Northern VA is full of history, natural beauty, and fun family activities. These are a few towns that are worth exploring in NoVA.
Old Town Winchester
Near the northern border of Virginia and West Virginia sits Winchester, a city with an inviting historic district that we really enjoyed visiting. In the mid-1700’s, George Washington came here at the age of sixteen to survey the area. During the French and Indian War, prisoners were housed in Winchester and the neighboring countryside. Now, you can see George Washington’s headquarters and the ruins of an old church used as barracks during the Revolutionary War, among many other historic points of interest. Old Town Winchester is also a shopping and dining hub, with a very charming and unique vibe, where you can find many unusual boutiques and cafes, and crowds of shoppers along the wide stone streets.
Front Royal
Front Royal is the town that has grown up around the northern gateway into Shenandoah National Park. Shenandoah offers stunning vistas in any season, and family friendly hikes (along with more challenging hikes!). Try the Fox Hollow Trail or Fort Windham Rocks for a fun walk and beautiful views, and be sure to watch the sunset at one of the many west facing overlooks. You won’t regret it. Also, make sure you check out Dinosaur Land – a wonky, fun walk through prehistoric times full of huge, homemade dinosaurs and other creatures, some of which you can walk through, or climb on . It also has a great gift shop!
Historic Occoquan
The historic district of Occoquan, VA, on the Occoquan River, is small and very charming. Visit the tiny Occoquan Mill House Museum for friendly and knowledgeable staff who can tell you all about the mill and house, the river and goods historically provided to the world through this tiny town and river. Behind and beyond the Museum the town ends and there is a small walking bridge and trail and park, with a LOVE sign. There are many fun boutiques, cafés and such throughout the town, and plenty of dock to walk along the river. We really enjoyed Puzzle Palooza Etc where we purchased some very unique puzzles, Nazbro Chocolates where we got a mini history lesson on fudge, a ton of free samples, and made some delicious purchases, and Madigan’s Waterfront, where we had a tasty seafood lunch on their enclosed and heated outdoor patio on the river – definitely a great ambiance here. Secret Garden Café also had a really romantic vibe, but it was a little too popular for us when we tried to enter and encountered the long line! All in all, a charming little town.
From there, there are also several beautiful parks such as Pohick Bay Regional Park, which includes a playground, a lovely Bay view, clean restrooms, vending machines, boat rentals, camp ground, fishing docks, and more. Another nearby park is Neabsco Creek Regional Park, which has a unique boardwalk trail that goes out over the wetlands, as well as a playground.
Old Town Manassas
Old Town Manassas is also worth seeing, with its pretty old churches and the old Town Hall, as well as some interesting boutiques. We went in a cozy café called Grounds Central and warmed up with hot chocolate, cappuccinos, and yummy baked snacks and played a couple games on the little arcade.
If you’re a history buff, visit Manassas National Battlefield Park, which includes a small but interesting museum. Our kids enjoyed listening to the interactive touch screen descriptions of the battles, and running through the fields to check out the cannons. The park memorializes the beginning of the Civil War with the battle of Bull Run, where “heavy fighting swept away any notion of a quick war,” according to the NPS website. Around the museum are cannons, the Brawner Farmhouse (this is the farm where Stonewall Jackson hid his troops before opening fire on union troops as they passed through), the monument built in memory of the fallen union soldiers, and the monument to Stonewall Jackson, and there is a driving tour with 12 points of interest along the way.
Old Town Alexandria
When driving through Virginia, we sometimes stop in old town Alexandria, VA, and walk up to the water front where the kids play on the green and toss pebbles in the water. The area is usually blocked off on weekends so that families can walk safely along the riverside area, and there are many restaurants where you can enjoy a meal. We like to go to Urbano 116, a Mexican Restaurant on Kings St.
