Do you ever visit the other suburban Virginia towns just to check them out? (Chesapeake: violent crime, neighborhood)

[Weekend Traveler]

If you live in Northern VA do you ever go for a Sunday Drive just to check out the other communities near by? For example, have you ever driven to Annandale, Chantilly or Great Falls if you have no connection to these towns through school, friends, family or work? Would you ever consider just driving around Northern VA just to see what other communities look like for no particular reason other than just curiousity?

If you are a Northern Va resident, could you name most of the towns in Fairfax and Loudon County and tell me where they are in relationship to each other without looking at a book or a map?

Why am I asking this? Just curious.

[ScranBarre]

I just moved here six weeks ago and have been all over Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. I drove the entire length of the Georgetown Pike from Route 7 near Reston through Great Falls and Langley into McLean. I also drove from Purcellville up to Lovettsville then cut over to Lucketts and went back down around Leesburg. I've been as fair out as Aldie and Gainesville to the southwest (with hopes of seeing Culpeper and Warrenton before long). I work in Tyson's Corner. I've been to Arlington and Alexandria. The only places I haven't been to are any points south of the beltway (i.e. Woodbridge, Fredericksburg, etc.)

[VRE332]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

I just moved here six weeks ago and have been all over Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. I drove the entire length of the Georgetown Pike from Route 7 near Reston through Great Falls and Langley into McLean. I also drove from Purcellville up to Lovettsville then cut over to Lucketts and went back down around Leesburg. I've been as fair out as Aldie and Gainesville to the southwest (with hopes of seeing Culpeper and Warrenton before long). I work in Tyson's Corner. I've been to Arlington and Alexandria. The only places I haven't been to are any points south of the beltway (i.e. Woodbridge, Fredericksburg, etc.)

On your next trip you should go out to old town Warrenton, or Old Town Manassas. They're really nice areas, you'll feel like NEPA again.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by VRE332

On your next trip you should go out to old town Warrenton, or Old Town Manassas. They're really nice areas, you'll feel like NEPA again.

Or check out Occuquan. It's somewhat like Harpers Ferry.

I don't tend to visit towns just to take a look at them, but I've been to everywhere in Fairfax and Loudoun just because I have a lot of family here and I go to see them in concerts, sports, art shows, etc. I go to Arlington 6-7 times a year. I've been to most of the towns in Fauquier but don't go there on a regular basis.

I go into DC occasionally, but don't feel I know it well. I haven't spent too much time in Prince William County, and almost never go over to Montgomery County.

[ScranBarre]

Originally Posted by FromVAtoNC

and almost never go over to Montgomery County.

Is there anything worthwhile to see in Prince George's County? All I ever see on the news from there is violent crime. I want to see Annapolis someday (Anne Arundel County) and head to as far south/east as you can get from DC on the MD Chesapeake Shoreline (Calvert County?), but I was wondering if P.G. County had anything "neat" to see too.

[Caladium]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Is there anything worthwhile to see in Prince George's County? All I ever see on the news from there is violent crime. I want to see Annapolis someday (Anne Arundel County) and head to as far south/east as you can get from DC on the MD Chesapeake Shoreline (Calvert County?), but I was wondering if P.G. County had anything "neat" to see too.

Don't know, I haven't really spent any time in Prince Georges. There's probably a few interesting things to see, though. Mason Neck area is wonderful, especially if you like the outdoors and rural towns. We love Annapolis, been there many times. Front Royal is also a fun town to explore. Try to go to an event in one of the old churches there, they're really interesting.

Calvert County is ok, but everytime we go there a storm brews up and Calvert always seems to get hit very hard. I don't know if that's a coincidence or if Calvert attracts bad weather.

[e2ksj3]

Although I don't I live in NoVa now, I spent a lot of time there throughout my life visiting family during the summer. They pretty much stayed along the I-95/395 corridor (around Woodbridge/Stafford/Fredericksburg). I don't remember us ever going to Loudoun County and we only went to Tysons Corner maybe one or two times. The traffic was so bad along 95 they didn't like going too far from home, especially when they have pretty much the same stuff.

I didn't really check out the western NoVa burbs until recently, when I started looking at moving to the area. I actually like Loudoun and western Fairfax Counties better. There seems to be less traffic (although still pretty bad), than along the I-95 corridor, plus you can see the Blue Ridge Mountains from certain parts of that area.

[janie01]

I think I have driven in every neighborhood and town in NOVA. It has been a favorite Sunday pastime of mine and my husbands for 20 years. I can most likely name all the towns here and where they are in relation to one another. (but don't quiz me. I don't do well on tests!) My two kids are still being dragged along, although it has become less often the older they get due to a greater amount of Sunday homework. We would tell them to please get their homework done on Sat. because on Sun. we want to leave for the day. We have been to most places within a two hour radius at one time or another, but there still are alot I want to go to. Another thing I do (by myself) is get in the car with my dog, drive to a pretty neighborhood, park, and walk my dog there. I love my neighborhood, but get bored walking the same streets.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by ScranBarre

Is there anything worthwhile to see in Prince George's County? All I ever see on the news from there is violent crime. I want to see Annapolis someday (Anne Arundel County) and head to as far south/east as you can get from DC on the MD Chesapeake Shoreline (Calvert County?), but I was wondering if P.G. County had anything "neat" to see too.

I like the Chesapeake shoreline a lot. Definitely recommend you go to Anne Arundel, Calvert, and St. Mary's Counties.

PG is not all violent crime. One fun thing I've done is park my car in Virginia and walk across the Wilson Bridge to National Harbor. You can do this on a bike too. If you don't want to walk back, there is a boat you can take back to Alexandria, but then you still have to walk back down to your car (not as far as all the way back across the bridge though). I could see you not liking National Harbor since it feels very fake, but I think it's worth checking out if for no other reason than you can say you walked from Virginia through DC all the way to Maryland. The Wilson Bridge touches the very southern corner of DC.

Oxon Hill Farm is a historical farm that's right around there also. Probably not walkable but I think it's bike-able. Further south in PG, Fort Washington Park and Piscataway Park are supposed to be nice. It's surprising how rural southern PG feels compared to southern Fairfax County right across the river.

[pcity]

Originally Posted by Weekend Traveler

If you live in Northern VA do you ever go for a Sunday Drive just to check out the other communities near by? For example, have you ever driven to Annandale, Chantilly or Great Falls if you have no connection to these towns through school, friends, family or work? Would you ever consider just driving around Northern VA just to see what other communities look like for no particular reason other than just curiousity?

I've never driven out of my way to see a different part of NoVA, but I will certainly take the local streets if they're on my way, even if the Beltway is faster. Most of my exploration of NoVA has been because I'm on my way to a store, restaurant, or park.

If you are a Northern Va resident, could you name most of the towns in Fairfax and Loudon County and tell me where they are in relationship to each other without looking at a book or a map

I'd probably do well at that, but I have a mind for geography. You should make a quiz on Travelpod ( The Traveler IQ Challenge™ ) and see how we all do on it.