Fairfax Community Guide 2015

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% Fit......................................................................................Page Long Fence .................................................................................Page 32 Beldon Home Solutions 39 �����������������������������������Page 5 H T Insurance .......................................................................Page 44 Loudoun Country Day School ...............................................Page 15 BER Services ������������������������������������������������������Page 8 ...................................Page 19 bey Design Center .................................................................Page 3 Loudoun County Commuter Service Ad Number: vanced Network Solutions .................................................Page 48 Loudoun County Commuter Service ...................................Page 35 Buck & Associates Inc� �������������������������������������Page 4 s in the Village .....................................................................Page 43 Loudoun County Economic Development .........................Page 29 burn Village Sports Pavilion 34 Loudoun Family Medicine......................................................Page 13 Bull ............................................Page Dawg Athletic Training LLC �������������������Page 3 burn Volunteer Fire & Rescue .........................................Page 30 Loudoun Habitat for Humanity .............................................Page 31 ics First .................................................................................Page 30 Loudoun Insurance Group .....................................................Page 28 Kinder Haus Toys �������������������������������������������Page 11 This aerial view shows the brightly colored surfaces and playground equipment at Clemyjontri Park tery Warehouse....................................................................Page 45 Loudoun Valley Homegrown Market .....................................Page 6 be accessible by children with disabilities. in McLean, which is designed to Long & Foster / Jerry McEwen �����������������������Page 6 R Services .............................................................................Page 25 M. Page Oriental Rugs .............................................................Page 20 don Home Solutions Team Windows .............................Page 18 M.E. Flow, Inc. ........................................................................ Page 19 Mason Game & Technology Academy ����������Page 9 itez Landscaping ................................................................Page 12 MacDowell Brew Kitchen .......................................................Page 33 kshire Hathaway/KellyMidAtlantic Gaitten ........................................Page Melt �����������������������Page Gourmet Cheeseburgers ................................................Page 24 Urgent Care,41LLC 3 ke Landscapes ......................................................................Page 39 Modern Mechanical .................................................................Page 27 New Dimensions ��������������������������������������������Page 10 e Ridge Veterinary Associates ............................................Page 9 Montgomery Shade & Awning...............................................Page 28 rHomes ..................................................................................Page 6 Neurology Associates ..............................................................Page 45 Old Lucketts Store ������������������������������������������Page 11 octin Veterinary Clinic ......................................................Page 30 Oatlands .......................................................................................Page 5 ssified Page...........................................................................Page 46 Old Lucketts Store ....................................................................Page 12 Point of View ���������������������������������������������������Page 10 dwell Banker/Sandy Fletcher..............................................Page 5 Old Mill Boarding Kennel.......................................................Page 16 while sitting in his wheelchair at Clemyjontri Park in McLean. mmonwealth Vault & Safe Dep. Co. ..................................Page 9 Old Town Grill ..........................................................................Page 25 Sonus Hearing Care Professional �����������������Page 12 A boy named Cesar uses a telescope PHOTOS BY DON SWEENEY | FAIRFAX COUNTY PARK AUTHORITY mmunikids ...........................................................................Page 38 Other Kind of Jewelry Store ...................................................Page 19 YMCA ����������������������������������������������Page 7 ssroads United Methodist ChurchArlington ..................................Page 43 Pike’s Fish House.......................................................................Page 40 k Scape of Virginia ............................................................Page 23 Potomac Metals .........................................................................Page 11 pery House ..........................................................................Page 13 Providence Academy ...............................................................Page 10 topia ......................................................................................Page 12 Re-Love It .....................................................................................Page 9 nklin Park Performing Arts ..............................................Page 26 Restaurant at Patowmack Farm ...............................................Page 8 co ...........................................................................................Page 31 River’s Edge Landscapes ..........................................................Page 41 ter Helmet ...........................................................................Page 42 Rusty’s Fireplace and Chimney ..............................................Page 37 S Landscape Design Center & Saul Centers ...............................................................................Page cLean may 14 have a reputation incorporates pictures and Braille. for understated The Schoolhouse and Maze, which Lawn Maintenance .............................................................Page 44 St. James Preschool ...................................................................Page 15 affluence and elegance, but one of its most have reconfigurable learning panels, mine Cuisine.........................................................................Page 38 Sunflower Shack........................................................................Page 34 noteworthy sites is decked concentrates on educational games, out in bold, primary colors. ppy Hound ............................................................................Page 18 T.W. Perry...................................................................................Page 24 reading, maps, time zones and clocks.

