Beaches for Northern Virginia residents? (Virginia Beach, Roanoke: rentals, neighborhood, clubs)

[Thoro]

Curious to know what or which beaches residents of the NoVa area frequent.

Also if there are preferred Lakes in the region people like to visit or boat on.

I don't think the Potomac River actually offers too much of a beach type atmosphere, waterfalls and parks but no actual Riverside beaches or resorts.

[claremarie]

We go to the Outer Banks in North Carolina. It takes about six hours to get there (especially if you avoid 95 by taking 301 to 17 to 64....). It is a very popular destination for northern Virginians, judging by the number of "OBX" bumper stickers I see every day.

[saganista]

Ocean City, MD, and Rehoboth and Bethany Beach, DE, are also popular and are maybe 3½ hours away. The Jersey shore (Cape May, Wildwood, Atlantic City) isn't much more than that. But it's still true I think that most head south...Virginia Beach, the Outer Banks, and on down to Myrtle Beach are all popular but a hefty drive, which can be a bit tedious with smaller kids.

[EricD]

Lake Anna? Or maybe Colonial Beach?

[lqda4]

OBX is getting ridiculously expensive (rentals). Plus, you get to fight the traffic on I-95 and I-64. We go to VA Beach or OBX during off season if we can get a good deal. Otherwise, Cancun or FL panhandle would be our choices for beaches.

[knopfler]

Originally Posted by Thoro

Curious to know what or which beaches residents of the NoVa area frequent.

Also if there are preferred Lakes in the region people like to visit or boat on.

I don't think the Potomac River actually offers too much of a beach type atmosphere, waterfalls and parks but no actual Riverside beaches or resorts.

All of the above that people mentioned, but also including Smith Mountain Lake in southwestern VA (think Roanoke) for a long weekender (it's about 4 hour drive), and Deep Creek Lake in Western Maryland are both places that boating enthusiasts crave.

[dullnboring]

People don't seem to really go out to lakes much in Northern Virginia.

Funnily enough, it seems like few people I know actually go to Virginia Beach. Most out of staters, if they were to be asked where they thought most Virginians would go, would assume that would be the place; but it seems to me that most go to either the Delaware (Rehoboth, Bethany, Dewey) and Maryland (Ocean City) beaches, or bypass Virginia Beach and head down to the Outer Banks or Myrtle Beach.

[saganista]

The lakes are under-utilized, I think. Might have something to do with the odd fact of there being more than 100 neighborhood swim clubs in NoVa. So, you go to the pool, rather than the lake. Lousy boating and fishing at the pool, though...

[Fairfax Mom]

We go to VA Beach and love it - traffic to get there is really bad so we leave VERY early in the morning and beat most of it.

[pwrl3ss]

We usually head to Carolina Beach in NC. A little further south of the Outer Banks, but it's really worth the trip if you can deal with 6 hours of driving. I used to go to OC, but now it just seems crowded.