A lot happened in 2015. We won’t bore you with the usually Top 10 lists about this past year, we’ll just show you some cool stuff that we did. Some of these you can also look forward to in 2016.

All photos by: KJ Mushung

Kings Dominion’s 40th Anniversary
Nowhere else in the Commonwealth can you go on more roller coaster rides or spend more money on a souvenir you will never use. And the fireworks are a nice touch.

Kings Dominion

King Dominion put out a large cake at its front entrance this summer as part of its 40-year anniversary celebration. Photo by: KJ Mushung

Kings Dominion. Photo by: KJ Mushung

Rocket Shows
Every May, a rocket contest for students is held in The Plains, Virginia. It’s called TARC — Team America Rocketry Challenge. And there are several rocket shows throughout the year in Maryland near the Delaware border. These locations must be out of the way in order to shoot rockets all day long. Even if you’re not interested in building and launching rockets, it’s fun to have a tailgate party and watch them, large and small, being launched.

A homemade rocket blasts off at a rocket show in Maryland. Photo by: KJ Mushung

Memorial Day
It’s not just a three-day weekend. The National Museum of the Marine Corps, shown here, had special events for Memorial Day 2015. They are temporarily closing Jan. 4, 2016, for construction and will re-open in March. So there should be something to see and do next May when Memorial Day Weekend rolls around.

The National Museum of the Marine Corps in Triangle, Virginia is just outside the main gate of Marine Corps Base Quantico. Photo by: KJ Mushung

The Beach
Come on. You didn’t miss the beach, did you? Yeah? Oh, man. You really need to go next summer. Luckily, it’ll still be there.

The view from a hotel balcony overlooking Virginia Beach can be relaxing. Photo by: KJ Mushung

Exploring Lighthouses
Being this close to the coast, how can you not visit a lighthouse? Virginia Beach, the Eastern Shore and even more secluded places in the Middle Peninsula have lighthouses. The closest one to NOVA is in Alexandria, Virginia at Jones Point Park. Just Google it.

The lighthouse at Fort Story in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Photo by: KJ Mushung

The lighthouse of Aquia Harbour, Virginia on a warm winter evening. Photo by: KJ Mushung

Airshows
The Blue Angels rocked the NAS Oceana Airshow in September. And, barring budgets cuts or a government shutdown, they’ll do it again in 2016. How can you miss this? It’s free!

The Blue Angels fly in formation at an airshow in Virginia Beach. Photo and post-processing by: KJ Mushung

The Blue Angels fly low by “Shockwave,” a truck with jet engines. Photo by: KJ Mushung

Election 2015
You should try going to an election night party. Some of them have some delicious spreads :::cough Bill Howell cough::: and engaging people who keep up with what’s going on in the community and the world.

Bill Howell is a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and Speaker of the House. He won re-election in 2015. Photo by: KJ Mushung

Mark Dudenhefer, Paul Milde III and Jack Cavalier keep an eye on the incoming numbers on election night 2015. Photo by: KJMushung[/caption]

Pearl Harbor Day
Museums and military bases across the country hold events every year in remembrance of Pearl Harbor Day, Dec. 7, 1941. So if you missed it this year, don’t worry. There will be another one.

The Virginia War Memorial in Richmond glows with pastel colors in the winter night. Photo by: KJ Mushung

Fog
Honestly, there’s been so much fog this season, it’s been like we’re in a 1970s creeper movie.

Fog rolls east over Aquia Creek in Northern Virginia. Photo by: KJ Mushung

Massive Holiday Decorations
Because who says there’s a Recession? At least, that’s what the neighbors who put together this spectacle may have thought. We aren’t even going to try to calculate the cost of the decorations and electric bill. We’re just thankful they blew out a transformer in some other neighborhood instead of ours.

The light from this home and its neighbors could be seen for miles at night. Photo by: KJ Mushung

By: KJ Mushung

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