Children of all ages, disabled or not, The Movin’ and Groovin’ Transporuse Paws ................................................................................Page 20 The Spear Realty Group ............................................................Page 2 can exercise and socialize in the fresh tation has a race track, motorcycles, Lans DDS and Associates ...................................................Page 4 Thomas Birkby House ...............................................................Page 7 air at McLean’s Clemyjontri Park. The planes, and trains that are intended to park, situated at 6317 Georgetown Pike teach balance, mimic roadway scenarigrative Health & Wellness Center...................................Page 36 Toll Brothers/Shenstone Reserve ...........................................Page 20 and operated by the Fairfax County os and stimulate participants’ imagina...............................................................................................Page 38 Toll Brothers/Avonlea Reserve ...............................................Page Park Authority, was43 one of the first tion. large-scale recreational The Fitness & Fun area includes junk Lawlor Realty ....................................................................Page 40 Top of the Podium ....................................................................Page 15 facilities dewith Roofing Purchase! signed to accommodate people with gle-gym components aimed at buildny’s Salon .............................................................................Page 28 Town of Leesburg Parks & Recreation..................................Page 21 disabilities. ing confidence, burning energy and The late McLean resident Adele Lei- providing escalating physical-strength rning RX ..............................................................................Page 34 Tuskies Group .............................................................................Page 7 bowitz donated 18 acres for the park challenges. sburg Animal Park .............................................................Page 22 United Real Estate/Carl Fisher ...............................................Page 11 her four chiland named the site after The Friends of Clemyjontri in 2010 dren: Carolyn (CL), Emily (EMY), raised money to purchase Virginia’s sburg Christian School ......................................................Page 15 Village at Leesburg ...................................................................Page 17 50 Year, Non-Prorated, Transferable Warranty John (JON) and Petrina (TRI). The first-ever Liberty Swing, a device that sburg Sterling Family Practice..........................................PageStreak 22 and Vino 9 Market ...........................................................................Page 10 2006 and since lets wheelchair users have the sensapark opened in October High Wind Resistant then has welcomed about sburg Veterinary Hospital ...................................................Page 5 Vintage Magnolia ......................................................................Page 11 200,000 visi- tion of swinging without having to get Installed

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Clemyjontri’s playground 1 equipment stands out vividly from the blue sky and verdant woods nearby. Amenities include ramps that connect structures; high-backed swings with armrests and safety features; a rubberized surface across which wheelchairs may roll easily; lowered monkey bars; wide openings to play structures for easy accessibility; “sensory-rich” playground equipment; a carousel; and a picnic pavilion The park is divided into four play areas. The Rainbow Room, with its variety of swings and rainbow-colored surface and archway, is designed for people of all physical-ability levels and

special features for disabled users, including accessible picnic tables, water fountains and cutouts for wheelchair users.

The park’s popularity has come at a price. Following complaints from some users, Park Authority officials in 2014 spent nearly $1 million to repair the site’s soft, rubberized surface.

General admission is free, but some users will need to pay a small fee and/ or make reservations. Call (703) 3882821.

The park is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. For more information, call (703) 388-2807 or visit www.fairfaxcounty. gov/parks/clemyjontri.

The circa-1859 Freeman Store and Museum at 131 Church St., N.E., is one of Vienna’s most iconic attractions.

