Monday, January 4, 2010
2010 is here. Time To Have Fun!
A new year, a new decade, a new beginning. Here's hoping that everyone has a safe and wonderful 2010.
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Welcome To The Summer Of 2009!
So far it's been a great Summer here in Virginia Beach. As you can tell from watching the Boardwalk Cam that the weather's been mostly sunny and much cooler than previous summers. Many locals are still sleeping with their windows open. That's how cool it's been.
I'd like to remind everyone that August is a great month to visit Virginia Beach. There's usually lots of room availability which translates into lower room rates across the board. Most hoteliers have already dropped their August rates with more coming on board every day. These deals are designed to move quickly which means you can't spend a lot of time thinking about it. At these prices, they will DEFINITELY sell out. Will you be the lucky family to grab one of these great deals?
Go to VaBeach.com and click on the "Low Room Rates" links on the bottom of any page.
Lots of new videos to come! Stay tuned!
I'd like to remind everyone that August is a great month to visit Virginia Beach. There's usually lots of room availability which translates into lower room rates across the board. Most hoteliers have already dropped their August rates with more coming on board every day. These deals are designed to move quickly which means you can't spend a lot of time thinking about it. At these prices, they will DEFINITELY sell out. Will you be the lucky family to grab one of these great deals?
Go to VaBeach.com and click on the "Low Room Rates" links on the bottom of any page.
Lots of new videos to come! Stay tuned!
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
VaBeach.com Boardwalk Cam at Waterman's
Hello Beach Lovers!
The weather has been really off and on lately. One weekend it's snowy, the next it's sunny and 80 degrees! Who knows what this weekend has in store for us!
One thing's for sure, it will be easier than ever to find out what's going on at the beach because VaBeach.com is installing our first webcam. It will be at Waterman's on the boardwalk at 5th street, which is the perfect location for a camera.
This will be a full motion, "higher" definition camera (640 by 480 is technically HD), that will move every few seconds to show a series of spectacular views. Ships on the horizon, people fishing on the pier, surfers at the jetty, volleyball, bicycling, Waterman's outdoor bar and boardwalk cafe, live bands most summer nights, plus all of the major oceanfront events happen right there!
After a short testing period we will reveal the camera to the world. Is the world ready for Va. Beach? We will have to see!
The weather has been really off and on lately. One weekend it's snowy, the next it's sunny and 80 degrees! Who knows what this weekend has in store for us!
One thing's for sure, it will be easier than ever to find out what's going on at the beach because VaBeach.com is installing our first webcam. It will be at Waterman's on the boardwalk at 5th street, which is the perfect location for a camera.
This will be a full motion, "higher" definition camera (640 by 480 is technically HD), that will move every few seconds to show a series of spectacular views. Ships on the horizon, people fishing on the pier, surfers at the jetty, volleyball, bicycling, Waterman's outdoor bar and boardwalk cafe, live bands most summer nights, plus all of the major oceanfront events happen right there!
After a short testing period we will reveal the camera to the world. Is the world ready for Va. Beach? We will have to see!
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Virginia Beach Restaurant Week - January 18th - 25th, 2009
If you love good food, and who doesn't, here's an event you can't miss. The Virginia Beach Restaurant Week has become one of the region's favorite annual events. Dozens of the best Virginia Beach Restaurants are chosen to participate in this special event. Each restaurant offers a selection of lunch specials for $10.09 and dinner specials for $20.09 and $25.09. For these remarkably low prices you get to enjoy a meal featuring the best cuisine in Virginia Beach.
Please visit the Virginia Beach Restaurant Association website for a listing of participating restaurants and further information. http://www.vabeachrestaurants.net/
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
Where Are You Going To Watch History Being Made?
This may be a wild idea, but why not come to Virginia Beach to watch the inauguration of Barack Obama as the 44th President Of The United States. I was born in Virginia Beach, but I was raised 7 miles from the District Of Columbia and I know what 4 to 5 million visitors will do to Washington D.C.
