I love Virginia.

The first memory that I have of myself enjoying the beauty of Virginia was when I was six years old. My family and I drove up from Charlotte to visit my grandparents. I remember my granddad taking my brother, my golden retriever (Bunker), and I to the Peaks of Otter. The eight hours that we spent driving along the Blue Ridge Parkway, jumping into swimming holes, and exploring seemed to pass in an instant. This day is still one of my favorite memories as I reflect on my life.  Even as a six year old, I saw that this world was meant to be enjoyed and loved. If there was ever a single state that make this clear, Virginia is it.

If you’ve spent any significant amount of time in the state, you will create meaningful experiences and utter these 3 words of sentiment.  “I love Virginia”.  It is literally the slogan for our state.  Virginia is for lovers!  Virginians are not just proud of this idea, but use it as their main promotion as it can be seen entering the state on every welcome sign.

LOVEworks around Virginia 

So the question arises, “how does Virginia plan to show this concept for all people to see? Well it is obvious, look for the signs. I don’t mean the dramatic, intangible signs that you would look for when diagnosing a cold. I mean literal, massive love signs! If you have driven through different parts of Virginia you may have seen these “love signs”. They are unique, handmade signs that spell out “L-O-V-E”.

There are two primary purposes for the love signs:

1. To show what makes that specific area of the state unique.
2. To encourage people to explore parts of Virginia that they may never visit apart from searching for the sign.

For those of us who reside in Lynchburg, you may have seen the love sign near Percival’s Island in downtown Lynchburg. The L has foot cut-outs for walking/hiking. The O has bicycle wheels for the bike trials in the area. The V has two canoe paddles attached to highlight water activities on the James River. The E has skateboard wheels for the skate park right down the street. There is story to be told with each sign and it is up to the traveler to find their tale.

Plan your LOVE Trip

If you are the type of person who enjoys discovering new things and experiencing new places, this is a great opportunity to explore new places! It is an extremely fun activity to do with a group of friends on a free day. Now you may be thinking, “wow this sounds fun but it seems pointless to drive all those miles just to see a sign.” Just let me stop you right there.  The beauty and joy is that destination is not the only goal. The goal is to see new places which occurs primarily on the journey there, not just the destination. Some of the most beautiful parts of Virginia are found in the most unexpected towns and places. These love signs just gives you a reason to stop and come back home.

Virginia.org makes it super easy to plan your trip! I recommend choosing a love sign as your final destination and trying to hit as many other signs as you can on the way there.

But remember, it’s not about hitting all the signs! Stop and eat at a unique little restaurant, take pictures at that beautiful overlook off the Blue Ridge Parkway. And most of all, soak in every new adventure.  Act as Greg Anderson once said, “focus on the journey, not the destination. Joy is found not in finishing an activity but in doing it.”