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along the Washington & Old Dominion (W&OD) Regional Trail. The Northern Virginia Model Railroaders maintains a sizeable layout inside the station and lets visitors view the model trains in action during several open houses each year. Admission is free for those events, but the club accepts donations. For more information and an open-house schedule, visit www.nvmr.org.

The W&OD Trail itself is a major attraction for pedestrians and bicyclists alike.

Operated by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (aka NOVA Parks), the trail stretches 45 miles between Purcellville in the west and Arlington County’s Shirlington area to the east. In addition to serving as a fine place to exercise, take in some fresh air and marvel at the urban and rural scenery, the trail serves as a commuting route for many bicyclists.

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or a glimpse into Civil Warera life in Vienna, the Freeman Store and Museum at 131 Church St., N.E., is hard to beat.

The circa-1859 structure, which in 2012 was added to the National Register of Historic Places, was the site of voting in 1861 on whether Virginia should secede from the Union. Vienna voters cast ballots against the idea, but a majority of people living elsewhere in the commonwealth voted for secession.

The Freeman Store served as a hospital and offices for both Union and Confederate troops in the Civil War. It later saw use as a general store, insurance agency, hotel, post office and private residence.

The town of Vienna bought the building in 1969 and by 1977, with the help of Historic Vienna Inc., had restored the structure into the old-fashioned general store that visitors can enjoy today.

Those who cross the wooden porch and enter the store will find a collection of antique tools, a period office and a small store selling Vienna-related souvenirs and candy sticks from glass jars. Check out the nearby checkers board with pieces made of dried corncob slices dyed red and black.

Upstairs, visitors will find an old-style parlor with antique furniture and oil paintings. Santa Claus usually listens to the Christmas wishes of children in this room during years when inclement weather forces old St. Nick from the Freeman Store’s porch.

The store’s second floor also is home to a museum area where Historic Vienna Inc. periodically puts a new exhibit on display.

The Freeman Store and Museum is open Wednesdays through Sundays from noon to 4 p.m., but is closed in January and February.

The store’s environs contain numerous attractions of interest to visitors. The town’s original library, a squarish clapboard building, is located on the store’s grounds. The library is open only on select days, but bibliophiles may borrow books from a recently added mini-library on a post leading up to the building. (Readers seeking a full-service library should take advantage of Patrick Henry Library, located a short distance away at Center Street and Maple Avenue.)

Behind the store is the Vienna Town Green, an expanse of lawn with a band shelter, mini-amphitheater and fountain.

Vienna officials in 2007 dedicated the Town Green, which was built on the site of a former commercial property.

Across Church Street from the store’s front, there is an antique red caboose maintained by the Optimist Club of Greater Vienna. The railroad car mostly must be admired from its exterior, but the club occasionally lets visitors climb up the car’s metal stairs and tour the caboose’s surprisingly cramped and spartan interior.

Just farther to the north past the caboose, the Vienna Train Station is situated

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distance from the Cross County and Rails to River trails, making it a good starting spot for hikers.

The mill sells 2-pound bags of wholewheat flour, white and yellow cornmeal and buckwheat flour for $4 each and white and yellow grits for $5 per 2-pound bag.

Mill officials occasionally conduct grinding demonstrations, but only trained personnel are allowed anywhere near the whirring maze of wooden gears.

“There’s not much OSHA [Occupational Safety and Health Administration] protection here,” Mason Maddox, the site’s

miller, told the Sun Gazette in 2014. “You have to be totally aware that this machine is highly dangerous. That’s why we have the rails to keep the public, and even our volunteers, away from it.”

The mill is open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. every day but Tuesday. Tours are offered every hour until 3 p.m., with charges of $7 for adults, $6 for students age 16 and older with identification and $5 for seniors and children.

For more information, call (703) 7592771 or visit www.fairfaxcounty.gov/ parks/colvinrunmill.

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Historic Colvin Run Mill in Great Falls still uses a huge overshot waterwheel, fed by an elevated millPhoto by brian tromPeter race, to grind flour.

