State of the week: Virginia

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Where are we? The Commonwealth of Virginia. Why is the official name the "Commonwealth of Virginia"? Let's just say it's a long story so here's the Cliffs Notes version: 1640s-1660s. England (and, recalling information from 4th grade history, the still English-ruled colony of Virginia) had no king. Puritans ruled England with a Lord Protector and called their government a commonwealth. Fast forward to post-Colonial times. Virginia, no longer a "colony", needs a new moniker. They remember Puritan England and decide on commonwealth, along with Pennsylvania and Massachusetts. The only other commonwealth in the 50 states is Kentucky, which was part of Virginia until 1792.

Virginia history: It's an oldie but goodie. Founded on May 13, 1607, at Jamestown, the state held the first permanent English settlement in North America. Over the years, Virginia has produced eight presidents, including George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, and other notables like Pocahantas (the real one, not the Disney movie), Robert E. Lee, Edgar Allan Poe and Lawrence Taylor, to name a few.

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The Robert Trent Jones Golf Course has hosted The Presidents Cup four times.

On the course: We'd be remiss if we didn't name the Virginia course that has played a big part in PGA TOUR history. The first, second, fourth and sixth Presidents Cup competitions were held in Prince William County, Va., at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. Members and their guests will find immaculate grounds, a stately clubhouse and a golf mecca designed by the legendary Robert Trent Jones, Sr. For those looking for a more accessible option, Birdwood Golf Course is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains near the University of Virginia. The Cavalier golf team practices there and the venue is usually ranked in the top 10 by "Golf Digest" for university courses.

Off the course: I was going to start this section with "If you are a Civil War aficionado, visit the state where more major battles were fought than any other." However, we'll discuss the historical side of Virginia enough in this piece. Why not focus on some of the cool new places the state has to offer? The nation's capital is located directly next to Virginia, so head over to NOVA (Northern Virginia) for a hip urban experience. This collection of cities that make up NOVA are part of the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area, the fourth largest in the U.S. More cosmopolitan than the rest of Virginia, the area has plenty of fabulous malls for shopaholics and features upscale restaurants galore.

Virginia resort: How could we mention Virginia and not bring up The Homestead? Built in 1892, the resort is located in Hot Springs, which got that name for a good reason. Boasting the largest hot springs in the state, the area became a spa in the 1750s and a hot spot, both literally and metaphorically, for the state's influential residents. In fact, Thomas Jefferson himself would visit the pools quite often for his rheumatism. Now a beautiful, gargantuan hotel, three championship golf courses and several high quality restaurants sit in this area as well, so the golf nut, food fan and history buff will all be satisfied.

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The Homestead is both historical and complete with all the modern luxuries vacationers crave.

Virginia culture: Virginia is for lovers, according to the travel and tourism slogan for the state. For beach lovers, Virginia Beach and the surrounding area offers miles of coastline to attract vacationing families and ocean-seekers. To history lovers, there's hardly a more scintillating spot than the state with Colonial Williamsburg and Monticello. And if you have past the "history lover" category and resorted to full-out "history junkie" mode like Nicholas Cage in the movie "National Treasure", imagine what mysteries are waiting to be solved at Mount Vernon. Mountain lovers will be satiated with the majestic views in Western Virginia, while those seeking a challenging college experience will be hard pressed to find a more beautiful yet tough campus than the University of Virginia in Charlottesville.

Virginia eats: Chincoteague Island is famous for its beautiful wild ponies but the oysters on the island offer something else to write home about. Prepared in several savory ways, the fresh oysters are taken from bars and reefs surrounding the island. But, if gooey, slimy oysters aren't your thing, head to Smithfield, Va., for some of their world-famous ham. Cap that all off with an all-American dessert. When Abe Doumar attended the World's Fair in 1904, he purchased a waffle from a street vendor, rolled it up and stuffed it with icecream. We now know this, obviously, as the icecream cone. Doumar's in Norfolk still makes creamy homemade icecream and crunchy cones that are a sweet treat in the summertime.

Virginia golfer: We could have gone with Curtis Strange or Lanny Wadkins but decided to focus on Sam Snead, the golfer with the most wins in PGA TOUR history. Of his 82 PGA TOUR victories, seven were major championships - "Slammin' Sammy" won three Masters, three PGA Championships and one British Open but could never quite capture a U.S. Open. Still, he brought pride to his home city of Hot Springs -- if you were paying attention you'd remember that The Homestead, where Snead began his career, is also situated here -- through his TOUR successes and his World Golf Hall of Fame-worthy career. And, if imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, it should be written that many players still try to emulate his near-perfect swing.

Next week: Remember having to memorize your state capitals back in grade school? This state always had an easy one to remember because the capital city's name has part of the state's name in it.