Virginia Beach Dealers

From VA to OK with Love

I am normally pretty tough when it comes to disasters and seeing things on the news.  I am originally from OK and the news yesterday-seeing all the devastation-hit really too close to home (literally).  I was one of the lucky ones with family being safe and sound, out of harm’s way.  Many did not fair the same.

The Checkered Flag family of dealerships in Hampton Roads wants to send out lots of thoughts and prayers to those affected both near and far by the tragedy. 

To help out those in need and the Red Cross efforts, make an easy $10 donation to aid in the recovery by texting REDCROSS to 90999. 

For more information about disaster relief efforts and clean-up, stay logged on to checkeredflag.com. 

Checkered Flag Toyota Teen Driver Series

Checkered Flag Toyota continues with Part 2 of Toyota Teen Driver.

In-Car Driving Practice

Parent Supervised Driving Tracking Chart



 
Make a chart like the one above, or, print this article and cut out the chart.

Teens can learn a lot from observing an experienced driver. Though young drivers have driven with adults countless times, it's a different experience when your teen takes the passenger seat ready to learn, observe and reflect.

Before you get on the road, sit down with your teen to set goals about what you want to accomplish for the day or what you want to accomplish before they take their driver's exam.

Set a total number of hours you feel they need to be confident in using different techniques, driving on different types of roads, and driving during different times of the day. As a parent, you should feel comfortable to set an exact number of hours that your teen must experience each of these conditions before you allow them to drive in them without your supervision.

Once this chart is filled out, you and your teen can keep a copy on record as they complete goals that have been set.

Parent Supervised Best Vehicle Behaviors

One of the very first things you can do is sit in the vehicle with your teen and talk about the things you do before you even start the engine.

Eliminate the opportunity for distraction for your teen driver. Discuss taking your cell phone and putting it into the glove box.
Address other distractions that might be in the vehicle as well (e.g. friends, the radio station, etc.). Remind your teen driver to limit their distractions to drive as safely as possible.

Explain the preparation steps you complete each time you get ready to drive:
    Adjusting your seat
    Depress brake pedal as far as possible. Should still have a slight bend in the knee.
    Arms should be the same-slightly bent (never locked but also not completely bent)
    Hands should be at 9 and 3
    Fasten your seatbelt
    Check and/or adjust the side and rearview mirrors
   
    From the driver's seat, tilt your head to left, almost to the window and adjust the driver's mirror so you can just see side of car. For the passenger side mirror lean your head to the middle of the car and adjust so you can just see the outside of the car.

    Gas gauge? Tire pressure? Turn cell phone off and put it in the glove box to avoid temptation, etc.

Take your teen for a drive around your community, first with you behind the wheel. Remember to limit the amount of conversation between you and your teen until the car has stopped to reduce distractions for your teen driver. As you drive, complete the following activities together. Once you have done this with you behind the wheel, changes positions and watch your teen driver try to model their driving behavior on the behaviors you executed.

    Explain that your eyes are constantly scanning and moving so that you are fully aware of your surrounding and are able to react quickly. Instruct your teen to scan as you drive: looking to the left, to the right, in the side and rear-view mirrors and then returning quickly to the road. Ask your teen to verbalize their observations as you drive, taking special notes of potential hazards. How do these observations affect your driving?

    Now explain that you should always have a minimum of a three-second following distance from the car in front of you. (Following distance can be determined by making note of when the car in front of you passes a fixed object. Once the car has passed this object, count "one-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand." For a three-second following distance, your car should pass this same object only after you have reached "three-one thousand.") Have your teen calculate your following distance and modify your driving if necessary. Complete this activity as you drive through different speed limit zones and discuss how the change in speed affects your following distance.

    Once you have driven around your community, drive to the entrance ramp of a local highway. Explain to your teen that merging requires the driver to observe their surroundings and react accordingly. Ask your teen to silently make note of your actions and reactions as you merge. Once you have merged successfully, discuss your teen's observations. What did you do? What did the drivers around you do? What was successful and what could have been done differently? Now exit the highway at the next exit ramp and merge back onto the highway in the opposite direction. Again, ask your teen to silently make note of your actions and reactions. Once you have merged successfully, discuss the similarities and differences of this merge with your previous merge. Arrive at the conclusion that while all driving situations are slightly different, they each require you to be an alert, observant and defensive driver.

Stay tuned to Checkered Flag.com for more helpful teen driver tips from your Virginia Beach Toyota dealer.

Pungo Strawberry Festival this weekend

Get your strawberries here!!  Shortcake is only one of hundreds of strawberry dishes you'll find in Pungo this weekend.  You Checkered Flag fans know what I’m talking about. 

