Cyndy's Bottom Line: Is hangman's tree a legend, or a myth…read more... You decide.. The tree is gone but there is a plaque that marks the spot behind a bus stop where the massive oak tree used to stand on the corner of W. Broad Street and North Virginia Avenue in the City of Falls Church.

This place is amazing! And it's only getting better with the boardwalk addition that just opened…read morethis in the month of May!

Pretty neat area to explore. Successfully walked around with two 3 year olds. They enjoyed the mini…read moreboardwalks over the muddy areas a lot.

Must see and must do site on the PWC- Fauquier County line. While the site itself was closed on the…read moreday I visited, I walked the nature trail and was able to see the mill and the all the ruins on the trail. The train still runs by and the water from Broad Run make a spectacular scene. Good for families, solo hikes, or a date. Really special place and important historical site.

I was driving down the interstate and all of a sudden I see this massive structure. I knew it was…read morehistoric. I flew on by realizing it would be painful trying to get there when I was on the same side as it was on my way to Shenandoah. On my way back, I managed to figure out what this place was. It was an old 5 story stacked stone structure built in 1742 that had survived several wars and milled food through all of them. in 1998, it was victimized by arson. The roof is gone, and the building has remanence from the fire. Currently, the mill is blocked off from being accessed. According to their website, they are making updates to the road. I accessed it by the railroad that runs behind the building, but as mentioned, the fence does prevent from access. It was really neat to see and I really wish it wasn't blocked off so I could get closer. It's definitely worth a stop if you're in Broad Run and into history.

"Ascent" by John Safer is a monumental sculpture that rises like a gleaming exclamation mark at the…read moreentrance of the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum's Udvar-Hazy Center near Dulles Airport. Standing 70 feet tall, this polished steel form twists and tapers upward in a fluid, aerodynamic gesture. It commemorates the human journey of flight and the grandeur of the Museum's collection. Safer believed that sculpture should capture "the essence and reduce the subject to the pure line in space." This is truly metallurgical poetry and when you view it without the museum or the trees in the way, it looks like a rocket launch against the blue sky. [Review 1031 of 2025 - 1515 in Virginia - 24585 overall]

This sculpture is the work of artist John Safer who crafted the piece in 2003. It looks great,…read moreespecially for being 20 years old. This helical shaped sculpture demands your attention. You will find it in the parking lot of the National Air & Space Museum Steven F Udvar-Hazy Center. You cannot miss it as you are approaching the museum. It towers at 75 feet tall and looks like a spiraling contrail of a jet. It is made of polished stainless steel and is an abstract piece whose interpretation is left to the viewer. There are some that believe the sculpture's upward soaring image represents man's desire to soar to the heavens. Safer is a very active artist with his work being featured in over 1,000 museums and embassies worldwide. But most notably and least known, Safer was a WWII veteran and an emeritus board member of the Air and Space museum. I have to admit, I like this piece. It drew me in and I could not take my eyes off of it. The pieces sits in a calming reflection pool with a little waterfall. That is a nice touch and pushed it to five stars for me. I do not know if it is allowed or encouraged, but some people have even thrown some money into the sculpture's reflection pool. The sculpture sits right out of the museum's front door. It is connected by a long walkway and you pass through Smithsonian Air and Space Museum Wall of Honor, a collection of curved stainless steel plaques that line the walkway and lists the names of those that have received the flying cross and those with a passion for flight. This is not a destination piece, but an add on piece. The vast majority of the sculpture's viewers will be visitors of the museum. At $15 to park, I do not see it being a stand alone, even though I believe the first 20 minutes of parking are free. But anyway, this is a nice addition to the museum. I hung out at the sculpture about 10 minutes after I exited the museum. I recommend checking it out up close.

Pharmacy takes several hours to fill a prescription. Hold time on the phone to speak to a pharmacy…read moretechnician is more than an hour.

Fort Belvoir is a nice a clean base. All gates require decals except the front, Tulley Gate. PX and…read moreCommissary located off the main road, Gunston Rd., and PX gas stations within easy access. Landscapers keep the grounds freshly manicured year round and it's never hard to pick out a spot of grass to just sit down and relax on. Base police keep a tight ship so make sure you watch where you park or you'll probably get a ticket, and base tickets aren't cheap. Overall, great post. Can't match a navy or air force base of the same caliber, but hey, it can always try. Five stars for a job well done.

The post-Civil War residence of Confederate Colonel John Mosby, leader of "Mosby Raiders", has been…read moreclosed since November 2014. According to the Warrenton tourism office, the foundation running it apparently ran out of money, and there is no information regarding what is going to happen next. It's a shame, because it's a neat piece of history in the middle of a quaint historical town. All you can do (for now) is look at the house from the outside. But for those who need their Mosby "fix", his grave is in the Warrenton Cemetery, only a few blocks away. You can find it next to the Confederate memorial.

Vint Hill is located between Gainesville and Warrenton. It is an emerging destination for locals…read moreand visitors. Vint Hill is a historic place. The U.S. Army operated a cryptology school and an intelligence gathering station at the former sheep and cattle farm during World War II. After the war, the Army used Vint Hill for research and development. The Army discontinued use of the property in 1997. Vint Hill now is open to the public. It is a scenic spot that offers many things to do. For food and beverages, there currently is a brewery, a winery, speciality food shop, cafe serving lunch, and more... These places are all located close to the Cold War Museum. There is a public swimming pool open seasonally. The tiny base movie theater still shows movies. There is a popular dog park. There are a number of park areas that are great for jogging, walking, or just relaxing. At the edge of Vint Hill, is Lake Brittle where you can go fishing, or rent a boat (seasonally). There is also a snack bar here open seasonally. Unfortunately, the park areas and the lake both lack bathroom facilities beyond port-a-potties. There are a number of businesses located at Vint Hill and one church that I am aware of. A lot of land is available for development. I heard that an independent coffee shop is slated to open. That would be great. I only hope that development does not get out of hand and ruin the nature areas that exist here. There is already extensive housing on the backside of Vint Hill. Traffic is not a problem here at present. Fingers crossed that new development is not overwhelming and that no more trees are cut down. Check Yelp reviews for the places located at Vint Hill and plan a visit!

The Fleetwood Hill spot is a unique area of the Brandy Station Battlefield. It is down the road…read moreform the main part visitor area of the battlefield, which is further north by the Culpeper Airport. Fleetwood Hill, is in my opinion, the prettiest area of the battlefield. Limited parking right of the road. Their are interpretative signs.