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Best Places to Visit in Virginia for a Weekend Trip
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items You don’t always need a plane ticket to feel like you got away. These are the Virginia places that surprised me, places we’ve loved & hidden gems I still want to explore—from mountain escapes and charming little towns to unique stays and spots th...
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Wait…This Is in Virginia?
Stays Worth Planning a Weekend Around
Wait…This Is in Virginia?
We just visited and this is SUCH a hidden Northern Virginia find. Lakes, waterfalls, bamboo, huge sculptures, winding paths & whimsical little surprises everywhere—and somehow it’s all tucked away in Chantilly. Check their schedule before going b...
How Did We Not Know This Was Here?: National Botanic Garden
Forget the basic hotel—THIS is the kind of Shenandoah getaway I want. A cozy yurt tucked into the mountains with a hot tub, wood stove & that whole disappear-for-a-few-days feeling. Spend the day exploring Shenandoah, then come back, get in the h...
This Is How I Want to Do Shenandoah: Shenandoah Yurt: Hot Tub~Wood Stove~Views for Days
It’s kind of wild that scenery this dramatic is sitting right outside DC. Huge rock formations, rushing Potomac water & gorge views make Great Falls feel like you drove MUCH farther than Northern Virginia.
This Is Seriously Right Outside DC?: Great Falls Park
We stayed in Chincoteague several years ago and I loved how charming and refreshingly un-commercial it felt. Local shops, little restaurants, waterfront views & that slower small-town pace—with the beach and wild ponies of Assateague right next d...
The Virginia Island That Still Feels Like a Small Town: Chincoteague
You can know exactly what Natural Bridge looks like and still be surprised when you're standing underneath it. The enormous limestone arch towering over the trail is one of those Virginia sights everyone should see at least once. Make a weekend of it...
Pictures Don’t Prepare You for How BIG This Is: Natural Bridge State Park -
This might be one of the biggest wait, this is Virginia?! places on the entire list. High-elevation mountain views, rocky trails, open balds—and the famous wild ponies roaming through it all. While you’re there: The park itself lists little local spo...
Yes, Those Are Wild Ponies in Virginia: Grayson Highlands State Park
This is a 57-mile trail built along an old railroad route, following the New River for 39 miles and crossing old bridges, trestles and tunnels along the way. You absolutely don't have to do all 57 miles—the relatively gentle grade makes it easy to pi...
The Virginia Bike Ride I Want to Do: New River Trail State Park
Okay, this looks like SUCH a good home base for a Nelson County weekend. Tucked into the mountains on 20 acres with trails, creeks & a fire pit—and the Dogwood Suite has a king bed and that gorgeous clawfoot tub under a skylight. You’re right by ...
For When You Want to Disappear Into the Blue Ridge: Rockwell Ridge: Dogwood Suite with Clawfoot Tub, Afton
Way out in Southwest Virginia on the Kentucky border, this is the kind of rugged mountain scenery that makes you realize just how different one end of Virginia can look from the other. Gorge views, cliffs, forest & serious we are definitely not i...
Virginia Has a “Grand Canyon of the South”: Breaks Interstate Park
Not every getaway needs to involve disappearing into the woods. Charlottesville gives you a walkable downtown, great restaurants, local shops, breweries, wineries & plenty going on—while still putting some of Virginia’s prettiest outdoor spots wi...
Park the Car & Pretend You Live in Charlottesville: Stylish Belmont Studio
Mountains surrounding clear blue water, little islands, secluded coves & miles of forested shoreline—this is NOT what most people picture when they think of Virginia. South Holston Lake sits along the Virginia–Tennessee border, with nearly two-th...
This Might Be Virginia’s Best-Kept Secret: South Holston Lake
Nature basically carved a railroad-sized tunnel straight through a limestone ridge—and it's more than 850 feet long and roughly 10 stories high. You can even take a chairlift down to the tunnel floor. While you're there: This one comes with a fantast...
There’s an 850-Foot Tunnel Through a Mountain Here: Natural Tunnel State Park
This is one of those Virginia places that makes me wonder why we’re always looking so far away for a getaway. A huge sparkling lake surrounded by mountains, with boating, swimming, waterfront restaurants & gorgeous views everywhere you look.
Lake + Mountains = Pretty Much Perfection: Bass Cove - Luxury Lakefront, Hot Tub, Fire Table & Theatre ...
We’ve done this one and it’s absolutely worth the trip. The trail follows the falls as they cascade down the mountain, so there’s something to see almost the entire way up—not just one waterfall waiting for you at the end. We found the trails really ...
One of My Favorite Virginia Waterfall Hikes: Crabtree Falls
Massive underground rooms, towering rock formations, reflecting pools & formations that have been growing for millions of years—Luray Caverns feels like stepping into another world.
There’s a Whole Other Virginia Underground: Luray Caverns - All You SHOULD Know Before Going
Stays Worth Planning a Weekend Around
THIS is where you bring everybody. It sleeps 16 and sits on its own point at Smith Mountain Lake, so there’s room to spread out without spending the whole weekend on top of each other. Between the private dock, kayaks, hot tub, game room & movie ...
The Group Chat Needs to See This: Heron Point - Amazing Property with Breathtaking Water Views
I’m usually all for packing a trip with things to do, but this cabin could turn me into a “we can just stay here today” person. Mountain views, a stone fireplace, deep soaking tub & coffee on the deck sounds like a pretty solid itinerary to me.
Fireplace. Mountain Views. Soaking Tub. Sold: Scenic Log Cabin in Meadows of Dan
This one feels made for a fall weekend: spend the day driving the Blue Ridge Parkway or wandering around Floyd, then come back to 13 wooded acres, a private mountain stream, fire pit & hot tub. Bonus points for being close enough to Chateau Morri...
Stay Here After a Day on the Blue Ridge Parkway: Smith River Virginia United States of America
My husband and I stayed in this area for our last anniversary, and I’d go back in a heartbeat. A quiet cove, two kayaks, sunset dock & fireplace—basically everything I want in a couples weekend.
The Little Lake Cottage I’d Pick for Two: charming cottage in quiet cove close to Bridgewater! - Moneta