This weekend brings one of the favorite Hampton Roads food festivals.  The 30th Pungo Strawberry Festival kicks off this Saturday!   

Where else can you find so much family fun in one place?  Strawberry everything, a carnival, and even pig races draw in crowds from all over Virginia and North Carolina.  Here are the details.

When:  Saturday and Sunday, May 25-26 from 9am to 7pm. The Parade will be Saturday May 25th beginning at 10am.

Where:  1776 Princess Anne Rd, Virginia Beach, VA 23456.

Cost: Parking is $5 and admission to the festival itself is FREE.

Traffic is usually a nightmare on the way to the parking lots, so bring patience with you.  Trust us, it is worth the wait.  Don't miss the strawberry-topped funnel cake!

For more news from the Pungo Strawberry Festival, stay tuned to your Virginia Beach car dealerships, Checkered Flag.com.

4Runner Owner Gets Lucky in Drive Thru

Toyota seems to have some of the safest cars and trucks around.  Appearantly this is not only due to the features installed by the manufacterer, but Toyota has some really smart owners too. 

The news this week is really starting to make me chuckle-starting with an article about a Washington State woman who had her Toyota 4Runner stolen and later to have it drive up to the window of the McDonalds where she was working.  Isn’t that some crazy luck?

McDonald’s worker sees her stolen car in drive-thru
Tri-City Herald

KENNEWICK — A woman working at a Kennewick McDonald’s saw her stolen SUV in the drive-thru of the restaurant and called police, who arrested the driver.

The SUV was stolen from Virginia Maiden’s apartment complex on 4th Avenue Tuesday morning and hours later she saw it in the drive-thru at her work, said Kennewick police Crime Prevention Specialist Mike Blatman.

Police arrested the driver of the SUV, 22-year-old Katherine A. York, of Kennewick, at the McDonald’s on West Canal Drive. A male was also in the car with York, but he was not arrested.

Police found a large amount of stolen clothes from JC Penny and Sears in the SUV after York was arrested, Blatman said. Police are investigating the stolen clothes.

York was booked into the Benton County jail.

Source: [yakimaherald.com]

I love Toyota, the cars are much like loyal lap dogs, they just come right back to you.  That being said, having a really dumb criminal didn’t hurt at all.

Checkered Flag Toyota is proud to sell some of the smartest cars around.  Come in to the Virginia Beach dealership today and have one of the agents show you just how smart the cars and trucks really are. 

Call Hampton Roads Toyota source today at (757) 687-3447 to find out more about their incredible selection of 4Runners and other great vehicles.

Armed Forces Day Thank You

Hampton Roads has an incredible number of military bases and Armed Forces members as part of our community.  It is sometimes easy to loose sight of what these brave men and women do for our area and our country.  Checkered Flag and thier family of dealerships wants to thank each and every Armed Forces member for their hard work and bravery and for what you do for our country and our area. 

The men and women of the United States Armed Forces are some of the bravest and selfless individuals.  They deserve to have a day of recognition.  Thank you for all that you do to keep our nation safe from threats both foreign and domestic.  Our country is all the better because you serve.

Checkered Flag dealerships have many savings programs for Military members and their families as thanks for all that you do to keep our country safe.  Call (757) 687-3447 today to find out about all the amazing savings that you achieve due to your service.

Checkered Flag looks forward to serving you, because you serve us so bravely.  Happy Armed Forces Day.

Chesapeake Jubilee takes place this weekend

This is a big weekend for Hampton Roads events.  With the weather warming up, festival season is picking up.  One of our Checkered Flag weekend top picks is the 30th annual Chesapeake Jubilee taking place at Chesapeake City Park.  Here is a quick overview of this year’s festival. 

At the Jubilee you will find carnival rides, a kid's corner for children's activities and crafts, lifestock, crafters, live music, performers, food, concerts and more.

Where: Chesapeake City Park, 900 Greenbrier Pkwy, Chesapeake VA 23320.

When: (see official site for full schedule)

    Thursday, May 16, 2013 from 6-10pm (Rides only)

    Thursday, May 16, 2013 from 4:30-7pm Khedive Shrimp Feast

    Friday, May 17, 2013 from 5pm-10pm Chesapeake Jubilee Festival

    Saturday, May 18, 2013 from 10am-11pm Chesapeake Jubilee Festival

    Saturday, May 18, 2013 at 9pm Fireworks!

    Sunday, May 19, 2013 from 12-7pm 2013 Chesapeake Jubilee Festival

Cost of Admission: Tickets may be purchased on-site for $3/day (ages 6 & up) and the cost includes all concerts.

