If You Need to Get Away: Manassas, VA
My mom has always encouraged my love of exploration. In fact - I attribute it mostly to her. As a child, we would have our special time together which we referred to as "piddling" in her country way.
We would occasionally wake up early on Saturday mornings, pack a hearty breakfast, and hop into mom's brown station wagon. Our objective: to visit anywhere previously unknown to us. Our travels often took us through the backroads of Virginia and Maryland, which I feel has inspired my love of quick weekend getaways.
For my birthday last year, she gave me a hotel stay in Manassas, Virginia. She booked it to span my fiance's birthday weekend, and both he and I took it as the opportunity to celebrate!
Manassas may not seem like a destination to you, but it is a wonderful area convenient to many fantastic points of interest!
What we did:
Looking back on this trip I can't believe we were able to squeeze so many different experiences into one short weekend!
iFly
My fiance and I kicked off our trip with a visit to iFly located in Reston.
We suited up, watched a flight lesson tutorial video and THEN faced the wind tunnel. This is a pretty spendy experience - but if you are interested in learning more - I recommend you visit their website. We had a great time and it was absolutely worth every penny!
Skyline Drive
On a whim, I decided I wanted to go somewhere and watch the sunset. My fiance obliged my request, and we drove about an hour into the mountains to visit Skyline Drive.
By the time we arrived the sunset was at full peak.
We nibbled on our dinner and sipped on wine under the stars in the bed of his SUV. It was breathtakingly beautiful and totally worth the drive up.
Old Town Manassas
The historic district of Manassas is cute and quaint. My fiance and I love history (and old stuff) so this area was right up our alley. We took a stroll down Center Street, stopped into a bookstore, and took a look around Harris Pavilion. We couldn't leave without taking a photo in front of the "Love" statue, of course.
Manassas was well known for being a train stop (it is currently a commuter train junction) and there is quite a bit of locomotive memorabilia in the Historic Manassas Train Depot. There is also a visitor's center where you can pick up maps and other info about the town.
Paradise Springs Winery
This was actually my fiance's first trip to a winery -- EVER! I am so happy we were able to share the experience at Paradise Springs. The drive to the winery is about 30 minutes from Manassas and is very scenic. We passed many gorgeous multi-million dollar homes on the way!
The grounds are well-kept and the facility has a rustic, yet chic vibe. You are invited to buy a bottle of wine and chill out on their lawn. We were surprised by the wonderful family atmosphere.
After a fantastic tour of their grounds, we partook of a tasting.
We left with their "Swagger" red dessert wine. How could you go wrong with a delicious red, aged in a bourbon barrel? We still have it and are saving it for an extra special occasion!
Where we stayed:
My mother made our hotel reservations at Residence Inn Manassas Battlefield Park. If you can swing the price tag, Residence Inn is a very practical option. Since it is an extended-stay hotel chain, the staff go out of their way to make sure you feel at home.
You can choose studio or suite-style accommodations which both include a kitchenette, comfy sitting area, and flat-screen TV. My fiance and I both enjoyed our stay. We loved the super fluffy queen bed and access to free continental breakfast. Not swanky or terribly modern, but clean and comfortable it was.
What we ate:
I honestly don't have too many memories of the food from our Manassas trip. I think we had the best intentions regarding trying new things, but honestly, we were more interested in exploring.
Espresso Portuguese American Grill
My fiance and I had a not-so-great food experience that we remember very vividly. Before we went to Skyline Drive, we stopped by a Portuguese restaurant to pick up dinner.
The spices and style of preparation weren't exactly what we were accustomed to - but hey - we tried something different!
Okra's Cajun Creole
We ended our time in Old Town Manassas with brunch at Okra's; a fantastic cajun-style restaurant offering flavorful, hearty dishes sure to transport your taste buds to NOLA. The sausage gravy and biscuits will curl your toes, and the shrimp and grits just might make you slap your mama.
