Blog Travel

On our quest for weekend getaway destinations, we discovered a pretty little place that may not be on your radar if you don’t live in the Virginia area.  Prince William County is a great Virginia weekend getaway destination.  Coming from the west coast, we devoted a four-day weekend to this pretty little piece of Northern Virginia.  Prince William County works either as a Virginia weekend vacation or as a side trip from Washington, D.C.  Prince William County has small town charm, Civil War history, and gorgeous landscapes.  Its relaxed pace and open spaces make it easy to forget the most powerful city in America is just a short drive away. Discover Two Important Civil War Battlefields A big draw for travelers from across the country is the east coast’s Civil War Battlefields.  Prince William County offers travelers a two-for-one special with Manassas National Battlefield Park .  Two important Civil War battles were fought here, both of which were vi...

During our Virginia weekend getaway in Prince William County, located in Northern Virginia less than an hour’s drive away from Washington, D.C., we spent a lot of time outdoors because it was fall and the leaves were just starting to turn color.  There are a number of outdoor things to do in Northern Virginia.  Since we were visiting for a long weekend, we couldn’t visit them all, but we did get to visit three great places for outdoor activities in Northern Virginia where we were able to hike, enjoy the scenery, and learn a little history as well. Bull Run Mountains Conservancy The Bull Run Mountains are part of the Blue Ridge Mountains mountain range in Northern Virginia.  The Bull Run Mountains are protected by the Bull Run Mountains Conservancy, which offers walking trails and educational programs.  (To learn more about their public programs, visit their website .) We love old buildings and history, so our first stop during our visit to the Bull Run Mountains w...

The visitor center stands on Henry Hill. The east coast is riddled with Civil War battlefields, but for a Southern California couple, Civil War battlefields aren’t something we see every day.  So how do you choose which Civil War battlefield to cross the country to visit?  Gettysburg is probably the most popular Civil War battlefield for travelers to visit as it is the location of one of the most important battles and was the turning point for the Union.  But Gettysburg isn’t your only choice.  Northern Virginia has a Civil War battlefield that was the site of not just one, but two very im portant Civil War battles.  At the Manassas National Battlefield Park in Northern Virginia, yo u can learn about and explore the battlefields of these two important Civil War battles and also enjoy the natural beauty of this member of the National Park Service.  These two battlefields are also a conveniently short drive from Washington, D.C. Civil War Battle of First Mana...