Talley Your Adventure – The Blog

Welcome to Talley Your Adventure’s exciting new Adventure across America! We plan to talk about a dozen amazing states in America and highlight one each month. As a celebration to the 250th Birthday of the United States, Talley Your Adventure will not only showcase these wonderful states but encourage all of you blog readers to visit this year and celebrate as a citizen of this great country!

So, where should we start? How about the current state that the Traveling Talley’s are living in – Virginia! We’ve been in the Northern Virginia area for two years now and have loved most every minute of it! What have we not liked? THE SNOW! THE COLD! We will get to that, though…let’s talk about all the cool reasons you should take a week and #VisitVirginia!!

Historically, Virginia was first settled by English colonists in 1607 at Jamestown. You can visit the site today as it is preserved as a partnership between the National Park Service and Jamestown / Yorktown Foundation. Close by but made famous for a completely different period of time is the Yorktown Battlefield. After declaring independence in 1776, there were many clashes between the British Army and the colonists in the state of Virginia. I will admit, it is a bit difficult to visit an American Revolutionary site when there are so many Civil War parks in the state of Virginia – but you should absolutely put Yorktown on your battlefield list as the one and only selection if that is all you can do for your trip! Yorktown Battlefield was the last, and most decisive, victory that General George Washington and his Colonial Army over General Lord Cornwallis and his British Army. This victory led to the surrender of Cornwallis and the creation of the United States of America!

The American Revolution is also on full display in many other gorgeous areas of Virginia – and least of all are the many Founding Father homes that dot the landscape! George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello, and James Madison’s Montpelier can all be toured either as a group or independently and are absolutely worth the price! Pay attention to when these museums are open as they are independently owned by a trust or fund and their hours can vary. They can also close for private events. When visiting Mount Vernon, make sure to stay and watch the 4D video. It is interactive by the unique way they fuse in the cold winter months while General Washington was in Valley Forge (it really gets cold in the room and they blow fans with bubbles!) and allows for a cool walk along the property.

A history tour of Virginia would not be complete without a mention of the many Civil War battlefields throughout the state. It is a great state to stay a couple days either in the Richmond area or Fairfax area to get a multi-day battlefield tour scheduled! Some of my personal favorite battlefields include Manassas, Fredricksburg, Spotsylvania, the Wilderness, and Chancellorsville. All of them offer hiking opportunities for you to ‘walk as a soldier’ through the battlefield as well as guided or ranger led tours of the battlefield that bring you to specific locations. Either of these are worth the time! What I love the most about Virginia battlefields rather than other states battlefields is their attention to detail on the battlefield and their willingness to allow you to walk the trail yourself without interpretation from others. I love strolling the battlefield on my own! All of these are owned by the National Park Service and are free of charge! Support your park while you are there and buy something from the gift shop!

Viginia is part of the Appalachian Trail, with 557 miles of trails in the state alone! Even in crowded areas such as Fairfax, there are plenty of opportunities to explore nature without leaving the states. One of the best areas we go for access to the Appalachian trail is in Shenandoah National Park. Our favorite access is Front Royal via the many Scenic Byways you can travel throughout Virginia. You might have heard of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Skyline drive, but there are others in the form of historic battlefield drives or fall color routes. Look for smaller signs along the road or ask your GPS to specifically find scenic routes to experience this beautiful part of Virginia! Along Route 7 includes the cute town of Bluemont, which hosts several wineries and breweries! During the fall season, you can join hay rides, try to find your way through corn mazes, and figure out which pumpkin you want to bring home with you at their seasonal pumpkin patches. We really enjoy Dirt Farm Brewery, which as an amazing view of not just their farm, but the mountains and skyline. Their 4 miles hike is a bit challenging but the Pumpkin Ale they serve (seasonally!) is worth it in the end!

If country breweries and wineries are not your thing, do not worry! Virginia has an impressive assortment of food across the state. From laid back dives to Michelin style restaurants, we have consistently been happy with each new choice we make. Recently, we went to a delightful restaurant named Trummers. The service and food was fantastic and the ambiance was superb – we definitely recommend! We’ve had the fortune now of living in Virginia for two years and have sampled many of the amazing restaurants in Northern Virginia – excellent sandwich shops such as Twisted Sweets & Savory bring that Hungarian flare I always love, and Chateau de Chantilly is an excellent choice for a quick breakfast stop. Our apartment complex is within walking distance to both Sedona Taphouse and Uptown Grille – which we frequent! 🙂

Our time in Virginia has been amazing – and we can make your trip just as sweet! Contact us for more information on how to make your ideal trip to Virginia, one of the most beautiful states in the US, during your 2026 America Tour!