Money is tight. I think that is true for all of us. Free time is as tight as money is for the most. The only thing I know is nearly everyone has an excess of stress. My family is no different. This year, my husband and I decided we deserved a vacation.
Budget, of course, was not the only factor in determining the success of our vacation. There are several other things to take into consideration. Ya see, my husband has three daughters and we have three dogs. The girls were easy; they went to their mother’s house. The two small dogs weren’t hard; I always have volunteers doggie sit for them. But, a two-year-old, 85 pound, lab-mix is a different story.
Most people are a bit intimidated by his stature and excitement level. At two-years-old, he still has some puppy in him. Walking him or playing with him seems formidable to most. For that reason, we decided to venture into the unknown and take him along with us.
Weather was another consideration. We live in Southwest Virginia and spring is just now springing for us. It has rained most of 2009 and we wanted to warm up and to be able to get out. So, after researching our options, we decided the biggest “bang” for the buck was First Landing State Park had the perfect mix of quiet restfulness and rejuvenating energy to meet our needs.
I booked a two-bedroom cabin with a full kitchen and bath. The full kitchen allowed us to cook our own meals and not have to pay to eat out every meal. The full bathroom gave me the pleasure of not having to hike to the bathhouse with every urge. And the large open deck permitted us to unwind and enjoy nature from the comfort of our own cabin.
Although the cabins are not waterfront, we were right on the water in a matter of minutes. We could have even walked along the cabin road or trails that make their way to the waterfront area or we could have just drove. In less than two minutes we were face-to-face wit all the peace the ocean provides. What a refresher.
The park is 100% pet friendly too. The volunteer group, Friends of First Landing, have stations available where they provide bags for picking up after your dogs. They were so useful. In fact, the entire city of Virginia Beach was dog friendly.
The really cool thing about the park is that it is just a short drive from the boardwalk of Virginia Beach yet you have the feeling of being out in the woods far away from everything. They have to make a special effort to keep that feeling to the park. First Landing State Park has all the ingredients to be the perfect affordable vacation destination.