Friday Five: Spring Break Staycation Destinations

#HRVA schools are on spring break next week, and it seems my friends with school-aged children are of mixed feelings about it -- it looks to depend on whether they've got any out of town time planned. Those who do are very much looking forward to spending time together as a family after that long, hard winter we had. Those who don't are wondering how on earth they're going to entertain kids for another five days after those long, hard snow days we had.

Enter the spring break staycation -- the perfect way to see some new sights and visit new destinations in your own backyard. There are some great day-trip destinations within an hour or two of Hampton Roads that are sure to break up the monotony and to keep everybody happy during the week off. Here are some of our favorite close-by (but not too close) destinations. (Pro-Tip: check out one of my favorite local websites, The Traveling Suitcase, for more trips and tips for traveling with kids).


1. Richmond: There is so much to do in Richmond that you could indeed make a whole longer vacation out of visiting. The museums, the restaurants, the parks. If we had to plan our ideal trip, we'd do a picnic lunch at Byrd Park on the banks of Boat Lake followed by a day at the Metro Richmond Zoo or Children's Museum of Richmond and maybe an early dinnertime at Can Can Brasserie or Strawberry Cafe if everybody was well-behaved. Older kids might enjoy exploring the James River Park System or the Virginia State Capitol, which was designed by Thomas Jefferson and features free tours every hour or so.

2. Manteo, NC: Manteo is overlooked by Outer-Banks goers because it doesn't feature so much beach, but it's not beach season quite yet and this little town on Roanoke island actually has a lot to offer and is less than two hours' drive from Norfolk. Start with a tour of the Elizabethan Gardens and Fort Raleigh or the North Carolina Aquarium and then walk the main street to window shop and find lunch.

3. Surry: Surry is full of stuff to do, which surprised me when I first started researching it. You can visit Bacon's Castle, ride the (free) Jamestown-Scotland ferry, step back in history at Smith's Fort Plantation, or marvel at the nature in the Big Woods State Forest and Chippokes State Park (which also features a pretty interested historic house and farm museum). The best part? Not a whole lot of other people seem to have discovered it yet, so you won't have to deal with many crowds.

4. Williamsburg/Jamestown/Yorktown: Everybody knows the Historic Triangle as a nearby day trip destination and frankly, it can feel a little tired after doing the same things over and over. So why not take this chance to look up some of the lesser-known attractions? Stop by the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum or take in a show at the Kimball Theatre. Colonial Williamsburg's newest attraction, a working blacksmith shop, just opened in November and looks pretty cool and the Williamsburg Farmer's Market just reopened  for the season and is held every Tuesday and Saturday. And then there's the Colonial National Historic Park, which features 23 miles of scenic byways and some gorgeous local flora this time of year. (You could still get lunch at the Cheese Shop. That never gets old).

5. Cape Charles: We're big fans of pretty much everything Cape Charles has to offer, from beach to woods, and in every season! Check out the beach at Kiptopeke State Park, explore the little historic town, or maybe do some antiquing nearby if your kids will go for it? There are treasures to be found.

This week I also wrote about some FREE Easter egg hunts happening around town on Saturday and Sunday over at Fun and Free Hampton Roads. You know you want to check it out!

Happy weekend!