Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
During Covid, when we needed a change of scenery of our four walls, we explored some day trips to see water — which is my happy place. If you need a change of scenery and are looking for (cheap) ways to get yourself some beach time, here are some suggestions for a day trip:
Colonial Beach, Virginia: 90 minutes away from Tyson’s, easy parking, on the Potomac River so very few waves, shallow water, fishing pier. Beware of jellyfish as the water temps get warmer.
Aquia Landing Park, Stafford, Virginia: About an hour from Tyson’s, this 32-acre park is free and is a popular fishing spot and beach for swimming.
Sandy Point, Annapolis, Maryland: An hour drive from Tyson’s, Sandy Point is a popular beach for a day just before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge with lots of space for distancing, sand and water. There is a $4-5 per person fee to use the beach. No pets.
Mason Neck State Park, Lorton, Virginia: This small hidden gem is located under an hour from Tyson’s and offers fishing, canoe and kayak rentals (first come, first served), swimming and walking trails.
Smith Mountain Lake, Moneta, Virginia: 32 square miles with 500 miles of shoreline, SML offers everything from fishing, boat rentals, swimming, etc. A huge community has built here so there’s also shopping, dining, entertainment, etc.
Lake Anna State Park, Spotsylvania, Virginia: About 2 hours away, sand and water for swimming and playing, camping grounds for overnight stays, no tents allowed on the beach, lots of walking trails. There are no boat or equipment rentals provided. There are cabins, lodges, and yurts available for rent.
Calvert Cliffs, Lusby, Maryland: Located about 90 minutes from Tyson’s, Calvert Cliffs is a Maryland state park featuring fishing, swimming and walking trails. $7 per car day use for Virginia state plates — CASH ONLY.
If you have another favorite beach spots, please share in the comments!
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
Did Viva Vienna leave you wanting more adrenaline in the form of rides? Games? More junk food? Well today’s post is dedicated to nearby amusement parks close to Northern Virginia.
Six Flags America — Bowie, Maryland
Like many other Six Flags, this one has a water park, entertainment, and experiences in addition to roller coasters and other rides. A mix of big and little rides, tickets are on sale for $38/day and this is under an hour away from Vienna.
Kings Dominion — Doswell, Virginia
A large amusement park with a waterpark (Soak City), Planet Snoopy for the younger crowd, rides, food, and entertainment. Tickets start around $45 and this is just under 1.5 hours away from Vienna.
Busch Gardens — Williamsburg, Virginia
A huge variety of activities, rides, entertainment, and food. They also have a ton of pet exhibits if you have someone who loves furry friends. This is a 2.5 hour drive from Vienna.
Dutch Wonderland — Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Dutch has a ton of shows, rides, and experiences (the Dragon’s Tale is my favorite!) for the younger crowd. Bonus it’s across the street from Tanger Shopping Outlets. This one is about 2.5 hours away from Vienna, but great for the littles.
HersheyPark — Hershey, Pennsylvania
Chocolate lovers, this one is for you. You can do the amusement park but you can also make your own candy bar at Hershey Chocolate World and meet your favorite candy characters. This is great all day fun for the whole family. The ride will take just under 2.5 hours.
Honorable mention:
This is not an amusement park, but if you have a kid who loves Dinosaur’s — did you know there’s a Dinosaur Land in Virginia? Life-size replicas of your favorite prehistoric creatures can be found in White Post, Virginia, which is about an hour from Vienna.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
Summer in Vienna means lots of opportunities for community gatherings and entertainment. Remember lots of this is weather dependent and anything on the Town Green means you should bring your own blanket or lawn chair.
Summer Movie Series: 8:30 p.m. movies on the Town Green with free water and popcorn while supplies last!
- July 13: Finding Nemo
- August 3: Sing 2
- August 10: Luca
Chillin’ on Church: Food trucks, local beer and wine, music, and family friendly activities from 6:30-9:30 p.m.
- July 21, August 18, and September 15
Independence Day Fireworks on July 2nd: (see my previous post for tips on this!)
