Things To Do in Virginia Beach

Rudee Tours launches aspiring seafarers on thrilling excursions from Rudee Inlet through the Atlantic Ocean, illuminating aqua-tourists with frolicking wildlife and picturesque coastal scenery. Seasoned nautical navigator Captain Jeff Parks guides the double-decker Rudee Flipper in the hopes of spotting a pod of bottlenose dolphins off Virginia Beach. Each dolphin tour on the Rudee Flipper is narrated by an aquatic educator from the Virginia Aquarium, who'll enlighten passengers on dolphins' lifestyles and social hierarchy, made evident in their passion for afternoon teas. Those seeking high-velocity thrills may opt for boarding the 2,000-horsepower, 70-foot Rudee Rocket, which bolts alongside the shoreline past the historic Cape Henry Lighthouse.

At Tidewater Hit & Pitch, a team of professional baseball and softball coaches pass their wisdom onto future generations of pitchers and fielders in one-on-one coaching sessions and group camps. The staff, which includes former New York Mets pitcher Alay Soler, breaks down the sport into three digestible parts—pitching, hitting, and fielding—which helps players hone discipline with drills while imparting universal skills such as balance, body control, and how to dispose of chewing gum besides swallowing it.

Ocean View Fishing Pier extends 1,690 feet into Chesapeake Bay, enabling anglers to cast their lines into one of the East Coast's most bountiful fishing spots. An onsite bait house and tackle shop equips visitors with the necessary gear, from rods and reels to crab pots and minnow traps. Every day, custom-built vessel the Judith Ann offers the chance to coast away from the pier for half-day fishing adventures, and an onsite restaurant keeps grumbling bellies from scaring away finned targets.

Performers feed off the energy of their audience, and when there is no audience, there is no energy. To stop this problem before it starts, venues turn to FillASeat, a business that supplies its members with tickets to events with a number of open seats left. Members enjoy a year of entry to popular shows, sporting events, comedy shows, and concerts, bulking up the audience more suitably than a litter of chihuahuas dressed in tuxedoes. Upon joining FillASeat, members receive access to a list of upcoming events, which range from large-scale productions to events at local restaurants, golf courses, and coffee houses.

Apart from the number of respective members and guests, the benefits of the Otter and Crab memberships are exactly the same. Both grant you a year of unlimited admission—including express entry through the mythical members' entrance—and, if you travel in an especially large school, both grant up to four additional guests half-off entry when accompanied by a cardholding member (per day). Although prices vary, today's deal offers you a year's access to the aquarium at a cost comparable to a single day's admission for the same number of people.

Julie Fabing Burleson and Suzy Vinson Nettles feel that the kitchen is just another place for kids to flex their creativity. They opened Young Chefs Academy to provide kids aged 3–18 with cooking programs targeted to preschoolers and kindergarteners, elementary schoolers, and older kids ready for trickier techniques and intricate recipes. Regardless of a student’s age, he or she is always taught the pillars of home cooking, including how to be safe in the kitchen, how to properly handle and prepare food, how to bake, and how to talk down an oven that constantly overheats. While participating in the entertaining cooking lessons, kids may not even realize that each class also allows them to practice their math, reading-comprehension, and communication skills.

Two hundred seventy locations. Thirty countries. The numbers behind My Gym’s global span are impressive, but they can’t compete with the gym’s mission—to help kids develop cognitively, emotionally, and physically. Intended for children 6 months through 13 years old, each My Gym location divides its schedule of classes and camps into nine age-appropriate groups. Little Bundles (6 weeks–6 months) for example, will explore their visual, audial, and spatial facilities, while the oldest kids of the bunch—Cardio Kids (7–13 years)—expend excess energy during fun circuit-training workouts dotted with nutritional tips.