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efficient device that replaced the revolving mill stones.

The mill at its peak produced between 10,000 and 12,000 pounds’ worth of flour per day, officials told the Sun Gazette last year.

The Fairfax County Park Authority obtained the mill in 1965 and restored it according to the principles of mill designer Oliver Evans. The mill’s massive waterwheel since has been rebuilt and the Park Authority had a new main waterwheel axle built last year following the discovery of a crack in the old shaft, which weighed 6,000 pounds.

The site contains more than just the mill, however. Battered old millstones line the walkway leading up the hills to the mill’s other amenities. The miller’s house is a quaint old building that houses the site’s administrative offices.

Visitors also will wish to check out the site’s blacksmith shed and its quaint general store, which served the community from 1890 to the mid-1940s and was moved from its previous location across Colvin Run Road. The mill also has a picnic area, but no grilling is permitted.

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olvin Run Mill Historic Site is a gateway landmark to Great Falls and a still-functioning testament to the community’s rural heritage.

The striking, four-story, red-brick grist mill is one of the most iconic buildings in Great Falls and since 1977 has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Located just off of Leesburg Pike at 10017 Colvin Run Road, the circa-1811 mill still is operational and offers cornmeal and other products ground at the site.

Anyone who thinks old technology is crude and dull needs to take a long, careful look at the intricate system of wooden shafts, cogs, gears and elevators, all of which are powered by a huge, wooden overshot waterwheel fed from a millrace.

The mill’s wooden planks and equipment exude a delightful, rich odor redolent of the past and its grinding equipment is a marvel of engineering know-how.

According to the Fairfax County Park Authority’s History Division, the mill’s heyday was between 1883 and 1934, when it was owned by Allison Millard of Frederick County, Md. Millard modernized the operation and introduced a roller mill, an

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McLean Citizens Association Has Represented Residents for More Than a Century

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xamine most improvements made in McLean during the last century and a trend will emerge: The McLean Citizens Association (MCA) either created the initiative or played a role in its success.

MCA members Merrily Pierce and Paul Kohlenberger in 2014 meticulously documented the group’s history in a 57-page booklet, “The Voice of McLean: One Hundred Years of the McLean Citizens Association.”

The group began on Nov. 2, 1914, as the School and Civic League of McLean and the next summer held the first-ever McLean Day celebration to raise funds for several community projects, including furnishing Franklin Sherman Elementary School, buying library books and paying for road paving. The League incorporated in 1921 and reincorporated as MCA in 1953.

The group supported incorporation of the McLean Volunteer Fire Department in 1922 and supplied some of its funding.

That same year, the organization worked with Alexandria Power Co. to provide reliable electrical service to McLean.

The organization also: n Campaigned in the 1920s for trafficsafety measures and better plumbing and sewerage in the McLean. n Helped form a salvage committee during World War II to save tin, fats

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Jeff Barnett, a retired U.S. Air Force officer and author, in summer 2015 became the new president of the McLean Citizens Association, one of the most active civic organizations in Fairfax County.

Photo by brian tromPeter

and waste paper for the war effort. n Opposed the Central Intelligence Agency’s plans in 1955 to relocate 10,000 employees to a new headquarters at Langley. The group’s effort failed. n Adopted and forwarded a “Code of Ethics” to the Board of Supervisors in 1963 regarding how county zoning decisions should be made. n Worked with other local groups in 1964 to form McLean Community

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Center Inc., which raised money and advocated for a community center.

MCA also deeded an acre of land to Fairfax County for the center, which opened in 1975. n Advocated for, and financially supported, the creation of Dolley Madison Library, which opened in 1967. n Encouraged county officials to purchase the 38-acre Hamel tract in 1975 and create Lewinsville Park, which opened in 1982. n Created the McLean Citizens Foundation in 1978 to administer proceeds from sale of 5 acres of MCA’s land. The new organization now is called the McLean Community Foundation. n Opposed the construction of housing on the former Evans Farm site, but the Board of Supervisors approved that proposal in 1999. n Spent years advocating for developer contributions for roadways, parks and other public amenities in Tysons Corner. County supervisors in 2010 incorporated many of MCA’s suggestions in the new Tysons Corner Comprehensive Plan.