Kids on the Green: Tuesday morning program lasting 30-45 minutes for kids on the Town Green. The schedule is online but entertainment ranges from a magic show to music and storytelling.
Stories and Sprinklers: Wednesdays on the Town Green at 1 p.m., which includes book reading and sprinklers on the patio behind the Freeman Store. Starts this Wednesday, June 28 and goes until July 26.
Summer on the Green Concert: Free summer concerts Fridays at 6:30 p.m. on the Town Green. Check the website for the band of the week.
Don’t forget about Summer Dollar Days at Cocoa Vienna! Each day they have a $1 treat special:
- Monday: Chocolate Dipped Pretzel
- Tuesday: Chocolate Dipped Strawberry
- Wednesday: Deal of the Day
- Thursday: Chocolate Dipped Banana
- Friday: Chocolate Dipped Oreo
Nottoway Nights: Free Thursday evening concerts at 7:30 p.m. at Nottoway Park. Check the website for bands of the week.
Starr Hill Movie Nights at the Perch: Sundays at 6 p.m. outdoor family-friendly movies, also free!
- July 2: The Sandlot
- July 9: The Goonies
- July 16: Cool Runnings
- July 23: Back to the Future
- July 30: Shrek
Starr Hill also has free live music every day in June at various times. Check their Facebook page for specific dates and times.
Mosaic District: Films in the Park is a free summer movie series on Thursday evenings at 7 p.m. through August 17:
- June 29: In and Out
- July 6: Top Gun: Maverick
- July 13: Fast X
- July 20: Puss In Boots
- July 27: Ticket in Paradise
- August 3: Super Mario Bros. Movie
- August 10: Moana
- August 17: E.T.
Cartoons and Coffee: Saturday morning cartoons are back! Saturdays at Strawberry Park in Mosaic from 9-11 a.m.
Mosaic also offers a free concert series on Saturdays at 6 p.m. through August 19. Check their website for band and weather updates.
The Boro also has a stage for live outdoor concerts presented with Arts on the Horizon.
- June 29: 10:30 a.m.
- June 30: 10:30 a.m.
- July 1: 10 a.m. and 11:30 a.m.
As well as Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. through August 24.
The Boro also has Sandlot Cars and Coffee which is a car show at 11 a.m. on July 9 and August 13.
If you’re into baseball — make sure you come support the 12’s All Star Teams as they begin their District 4 games. Last year the American team won the Tournament of State Champions and we’re hoping they go far this year too.
Here’s the schedule for the American League team:
- July 1 at Great Falls (Nike Field) 10 a.m.
- July 3 at McLean 7 p.m.
- July 5 at Vienna Little League 7 p.m.
- July 6 at Vienna Little League 7 p.m.
Here’s the schedule for the National League team:
- July 1 at Vienna Little League 10 a.m.
- July 2 at Reston at 2 p.m.
- July 5 at Vienna Little League at 7 p.m.
- July 6 at Reston at 7 p.m.
You can follow along on Instagram at @Vienna_American_BigRedMachine.
Last thing I’ll mention… did you know the Boro has a Pickleball League AND a Cornhole League? Pickleball is full, but keep that on your radar for future opportunities. You can still register for Cornhole!
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
I’m not a golfer myself, unless it involves Angry Birds at Top Golf.
That said, my kids seem to enjoy the idea of learning how to play golf so I’m going to put together a list of places that are great for kids learning how to play and open to the public without requiring memberships.
Par 3
- Oak Marr Golf Center — A 9 hole course with online availability to reserve a tee time. They also have a great covered driving range if you’re just looking to hit a bucket.
- Virginia Golf Center — A 9 hole course on a first come, first serve basis. Located in Clifton. Adults are $20, kids under 16 are $15 and they give discounts for military, law enforcement officers and teachers.
- Burke Lake Golf Center — An 18 hole course that’s still par 3. Like Oak Marr and other Fairfax County golf courses, you can reserve a tee time online.
- Sterling Golf Club — An 18 hole course that’s still par 3. You can reserve a tee time online too.
If you’re looking to start with mini golf, here’s a reminder of options for local Mini Golf courses:
- Oak Marr (Oakton) — Open noon to 8 p.m.
