Tag: Leah LOVES Virginia

  • Manassas: “Stills” in LOVE

    Manassas: “Stills” in LOVE

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    There is a certain rhythm to the drive from the Richmond area to Northern Virginia – a transition from the leisurely feel of the River City, to the fast-paced energy of NOVA. And while seasoned travelers know that I-95 can be “a beast,” there is still an appreciation that when you travel this route, it…

  • Farmville: LOVE Off the Beaten Path

    Farmville: LOVE Off the Beaten Path

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    When so many journeys require interstate travel, it’s a welcome change when the majority of the drive can be spent on backroads. And from where we start, not a single interstate sign is seen, just miles of quiet rural roads. As we get closer to our destination, I sense a subtle shift in the air.…

  • Chincoteague: Where Wild Ponies LOVE to Swim

    Chincoteague: Where Wild Ponies LOVE to Swim

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    On the northern side of VA US-13, when I turn next to a local’s favorite landmark, I find myself headed to the most eastern point of Virginia. It’s a peaceful drive, which includes a 4-mile causeway that carries me off the mainland of the Eastern Shore. When I arrive, I encounter an island beach town…

  • Roanoke: The Star City Full of LOVE

    Roanoke: The Star City Full of LOVE

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    As we look ahead through the curving mountainside, we begin to see signs for I-581 South. When we take the left-hand exit, the interstate feels more like a country highway, leaving the busy and congested roadway behind us. We’ve been lucky with the amount of rain that has fallen this summer – The trees look…

  • Blacksburg: Hokie LOVE

    Blacksburg: Hokie LOVE

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    As I drive along US-460, I look up at the rolling hills rising high on either side of me. It is a beautiful valley I find myself in between the Blue Ridge and the Allegheny Mountains. As I travel further, I also start to see the distinctive limestone buildings made of Hokie Stone – where…

  • Christiansburg: LOVE on Higher Ground

    Christiansburg: LOVE on Higher Ground

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    It’s one thing to be on the road and see the Blue Ridge Mountains in the distance. It’s another to be surrounded by them as you drive. It looks like the hills are giving the land a gentle bear-hug, as I weave in between the higher ground. While the mountains are not foreign to me,…

  • Victoria: LOVE in the Lavender

    Victoria: LOVE in the Lavender

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    There is something about driving down a Virginia country road that makes it like no other place. Corn fields hug the roads and I can see where the stalks are starting to stand proudly in the spring sun. The white blossom’s of Adam’s Needles are in bloom everywhere along the pavement, like it’s growing wild…

  • Lakeside: Home is Where the LOVE is

    Lakeside: Home is Where the LOVE is

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    As I take the Glenside exit on I-64, it’s like my car starts driving itself. Brett and I lived in this area for 11 years – We bought our first home here, started our careers while living here, and brought both of our boys home here after they were born. While much has changed, the…

  • Colonial Beach: LOVE’s Playground

    Colonial Beach: LOVE’s Playground

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    As we head east, main roads turn into back roads that weave through fields that have just been planted. The honeysuckle smell is so strong it’s like you’re swimming in a pool of the delicate flower. It’s early May and the trees tower over us, branches heavy with their leaves. But as we get closer…

  • Hopewell: The Wonder City full of LOVE

    Hopewell: The Wonder City full of LOVE

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    From the way I start, I-95 is busy with people either heading to work or traveling south to various locations. As I get closer to my destination, an overpass crosses over a body of water which I was not expecting. How easily I forget the many waterways that weave into Virginia’s east coast. And as…