“We clearly did not have the final say, but we counterbalanced the business community’s push for massively higher densities and forcing the infrastructure burden onto taxpayers,” said MCA’s 70th president, Jeff

Barnett.

Barnett, who began his term this summer, said he is keen to continue the group’s advocacy efforts.

MCA’s current education initiatives include combatting high class sizes in Dranesville District’s schools, examining high-school course loads and electives, and scrutinizing the school system’s budget and teacher-retirement funding.

MCA members also are trying to improve a noise ordinance proposed by Fairfax County officials and are seeking to protect the tree canopy near the Fairfax County Park Authority’s restoration project at Dead Run Stream Valley.

Barnett said some of his goals include ensuring county zoning decisions are compatible with the community’s quality of life; improving the public schools; reducing traffic congestion; balancing needed governmental services with budgetary prudence; enhancing police and fire protection; expanding and maintaining parksand-recreation facilities; and encouraging improvements for pedestrians and bicyclists.

‘Since before World War I, opus nostrum ipsa loquitur: Our work speaks for itself,” he said. “MCA has a 100-year history of testifying, investigating and elevating citizen values into government decisions.”

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meaDowLark garDens oFFers spectacular Floral, cultural Displays Rose of Sharon, as well as Virginia’s state flower, the dogwood.

When tapped with a telephone-polesized wooden striker, the bell’s deep, rich sound reverberates for more than a minute.

The park’s attractiveness does not diminish once the leaves fall from the trees each autumn. Between Nov. 14 this year and Jan. 4, 2016, Meadowlark will host its annual Winter Walk of Lights, featuring more than a half-million lights in the site’s trees. The event also will have flower displays and other attractions.

The site’s natural beauty has made it a sought-after location for meetings, weddings and other events.

The park’s gazebo and atrium building, which has an indoor tropical garden, are available for rent.

Picnics are not allowed inside the gardens, but picnic areas are available near the parking lot. The site’s gift shop sells food and drinks, which may be taken into the gardens.

While dogs are not permitted inside the gardens, they may be walked (on a leash) on a perimeter trail outside the site.

To learn more, call (703) 255-3631 or visit www.nvrpa.org/park/meadowlark_ botanical_gardens.

Paul Gilbert, executive director of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, and JeungHwa Elmejjad-Yi, president of the Korean American Cultural Committee, pose in 2011 with the traditional Korean bronze bell that recently had been installed at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens in the Vienna area.

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McLean Community Center The Center of it All

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eadowlark Botanical Gardens is a sculpted and wellmanicured oasis offering serenity to visitors.

The 95-acre site, run by the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (aka NOVA Parks), is located at 9750 Meadowlark Gardens Court north of the town of Vienna. Walking trails and water features dot the hilly site, which has ornamental display gardens, native-plant collections, a wide variety of trees and plenty of benches for relaxation and contemplation.

The park’s visitor center is home to conservation and plant displays and a restored 18th-century cabin also features educational exhibits. The site also offers workshops on horticulture and gardening, as well as field trips, concerts, tours and volunteer programs.

A major coup for the site occurred in 2011 with the installation of a 3-ton traditional Korean bronze bell. The 7-foottall bell, which is decorated with images of animals, plants and birds, is hung beneath a wooden pagoda and surrounded by gardens.

The bell’s exterior also features 10 customary symbols of longevity and engravings of South Korea’s national flower, the

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...and so much more!

The McLean Community Center 703-790-0123/TTY: 711 Sign up for E-mail Updates: www.mcleancenter.org

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Water Tower overlooks Madison's athletic fields

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unique aspect that is considered the eyes and overseer of outdoor athletics at James Madison High School in Vienna is a tall water tower located beyond the right-field fences of the baseball and girls softball fields.