- The Magic Putting Place (Manassas) — Which is right next to Nathan’s Dairy Bar for fabulous ice cream. Check their Facebook page for daily updates for weather changes.
- Upton Hill Mini Golf (Arlington) — Which also has batting cages and is near Westover, which has Toby’s Ice Cream and many other lunch options.
- Jefferson Falls (Falls Church) — Located near Mosaic. Check the website for openings as they do close sometimes for private events.
Also, places like Reston National Golf Center have camps this summer and throughout the year for kids to learn how to play.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
With America’s birthday approaching, it’s really important to remind you that not all of the fireworks actually happen on July 4th, so before you post in one of the Facebook groups asking about the noises, make sure you take note of the days and times so you can plan ahead to attend if that’s your thing!
One other mom tip — the fireworks are really loud. If you have a noise-sensitive kid, either bring headphones, or use one of my other tips to watch but not hear the noise.
The Town of Vienna Fireworks are traditionally held at Yeonas Park (the Vienna Little League Fields). This year, they’ll take place on July 2 at 9:30 p.m. (approx. when it gets dark).
However, there’s a lot of things leading up to the actual fireworks that you can attend: live music, kids entertainment, games, food trucks, etc. starting at 4 p.m. This event is BYOC (bring your own chairs, blankets, etc.). Chairs are not permitted on the actual field, but there is a paved path and sidewalks where you can put the chairs for folks who can’t easily get up and down from the ground. There’s also bleachers but they get filled up. Streets around Yeonas will get closed from 7-11 p.m.
- You can park at Cedar Lane School, Cedar Lane Shopping Center, Thoreau Middle School, Southside Park, etc. and walk to the field if you want to be in the action.
- Please remember if you’re actually AT Yeonas, it WILL be really loud.
- You can also see the fireworks (on a clear night) from the top of the Vienna Metro parking garage and avoid the loudness of the fireworks (plus it’s easy to get out if your kid get bored or agitated)
- You should also be able to see the fireworks from neighboring streets if you can get close to Yeonas.
- Pack snacks. Although the concession stand and food trucks will be available, I suspect the lines will be long.
- No alcohol is allowed.
- Do not bring pets.
Westwood Country Club also does Fourth of July Fireworks traditionally on the 4th at dark. You can also watch those fireworks from the Giant Shopping Center or the streets across from the Club. So far I haven’t seen anything advertising the fireworks this year (and it was canceled last year) but when I called today, I was told they would be on the 4th. You can check their social media for updates!
There are more options around NoVA like July 1st at Lake Fairfax Park in Reston, Langley High School in McLean, etc. Lots of opportunities around town if you’re a fireworks enthusiast!
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
If you’ve lived in Vienna for any length of time, you’ve heard about the long wait times for local pools.
Pro Tip: if you’re selling a home and you have a pool membership make sure you advertise that! It’s a huge selling feature as the buyer can buy your membership. There are 6 main pools in the area, which I’ll list below, but this list is for anyone who is looking for other options to find water — local pools, spraygrounds and splash pads.
My kids are past the splash pad age, so if I’ve missed anything new please share with the readers below!
Local Vienna Pools
- Vienna Woods Swim and Tennis
- Vienna Aquatic Club
- Dunn Loring Swim Club
- Cardinal Hill Health and Racquet
- Hunter Mill Swim and Racquet Club
- Mosby Woods Pool
Spraygrounds, Splash Pads and Waterparks
- The Boro Splash Pad: 15 jet splash pad at the Boro Park located on the Upper Promenade, open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- The City of Fairfax Splash Pad (10415 North Street): Open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and don’t skip on the ice cream next door at Woody’s!
- Mosaic Water Fountains (on the green): Open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- Our Special Harbor (6601 Telegraph Road, Franconia): This Chesapeake Bay themed splash park has a water maze, dumping crab basket, spray fountains, misting flowers and interactive water tables. Aquatic shoes or sandals with a back strap are required for kids under 15. There’s also a carousel.
