Poquoson, VA Outdoor Activities

Every fall, as the leaves turn orange and the air becomes crisp, owners David and Patricia Hand open up a portion of their operating farm to the general public. Aptly named the Green Hand Farm Park, the agricultural attraction features an 8-acre corn maze that challenges families, students, and office groups to work together to find their way out. The labyrinth takes on a new theme each year—such as a salute to the American soldier—and incorporates facts and clues. As maze participants interrogate corn stalks for directions, hayrides journey to a pumpkin patch and young visitors leap and bound over bales of hay. At night, campfires spring to life for cooking hot dogs and s'mores. Aside from these attractions, fresh produce, local jams, and baked desserts lure visitors into the farm market. Seasonal plants bloom in a variety of hues at the garden center, whose staff also sells waterscape designs.

Inside a spacious playing field you sit with your back against a wall, acutely aware of all movement around as you take a breath with finger resting on trigger. It’s been a clean fight so far—you’ve climbed over towers, passed submarines and helicopters, and sought refuge inside bunkers—and you have the flag in sight. You make a run for it but you feel something crash into your leg as red residue spills onto your clothing. Another shot is fired, and a blue blotch explodes across your protective eyewear. The entire experience disproves the fallacy that paint can't get more exciting than when a grandmother has you cover her walls with it and rewards you with sugarless candy.

On the woodsball field, games of capture the flag, attack-and-defend, and elimination allow for entertainment and strategic planning. Over at the Sup’Air field, speed is key as the speedball field accommodates any format including three man, five man, and one man with four invisible friends. The paintball park also hosts parties on the woodsball field during the week and a smaller, private field during normal business hours.

Scott Sarkozi and his training staff groom their students for basic proficiency or state and national competition. Along with private instruction, the bustling Sarkozi Training Centre hosts private stables for more than 50 horses, who train in an expansive outdoor arena or a well-lit indoor training arena. After a long day of galloping, guest horses enjoy free time in one of Sterling Meadow’s turnout pastures, where they snack on grass and share betting tips for this week’s greyhound races.

Hampton Roads IcePlex caters to skaters of all experience levels, from tot lessons for 4- and 5-year-olds to its hockey league exclusively for polar bears. Youth and adult hockey leagues pit hockey enthusiasts against other local teams for exhilarating season play. The rink welcomes figure skaters of all backgrounds to lay claim to the ice as well, performing the simplest of two-foot spins to the most complex slam-dunks.

In 1791, Alexander Hamilton–hoping to enhance trade and safety along the coasts of Virginia and Maryland–contracted renowned architect John McComb to design a lighthouse at the mouth of Chesapeake Bay. McComb quickly fulfilled his duty in 1792, with the illumination of Cape Henry Lighthouse’s inaugural flame lit by the lighthouse’s first keeper, who was appointed by George Washington himself. In the centuries since the octagonal tower cast its first guiding beam across the bay, the Cape Henry Lighthouse stood sentinel over the coast and ensured the safety of incoming ships and immigrating krakens until it was replaced in 1881. Stewards of the lighthouse’s past, Preservation Virginia, ensured in 1930 that the inoperative structure and surrounding lands were reopened to the public and maintained for the enjoyment of future generations.

Today, visitors ascending the twisting iron stairs step out to the window-enclosed observation deck, drinking in 360-degree views of the water and surrounding verdant forests. A team of passionate and knowledgeable staff–most of whom have been guides for years–remain on hand to answer questions relating to the lighthouse’s history and how lighthouse keepers stave off land invasions of ghost sea captains.

Aided by more than 40 years of competitive-riding and training experience, Sharon Golesh built East Coast Equestrian Training Center, a full-service training, boarding, and breeding facility. Hidden under an expansive, baby-blue roof are 54 stalls that stay packed all year long with equine boarders and in-house horses ready to run through guided rides and lessons. Students learn the equestrian arts within [facilities] (http://gr.pn/n2lU5n) that include an exterior riding ring and dressage ring complete with mirrors and a pack of paparazzi sheep hounds. East Coast Equestrian Training Center also oversees the birth of future first-place finishers through its extensive breeding operation, which includes a 2,200-square-foot boarders’ lounge and 19 pastures ready to set the scene for equine matchmaking.