Cost of Rides: Individual tickets are sold for $1 each, packets of 20 ($20), 56 ($50) or unlimited ride wristbands for $25/day

Cost of Parking: On-site $5/day

For more Hampton Roads events, stay tuned to the home of your favorite Chesapeake Toyota dealership, Checkered Flag.com.

Info source: [MyActiveChild.com]
Image source: [pilotonline.com]

Top news: Pop-tarts announces newest flavors

Drop everything.  Get your keys.  Run to the car.  Drive like mad to the grocery store.  Pop-tarts has released two new flavors.

Pop-Tarts 'Gone Nutty' Debut In Peanut Butter, Frosted Chocolate Peanut Butter Flavors

Kellogg's has debuted two new Pop-Tarts flavors: peanut butter and frosted peanut butter. The "Gone Nutty" varieties, which both contain a peanut butter filling, pack a sugary punch -- the peanut butter flavor is topped with a sprinkling of sugar crystals and the frosted chocolate flavor features a frosted chocolate crust.

"Peanut butter has long been the most requested flavor by our fans," said Dick Podiak, director of marketing for Pop-Tarts, in a press release (peanut allergy increases be damned!).

According to Foodbeast, this is the first time in 27 years that Pop-Tarts have been available in a peanut butter flavor -- peanut butter & jelly Pop-Tarts were discontinued in 1986.

Pop-Tarts is marketing the new flavor to teens and college-aged students. For example, according to the brand's Facebook page, the company "lost" a shipment on University of New Hampshire's campus:



Perhaps the new flavor will inspire future Carl's Jr. Pop-Tart ice cream sandwich combinations.

The "Gone Nutty" Pop-Tarts are now available in stores nationwide. (end of article)

For more very important breaking peanut butter pop-tart news, stay tuned to the home of your nuttiest Hampton Roads used car stores, Checkered Flag.com.

Article and image source: [huffingtonpost.com]

Virginia Living Museum-Saved By Hampton Roads Support

The Hampton Roads city of Newport News got some amazing news today!  The Virginia Living Museum will be staying open.  The hard work of locals, the state and all those that sent in letters to the Newport News City Council paid off.

ANNOUNCEMENT FROM VLM EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, PAGE HAYHURST: I am thrilled to report that Newport News City Council adopted a budget last night that includes increased support for the VLM. Floods, the economy and the elimination of state support hit the museum hard and our community stepped up with both private support and now this critical public support. Thank you to all our members and volunteers who advocated on our behalf -especially Newport News residents who sent 1,000+ cards to Council --We are most grateful for all you do to ensure that we can continue our educational mission!

The Checkered Flag family of dealerships in Virginia Beach and Norfolk want to congratulate you for your news today and thank you for all the hard work you put in educating our community on ways to help keep Hampton Roads green and keep our animals safe.

Checkered Flag Toyota special military rebate extended

Checkered Flag Toyota is pleased to announce the extension of our special Toyota military rebate.

Through May 31st, active U.S. Military members and inactive Reserve members are eligible for a $1000 Toyota military rebate on any new Checkered Flag Toyota vehicle. 

Contact our Virginia Beach Toyota specialists for full details at (757)687-3447.

Pirate Party this weekend at Virginia Beach oceanfront

Looking for a family-friendly p'arrrrrrty this weekend?  Well, head down to the Virginia Beach boardwalk. 

From our friends over at MyActiveChild.com:

More Pirates! We all know pirates normally don't give anything away for free, which is why this weekend is so special. ‘Pirates on the Beach’ is happening on the Virginia Beach Oceanfront and the entire event is FREE and open to the public!

Arts and Crafts activities and displays will be on-site courtesy of:

Old Coast Guard Station
Mariner's Museum
Old Cape Henry Lighthouse

A weekend of fun is on the schedule for both days including Music, Facepainting, Storytelling, Weapons Demonstrations, and much more. Performers will include The Moody Crewe, York Privateers and the Overland Crew.

Saturday evening make sure to head down to the beach for a Cap’n Pete’s Treasure Hunt (5:30pm) and a beach viewing of the movie Pirates: Band of Misfits (at 7:45pm).

Sunday bring a team to test your skill in the Pirate's Challenge (all pirate themed). There is a fee for this event.

When: Saturday-Sunday, May 18-19, 2013
Saturday, May 18, 10am-9:30pm
Sunday, May 19, 12-4:45pm

Where: 17th Street Park and on the beach at 17th Street - Virginia Beach Oceanfront

For more Hampton Roads events news, stay tuned to the home of your favorite Virginia Beach car dealerships, Checkered Flag.com.