Category Archives: Featured

Featured, RoadNews

Living the Salt Life in Jacksonville

Florida is known for its beautiful beaches, and if you’re looking to catch some waves and catch some rays, Jacksonville has the perfect beach for you.

For Fitness Junkies

Home to more shoreline than any other city in the nation and 80,000 acres of green spaces, Jacksonville is where fitness meets adventure:

  • Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park at Atlantic Beach: With 1.5 miles of sandy beach, 20 miles of trails and 450 acres of natural woods and dunes, this is ideal for runners, swimmers and both, leisure and mountain bikers.
  • Huguenot Memorial Park: Locals have nicknamed the park the “Big Jetties” because the park offers access to the jetties used to guide ships from the ocean into the mouth of the St. Johns River. Adventure seekers can enjoy surfing, windsurfing, kayaking and swimming at “The Jetties.”

For Party Animals

  • Jacksonville Beach: The busiest of Jacksonville’s beaches, this is a great place to get in on all the action. With waterfront restaurants, live music, and beach shopping, this is the place to be when you’re looking to soak up the sun.

For Surfers

  • Jax Beach Pier: This popular spot for locals offers a variety of breaks to both the left and right of the pier, which helps thin the crowd. Incoming and high tide is best for those looking to ride the waves.
  • The Poles at Hanna Park: “The Poles,” which mark the formal barrier between Hanna Park and Naval Station Mayport, offer impressive breaks year around. This is a local spot for expert to mid-level surfers.

For Nature Lovers

  • Timucuan Preserve: Comprised of 46,000 acres of wetlands and waterways, the Preserve is ideal for enjoying a variety of water-based activities including boating, fishing, Yoga Paddleboarding/Kayaking, and eco-tours.
  • Big Talbot: An unspoiled barrier island, don’t miss Boneyard Beach, famous for the live oak and cedar tree skeletons resting on the shore.

For Sunbathers

  • Little Talbot Island: Located on the picturesque Heckscher Drive, away from the hustle and bustle of other Jacksonville beaches, this State Park is a peaceful escape filled with white sands, dunes and salt marshes, perfect for getting a tan and enjoying the ocean views.

Come surf, kayak, paddleboard, swim, dive, boat, fish and relax on Jacksonville’s beaches. To learn more about Jacksonville’s beach scene go to www.visitjacksonville.com.

For more I-95 travel info, visit  www.i95exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to I-95, America’s Interstate Main Street. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida! Plus I-95 construction, real-time traffic and road news.

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-4 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide,  I-10 Exit Guide , and I-75 Exit Guide.

Attractions, Featured

Battle for Eire Virtual Reality Ride Opens at Busch Gardens in Williamsburg

An exhilarating new adventure is underway at Busch Gardens® Williamsburg with today’s grand opening of its innovative virtual reality attraction, Battle For Eire™—Action VR Ride.

“With Battle For Eire and the 360-degree virtual reality, riders can have a unique experience each time they ride,” said Kevin Lembke, park resident for Busch Gardens and Water Country USA. “That’s what’s going to keep people coming back over and over again.”

Battle For Eire is the story of a heroic fairy warrior, Addie, and her quest to rescue the Heart of Eire from evil villain Balor. This one-of-a-kind ride is a marriage of a motion-based theater simulator with state-of-the-art 360-degree virtual reality headsets, creating a thrilling experience unlike any other in the theme park industry.

Book Now! Find Your Perfect Room Near Busch Gardens!

Riders will be completely immersed within the story and be able to see, hear and feel actions happening all around them, both through the virtual reality headsets and within the motions of the simulator.

“Battle For Eire is a phenomenal new experience. It’s something that has never been done before,” said Larry Giles, vice president of design and engineering at Busch Gardens Williamsburg. “You really feel like you’re there. You’re not just watching it. You’re part of it.”

Busch Gardens is open April 13-16 for an extended Battle For Eire Fest weekend. Join us for fun and activities in Ireland throughout this four-day opening weekend of our newest thrill ride.

For more I-95 travel info, visit www.i95exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to America’s Interstate Main Street. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-4 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

Attractions, Featured, Highway Gourmet

Unwind Oceanside at Cocoa Beach Uncorked Food and Wine Festival

Showcasing Central Florida’s most-renowned chefs, restaurants and breweries, the second annual Cocoa Beach Uncorked Food and Wine Festival takes place April 28-29 at Alan Shepard Park.

The two-day celebration of food, wine and craft beer offers attendees a chance to indulge in the finest tastes the region has to offer, while unwinding along Cocoa Beach’s spectacular oceanfront.

Doors open Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 p.m. for general admission ticket holders. VIP ticket holders will have the opportunity to enter one hour earlier and exclusively experience the Moet & Chandon bubbly bar in the Grand Tasting Village, where they also can have access to additional seating for relaxation and mingling.

