Fall Fun in Virginia Beach

Virginia is beautiful in the fall. With the changing of seasons brings a renewal to the air and the landscape. Virginia Beach is no exception. The air is still warm enough to enjoy the warm Atlantic Ocean. October may seem to be somewhat of an odd time to visit the beach, but in reality, it is one of the best times. Many full-time traveling families plan beach vacations after Labor Day specifically because the tourist season is over, the kids are back in school, and we basically have the entire beach to ourselves. Read on for some ideas for Fall Fun in Virginia Beach.

I am a beach-a-holic. I love the beach. Really, any beach will do. It’s partly why we became a full time traveling family, I wanted to live at the beach!

The sun, the sand, the ocean, the waves, the surfing, the skim boarding, body boarding, football, volleyball … even the smells. The beach is my absolute happy place. 

It is one of those places where everyone, from our 19-year-old to our 2-year-old, can have a blast. It’s one of those places where, upon stepping foot on the warm sand, every bone, every muscle, every worry, every thought ceases to exist and in their place is nothing but pure contentment.

And fall beach trips are the best! They mean no crowds, private beaches, and absolute bliss. Fall Fun in Virginia Beach is easy to come by! Read on to learn my secrets!!

If your travels take you to Richmond, check out this list of free things to do.

KOA Caters To Families

So when we decided to hit up Virginia Beach a few weeks ago, you can imagine my elation. Even more so, because we were staying at a KOA Holiday Resort for the first time ever.

Now, we don’t normally stay at private campgrounds, preferring the cheaper alternatives that the state campgrounds offer, or the ultimate privacy and freedom of boondocking. This time, however, we were meeting up with my husband’s sister, and her family doesn’t share our love of camping. Kampgrounds of America (KOA) offers everything from deluxe cabins to rustic cabins, so we settled on KOA in VA Beach for our fall fun in Virginia Beach

It was really quite epic. So epic, in fact, that I was slightly worried that some of the kids, particularly the younger ones, would opt to stay at the campground instead of heading to the beach, which was neither an option nor an issue.

But you can understand my concern when, upon arrival, our kids squealed because there were two pools, one with, as we later found out, super crazy fast slides. These were fun for both Dan and me and all the kids, including Coby, our two-year-old wonder child.

But that wasn’t all. There was a Jump Pad and the even more incredibly fun Jump Pillow, which is the equivalent of a trampoline. Then we found the arcade room, a huge outdoor game of chess, a sand hill, and bocce ball. KOA even has a dog park for your furry friends.

On the mornings that we got a bit of a late start, the kids would head out and take advantage of all the uber fun things at KOA while we finished up with a meeting or whatever – we travel full time and conduct business on the road. But every morning by 10 a.m. at the latest, we’d all pile into our stellar 1999 Chevy Suburban and hit the beach.

Fall Fun in Virginia Beach

For the entire week we vacationed, we could not have asked for better weather. The sun was shining, the air was warm as was the water, and the waves were … decent. The fall is a really great time to visit Virginia Beach for all those reasons and one more  – you’ll have plenty of beach space.

The fact is that there are far less tourists in the fall, due to kids going back to school. And because of this, post-Labor Day travel is our favorite. I will say, however, that local Virginia Beach residents apparently know how incredible their autumns are. The strip, boardwalk and the beach were packed on Saturday.

But, hey, when locals show up, we get to chatting about their favorite hot spots for fall fun in Virginia Beach.

Wave Works Surf Shop in Virginia Beach

I would be totally remiss if I didn’t mention this really sick surf shop, Wave Works. We stumbled upon it at the urging of a lifelong surfer…a local, that we met on Saturday!

The unassuming shop caters to the real surfer, not the hipsters. These guys know their stuff, so when we showed up looking for a surfboard for our son’s birthday, they went beyond our expectations.

Wave Works didn’t try sell a bunch of tourists an expensive board because they could. Instead, they took us to the used board section and spent a lot of time helping us decipher the right board for an 11-year-old who really didn’t have a lot of surfing experience, but was one heck of an athlete and would undoubtedly pick it up quick.

They were so awesome and so honest and helpful that we went back for three more boards. I even bought one for myself! Surfing is now something that this full time traveling family has in our blood, and we can’t wait to get back on our boards! And it’s definitely the ultimate activity for Fall Fun in Virginia Beach.

Fall Activities in Virginia Beach

Virginia is beautiful in the fall with all the leaves changing to bright reds, yellows and orange. The sweltering heat is gone, there is no humidity and the air is fresh and vibrant. In addition, the sun shines brightly and the water is still warm.

As much as I love the ocean, I had to venture off because fall fun in Virginia Beach is not only about playing in the water.

Virginia Beach is also known for its epic activities. Check out one of these Free Things For Families in VA Beach.