If you need to get away, and you aren't interested in going terribly far, Manassas just might be worth a visit! You can have a wonderful time at any price point and it is perfect for a family trip (there is a water park nearby for the kiddos) or a romantic couple's weekend. It is about an hour away from Ashburn, Harpers Ferry, and Skyline Drive. Make it your mid-point place to stay in order to see all you can!
Happy traveling!
-Jasmine (The Invincible)
This is not an endorsed post. I used my own money to pay for this trip!
We would occasionally wake up early on Saturday mornings, pack a hearty breakfast, and hop into mom's brown station wagon. Our objective: to visit anywhere previously unknown to us. Our travels often took us through the backroads of Virginia and Maryland, which I feel has inspired my love of quick weekend getaways.
For my birthday last year, she gave me a hotel stay in Manassas, Virginia. She booked it to span my fiance's birthday weekend, and both he and I took it as the opportunity to celebrate!
Manassas may not seem like a destination to you, but it is a wonderful area convenient to many fantastic points of interest!
What we did:
Looking back on this trip I can't believe we were able to squeeze so many different experiences into one short weekend!
iFly
My fiance and I kicked off our trip with a visit to iFly located in Reston.
We suited up, watched a flight lesson tutorial video and THEN faced the wind tunnel. This is a pretty spendy experience - but if you are interested in learning more - I recommend you visit their website. We had a great time and it was absolutely worth every penny!
Skyline Drive
On a whim, I decided I wanted to go somewhere and watch the sunset. My fiance obliged my request, and we drove about an hour into the mountains to visit Skyline Drive.
By the time we arrived the sunset was at full peak.
We nibbled on our dinner and sipped on wine under the stars in the bed of his SUV. It was breathtakingly beautiful and totally worth the drive up.
The historic district of Manassas is cute and quaint. My fiance and I love history (and old stuff) so this area was right up our alley. We took a stroll down Center Street, stopped into a bookstore, and took a look around Harris Pavilion. We couldn't leave without taking a photo in front of the "Love" statue, of course.
Manassas was well known for being a train stop (it is currently a commuter train junction) and there is quite a bit of locomotive memorabilia in the Historic Manassas Train Depot. There is also a visitor's center where you can pick up maps and other info about the town.
Paradise Springs Winery
This was actually my fiance's first trip to a winery -- EVER! I am so happy we were able to share the experience at Paradise Springs. The drive to the winery is about 30 minutes from Manassas and is very scenic. We passed many gorgeous multi-million dollar homes on the way!
 |
| Image from Youtube |
After a fantastic tour of their grounds, we partook of a tasting.
We left with their "Swagger" red dessert wine. How could you go wrong with a delicious red, aged in a bourbon barrel? We still have it and are saving it for an extra special occasion!
Where we stayed:
My mother made our hotel reservations at Residence Inn Manassas Battlefield Park. If you can swing the price tag, Residence Inn is a very practical option. Since it is an extended-stay hotel chain, the staff go out of their way to make sure you feel at home.
You can choose studio or suite-style accommodations which both include a kitchenette, comfy sitting area, and flat-screen TV. My fiance and I both enjoyed our stay. We loved the super fluffy queen bed and access to free continental breakfast. Not swanky or terribly modern, but clean and comfortable it was.
What we ate:
I honestly don't have too many memories of the food from our Manassas trip. I think we had the best intentions regarding trying new things, but honestly, we were more interested in exploring.
Espresso Portuguese American Grill
My fiance and I had a not-so-great food experience that we remember very vividly. Before we went to Skyline Drive, we stopped by a Portuguese restaurant to pick up dinner.
 |
Okra's Cajun Creole
 |
| Image from Century 21 |
If you need to get away, and you aren't interested in going terribly far, Manassas just might be worth a visit! You can have a wonderful time at any price point and it is perfect for a family trip (there is a water park nearby for the kiddos) or a romantic couple's weekend. It is about an hour away from Ashburn, Harpers Ferry, and Skyline Drive. Make it your mid-point place to stay in order to see all you can!
Happy traveling!
-Jasmine (The Invincible)
This is not an endorsed post. I used my own money to pay for this trip!
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