Every day a little more than one million workers commute into downtown Washington DC. Since this will be a govt. holiday, the first million attendees will be absorbed quite well. Add another million visitors and you've got gridlock pretty much all over town. Add another million visitors and it's hard to imagine anyone getting anywhere. District officials are talking about the potential of FIVE million people showing up. Believe me, you don't want to go anywhere near Washington DC for the inauguration.
Breaking news: The article linked below just appeared on the Virginian Pilot website saying that access to Washington DC will be closed from Virginia and that 3.5 square miles of downtown will be closed off to all private vehicles starting on the 19th. Seriously folks they're still talking about 5 million people showing up. A lot of those people are going to end up listening to the inauguration on their car radios if they are lucky. Think about coming to Va. Beach instead!
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/01/personal-vehicles-wont-be-let-dc-va-jan-20
Oceanfront hotel rooms are at the lowest prices I've seen in 14 years! You can get rooms on the beach for less than you can book a room at your local Motel 6. Book several rooms and have your friends and family meet here in Virginia Beach to watch the big event with the ocean in the background. Some days in January are cold and windy, but we always seem to get several January days in the 60's and 70's. You might get lucky. You can always select a hotel that has an indoor pool so be sure to pack your swimwear.
Maybe you live in Washington DC and are looking for somewhere to go and wait out the insanity. Come on down to Virginia Beach! The Virginia Aquarium is open year round, there are events every weekend at the convention center, most of the oceanfront restaurants and shops are open and we've got vacancies!
Every day a little more than one million workers commute into downtown Washington DC. Since this will be a govt. holiday, the first million attendees will be absorbed quite well. Add another million visitors and you've got gridlock pretty much all over town. Add another million visitors and it's hard to imagine anyone getting anywhere. District officials are talking about the potential of FIVE million people showing up. Believe me, you don't want to go anywhere near Washington DC for the inauguration.
Breaking news: The article linked below just appeared on the Virginian Pilot website saying that access to Washington DC will be closed from Virginia and that 3.5 square miles of downtown will be closed off to all private vehicles starting on the 19th. Seriously folks they're still talking about 5 million people showing up. A lot of those people are going to end up listening to the inauguration on their car radios if they are lucky. Think about coming to Va. Beach instead!
http://hamptonroads.com/2009/01/personal-vehicles-wont-be-let-dc-va-jan-20
Oceanfront hotel rooms are at the lowest prices I've seen in 14 years! You can get rooms on the beach for less than you can book a room at your local Motel 6. Book several rooms and have your friends and family meet here in Virginia Beach to watch the big event with the ocean in the background. Some days in January are cold and windy, but we always seem to get several January days in the 60's and 70's. You might get lucky. You can always select a hotel that has an indoor pool so be sure to pack your swimwear.
Maybe you live in Washington DC and are looking for somewhere to go and wait out the insanity. Come on down to Virginia Beach! The Virginia Aquarium is open year round, there are events every weekend at the convention center, most of the oceanfront restaurants and shops are open and we've got vacancies!
Friday, November 21, 2008
Ho Ho Ho! Holiday Lights At The Beach Runs Through New Year's Day!
If you are like most people, you think of going to the beach in the summer and the mountains in the winter. In fact there isn't much to do at most beaches in the winter, but over the last 15 years Virginia Beach has added lots of year-round events and attractions.
Our Holiday Lights At The Beach Festival is one event you don't want to miss. First of all, you get to stay in the same beautiful oceanfront hotels with the same spectacular views of the beach, boardwalk and ocean. Wait until you walk down the beach when there's practically nobody else here. Granted, winter is very different than summer at the beach, but lots of people prefer the solitude and quiet that you'll only find at this time of year.
One big advantage to visiting Virginia Beach in the winter is that hotel rooms are really affordable! See for yourself! Visit VaBeach.com's hotel reservations finder by CLICKING HERE. The prices have been slashed, PLUS most hotels will give you a free pass to the Holiday Lights when you check in. Maybe a free breakfast as well. Once you add up all the benefits, it's like you are staying for free.