- The Water Mine Family Swimmin’ Hole (400 Lake Fairfax Drive, Reston): Here you’ll find a pool, slides, a lazy river, an area for kids with a smaller slide, covered picnic areas and chairs for lounging. This is a great option for day trips to a pool if you’re not a member of any of the local pools. We bought a family pass our first summer in Vienna when we weren’t members of a pool yet, and it was a great way to pass the summer. We have also done birthday parties here — so much fun!
- Ocean Dunes Waterpark (6060 Wilson Blvd, Arlington): Explore multiple pools for different ages, large slides, a “sprayground” with a dumping bucket and many areas for lounging in the sun. It’s also adjacent to an 18-hole mini-golf course — another great way to pass a lazy day!
- Volcano Island Waterpark (20015 Volcano Drive, Sterling): This is another great option with a pool, “sprayground,” slides and a dumping bucket.
- Atlantis Waterpark (7700 Bull Run Drive, Centreville): Keep the kids busy with waterslides, pools, a play island with smaller slides and a huge 500-gallon dumping bucket.
- Great Waves Waterpark (4001 Eisenhower Avenue, Alexandria): For the adventurous, this park includes speed slides, waterslides, a wave pool and a small kids’ zone for the younger crowd. There’s also a mini-golf course, batting cages, playground and cabanas.
Other Pool Options
- Reston Lifetime Fitness: They have an outdoor pool, but you also get access to the rest of the gym.
Sport and Health Tysons: Indoor and outdoor pools, in addition to access to the full club.
McLean and Fairfax Pools: Many have openings and no wait! - McLean Hamlet
- McLean Swim and Tennis
- Chesterbrook Swim and Tennis
- Highlands Swim and Tennis Club
- Tuckahoe Swim and Tennis
I want to give a shout to an Instagram account you may want to follow if you have little kids — @Virginia.Adventure.Family. They do a great job of posting videos, photos and details about cool places to visit around Virginia.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
A lot has changed since Covid and the exceptions that were made to accommodate outdoor seating around town. Thanks to a suggestion from one of my clients — shout to Christina! — I put together a list of outdoor dining options to enjoy this summer.
Church Street Options
- Sandwich Shop — a few indoor tables and a small patio with tables and umbrellas on Church St.
- Ritas — benches in front to enjoy your cold treat!
- Greenheart Juice — a few tables in the front on Dominion Rd NE
- Caffe Amouri — small tables and some benches with cover
- Kiln and Co — small tables/chairs, some under cover
- Caboose Brewery — patio right off the trail
Maple Ave
- Clarity — fine dining with a dedicated patio space with umbrellas
- Cava/Potbelly — a few tables out front
- Maggio’s and Skorpios Charcoal Grill — several tables out front
- Crepe Amour — a few tables out front
- Pazzo Pomodoro — a few tables out front
- Big Buns — several tables under cover
- Sweet Leaf — a few tables out front
- Bruster’s Ice Cream, Jammin Java, Pizza Vienna — all have a few tables out front
- Noodles and Co, Crumbl, Chipotle, South Block — all share a few tables out front
- Lily’s Chocolate and Coffee — a few small tables out front
- Bear Branch — a large patio that fills up quickly
- Foster’s Grille — a few tables out front and to the side
- Taco Bamba — covered patio out front
- Mod Pizza — a few tables out front
- Frame Roasters — new coffee shop has a few tables
- Hawk and Griffin — has a small front patio
- Coco’s Sodas and Sweets — a few covered tables
The town is pretty strict on outdoor dining options which is why many of these have smaller tables and just a few of them. If you’re looking to dine out, make sure you call ahead and see who takes a reservation for that specific table.
Some Favorites in Oakton
- Santini’s — tables out front
- Mama Tigre — just recently did a renovation to add more outdoor seating
Some Favorites in Tysons
- Lebanese Taverna (Tysons II) — big patio on the lower level
- Patsy’s — covered patio in the back but also picnic tables!
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
ViVa Vienna, the town fair, is my favorite event of the year — fried everything, cotton candy, deep fried Oreos, fun rides, fun games, just an all around fun time for everyone.
