Dine al fresco at the Crab Shack in Newport News, overlooking the James River. (More outdoor dining venues on p. 22)
Watch a July 4 fireworks display.
Pick your own fruit. (p. 44.)
Use sunscreen! (p. 12)
Attend an outdoor festival (p. 55)
Experience the wonderful world of butterflies in “Butterflies Live!” at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden. Exhibit is open daily, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., through Oct. 14. lewisginter.org.
Visit the Japanese Gardens at Maymont. The spectacular gardens turn 100 this year. Maymont.org
Get a close look at the body’s inner workings at Body Worlds & The Brain, on exhibit at the Science Museum of Virginia through Sept. 23. (Note: Recommended for children 8 years of age and older.) smv.org
Bike under the stars August 4 during the Anthem Moonlight Ride, a family-friendly bike event presented by Sports Backers and Anthem. Choose from a 17- or 8-mile course. Both rides start at 8 p.m., at Sports Backers Stadium in Richmond. SportsBackers.org
Take a tour of Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge in Virginia Beach.
Pack a picnic and spend a day swimming with the family at Lake Sherando. (Details on p. 27)
Groove to music at an outdoor concert, like those held at Innsbrook.
Attend a summer wine tasting on the Monticello Wine trail. MonticelloWineTrail.com
Chase an ice cream truck with your kids.
Jump off a diving board.
Bury your feet in the sand.
Do a huge chalk drawing in your driveway, including a quote that inspires you. If you can, climb a ladder and take an aerial photo.
Help your kids set up a lemonade or cookie stand, and consider donating the money to charity. (Anthem’s LemonAid happens locally July 20–22. AnthemLemonaid.com)
Try at least one new exercise class, and don’t give up after just one session. If you hate it after the second, you can switch gears.
Two words: Grill it! Just be sure to clean the grate often to eliminate burned bits of food (charred food contains carcinogens).
Try your luck at catching some fish.
Visit a local farmers’ market. (p. 25)
Stage your own Top Chef-themed cooking competition with friends or family.
Tour a local winery or brewery.
Build a sand castle. (p. 20)
Take a walk on the Noland Trail in Newport News. If it’s not too hot or buggy, pack a picnic lunch to eat at the Lion’s Bridge along the way.
See “Lost & Found,” on exhibit through Aug. 25 at the Library of Virginia—a look at the constantly changing fabric of our world. LVA.Virginia.gov
Volunteer! If you live in Richmond, try HandsOnRVA.org for opportunities; Hampton Roads residents can visit VolunteerHR.org for ideas.
Do something that scares you. Whatever it is—getting on a new ride at Busch Gardens or Kings Dominion, hosting a dinner party or asking someone out on a date—don’t procrastinate.
Be a tourist for a day! Visit Jamestown Island or walk through the gardens and mazes behind the Governor’s Palace in Colonial Williamsburg.
Visit Yorktown Beach. It’s small, but the Yorktown Pub is a tasty and unique lunch spot—and there’s an ice cream shop, too.
Don’t scratch your mosquito bites!
Rent a paddleboat.
Explore a state park. VirginiaStateParks.gov
Ride the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry from Jamestown to Surry.
Play bocce ball in your backyard.
Score tickets to a Richmond Flying Squirrels game. MILB.com
Go on a dolphin watch at the Virginia Aquarium & Marine Science Center in Virginia Beach.
Run through a sprinkler.
Spend a day at the Virginia Living Museum.
Take in a matinee, enjoying the air conditioning. Or, see a midnight screening of a summer blockbuster, like The Dark Knight Rises.
Ride a carousel.
Take a scuba lesson from the Dive Shop in Richmond.
Read a book in the shade.
Make an epic summer soundtrack: Billboard just released its “Top 30 Summer Songs of All Time.” billboard.com/features
Buy clothing with built-in sun protection. (Find this and other gear on p. 28)
Pack a picnic.
Bite into local BBQ.
Buy a pair of sunglasses that will protect your eyes from UV rays. (p. 50)
Take a scenic drive through the Blue Ridge Mountains, preferably in a convertible.
Bonfire of the Vanities: Get out the marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate.
Talk to a neighbor.
Run a 5K!
Get to know your local history.
Enjoy a scoop of homemade ice cream from a local shop. (p. 42)
Visit a botanical garden.
Sip on a cold glass of sangria.
Take a staycation—gas prices shouldn’t spoil your summer.
Camp out at the Chicahominy Riverfont Park and use the swimming pool for a day.
Take a “beach vacation” on the Colonial Parkway or at Texas Beach on Belle Isle—pack a cooler, and don’t forget the insect repellant.
Pitch a tent in your own backyard.
Visit another state.
Start a small backyard garden, or join a CSA through a local farmer.
Stay hydrated! If it helps, invest in a good water bottle.
See a movie at the Goochland drive-in theater.
Fly a kite atop Mount Trashmore in Virginia Beach, or at Jockey’s Ridge in the Outer Banks.
Start a water balloon fight.
Try paddleboarding! Tula Adventure Sports in Virginia Beach and Eco Discovery Park in Williamsburg offer lessons and rentals.
Go museum hopping, or visit the National Zoo, in Washington, D.C. (p. 19)
Lie under the stars and watch the Perseids meteor shower August 12-13.
Leave your cell phone at home for a day.
Search for that “summer love.”
Play a game of CanJam or Cornhole.
Take a day trip to Chincoteague’s wild life preserve and see the wild ponies.
Catch a “Family Film by the Fountain” in Oyster Point’s City Center on Saturday nights in August.
Stroll the First Fridays Art Walk on Adams and Broad Street in Richmond, more than 20 participating galleries and venues!
Slice up an heirloom tomato.
Eat soft-shell crabs.
Spend a day at Water Country USA or Ocean Breeze (Wild Water Rapids, for you old-schoolers).
Invest in a good pair of flip-flops. (p. 48)
Put in a canoe at Dutch Gap and paddle the James.
Watch the sun rise on the Eastern Shore.
Play outside during a rainstorm, or listen to a thunderstorm.