It was only 15 years ago that most Va. Beach oceanfront hotels, restaurants and shops closed for the winter. Now there's so much to do that almost all businesses stay open year round. You'll find dozens of open and inviting restaurants and shops, many of which lower their prices in the winter (just like the hotels).
The Holiday Lights display is much like the drive-through light displays that are now popular all over the country, however ours is MUCH bigger and better. Our festival runs more than 32 blocks along our beautiful boardwalk. That's right, you get to drive your car on the boardwalk, and the view is breathtaking. I've also noticed lots of families will sit in their oceanfront hotel room with the lights out watching the line of cars file slowly past the dazzlingly colorful light displays. Either way, you've got beautiful views of the whole festival.
Weekends tend to fill up so make your reservations now if you want to spend the weekend. There's always vacancies during the week and the prices are rock bottom. One thing to consider would be to take off Friday or Monday and stay an extra weeknight for practically nothing.
Don't forget that the Virginia Aquarium is open year round, as is the Old Coast Guard Station Museum and the Contemporary Art Center. The Convention Center hosts many holiday themed events throughout the season.
Also, you should be thinking about New Year's Eve! Virginia Beach is a great place to ring in the new year! Many hotels host their own parties that include dinner for two, complimentary champagne in your room and a toast midnight plus party favors, and best of all - breakfast the next day. Ouch! HAA!
Visit our hotel reservations finder and book a weekend getaway that will be light on your wallet but long in your memories.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK ROOM AVAILABILITY
Our Holiday Lights At The Beach Festival is one event you don't want to miss. First of all, you get to stay in the same beautiful oceanfront hotels with the same spectacular views of the beach, boardwalk and ocean. Wait until you walk down the beach when there's practically nobody else here. Granted, winter is very different than summer at the beach, but lots of people prefer the solitude and quiet that you'll only find at this time of year.
One big advantage to visiting Virginia Beach in the winter is that hotel rooms are really affordable! See for yourself! Visit VaBeach.com's hotel reservations finder by CLICKING HERE. The prices have been slashed, PLUS most hotels will give you a free pass to the Holiday Lights when you check in. Maybe a free breakfast as well. Once you add up all the benefits, it's like you are staying for free.
It was only 15 years ago that most Va. Beach oceanfront hotels, restaurants and shops closed for the winter. Now there's so much to do that almost all businesses stay open year round. You'll find dozens of open and inviting restaurants and shops, many of which lower their prices in the winter (just like the hotels).
The Holiday Lights display is much like the drive-through light displays that are now popular all over the country, however ours is MUCH bigger and better. Our festival runs more than 32 blocks along our beautiful boardwalk. That's right, you get to drive your car on the boardwalk, and the view is breathtaking. I've also noticed lots of families will sit in their oceanfront hotel room with the lights out watching the line of cars file slowly past the dazzlingly colorful light displays. Either way, you've got beautiful views of the whole festival.
Weekends tend to fill up so make your reservations now if you want to spend the weekend. There's always vacancies during the week and the prices are rock bottom. One thing to consider would be to take off Friday or Monday and stay an extra weeknight for practically nothing.
Don't forget that the Virginia Aquarium is open year round, as is the Old Coast Guard Station Museum and the Contemporary Art Center. The Convention Center hosts many holiday themed events throughout the season.
Also, you should be thinking about New Year's Eve! Virginia Beach is a great place to ring in the new year! Many hotels host their own parties that include dinner for two, complimentary champagne in your room and a toast midnight plus party favors, and best of all - breakfast the next day. Ouch! HAA!
Visit our hotel reservations finder and book a weekend getaway that will be light on your wallet but long in your memories.
CLICK HERE TO CHECK ROOM AVAILABILITY
Friday, October 10, 2008
DW's Grill Mongolian Bar-B-Que - VaBeach.com Restaurant Review
Everyone has a favorite restaurant, or maybe a favorite food. If you had told me 10 years ago that today my favorite food would be Mongolian Bar-B-Que, I'd have laughed out loud.
