Visiting VA

"Virginia is For Lovers"....did you know?
That's the state motto, and you'll see it on the welcome sign if you come and visit.

{via}

People might not know a lot about Virginia, especially Northern Virginia, and since this area/state has been my home for the last 8 years, I thought I'd highlight some fun stuff to do if you're ever in the area!

The most obvious is to take the metro into DC and go exploring--but that's not Virginia, which is our focus for today's travel tips!

Some of my top spots you should visit if you come to Virginia are:

{1} Old Town Alexandria

~for the walking explorer~

It's in historic Alexandria, right on the water. It's a cute area with old brick townhouses, a few cobblestone roads, and really adorable shops to pop into--clothing, artwork, etc. Not to mention all of the yummy restaurants to visit, too! And you have the nice waterfront area where you can sit and people watch, boat-watch or grab a bite to eat. (Or if you're a baller, and have your own boat, you could boat yourself up to a slip and let the people watchers watch you!)

At night, the streets are lined with lights in the trees and it feels like a really magical place.
It's not abnormal to see engagement photos being taken around here, or even a wedding! 

(Hi Bree!)

{2} Mount Vernon

~for the history lover~

from when MG and I went one year right before Christmas

Where George Washington used to live! It took me a long time to actually go and visit it (which is kind of shameful since I work so close to it), but the grounds are so big, and it's so interesting to see a piece of history up close and personal.

Not to mention, if you come during certain parts of the year, there are wine festivals to partake in as well!

{3} Clarendon/Arlington

~for the lover of nightlife~

Arlington, and specifically Clarendon within Arlington, has some great bars, restaurants, and happy hour deals. It's definitely a younger crowd, but there is always something to do. 

Don Titos just opened up with a killer rooftop area and delicious bar-type food with a mexican twist (tacos), tapas places (La Tasca, and Cava Mezze--where MG and I had our first date), 

the bar that Chris Bukowski from Bachelor owns--Bracket Room. 

Needless to say, there are plenty of options to pick from.

{4}-Memorials, monuments, museums
~for the sight-seer~
The memorials and monuments aren't just in DC--Virginia has some pretty noteworthy ones, too!

{via}

Of note, Arlington National Cemetary (metro-accessible) where you can see John F Kennedy's grave, the tomb of the unknown soldier, the changing of the guard, or just simply to pay your respects to those buried there.
Other memorials in NoVa include: Iwo Jima Memorial and the US Airforce Memorial which is right near the Pentagon.

An extension of the Smithsonean National Air and Space Museum (located in DC) is the Udvar-Hazy Center which houses more aircrafts, space crafts, and an IMAX theater. This is a little drive, but if aircrafts are of interest to you, it's worth a stop!

{5} Wineries
~for, you guessed it, wine lovers~

People may not know that Virginia has a BUNCH of wineries, only about 40-50 minutes outside of DC. There are bed and breakfasts out that way, in addition to hotel chains.
I love having one or two wineries in mind to try out, and then discovering more along the way. Different wineries offer varying wines, atmosphere, food, etc. so you need to do your research on what you'd like to try, but I highly recommend a trip out here if you have the time.
Some of the ones I've visited include: Naked Mountain Winery, Three Fox Vineyards, Barrel Oak Winery (a favorite!) Bluemont Vineyard, Stone Tower Winery (another favorite), Cana Winery.
There are plenty more that I've been to, but I can't remember all of the names!

There are a TON of other places to go for shopping (Tyson's corner, Pentagon City Mall, the outlets), for outdoors (Great Falls Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains), and places close to the Virginia border (National Harbor in MD, DC), but I can't list them all. If you're interested in visiting Northern Virginia, I hope this helped you figure out some things you want to do while you're here, and maybe I piqued some of your interests in visiting NoVa if you weren't :)