ViVa Vienna is made up of rides for the kids, some for the smaller crew and some for the older crew who likes faster/higher rides, usually games (knock down the clown, pop the balloon, fishing for a duck), vendors (arts, crafts, photos, local businesses), and fair food. Think meat on a stick, turkey legs and fried everything. It’s glorious and fun. They also have shows on the town green in the amphitheater.
The event is Saturday, Sunday, and Monday from 10am to 10pm. You can buy wristbands online now and avoid the long wait to buy them the day of. You’ll still need to wait in line as this is a voucher for the wristband, but it’s still much faster. Just go ahead and buy the unlimited ride band now and save yourself the kid meltdown later. You can also buy tickets to BrewFest as well. BrewFest will have beer from Caboose, plus wine, food and live music, but it’s only open on Saturday and Sunday from Noon to 10pm.
Bring water! Bring snacks if you don’t want to buy food. The kids (and adults) get hot and hungry, and that’ll kill anyone’s day.
The Vienna Singing Princesses are always a hit, and are on the entertainment schedule to perform Saturday morning. The Vienna Jammers and the Great Zucchini are on the schedule for Monday morning. Check out the Lawyers Road Stage for more shows too.
If you want to check out the map of the entire event to plan ahead, you can see it here.
Logistics: there are recommendations by the Rotary Club for parking spots. Be careful of residential streets that may have no parking signs, and try not to block driveways.
One tip: we like to go on Saturday before lots of vendors make the attendance even more crowded. Vendors are only set up for Sunday/Monday. However, we do go back because you get to meet some local faces, shop artists, hit a hockey puck with the Caps local outreach team, and more. It’s all fun, but for some people who like to avoid the larger crowds – plan to go on Saturday.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
Today is the start of Teacher Appreciation Week, which comes at a good time when they’re all tired from the year and stressed from prepping for SOL testing.
I know local PTA’s have organized things like food, flowers, and cards from the classes to show the homeroom teachers some love, but I wanted to throw out some other ideas — from the wife of a teacher:
- We all know teachers love kids, but that doesn’t mean they don’t also love cash and gift cards. Find out where they love to eat, shop, play or get a generic Target/Amazon gift card and let them do something for themselves.
- My husband has kept cards from students from decades ago. A meaningful card does go a long way. If that’s all you can do, that’s still a lot!
- Don’t forget the special teachers (music, PE, art) and special ed teachers. They often get forgotten since they’re not homeroom teachers.
Great teachers can make a huge difference in a kids life. Thank you teachers for all that you do everyday!
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or [email protected].
The end of April, early May means that strawberries are ready for picking.
The weather this week looks amazing and I’ll take any excuse to get outside and enjoy it before we get the heat and humidity coming. This is my annual PSA that there are so many great places to go berry picking around Northern Virginia.
Don’t forget: they’ll shut down for a day or two if they get over picked so make sure you’re checking their websites/social media for current updates.
- Messick’s Farm in Bealton, Virginixa: Check their Facebook page for updates on the availability of U-pick. While Messick’s has their own custard and availability of treats and food, we drove about three miles down the road to the famous Moo Thru — an ice cream drive-thru, which was so good. (Coffee ice cream was delicious!) Their Strawberry Festival starts on Saturday, April 29 and includes Barrel Train Rides, hayrides, bounce pillow, zipline, goats, candy cannon and kids tattoos. Weekends from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
- Wegmeyer Farms has three locations in Hamilton, Aldie and Leesburg, Virginia. Make sure you follow them on Facebook for the most up-to-date information (as of this writing on April 24, the berries are almost ready). Don’t miss their donuts!
- Hollin Farms in Delaplane, Virginia: Hollin Farms will open in late May for strawberries and spring vegetables. They have a lot of other fruit throughout the year as well.
- Butler’s Orchard in Germantown, Maryland: Strawberries should be ready for picking in May.
- Shlagel Farms in Waldorf, Maryland: Shlagel Farms will be open in May. They update availability on their Facebook page.
- Swann Farms in Owings, Maryland: Check their website for updates, as they too should be ready for picking in May.
The preceding sponsored post was also published on FFXnow.com
