I’m a native Virginian, and I appreciate all the natural beauty and history Virginia offers. With that in mind, here’s a list of the top ten things you might want to do if you visit Virginia.
- Relax at Sandbridge Beach. I prefer Sandbridge to the nearby and more well-known Virginia Beach because it’s just houses and beaches without the boardwalk and more touristy attractions.
- Hike in the Shenandoah National Park. The Appalachian Trail, a 2000+ mile hike along the East Coast, intersects with Skyline Drive in the Shenandoah National Park at a number of locations.
- Visit Colonial Williamsburg. It’s beautiful, peaceful, and steeped in history. If you can visit during the Christmas season, when all the buildings are adorned with old-fashioned decor, so much better!
- Explore Luray Caverns. The caverns themselves are fun for kids and adults, and they have several added activities in the vicinity to explore (like gem “mining”).
- Engage with history in Fredericksburg. A prime destination for those interested in the American Civil War, the Fredericksburg area has multiple historic battlegrounds and homes to explore.
- Camp in Grayson Highland State Park. If you like to camp (or stay in a yurt!), then consider a visit to Grayson Highland State park, where you’ll be surrounded by striking mountains.
- Ramble about Chincoteague Island. What could be more appealing than a beach where wild horses roam? If you’re a horse lover, visit during the pony swim in July for added fun.
- Spend time in Richmond. I could make a long list for Richmond alone. But if you enjoy natural beauty, I’d recommend either Maymont or the Lewis Ginter Botanical Gardens. Maymont has abundant animal life and some kid-friendly exploration areas to go along with its well-manicured gardens, while Lewis Ginter, as its name suggests, focuses on botanical life.
- Stop by Natural Bridge. A striking natural rock formation, Natural Bridge has appeared in several “Wonders of the Natural World” lists over the years.
- Visit Monticello or Mount Vernon. If you like stately old manors, then these estates belonging to past presidents hold a great deal of charm and stories from the past.
About Sarah Chislon
Sarah Chislon lives in Virginia with her husband and three daughters. When she’s not writing, she’s homeschooling her children and running a web development business with her husband. As an avid reader and a lifelong story-weaver, she delights in creating fantastic worlds and exploring them alongside her characters.
Connect with Sarah on her website | Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads
About the Book
Tattoo of Crimson (Blood of the Fae, #1) by Sarah Chislon
Publication date: January 17th 2023
Genres: Adult, Fantasy, Mystery
Synopsis:
Society, suitors, and…serial murders?
As much as she desires to please her family, gently-bred herbalist Jessa Caldwell has no intention of making a suitable match—not when she’s seeking the truth about the taint of the fae that lies within her. If she’s to escape the madness brought on by fae-touch, she must devote her energies to seeking a cure.
But then mysterious tattoos begin to appear on the citizens of Avons. None recall receiving these harbingers of death, but all die at the hand of an untraceable killer days or weeks after being marked.
When the tattoo appears on her beloved mentor, Jessa seeks the Magistry with information on the case—yet they refuse to consider her findings, so she must risk both social censure and her own safety to hunt for the killer herself.
Her one possible ally represents her greatest fear—the encroaching Otherworld consuming her mind—and may well undo all her efforts to control her fae-touch. Yet if she forsakes the offered aid, the killer will go free.
Something sinister stalks the streets of her city, and she must decide…how far will she go to stop the killing?
Tattoo of Crimson, a gaslamp fantasy novel, is the first book in the Blood of the Fae series. If you like quick-minded heroines who solve cases with logic and intuition, beautiful yet deadly fae, and Otherworldly intrigues, then you’ll love this mystery set in a world of manners and mythical monsters.
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