Welcome to Northern Virginia, a beautiful place to visit and an even better area to live. As one of the most populous regions of Virginia and with a median income, you’ll find numerous venues, amenities and places to visit as you take time off to relax from your busy life. Radiating from the Washington metropolitan area and encompassing various counties, Northern Virginia can sometimes be difficult to pinpoint because it’s such a large area.
From massive infrastructure and transportation to proximity to the CIA, Pentagon, numerous Civil War sites and Mount Vernon, there’s a lot to do here. For the sake of brevity, I think it’s best to focus on the one area that really epitomizes this area of the world. In this case let’s take the Gainesville area, including Haymarket, Bristow and Prince William County. Let me introduce you to just a few things you can do in this area.
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Manassas National Battlefield Park
This historic park preserves the history of two Civil War battles, the two Bull Run Battles, and is also the place where Stonewall Jackson obtained his famous nickname. Whether you want to see a massive park that is full of nature or a historical site where the coordinators have done their best to preserve the area by changing as little possible, you’ll find something to love about Manassas National Battlefield Park.
There are numerous monuments and areas to visit within the park. Stone House was used as a hospital during both of the battles while Battery Heights is still intact and shows where the Confederacy deployed fire against the Union troops. The New York Monuments stand there to honor the many soldiers who lost their lives, and there are several plantations kept in the best shape possible.
For those interested in history or nature, it doesn’t get much better than Manassas National Battlefield Park.
Winery at La Grange
It was in 2005, after an enthusiastic group of wine lovers and investors came together, that the Winery at La Grange was formed. They obtained the historic La Grange mansion and quickly established a vineyard that dares to craft the best Virginia wine possible. Made with the best techniques and combined with the best fruit, you’ll find that the Winery at La Grange creates a unique wine that is unlike anything you’ve ever tasted.
Sprawled around 20 acres, there’s also plenty of room for picnics, parties, weddings and much more. Tasting parties are the norm, and for a nominal fee, you can easily enjoy a variety of fine wines. For the foodies out there, you’ll be happy to know that gourmet snacks often accompany these wines for a thoroughly tasty event.
Playing Golf
The Northern Virginia area and especially the Gainesville area is full of golf courses of all different sizes and wildly different designs and features. This ensures you can easily find one that truly fits your idea of perfection, and few courses come as close to perfection as those found in Northern Virginia.
One of the most famous golf courses is found at the Dominion Valley Country Club. Designed by golfing icon Arnold Palmer himself, he takes a straightforward approach to design that preserves natural terrain while also adding interesting challenges for a unique course you’re sure to remember.
Another popular attraction is the Stonewall Golf Club. This golf club is over 7,000 yards in size and is touted as one of the finest upscale golf establishments ever, and it’s easy to see why. The 72-par course is ideal for champions seeking to test their ability. Made to work with the natural terrain along with immaculate trees, bunkers and other challenges, it’s a wonderful sight to see and it’s even better to play. Once the game is done, you can enjoy the fine food offerings at the club.
These are just two of the golf courses in the area. There are many more and you’ll have no trouble finding one that is perfect for you.
Virginia Gateway
Who can honestly say that they hate shopping? From window shopping to searching through each store and seeing what treasures you can uncover, everyone can agree that they love to go through stores and getting new things. The Virginia Gateway is a large collection of over 120 stores catering to everyone’s needs. No matter what you like, you’ll find a store for it.
Perhaps the most beautiful piece here is the Regal Cinema, where you can watch the best movies in a lovely theater, but you can also find restaurants, retail stores, little boutiques and so much more. From Best Buy to Bar Louie and Panera Bread to Target, everything is here and waiting for you.
You can easily find yourself spending the whole day here and having a fun time. It’s a local attraction and you need to spend at least a little time here.
Jiffy Lube Live
Jiffy Lube Live is a massive arena for the best music of today and the past. Big bands like Green Day, Rob Zombie, Santana, and Pearl Jam are known to play here, and you’ll always find a new event being planned.
There are 25,000 tickets per event. This makes it easy to find a seat and is a testament to just how large this arena is. If you love music and want to hear it live, then you need to visit Jiffy Lube Live.
Conclusion
Northern Virginia is a beautiful area to visit, but honestly, it’s even better if you live there because you can enjoy these amenities and so much more on a daily basis. The Gainesville and Haymarket areas are ideal for new families as it gives you proximity to Washington while giving you access to excellent schools, large natural parks and so much more.
Whether you travel or live, Northern Virginia has so much to offer. After just one visit, you’re sure to start researching houses for sale in Haymarket VA