I moved to Virginia Beach in 1995 from the Washington DC area. If there were any Mongolian BBQ places in DC when I left, I wasn't aware of them. It wasn't until I moved to Virginia Beach that I first saw a sign saying Mongolian Bar B Que. I'm not sure what I thought "Mongolian Bar B Que" was, but it was three years before I actually tried it. I wish I'd tried it the very first day.
There are several places to get "Mongolian BBQ" in the Hampton Roads area, but DW's is the best. There are a few Chinese buffets that say they offer "Mongolian BBQ" but their version totally misses what's so good about it. What makes Mongolian Bar-B-Que so good is that you get to choose everything that goes in it. It's hard to explain unless you've had Mongolian done the right way, and a good place to start is DW's Grill at Hilltop in Virginia Beach, VA.
When you arrive at DW's you are greeted, seated and the waitress asks what you want to drink and whether you want hot and sour soup or egg drop soup. They are both excellent soups. I prefer the egg drop while many of my friends choose the hot and sour. The fresh egg flavor of the egg drop soup reminds me of eating breakfast. Damn, I'm hungry already and I've only written four paragraphs.
With your soup, DW's serves a basket of freshly baked, hot from the oven sesame flat bread and your choice of either steamed or fried rice. The sesame bread is absolutely delicious. It's especially good right when it comes out of the oven. When your waitress refills your bread basket, make sure to eat the fresh bread while it's still piping hot. MMmmm...
Be sure to visit the salad and sushi bar. DW's offers a wide variety of salad items and everything is kept fresh and cold. The sushi is very good, especially when you remember that it's included in the price of the meal.
Now you are ready to build the perfect bowl. Why is it perfect? Because YOU choose everything that goes into it. You start at one end of a buffet of ingredients starting with some cooked noodles then raw vegetables, meats and finally seasoning sauces. I love the noodles so I always get a lot of those. Then I add thin carrot strips, sliced zucchini, bean sprouts (love that crunch), and a healthy serving of sliced beef. DW's has a larger selection of vegetables and meats than any other Mongolian BBQ I've ever visited. I've been to Mongolian places from here to Stockton California and everywhere in-between. DW's is the best.
The secret is in the sauces. Once you've filled the bowl with your selection of raw ingredients, you add flavor in the form of sauces. The sauces they have include Garlic, Hot Pepper, Lemon Water, Sugar Water, Wine, Sesame Oil, Ginger Water, Oyster Sauce, and Mongolian Sauce. If you take one ladle of each sauce, your bowl will end up being very tasty. Every time you eat Mongolian BBQ you can add more of what you like and less of what you don't. Every time it gets better. Every time it's exactly the way you want it.
It's the perfect place to eat! The kids get exactly what they want, (with a few healthy additions at Mom's request), people on a mild diet can have theirs mildly spiced, and those of you like me will load it up with hot pepper and garlic. It's the only place I can get food that's spicy enough for me.
If you don't want to mess with it, the chef will add the spices for you, but either way it's time to hit the grill. The chef adds your food to a very hot, flat, round, circular grill. The food cooks very fast on this blazing hot surface. The chef uses a long pair of chopsticks to turn your food as he walks slowly around the grill. It's the coolest thing to watch. Sometimes there are three chefs preparing three dishes at a time on the same grill and they all have to work together. Fascinating.
The flavor is truly wonderful. The blend of all the sauces and especially the brown sauces (Oyster Sauce and Mongolian Special Sauce) combine to make a very savory and spicy flavor. There's a lot of people who eat at DW's three or four times per week. It can be highly addictive! HAA! There are some elements of the flavor that remind me of "Chinese" dishes, but at the same time it has a unique flavor that makes Mongolian Bar-B-Que quite different from the average Chinese meal.
Save room for dessert because DW's has a wide variety of cakes, cookies, fruits, Jello! and individual containers of ice cream. By the time you are finished, you will be full and happy.
Everyone at DW's is friendly and helpful. If you have any questions, everyone at DW's will be more than happy to help you.
