5 awesome ways to experience Virginia Beach

Don’t just stop at the beach. Kayaking the waterways, hiking the trails, and picking your own produce are just a few ways you can wile away the hours in the sun.

The Adventure Park at the Virginia Aquarium is the ultimate way to take “a walk in the park.” Hint: It won’t be on the ground.

Hit any of Virginia Beach’s trails, and you’re in for a dozen different ecosystems, from tidal marshes and sand dunes to cypress swamps and ocean beaches.

To truly experience the beauty of Virginia Beach, you’ve got to float through it.

Who needs mimosas when you have adrenaline (and your best friend)? Watch Matador’s take on the perfect Virginia Beach girlfriends’ getaway.

When countryside meets coastline, romance blooms.

Because every Bloody Mary should be topped with an entire softshell crab. (And that’s not the only garnish!)

Grab your waders — these are some of the country’s best oysters, and you’re welcome to join in the hunt.

Sitting where the Chesapeake Bay meets the Atlantic, it’s hard to get seafood that’s fresher than right here. Fall is peak seafood season, though all year long the scene is a force to be reckoned with.

Locally roasted coffee, seafood seaside-cottage style, “Bay Local Bennies,” and the best of backyard-to-table are all par for the course in Virginia Beach.

Brunch should be celebrated every day of the week, any time of day. If anyone ever told you there was an inappropriate time for a Bloody Mary, they were lying.

Eating fresh oysters right from the spot they’re harvested? All of a sudden, farm-to-table doesn’t seem that remarkable.

In 1607, English settlers arrived at what is now First Landing State Park, and Virginia Beach has been humming along ever since.

At the Military Aviation Museum, you can take to the skies in an actual vintage WWII-era airplane, open cockpit and all.

Climb to the top, and you’re overlooking the same view Alexander Hamilton once saw — in fact, he picked this very spot.

Here, you’re in the land of legends, US Presidents, movie stars, and famous athletes. You’ve just got to know where to look.

This is one Virginia Beach souvenir that lasts a lifetime — and here’s how they’re made.

The Virginia Museum of Contemporary Art was formed by the community — and this had made all the difference.

The ViBe Creative District is all things local and handmade. Though seashells make good souvenirs, what you’ll find here is a bit more unique to the area.

State-of-the-art museums, contemporary galleries, internationally renowned entertainment, street art, and live music. Virginia Beach has become a destination for culture, too.

Want to meet the artists driving Virginia Beach’s culture scene? You can, and you’ll soon start spotting their work all across the city.

Not married to the IPA, not betrothed to the stout — breweries in Virginia Beach all do their own thing, from barrel-aged sours to juicy ales bursting with complex flavor.

Each Virginia Beach brewery has seasonal selections that you’ll only find for a limited time. Hurry before they all run out!

Those “shark tears” aren’t tears of sadness. At this locally famous brewery, they’re tears of joy.

Every city seems to have a craft beer scene by now, but Virginia Beach’s brews are leading the pack in a different way. Here’s how.