I am a little late posting my Ten on Tuesday this week…oh well kill me!

01. The Beach
I am so fortunate that I live so close to the ocean.  I loved growing up at the beach and my kids love growing up at the beach.  Nothing beats the smell of saltwater air!  It’s good for the soul!

02. The Chesapeake Bay
As if the beach was not enough, I am also fortunate enough to live right next to the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay.  The Chesapeake Bay is the largest of 130 estuaries in the United States and is home to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel, which was selected as “One of the Seven Engineering Wonders of the Modern World” in 1964.

03. The Mountains
Virginia Beach is within three hours of some of the most breath-taking mountains and the beautiful Shenandoah Valley, which is home to plenty of ski resorts all within a short drive away.

04. Summer Festivals
Virginia Beach and it’s neighboring city Norfolk do a wonderful job of setting up some of the best annual outdoor festivals, including The Neptune Festival, Boardwalk Art Festival, Strawberry Festival, Harborfest, The Bayou Boogaloo, The Jazz Festival and the Children’s Festival – to name a few!

05. Amusement Parks
Virginia Beach is 30 minutes away from Bush Gardens and an hour and a half away from Kings Dominion.  We usually get season passes to Bush Gardens and head up there in the evenings.  What is more fun than that?

06. Historical Sites
We are a hop, skip and a jump away from Colonial Williamsburg and the Historical Jamestown Settlement, the “Birthplace of America.”  Always fun to visit!

07. The Outer Banks of NC
We are an hour and a half away from the Outer Banks in North Carolina, both Nags Head and Cape Hatteras, home to the tallest natural sand dune “Jockey’s Ridge” and the Wright Brothers “First in Flight Museum, along with plenty of lighthouses.

08. Fireworks
All summer long, Virginia Beach sets off fireworks from the beach.  They do this every Wednesday and Sunday night throughout the entire summer, not to mention, plenty of Saturday nights too.  We love it.  We can see them from our driveway, and I let Kaiden stay up to watch them every time!  Most people only get to see them on the 4th of July.

09. Live Music
There is constantly live music playing somewhere down at the beach.  The city has built several stages to accommodate this.  The kids love walking down to the beach and dancing to the live music all summer long.

10. Mount Trashmore
Mount Trashmore Park was the first landfill park in the world. It was conceived during the 1960s, when ecological consciousness was increasing. Opened to the public in 1973, the park continues to bring international recognition to Virginia Beach, and it symbolizes citizens’ commitment to environmental protection. Rising 68 feet above sea level, the landfill is the tallest point of land in the region. The park encompasses approximately 166 acres, 79 of which are covered by Lake Trashmore. This park is the city’s most popular, with more than 800,000 visitors annually.  Facilities include four large and 11 small picnic shelters, skate park, playground areas, a basketball court, four volleyball areas, parking, a walking trail that measures approximately 1.45 miles, vending machines and restrooms.