I moved to Virginia Beach in 1995 from the Washington DC area. If there were any Mongolian BBQ places in DC when I left, I wasn't aware of them. It wasn't until I moved to Virginia Beach that I first saw a sign saying Mongolian Bar B Que. I'm not sure what I thought "Mongolian Bar B Que" was, but it was three years before I actually tried it. I wish I'd tried it the very first day.
There are several places to get "Mongolian BBQ" in the Hampton Roads area, but DW's is the best. There are a few Chinese buffets that say they offer "Mongolian BBQ" but their version totally misses what's so good about it. What makes Mongolian Bar-B-Que so good is that you get to choose everything that goes in it. It's hard to explain unless you've had Mongolian done the right way, and a good place to start is DW's Grill at Hilltop in Virginia Beach, VA.
When you arrive at DW's you are greeted, seated and the waitress asks what you want to drink and whether you want hot and sour soup or egg drop soup. They are both excellent soups. I prefer the egg drop while many of my friends choose the hot and sour. The fresh egg flavor of the egg drop soup reminds me of eating breakfast. Damn, I'm hungry already and I've only written four paragraphs.
With your soup, DW's serves a basket of freshly baked, hot from the oven sesame flat bread and your choice of either steamed or fried rice. The sesame bread is absolutely delicious. It's especially good right when it comes out of the oven. When your waitress refills your bread basket, make sure to eat the fresh bread while it's still piping hot. MMmmm...
Be sure to visit the salad and sushi bar. DW's offers a wide variety of salad items and everything is kept fresh and cold. The sushi is very good, especially when you remember that it's included in the price of the meal.
Now you are ready to build the perfect bowl. Why is it perfect? Because YOU choose everything that goes into it. You start at one end of a buffet of ingredients starting with some cooked noodles then raw vegetables, meats and finally seasoning sauces. I love the noodles so I always get a lot of those. Then I add thin carrot strips, sliced zucchini, bean sprouts (love that crunch), and a healthy serving of sliced beef. DW's has a larger selection of vegetables and meats than any other Mongolian BBQ I've ever visited. I've been to Mongolian places from here to Stockton California and everywhere in-between. DW's is the best.
The secret is in the sauces. Once you've filled the bowl with your selection of raw ingredients, you add flavor in the form of sauces. The sauces they have include Garlic, Hot Pepper, Lemon Water, Sugar Water, Wine, Sesame Oil, Ginger Water, Oyster Sauce, and Mongolian Sauce. If you take one ladle of each sauce, your bowl will end up being very tasty. Every time you eat Mongolian BBQ you can add more of what you like and less of what you don't. Every time it gets better. Every time it's exactly the way you want it.
It's the perfect place to eat! The kids get exactly what they want, (with a few healthy additions at Mom's request), people on a mild diet can have theirs mildly spiced, and those of you like me will load it up with hot pepper and garlic. It's the only place I can get food that's spicy enough for me.
If you don't want to mess with it, the chef will add the spices for you, but either way it's time to hit the grill. The chef adds your food to a very hot, flat, round, circular grill. The food cooks very fast on this blazing hot surface. The chef uses a long pair of chopsticks to turn your food as he walks slowly around the grill. It's the coolest thing to watch. Sometimes there are three chefs preparing three dishes at a time on the same grill and they all have to work together. Fascinating.
The flavor is truly wonderful. The blend of all the sauces and especially the brown sauces (Oyster Sauce and Mongolian Special Sauce) combine to make a very savory and spicy flavor. There's a lot of people who eat at DW's three or four times per week. It can be highly addictive! HAA! There are some elements of the flavor that remind me of "Chinese" dishes, but at the same time it has a unique flavor that makes Mongolian Bar-B-Que quite different from the average Chinese meal.
Save room for dessert because DW's has a wide variety of cakes, cookies, fruits, Jello! and individual containers of ice cream. By the time you are finished, you will be full and happy.
Everyone at DW's is friendly and helpful. If you have any questions, everyone at DW's will be more than happy to help you.
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