Have a Safe and Happy Halloween!

Upton Hill Regional Park in Arlington, VA!

Upton Hill Regional Park in Arlington, VA straddles Fairfax and Arlington County.  The park is surrounded by great older single family homes that Arlington is known for and lots of local shopping. The park has a miniature golf course, Ocean Dunes Waterpark, bocce ball pit, batting cages, and playground. If you're into walking/hiking the park has lots of trails that take you through naturally wooded areas. If you are into geo-caching there are lots of hidden caches in the park.

On our visit we walked some of the trails and hit up the playground. Where the play equipment is placed you can tell it use to be an old fountain and the kids had a blast walking up the stairs between the two different play areas. The playground is in pretty good shape and in plenty of shade. The park does have restrooms but not down below near the equipment. If you're interested in the play equipment you can either park on Wilson Blvd or park above near the waterpark and walk down the trail.

This nice natural park is great to see amongst the busy area of Arlington and has lots to offer everyone!

Joseph D. Reading Park in Manassas, VA!

A few weeks ago we checked out Joseph D. Reading Park in Manassas, VA. This cute little Prince William County park is close to Route 28 near Kline's Freeze on Maplewood Drive. If you weren't looking it for it you would never know it was there.

The park is tucked back away from Maplewood Drive. It has several walking paths, basketball courts, tennis courts, picnic pavilions. More importantly there are two little playgrounds with permanent restrooms near by. The equipment was in good shape with lots of shade around the equipment. The one turn off was that the slides were aluminum and were kind of hot when we went to check them out.

This park was very cute and very well maintained. In you live in Manassas you should check it out!

Cox Farms in Centreville, VA!

Every year we visit Cox Farms in Centreville, VA for their Fall Festival. Cox Farms puts on a great Fall Festival from September-November with lots of things for the family to do including huge slides, hayrides, Goat Village, live entertainment, barnyard animals and of course the pumpkins! There is something for every age and size when you go to Cox Farms. The area where it is held mostly dirt, grass or gravel so it makes it easy for strollers and wagons to get around. The restrooms are all clean porta potties and scattered all over the festival.

The Fall Festival is known for it's colorful cutouts of popular cartoon characters and pumpkins. Hillside slides are a huge attraction and located on top of little hillsides. There is plenty to do with the little ones including checking out the barnyard animals that are penned throughout the festival. If you want to meet the many goats that Cox Farms has head to the Goat Village to feed, pet and watch the goats walk around the ramp system.

 The pictures do not do the Festival justice not to mention there are too many large slides to put up. When it's time to leave the festival you are given a free pumpkin with every paid admission. The exit to the festival takes you through the Festival Market where you can purchase large pumpkins,fresh produce, baked goods, kettle korn and candied apples. If you like having fresh produce you can always stop by the Cox Farms Corner Market during the Spring and Summer.

If you live in South Riding, Chantilly, Centreville, Aldie or Stone Ridge you are just a short trip away from the Annual Festival and Corner Market!

Ticonderoga Farms in Chantilly, VA!

Today we checked out Ticonderoga Farms in Chantilly, VA! This time of year is great because local Northern Virginia Farms have Fall Pumpkin Festivals and Ticonderoga Farms is one of them.

With a small admission fee you can play on the playground equipment, go down the large slides, rope bridge, climb up into forts, enjoy a hayride and walk the barnyard area. The best part is you recieve a small pumpkin with each paid admission. My kids always get a kick out of picking out their own pumpkins.

The kids had a great time. Ticonderoga Farms is not as large as the Cox Farms Fall Festival but there is still plenty of things for the family to do at this Loudoun County farm.

Great Country Farms in Bluemont, VA!

A friend of mine told me about a great little farm in Western Loudoun County named Great Country Farms in Bluemont, VA.

The working farm is 200-acres and was started as a Community Supported Agriculture Program (CSA). A CSA is a program where members support the farm and in return share in the crops. The farm is also a U-pick farm where you can take a wagon ride out to the fields and pick fresh vegetables or fruit depending on the season. There is a small admission fee but the farm is lovely and well worth it.

Besides the fresh vegetables, fruit and kettle korn Great Country Farms has a lot to offer the family while you visit. The cow train, large inflatable pillow, and Gem Mining are just a few things you can do at the farm. They offer plenty of play equipment all over the play area along with a barnyard for the kids to see goats, chickens and pigs.

We had a great time and will definitely come back!

Kutner Park in Fairfax, VA!

Kutner Park in Fairfax, VA is located off of Jermantown Road near Route 50. You can enter the park either at the entrance on Jermantown Road or walk in from the East side of  the park located in a small single family home development. At the Jermantown Road entrance there is a small sign with an arrow pointing towards the parking lot. You drive a short distance between the 7-Eleven and the soccer fields to locate the parking lot.

The park offers several pieces of newer equipment including a swing set, sand box and picnic pavilion. The park also has a tennis court, volleyball court and hiking trails. A porta potty is located near the parking lot and when we were there the potties were clean and in the shade.

This was a cute park that is tucked in between Route 50 and Lanier Middle School. If you didn't catch the small sign driving by you would never know the park was located among the busy area near Route 50 and Route 29 in Fairfax County!