Are you on a journey to travel the whole of Virginia? Or do you have no plans yet? Well, it’s time you visit and explore every piece of it, every town in it, every history it holds, and every picturesque view of nature it is famous. In that case, you definitely must include Vienna in your list of towns to visit.
Take note, this is not “Vienna, Austria”, but the Vienna town located in Fairfax County Virginia. These two places may be in different locations, but they both offer what every tourist and visitor is looking for, like yourself. For now, let’s get to know what surprise haven does Vienna, VA is hiding.
Before anything else, you must know some facts about why the locals are so proud of Vienna.
The town was ranked third on the list of 100 best places to live in the United States by CNNMoney and Money Magazine in August 2013. It also prides its assets, including highly ranked public schools, small businesses in its downtown area, the Washington Metro station with spacious parking garages, and a portion of the Washington and Old Dominion Railroad Regional Park. It is also near Tysons Corner which is a residential, commercial and shopping district and Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts.
Some activities you must not miss when going to Vienna:
- Difficult Run
The name is already a bit terrifying, but shouldn’t be. The Difficult Run is a hiking, mountain biking and river trail which is 15.9-mile long and following fifty percent of the Potomac River in Northern Virginia. The area is quite interesting since it has had lots of history of purpose during the early 1800s.
Difficult Run is perfect for people who wants to unwind in the bliss of nature while burning some calories. Along the way, you can get a good view of several mini waterfalls and other beautiful scenic views. You can also expect that there will be hill climbing and at times, you’ll walk paved roads.
Enjoy the trail as much as you can, but remember to take extreme caution as well to prevent accidents.
- Freeman Store and Museum
This time, you should learn a little about history. Make sure to visit the Freeman House Store and Museum in Vienna near the District of Columbia.
The structure was once named Lydecker Store because it was originally built in 1859 for Abram Lydecker, of which Confederate and Union Army troops occupied the house during the American Civil War.
Today, the locals use the Freeman Store and Museum for various town events and celebrations.
They have different events and entertainment for different seasons such as lighting the Town tree during winter, tea and Parlor talks during the fall, Freeman Store ground picnic during summer, and museum exhibit during the spring.
If you want to make sure that you will be properly accommodated once you go to the house, you can schedule your visit beforehand.
- Great Falls Park
To complete your Vienna tour, drop by at Great Falls Park.
It is a small 800-acre park located along the banks of the Potomac River. The area contains forests, swamplands, open meadows, a pond, clifftop areas, streams, and the Potomac River. It is now disconnected from the George Washington Memorial Parkway, but still plays a huge part in the town.
Great Falls Park both offers a great piece of history and nature.
You can spot some adorable and not-so-adorable animals as you enjoy a serene moment at the park because the locals try hard to protect and preserve the remaining wildlife. Thus, it is strictly observed to keep a distance from the animals.
Specifically, you can spot whitetail deers, Eastern chipmunks, gray squirrels, venomous copperhead snakes, Eastern Box turtles, snapping turtles, painted turtles, lizards, and five-lined skinks.
You can either to have a self-guided or ranger-guided field trip.
It is surely exciting to see more of Vienna, Virginia. So, why not go for a quick, yet sweet trip there?