The tower has been there for years. What was added in 2001 was the insignia “Home of the Warhawks,” which still remains.

No other high school outdoor athletic complex in Fairfax County has that type of hometown watchdog.

“It’s been such a fixture and is so cool,” Madison baseball coach Mark Gjormand said. “People talk The water tower overlooks the athletic fields at James SubmitteD Madison High School. about it all the time. It’s a big part County Supervisor Bob Dix helped arof what Madison is about.”

The idea to have “Home of the War- range the painting. hawks” painted on the tower evolved after Soon after the tower was painted, Madithe Madison baseball team played at a high son won a state baseball championship at school complex that had such a tower that Shepherd Stadium in Colonial Heights. included the school’s nickname during a Coincidentally, that baseball venue had a spring-break trip to Charleston, S.C. water tower beyond the right field fence.

“We liked that a lot and we wanted to do “That made us feel at home,” Gjormand the same at Madison,” Gjormand said. said.

The process was started by former MadiDespite rumors over the years that Madson director of student activities, Cindy Waddell. The Madison baseball team and ison students might climb the tower to the school’s guidance department, with watch games, do something as part of a sestaff member Julie Robeson leading the ef- nior prank, or students from rival schools fort, each donated $1,500 to have the insig- might paint over the insignia, nothing has nia painted on the tower. Former Fairfax happened.

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In addition to academics, Northern Virginia Community College has become a legitimate sports option for area students.

The school’s athletic program includes seven varsity sports and one club team. The nickname of the varsity teams is the Nighthawks; school colors are green and gold.

Varsity women’s teams are basketball, cross country, softball and volleyball.

Men’s teams are basketball, lacrosse and soccer. The club sport is ice hockey.

Women’s cross coun- Men’s soccer is one of seven varsity sports at Northern Virginia SubmitteD Community College. try, softball and volleyball The rosters of those NVCC teams conwere added in recent years.

The college has had discussions about add- sist of a majority of student-athletes from ing additional sports in coming years, with Northern Virginia. There are a few from baseball on that list. outside the area, and some international The varsity teams participate in Division students.

I, II and III competition of the National Former George Washington University Junior College Athletic Association. The baseball coach Steve Mrowka is the athletic volleyball and men’s lacrosse teams have advanced in postseason play to region director and head women’s softball coach. competition. The cross country team won Tony Black is the sports information director. a Region 20 championship in 2014.

The athletic Web site is www.novaathletThe volleyball team was off to a strong ics.com/athletics. start this season.

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suburban oakton teems WitH Historical attractions

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The school building formerly was one of several structures at the original site used by the camping-supply store Appalachian Outfitters. Not far north on Hunter Mill Road from that location stands a massive oak tree that has survived decades’ worth of traffic passing nearby.

Oakton also is home to two sites listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The former Oakton Trolley Station, built in 1905 and served by the Washington and Fairfax Electric Rail Co., now is a red-roofed private residence at 2923 Gray St. The three-story building served the trolley line until 1939, then became a post office, general store and boarding house before being restored as a singlefamily home in 1988. It was added to the historic register in 1995.

Another site on the registry, the circa-1884 Vale Schoolhouse, is located at 3124 Fox Mill Road. The one-room, clapboard building with rooftop belfry was named to the national historic register in 2011.

Heading back toward Vienna, Flint Hill Cemetery at 2845 Chain Bridge Road holds the graves of many prominent local residents. The cemetery also is

the final resting place of 26 Union and Confederate soldiers, including four rangers who were under command of the “Gray Ghost,” Confederate Col. John Singleton Mosby.

The Flint Hill Cemetery Association will hold a Candlelight Cemetery Tour, led by local historian Jim Lewis, on Oct. 24 at 7 p.m. to raise money for a columbarium at the site. Tour participants will begin congregating at the cemetery at about 6 p.m., then start the proceedings an hour later.

