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!

Reston, Virginia

Reston is a planned community in Northern Virginia located in Fairfax County. This post war community enables residents to be within a half mile walk of the shops and eateries. Reston was developed to include five village centers and one town center. The Reston Town Center is a great place to grab a bite to eat, check out the local arts and shop. This area is convenient to live in if you're a young professional, active adult or even a family with children.

Reston is comfortably located near the Dulles Toll Road and Fairfax County Parkway. Reston is in the heart of the Dulles Technology Corridor with many employers located in Reston. Washington Dulles International Airport is also within 10 minutes of Reston. The Dulles Corridor Metrorail Project is currently being constructed and projected to be completed in 2013. The project will eventually be a convenient way to travel east  to D.C. and west to Dulles Airport. For the active individual the W& OD Trail runs directly through Reston.

My friends and family that live in Reston are always commenting how beautiful the artificial lakes and wooded areas are. Reston has four lakes; Lake Anne, Lake Thoreau, Lake Newport, and Lake Audubon. Lake front homes line the shores and many walking paths are throughout each lake area. Lake Anne Plaza is a neat place  to grab a bite to eat, check out local thrift shops or just sit outside on a nice day by the water. The Reston community also has no shortage of athletic fields and community pools. If you are looking for a condo, townhome or single-family home consider Reston, VA.

National Air And Space Museum -Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center

The Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center is part of the National Air and Space Museum and located in Dulles, VA just off Route 28 in Fairfax County. It can be found right next door to Dulles International Airport. It has an extensive collection of aircraft and a large exhibit of space elements including the space shuttle, Enterprise.

The museum is a great place to take the family. The kids can walk from plane to plane from the ground or stroll around the observation decks to check out the planes hanging from the ceiling. They offer several IMAX movies and simulators that get you right into the action. Once you have checked out all the planes you can take an elevator up to the Observation tower and see the planes taking off and landing at Dulles Airport. After 4:00 p.m. there is no $15 parking fee and great place for the kids to burn off some energy before dinnertime.

Attention Travelers.....

We are lucky to have three major airports in our area, Dulles International Airport, Baltimore Washington International Airport, and Reagan National Airport.

Located in Chantilly, VA you'll find Dulles International Airport. You can spot the airplanes landing and taking off as you travel Route 28 in Fairfax County. Route 28 can be easily accessed from Route 66, the Dulles Toll Road, Route 50 or Route 7. There is plenty of parking if you plan to leave your car and no shortage of cabs or shuttles going to and from the airport. The Dulles Corridor Metro Rail project is currently under construction and is expected to be completed in 2014.

Located across the Potomac River from the Nation's Capital in Arlington, VA you'll find Reagan National Airport. This airport is connected to the Metro Rail System which exits at two terminals of the airport. Amtrak can also be used to access this airport via shuttles from two rail stations, one is in Alexandria, VA and the other is Union Station in D.C.

Baltimore Washington International Airport is located in Baltimore, MD. BWI is easily accessible from Northern Virginia via Baltimore Washington Parkway and Route 95. Amtrak, MARC and Metro light rail also service the airport. With this airport being less than 45 minutes from Northern Virginia it's another option for air travel.


With access to these three airports from Northern Virginia, it makes traveling very convenient. Northern Virginia and the suburbs of D.C. are optimal locations for living.

Safe travels.....