features a moonlit outing inside a horse-drawn carriage down a brightly-lit avenue to the Civil War-era residence of a legendary Confederate general not to mention a splendid tour of the mansion, carol singing and refreshments. This romantic Christmas experience is extremely popular, so make certain to sign up well ahead of time.
Wesley Mathews is part of the travel team at FindVacationRentals.com and FindBedandBreakfast.com. These directories provide detailed information on beach vacation rentals and things to do.