Updated in 2020 with additional links (initial publish date 9-21-2017) Fall is a wonderful time to take a quick family road trip. The season comes after the summer crowds have gone, but before the hectic Christmas and holiday road travel arrives. The cool but not cold temperatures, the beautiful colors of the tree lines, and the leaves crunching below your feet make this a wonderful time to get some fresh air with the family and enjoy fall Continue Reading...
Northern Virginia First Day Hikes and New Year races
By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun Commitment to a New Year's resolution, the promise of a fresh start, or "just because:" each January 1st, despite or because of the previous night's celebrations, some people will start the new year with a focus on fitness. In Northern Virginia, families that want to kick off the new year with active, heart-healthy fun with neighbors have some options including including 5K races and "first day Continue Reading...
Where to see the cherry blossoms in DC and Virginia
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com It's that time again! Each year the beautiful cherry blossom trees bloom -- and so do the crowds of area residents and tourist who come from all over the world to see our nation's capital all dressed up "pretty in pink." The trees are the main attraction of the National Cherry Blossom Festival, an annual three-week celebration in Washington, DC. The multi-event celebration commemorates the blooming of Continue Reading...
Fun freebies: fourth grade ski pass and national park pass
Disclosure: This site is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun If you have a fourth grader, you're in luck: this year he or she can get some awesome freebies to enjoy the great outdoors! The fourth grade ski pass offered by Pennsylvania and the Continue Reading...
Holidays at Theme Parks
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com Can't get enough of theme parks? Don't let winter get in the way! Summer may be the best season to enjoy theme parks in full, but in winter you still can enjoy some rides and special attractions. The holiday season also puts the parks in a new light, literally, with thousands of sparkling, dazzling lights, festive decorations, and gorgeous scenes. Although dates and hours are limited and not all rides may Continue Reading...
Halloween thrills at 10 Mid-Atlantic theme parks
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com In southern states and other areas where it’s warm year-round, you can go to a theme park pretty much at any time. Not so in the mid-Atlantic, where chilly temperatures mean theme parks are seasonal and most shut down after summer. Even so, many open back up for the fall with special Halloween events. Although dates and hours are limited and not all rides may be operating, these now Halloween theme parks Continue Reading...
Light City Baltimore festival to set the Inner Harbor aglow
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com Baltimore always makes for fun trip. With so much to do, it's a great place for families to visit. Here you can enjoy numerous museums, historic spots, the Baltimore Aquarium, ship tours, and more. And now you have an added incentive: Light City Baltimore, a free nine-day free festival of light, music, and innovation, starting March 31, 2017. The festival, which made its debut in 2016, is the first Continue Reading...
Timeless excitement for all ages at Medieval Times
We were invited to tour the Baltimore/DC Medieval Times castle, and couldn't say no! Read on to find out why we love this attraction and what makes it great for a family day out. By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun The jousting, the feeling of traveling back in time, the novelty of eating a meal just with your hands... Whatever initially draws you to Medieval Times Dinner & Tournament, when you leave, chances are good that you and Continue Reading...
Richmond sampler: best kid-friendly attractions
By Patricia Hall, Fairfax Family Fun I’ll admit it. I had been to Richmond but I had never really “visited” Richmond. Over my many years of living in Virginia, I had traveled through Richmond numerous times, stopped in to visit friends, and toured several attractions. Because it’s so close, just two hours from my home in Northern Virginia, we could get there easily for day trips. When we were invited to visit Richmond, Virginia, for a Continue Reading...
Celebrate National Roller Coaster Day at Busch Gardens
By Patricia Hall, FairfaxFamilyFun.com Did you know there is a National Roller Coaster Day? There sure is, and in 2016 it takes place on Tuesday, August 16. Roller coasters are one of the top choices for thrill seekers, and our own Busch Gardens in Williamsburg, less than three hours from Northern Virginia, boasts plenty of big, exciting rides. In honor of National Roller Coaster Day, here's a look at some of the "epic" coasters you can enjoy Continue Reading...