Guests at the 2018 festival will be treated to a variety of interactive experiences, tastings, and cooking demonstrations and competitions, as well as a special appearance by celebrity chef and cookbook author Doreen Colondres.

Book Now! Find Your Perfect Room in Cocoa Beach!

“Cocoa Beach Uncorked provides attendees a delicious culinary experience that highlights the different cuisines the Space Coast has to offer,” said Eric Garvey, Executive Director of Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism. “After a successful inaugural event a year ago, we look forward to further spotlighting the area’s culinary scene. And there’s no better place to enjoy some sweeping Atlantic views while sampling all this magnificent food, wine and beer.”

“Cocoa Beach last year was the ideal launching pad for the first ‘Uncorked’ festival on Florida’s East Coast,” said Tammy Gail, the event’s producer. “This is a one-of-a-kind showcase for the culinary treasures of this region. We’re excited to be back for another unforgettable weekend and we look forward to a sellout event.”

Cocoa Beach Uncorked is sponsored by Florida’s Space Coast Office of Tourism, the City of Cocoa Beach, Publix, and the Hilton Cocoa Beach Oceanfront hotel. General admission tickets for each day of the event are available for $55 per person, while VIP tickets for each day are $75 per person.

Alan Shepard Park is located at 299 East Cocoa Beach Causeway, at the east end of State Road 520. For more event and ticket information, visit www.cocoabeachuncorked.com/cocoa. For more information about Florida’s Space Coast, go to www.visitspacecoast.com.

For more I-95 travel info, visit www.i95exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to America’s Interstate Main Street. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-4 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

Attractions, Featured

Kings Dominion Debuts New “Hybrid” Roller Coaster Twisted Timbers

Kings Dominion is now opened for its 44th season!

The wait is over for guests looking to get their thrill fix on Kings Dominion’s newest roller coaster, Twisted Timbers. Wood and steel intertwine into twisting barrel roll drops, dynamic inversions and gravity-defying weightlessness on the park’s newest coaster, which opened to the public on Saturday, March 24.

Twisted Timbers is an innovative hybrid coaster that uses the latest technology to combine wood supports with a steel track to give riders an exhilarating experience with maneuvers previously unimaginable on a traditional wooden coaster. The coaster was designed and built by Rocky Mountain Construction of Idaho, a company renowned for reimagining wooden coasters. Features of the ride include:

  • 109 foot tall barrel roll drop
  • Over 3000 feet of track
  • Top speed of 54 miles per hour
  • Three loops
  • Three overbanked turns
  • 20 airtime moments

Twisted Timbers is located in the Candy Apple Grove section of the park and is themed to an abandoned apple orchard on the edge of town. The story behind the coaster is that an unknown force – supernatural or natural– destroyed the harvest years ago and froze the orchard in time; now the strictly “off-limits” orchard has reopened for tours, with the twisted ride as its highlight.

Book Now! Find your perfect room near Kings Dominion.

To learn more about Twisted Timbers, purchase Season Passes or check operating hours, visit www.kingsdominion.com.

For more I-95 travel info, visit www.i95exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to America’s Interstate Main Street. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida!

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-4 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide, I-10 Exit Guide and I-75 Exit Guide.

Featured, Highway Gourmet

Savor the Culinary Celebration at the Williamsburg Taste Festival

Greater Williamsburg is for foodies. Exhibit No. 1 entered into evidence for all you Top Chef judge wannabes is the Williamsburg Taste Festival destined to tickle your taste buds from April 19 to 22. After all, this is one place that savored farm- and sea-to-table centuries before it became a buzzword.

There are more than a dozen mouth-watering events, something for every taste. The area’s top chefs will be on hand, offering their modern take on local ingredients — from oysters to pork to seasonal veggies — just like the old days when they ate what was ripe and ready. Mixing the traditions of Southern, European and African cooking, they created something from the mist of history that is thoroughly modern and unique to Greater Williamsburg. And don’t forget the up-to-date, local takes on beer, wine and even mead made in these parts.

Book Now! Find Your Perfect Room in Williamsburg!

Here’s a guide to all that deliciousness.

For more I-95 travel info, visit  www.i95exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to I-95, America’s Interstate Main Street. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida! Plus I-95 construction, real-time traffic and road news.

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-4 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide,  I-10 Exit Guide , and I-75 Exit Guide.

 

Featured, RoadNews

Construction Underway On Large Upscale Retail Center off I-95 In Connecticut

Construction is well underway for The SoNo Collection, a contemporary shopping experience now being built just off I-95 in Norwalk, Connecticut.

Scheduled to open in Fall 2019, the center will feature impressive retail options, state-of-the-art amenities and dining selections housed within a refreshingly modern environment. The center will also be home the only Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom in southern Connecticut.

Located directly off Interstate 95, exit 15 (US Route 7), The SoNo Collection will serve Fairfield County–home to one of the most affluent populations in the United States. With 167,000 cars per day traversing this intersection, businesses will enjoy unsurpassed exposure in one of the country’s most desirable markets.

