Ashburn Park aka "The Dinosaur Park"

The Ashburn Park located in Ashburn, VA is known as the Ashburn "Dinosaur" Park to many parents. This park is located in Loudoun County off of Partlow Road in the heart of Old Town Ashburn. It has four different sets of equipment for all different age groups with pictures of dinosaurs on them. The park has lots of shade on a hot day and a porta potty is located near the entrance to the park.

A pavillion is located in the middle of the park and is great place to have a picnic lunch. They added a new piece of equipment for the older kids and it has a great scavenger hunt game and rock wall. If you walk further into the park there is also a small creek and trails. The trail eventually leads to the W&OD Trial and backs to another community trail system.

Great park with lots of things for the kids to do. Ashburn Park is definitely in our Top Ten of parks in the Northern Virginia area!

Check out my next write up on the Luray Caverns....

South Riding, Virginia

South Riding is a planned community located in Loudoun County, Virgina. Nestled between Chantilly, VA and Aldie, VA, South Riding offers the complete package. Located off Route 50 and Route 28, residents can easily access the Dulles, Reston, and Tyson's Corner Technology Corridor.

South Riding is a great place for young professionals, active individuals and families with children. The community offers single family homes, townhomes and condos. Three shopping centers allow residents to run errands while staying close to home. A network of fitness trails offer residents a safe place to walk, jog, and ride bikes. South Riding offers several community pools and clubhouses available to all residents. If you enjoy golf, South Riding includes it's own golf course, South Riding Golf Club. Families with children will have access to great schools from the pre-school level all the way up to high school. Tot lots and parks are located throughout the community and within walking distance of most homes.

South Riding is a beautiful community with many amenities. The location near government and private employers makes it a very sought after place to settle down. Let me show you what South Riding has to offer!

Relocation

In the Northern Virginia area you can most likely throw a rock and hit someone who has relocated to the area either for job opportunities, military or family. My small circle of friends have come from all over including Florida, California, New York, West Virginia and Ohio.  Very few of our friends are actually from Virginia with a small exception of my husband.

In cases where people are moving for job opportunities some companies will offer relocation packages. Some packages will recommend a realty firm to help you purchase or rent your new home.

A few of my close friends have shared their stories of relocating with me. One of my good friends said next time she would choose their own Realtor instead of going with the realty firm offered in a relocation package. She felt the Realtor with her package didn't offer enough time for her and kept steering her towards neighborhoods she felt were out of her price range. When time became an issue the Realtor went on vacation and left her unqualified nephew (who had no car) to show them properties. In the end she found her own home without the help of the Realtor or her nephew. The Realtor still received her commission but it was undeserved.

Another friend found her Realtor in her relocation package perfect. She loved her Realtor because she was well versed in the area and understood their needs. Once they disclosed their wish list she made a point of showing properties meeting their needs and discarded listings that did not. My friend felt the process was a success because they found a home in a reasonable amount of time and it met all their needs including price.

In Northern Virginia  there are many established and newer communities. You can live close to the city in Arlington, out west in Leesburg or anywhere in between. If you find yourself relocating to a new county or even a new state make sure you locate a Realtor that understands your needs. True North Realty, LLC is well versed in Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, Faquier and Prince William County. Let us help you find your new home!

Kamber Petty 571-299-8307 or kamber.a.petty@gmail.com

Frying Pan Park & Temple Hall Farm

In rural Leesburg, VA located in Loudoun County you'll find Temple Hall Farm. Temple Hall is a 286-acre working farm. It's a great place to the bring the family to see the animals and see all the sites of a working farm. It has plenty of picnic tables to bring a lunch and includes a small playground for the littler children. Every year from September to the beginning of November Temple Hall has a giant Corn Maze and pumpkin patch. You can also check out the Babbling Brook Trail which takes you over a creek and through the woods.

More pics to come when the weather gets nicer!

Geo-caching?

What's Geo-caching? About a year ago we were introduced to Geo-caching through my sister and a friend. I had heard others talk about it but I never inquired as to what it was. Once we got started we were hooked and the kids had a blast.

Geo-caching is a high tech treasure hunt using a GPS unit. Just like searching for hidden treasure, you use GPS coordinates to find hidden containers called geo-caches. These containers can be any shape and size located outdoors. Once you find the hidden container you can inspect the contents and leave a little something behind to mark your find. Most containers also contain a log book that you can sign and comment. When you're finished you replace the container where it was found. If you're not into the hunt you could also be an owner of your very own geo-cache and place it in your favorite hiking spot or even in your neighborhood common areas.

To get started go to the official geo-caching website, Geocaching. Here it shows you how to get started and once you find a geo-cache you can return to the website and log in your find. The website also gives out helpful hints provided by the owners of each geo-cache just in case you get stumped. Geo-caching is for all ages and sizes and these hidden treasures can be found all over the world. If you love to hike or just being outside to get some exercise, geo-caching is a fun activity.

The local regional park, Algonkian is filled with great hiking trails and many places for geo-caches to be hidden. It is located at the end of Cascades Parkway in Sterling, VA. Part of the Potomac Heritage Trail is also easily accessed through Algonkian park and filled with hidden geo-caches.

Last Fall we drove out to Chantilly, VA to check out Ellanor C. Lawrence Regional Park. It is a great park filled with lots of trails and chances to see wildlife.

In our Countryside neighborhood in Potomac Falls, VA, we have found many geo-caches and we aren't even close to finding them all. My kids love to help Mommy and Daddy find the hidden containers. This is a great activity to share with the family and get out into the fresh air.