While Athens is certainly influenced by Athens State University, visitors will happily discover that it is much more than a "college town." Its quaint tree-lined streets and wonderfully maintained Greek Revival homes offer the feeling of serenity. Its location to the much larger cities of Decatur (less than 20 miles) and Huntsville (about 30 miles) make Athens a nice base for exploration of northern Alabama.

Nestled between the mainland and Assateague Island, Chincoteague Island is the largest community on the Eastern Shore and home to plenty of water sports, seafood restaurants and salty breezes. The most famous semi-residents of the island may be the wild ponies from Assateague.

Set on a finger of land reaching through the James and York Rivers to Chesapeake Bay, Hampton is the oldest English speaking community in America.The Virginia Air and Space Center houses the Apollo 12 command module and moon rocks as well as the Hampton Roads History Center. Fort Monroe, the largest stone fort built in the U.S. was built 1819-1834 to protect the entrance to Chesapeake Bay.

Newport News combines modern shipbuilding with historic maritime history on a slender Eastern shore peninsula between the James River and Chesapeake Bay. There is no real downtown here; the city extends along I-64 and US 60 to touch the largest privately-owned shipyard in the country.

Norfolk, Virginia's second largest city, and Portsmouth, the nation's oldest naval shipyard, jut out into the blue waters of the Chesapeake Bay. The world's largest naval base is located here, the center of the Hampton Roads area, where seafaring is second nature. These cities have renewed over the years with a new waterfront marketplace and revitalized downtown.

The city of Virginia Beach, the state's most populous, is a vacation destination for millions every year. With miles of sandy beaches, waves lapping the shore and a colorful boardwalk, it's easy to see why Virginia Beach is the state's most popular destination.

t really feels like 1775 as you stroll the streets of Colonial Williamsburg. Costumed interpreters, 88 original restored buildings and over 500 carefully rebuilt homes and buildings immerse visitors in life at the Colonial capital. In addition to its Colonial side, Williamsburg offers modern amusement parks, tempting restaurants and miles of shopping.

Though linked by a lean length of bridge and tunnel to the state’s largest metropolitan area, Virginia’s Eastern Shore seems a surprising world apart.