For more I-95 travel info, visit  www.i95exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to I-95, America’s Interstate Main Street. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida! Plus I-95 construction, real-time traffic and road news.

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-4 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide,  I-10 Exit Guide , and I-75 Exit Guide.

Featured, RoadNews, Side Trips

North Jersey’s Meadowlands Region Springs Into The Season With Things To Do, Eat And See!

It’s time to come out of hibernation! The Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau in North Jersey has something for everyone from families with small children, to couples doing date night, to large groups looking for a unique corporate retreat. Start planning your Meadowlands Live experience for Spring by visiting www.mlcvb.com.

History Buffs:

  • The Bergen Historical Society offers events and exhibits about the area’s history including its new March to the Vote exhibit leading up to the 100 year anniversary in 2020.
  • Statue Cruises offers tickets to visit the Statue of Liberty National Monument and the Ellis Island National Immigration Museum.
  • Aviation Hall of Fame and Museum of New Jersey at Teterboro Airport, founded in 1972, is dedicated to the preservation of the Garden State’s distinguished, two-century aviation and space heritage.

Nature Lovers:

  • New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority and the Bergen County Audubon Society host free guided bird walks the first Sunday and Third Tuesday of each month. There are also free public parks throughout the region for hiking, bird watching, and some water activities.
  • The Hackensack Riverkeeper is celebrating 20 years of clean water advocacy this season with special programming to complement its eco-cruises, kayaking and canoeing.

Family Entertainment:

  • Visitors to Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament in Lyndhurst will travel through the mists of time to a forgotten age and a tale of devotion, courage and love. Its electrifying show features heroic knights on spirited horses displaying astounding athletic feats and thrilling swordplay that have become hallmarks of this unique entertainment experience. Enjoy a “hands-on” feast as the dynamic performance unfolds before you.
  • At RPM Raceway in Jersey City, everyone gets the high-RPM experience. Drive go-karts that introduce you to the craft of real racing. Cut corners on tracks designed off formula speedways.
  • Field Station: Dinosaurs: Travel back 90 million years in time just nine minutes from Manhattan! The park is open rain or shine on Saturdays and Sundays only from 10am to 6pm:
    May 26 through June 24; also open Memorial Day, May 28.
  • Liberty Science Center features the Jennifer Chalsty Planetarium and LSC Giant Dome Theater, the largest and most technologically advanced planetarium in the Western Hemisphere. Only four others in the world. On the third Thursday of every month, after hours, guests 21 and over are invited to explore the building and enjoy drinks, food, music, dancing, laser shows, and more.

Music Lovers:

  • MetLife Stadium‘s summer line up will include Luke Bryan on Sat., June 3rd.
  • The Bergen Performing Arts Center in Englewood is hosting performers including Alice Cooper, Pat Benatar & Nil Giraldo, and Tom Jones as well as a Tribute to Tom Petty & David Bowie.

Kids-Free Entertainment:

  • Meadowlands Racing and Entertainment is open for racing and dining on weekends throughout the season. Be sure to check out the Camel & Ostrich Races in June.
  • Banana’s Comedy Club at the Holiday Inn in Hasbrouck Heights has a great line-up throughout the Spring season.

Expos:

  • The Meadowlands Exposition Center hosts events throughout the year including the upcoming New Jersey National College Fair on April 25th, The East Coast ComiCon on April 27-29 and the World Dog Expo on June 9th and 10th.

Dining and Hospitality:

  • The Meadowlands cuisine offerings are as diverse as its residents with everything from delis for fast food to multi-course French, Italian and Spanish restaurants.

It also offers more than 10,000 hotel rooms at many price points just minutes from all the entertainment that The Meadowlands has to offer.

Book Now! Find Your Perfect Room in the Meadowlands!

For more information about all the events happening throughout the season in the Meadowlands Liberty Region of North Jersey, visit www.meadowlandslive.com or call 877-MLCVB US.

About the Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau
The Meadowlands Liberty Convention and Visitors Bureau, is the comprehensive destination-marketing channel for travel to the metropolitan New Jersey region. The MLCVB presents its unique sports, entertainment, ecological, cultural and transportation assets as an emerging primary destination as well as an alternative to New York City to attract new and extended visits. The MLCVB played crucial roles in bringing the 2014 Super Bowl to the region, and it continues to lead the public debate surrounding issues that will affect the growth of the region. For more information, please visit the MLCVB at www.mlcvb.com or call 201-939-0707.

For more I-95 travel info, visit  www.i95exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to I-95, America’s Interstate Main Street. Detailed exit service listings… discount lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida! Plus I-95 construction, real-time traffic and road news.

Traveling another route? Visit our growing family of exit guides: I-4 Exit Guide, I-5 Exit Guide,  I-10 Exit Guide , and I-75 Exit Guide.