Next up in our “5 Things I’m Loving Right Now” series, Virginia Beach!
Holiday Lights at the Beach
If you’re looking for drive-through holiday lights, Holiday Lights at the Beach is a fun option! The holiday tradition returns to the oceanfront with over 25 new light displays, two additional blocks of lights, and a new 600 ft. LED tunnel, the largest and longest curved LED light tunnel in the U.S. Highlights include jumping fish, surfing Santa, color-changing archways, musical crabs, and jolly elves dance in lights against the backdrop of the moonlit Atlantic Ocean.
The lights display goes on now thru December 31. Don’t miss Military Mondays and save $5 with a military I.D. ($20 per car)! Guests must purchase tickets in advance for a specific day and time.
Esoteric
My husband and I snuck out for a date night this fall and absolutely loved Esoteric. I heard about the restaurant on TikTok of all places. Esoteric is a contemporary gastropub featuring creative tavern food, craft beers and inventive cocktails. They also have a fabulous outdoor dining space – definitely a place I want to revisit in the warmer months. Here is their lcurrent dinner menu.
Prosperity Kitchen & Pantry
Ever since moving to Hampton Roads I’ve been on a hunt for a great bakery. Prosperity Kitchen & Pantry is just the ticket! Bakery by day, pizzeria by night, Prosperity Kitchen serves up delicious breads, baked pastries, pies, cookies, quiche and more. The bakery prides itself on being a small batch operation, utilizing organic and local ingredients. I ordered our Thanksgiving Day apple pie from here and it did not disappoint! I need to make it out for their evening pizza, but I can imagine it’s divine.
SeaHill Spa at the Cavalier Hotel
If you’re looking for the ultimate treat yourself day, look no further than The SeaHill Spa at The Cavalier Hotel. The spa offers an extensive treatment menu, from facials and waxes to massages and hydrocapsule experiences. Massages start at $160 and facials at $185. Robes and slippers are provided, and any 50 minute treatment gives you access to all amenties including the ladies whirlpool, sauna, steam room, co-ed Blue Lagoon Relaxation Lounge, co-ed Himalayan Salt Cove, and the indoor pool and hot tub.
First Landing State Park
Since we PCS’d from Washington state, it didn’t take long for our family to miss hiking. We stumbled up on First Landing State Park in Virginia Beach, and were plesantly surprised at the number of trails and woodlands to explore. As Virginia’s most-visited state park, First Landing is where English colonists first landed in 1607. Legend has it that Blackbeard hid in the Narrows area of the park, and interior waterways were used by Union and Confederate patrols during the Civil War. The park has 20 miles of trails and 1.5 miles of sandy Chesapeake Bay beach frontage. First Landing offers many recreational and educational activities and has many unusual habitats including bald cypress swamps, lagoons and maritime forest, as well as rare plants and wildlife.
Do you have any favorite places in Virginia Beach? Comment below and tell us! For more Hampton Roads content and things to do, click here.