Everybody loves Shark Week on TV. In person, not so much. Thankfully, the Richmond Region has aquatic adventures for the whole family, minus hammerheads and great whites and tiger sharks.
1. KINGS DOMINION WATERWORKS PARK – This 20-acre park will satisfy everyone in the family from the thrill seeker to the beach bum. Whether all 650,000 gallons of Big Wave Bay are your speed or you’d rather float along all day in the Lazy Rider, Waterworks will keep you wet and smiling. Admission to Waterworks is included in every single, affordable admission to Kings Dominion!
photo courtesy of joepyrek
2. TEXAS BEACH – Park in the lot on Texas Ave. or walk the Northbank Trail out from the city to this secluded, sandy beach along the James River. Adults, and kids, can cool off on the rocks, under the shade of a tree or swing into the river on a rope swing, all for free.
3. RIVERSIDE OUTFITTERS – Want to go white water rafting, through the city, with the family? Riverside Outfitters has you covered. Want to go on a standup paddleboard trip? They’ve got it. Guided kayaking? Yep. Kayak rentals? You can probably tell where this is going. Riverside Outfitters is your one-stop shop for all manner of James River fun.
4. HADAD’S LAKE – On the surface, Hadad’s Lake looks like an idyllic midcentury amusement straight out of the resort from “Dirty Dancing.” Of course, that resort didn’t have a BLOB, rope swings or play host each year to the GWAR B-Q.
5. “GREAT WHITE SHARK” at the SCIENCE MUSEUM OF VIRGINIA – It’s Shark Week. You need sharks, we get it. Check out this film in the museum’s Dome on a giant screen until Aug. 15.
Sign up for our Newsletter to stay on top of aquatic adventures through summer and beyond!
visitrichmondva.wordpress.com 