From Wikitravel

Northern Virginia is highly populated. Though much of it is considered a suburb of metropolitan Washington (D.C.), there is a lot of civil war history throughout all of Virginia.

Contents 1 Regions 2 Cities 3 Other destinations 4 Understand 5 Talk 6 Get in 6.1 By Air 6.2 By Car 6.3 By Boat 6.4 By Train 7 Get around 8 See 9 Do 10 Eat 11 Drink 12 Stay safe 13 Get out

Regions

• Fairfax County
• Loudoun County
• Stafford County
• Prince William County

Cities

• Alexandria
• Arlington
• Ashburn
• Falls Church
• Great Falls
• Herndon
• Leesburg
• Manassas
• McLean
• Reston
• Springfield
• Sterling
• Vienna
• Winchester

Other destinations

• Blue Ridge Parkway
• Mount Vernon
• Monticello

Understand

Talk

Get in

By Air

• Washington Dulles International Airport
• Rondald Reagan Washington National Airport
• Leesburg Municipal Airport (charter and private planes only, no commercial service)

By Car

• Route 81
• Route 95 to Route 495 (the beltway) toward Tysons Corner/Falls Church

By Boat

By Train

Get around

• Taking Metrorail might be your best option - there are many stations within the Beltway (near Washington, DC, in other words), including one that emerges right outside the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. It is also the easiest way to enter Washington, DC.
• Driving can be convenient, unless you wish to enter Washington, DC, or cross the Beltway in either direction. The highways (I-395, I-95, I-495, and I-66) are extremely backed up during rush hour. The "Mixing Bowl" (the intersection of I-395, I-95, and I-495 south of Washington, DC) is especially notorious. Attempting to travel by road between 2:00 PM and 6:00 PM on any weekday (and, for that matter, on a weekend) is strongly discouraged.

See

• Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Virginia. Just across the Potomac River, adjacent to the Pentagon. Closes at dusk. This national military cemetery includes John F. Kennedy's tomb and the house of General Robert E. Lee. Visitors can watch the changing of the guard ceremony in front of the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/

• Mount Vernon, Virginia. George Washington lived in this mansion which overlooks the Potomac River. http://www.mountvernon.org

• NRA Museum and Headquarters

• Pentagon. Just across the Potomac River from downtown DC. While lingering is not recommended for security reasons, you should know it is the largest office building in the world, and covers 4 zip codes. (Army, Navy, Air Force and Department of Defense.)

• Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center - National Air and Space Museum, 14390 Air & Space Museum Pkwy. Chantilly, VA 20151 (202) 357-2200 Located near Dulles International Airport, this museum houses many air/spacecraft, including the SR-71 "Blackbird" spy plane, the Concorde supersonic jet and the space shuttle "Enterprise". Parking is available for $12/vehicle. Additionally, a shuttle is available from the Air and Space Museum downtown. Prices range from $5 to $7 depending on number of tickets bought. http://www.nasm.si.edu/museum/udvarhazy/

Do

• Great Falls Park, Virginia. Gorgeous national park with waterfalls and hiking trails, minutes from the beltway. Kayaking and rock climbing. http://www.nps.gov/gwmp/grfa/ Going to the park after a large rain storm provides different views as the water levels can change drastically.

Eat

• Fashion Centre at Pentagon City: A large shopping center with 170 different stores and restaurants. The basement contains a food court that has many different restaurants (including Panda Express, Villa Pizza, and Au Bon Pain). It is located near the Pentagon.

Drink

• Old Dominion Brewery [1]
• Tarara Winery [2]

Stay safe

Get out

• Washington (D.C.) -- lots of memorials and other government attractions in the nation's capital.
• Maryland

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