Meet Virginia
Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Phillip visited Virginia this spring. So did President Bush and the First Lady two weeks later. And former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor served as the hostess for the festivities. Let’s explore the
state’s highlights and find out what drew them here and what your groups will experience when they visit.
Located midway between New York and Florida, Virginia is the northernmost southern state or the southernmost mid-Atlantic state. The western part is mountainous, with the beautiful Shenandoah Valley lying between the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountain ranges. Scenic highlights include the Blue Ridge Parkway, Skyline Drive, Shenandoah National Park and the Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. The central piedmont contains rolling hills and then flattens as it approaches the Atlantic coast.
Of course this May was the 400th anniversary of the settlement at Jamestown, marking the first permanent English settlement in America in 1607, thirteen years before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock. (In fact, Captain John Smith named all of the East Coast as Virginia and later referred to the Jamestown area as
“Old Virginia colony and dominion” and the now-Massachusetts area as “New Virginia colony and dominion.”
Many believe this reference is the source for the state’s nickname of The Old Dominion.) There are two areas commemorating Jamestown. Historic Jamestowne is at the original landing site and is run by the National Park Service. It opened an Archaearium last summer that presents objects belonging to the colonists
and demonstrates how they were excavated while showing what the original fort looked like.
The nearby Jamestown Settlement is run the by the state and features extensive exhibition galleries, a film on 17th century Virginia through the eyes of the English, Powhatan Indian and westcentral African cultures, and a special exhibition placing Jamestown in a more global context, with major artifacts such as copy of the Magna Carta.
By John Closter
For full article please click here
Courtesy of leisuregrouptravel.com
Chitra Mogul
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Qatar Airways offers flexible payment options for European travellers
Airlines suspend Madagascar services following unrest and army revolt
Digital Travel Reporter of the Mirror totally seduced by HotelPlanner AI Travel Agent
Strike action set to cause travel chaos at Brussels airports
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025