14 Reasons Virginia Is For Lovers™

With Valentine's Day around the corner, it's the perfect time to share some reasons why Virginia is for Lovers™. Few places offer the natural beauty, historical importance, and vibrant music and arts scene of Virginia. From the Blue Ridge Parkway, to the birthplace of country music, to the Civil War battlefields across the Commonwealth – whatever your heart desires, you'll find it in Virginia.

1. Nature Lovers

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From the Chesapeake Bay to the Blue Ridge Mountains, the George Washington National Forest and the Shenandoah Valley, Virginia’s natural beauty can't be beat.

2. History Lovers

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You can't overstate Virginia's importance to the history of our country. The Old Dominion is the birthplace of eight U.S. presidents, home to the first permanent English settlement in the Americas, hosted more than 2,000 Civil War engagements, and the site of a student strike that helped set the civil rights movement in motion. The ancestral homes of many Native American tribes still exist today and many presidential homesteads are still open for visitors.

3. Music Lovers

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From Dave Matthews, to Pharrell, to Patsy Cline, Virginia has produced singers, songwriters, and musicians of all genres. I love Virginia's rich musical culture and you never know when you might catch me playing harmonica at Trail Days or the Floyd Country Store.

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4. Lovers of Country

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From Yorktown, to Appomattox, to the Pentagon, the map of Virginia is a map of the military history of our country. Today, one in three Virginians is directly connected to the military. Virginia is also home to 20 military installations including Naval Station Norfolk - the largest naval station in the world.

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5. Wine and Beer Lovers

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Virginia is home to more than 200 scenic vineyards and 60 craft breweries, spread across all corners of the Commonwealth. And if you're a whiskey lover, treat yourself to a visit to George Washington's Mount Vernon distillery, Purcellville's Catoctin Creek Distillery, Culpeper's Belmont Farm Distillery, or Sperryville’s Copper Fox Distillery, just to name a few.

6. Sports Lovers

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From the Super Bowl to the Olympic Games, Virginia is where some of the best athletes in the world are born and bred. And it’s safe to say we all still Remember the Titans thanks to the 1971 T.C. Williams High School football team in Alexandria.

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Super Bowl XLVIII champs representing Virginia

7. Animal Lovers

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Nothing beats watching 150 ponies swim from Assateague to Chincoteague during the annual Pony Swim – one of my favorite Virginia traditions.

8. Food Lovers

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From oysters, to ham, to Virginia peanuts and fresh produce from local farmers, whatever you’re craving, we have it.

9. Lovers of Politics

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The Commonwealth is the place for you if you love politics and government. Virginia's General Assembly is the oldest continuous law-making body in the Western world. And did you know we have an election every year? With Virginia solidifying its status as a purple state, you can rest assured we'll play a prominent role in electing the Chief Executive for years to come.

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10. Education Lovers

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From pre-k to higher education, supporting and strengthening our schools has always been a top priority of mine. Virginia is a proud home to more than 70 colleges and universities, which boast a lengthy list of notable alumni including UVA alum Tina Fey, William & Mary alum Jon Stewart, and Virginia Union alum Doug Wilder, the first African American Governor of Virginia and first African American governor of any state since Reconstruction.

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11. Space Lovers

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Virginia is home to NASA Wallops Flight Facility and NASA Langley Research Center, which has played a major role in the history of space exploration. Always be on the lookout for the next launch from Wallops – folks up and down the East Coast can spot a rocket on a clear day.

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12. NASCAR Lovers

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If you have the need for speed, come check out Virginia’s three famous NASCAR tracks in Richmond, Martinsville, and Bristol (...okay the Bristol Motor Speedway is technically in TN). Some of Virginia’s most notable drivers include Ward and Jeff Burton, Denny Hamlin, and Wendell Scott, the first African-American driver in NASCAR. If racing isn’t your thing, get ready for the largest college football game ever when our Virginia Tech Hokies take on the Tennessee Volunteers at the 160,000 seat Bristol Motor Speedway in 2016.

13. Movie Lovers

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Whether you're heading to the movie theaters to see Big Stone Gap later this year or staying in with a bowl of popcorn to watch Dirty Dancing or Lincoln, you'll be watching one of the many great movies filmed in the Commonwealth.

14. Book Lovers

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Whether you like to curl up with a Tom Wolfe, John Grisham or David Baldacci novel or unwind with some Edgar Allen Poe, there's a Virginia author for you.