Those who wish to register for the tour, for which Organizers are seeking tax-deductible $10-per-person donations; children may attend for free. Participants may register by Oct. 15 by e-mailing dgfspring@ msn.com.

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Adrienne Stefan, owner of the former Oakton Trolley Station, in 2011 signed a conservation easement to preserve the property in perpetuity.

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akton may seem to be home only to residential subdivisions, shopping centers and a few municipal buildings, but visitors who investigate further will find hidden historical treasures.

Hunter Mill Road, a 7.2-mile-long road connecting Oakton with the Dulles Toll Road and Route 7, was the site of much action during the Civil War. The area near the road’s intersection with the Washington & Old Dominion Regional Trail changed hands at least 10 times during the war, according to the Hunter Mill Defense League’s History Committee, which arranged to have several historical markers placed near the road.

Union and Confederate troops were active in the area and traversed the site on the way to both the battles at Manassas, the slaughter at Antietam and the pivotal showdown at Gettysburg.

Heading back south, the old Oakton Schoolhouse at 2841 Hunter Mill Road affords a glimpse at late-19th-century architecture. The restored structure previously was located on Chain Bridge Road near the south end of Hunter Mill Road, but was moved to its current location in 2007.

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River gorge. Some kayakers paddle upstream against the roiling current toward the cascading waterfalls. The park’s steep rock faces also are popular with rock-climbing organizations.

History buffs will enjoy checking out ruins of canals built by the Patowmack Co., which Founding Father George Washington helped found.

The park also contains archeological relics from Matildaville, the town that sprang up at the site to serve the company’s workers.

Hikers and naturalists have another great spot to visit in Scotts Run Nature Preserve, located off of Georgetown Pike just west of Interstate 495.

The park has two entrances: one near Georgetown Pike’s intersection with Swinks Mill Road, which offers a larger parking lot that is sometimes very crowded and hard to negotiate, and another, smaller parking area closer to the Beltway.

A loop trail takes visitors over burbling creeks, via stone steps toward an attractive set of waterfalls near the river. Many people like to wade and sunbathe at the falls, but do so at their own risk of falling or becoming ill from the stream water. Swimming is forbidden at the park.

The loop trail continues along the river beneath towering trees, through sometimes-dense undergrowth and next to craggy, glacier-scarred boulders. After hiking up a winding path, visitors may pause to relax, sip water (always bring some!) and have a bite of trail mix at a rocky promontory overlooking the river. From there, the trail loops back to the two parking lots.

All in all, the Great Falls and McLean area offer plenty of access to outdoor exercise and fun along the Potomac.

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he Potomac River divides Virginia from Maryland and the District of Columbia (the commonwealth actually ends at water’s edge) and is the defining geographical and recreational feature in the Sun Gazette’s coverage area.

Recreational sites operated by the National Park Service, Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority (aka NOVA Parks) and the Fairfax County Park Authority offer myriad opportunities for area residents and visitors to hike, kayak, rock climb, picnic – but definitely not swim! – along the fastmoving river.

Starting in northern Great Falls, NOVA Parks provides riverside parks accessible from Seneca Road, Interpromontory Road, River Park Lane and Clarks Run Road.

Just to the east, where the river swoops south at Gladys and Bealls islands, the Fairfax County Park Authority’s Riverbend Park affords visitors boating, kayaking, hiking and picnicking opportunities. The park’s visitor center offers information and usually has exhibits pertaining to local wildlife and history on display.

Riverbend also is home, in early September, to an annual Indian Festival featuring Native American activities such as dancing, archery and canoe-making.

Farther south lies the National Park Service’s Great Falls Park, the overlooks of which provide stunning views of the Potomac crashing over massive boulders. Swimming here is strictly verboten; about seven people drown at the park each year.

The park has a spacious visitor center and the site’s picnic tables are popular with guests.

Hikers can walk north along the river to Riverbend Park, or head south along steeper trails lining the Potomac

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