The Comfort Inn Gunston Corner in Lorton, Virginia is a suburban hotel just a few miles from Northern Virginia attractions such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon, George Mason’s Gunston Hall and historic Fairfax. Our hotel is far enough away from Washington, DC, to be affordable, and close enough to be the most convenient place to ‘headquarter’ yourself while sightseeing. Make sure to add Chinatown to your list of things-to-do.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
Chinatown in Washington, D.C. is a small, historic neighborhood east of downtown, along H and I Streets between 5th and 8th Streets, Northwest. It is known for its annual Chinese New Year festival and parade and the Friendship Arch, a Chinese gate built over H Street at 7th Street. Other prominent landmarks include the Verizon Center, a sports and entertainment arena, and the Old Patent Office Building, which houses two of the Smithsonian Museums.
History The Chinatown area was formerly populated by German immigrants; it is coincidentally the modern home of the Washington branch of the Goethe-Institut. Chinese immigrants began to populate the area in the 1930s, having been displaced from Washington's original Chinatown along Pennsylvania Avenue by the development of the Federal Triangle government office complex.
Like other Washington neighborhoods, Chinatown declined sharply after the 1968 riots. Ethnic Chinese residents, as well as many others, left for suburban areas, spurred further by the city's rising crime and taxes, and deteriorating business climate. When the Washington Metro station serving the neighborhood opened in 1976, it was named simply "Gallery Place," ignoring Chinatown altogether.
In 1986, the city dedicated the Friendship Archway, a traditional Chinese gate designed by local architect Alfred H. Liu. The colorful, $1 million work of public art includes 7 roofs up to 60 feet high, 7000 tiles, and 272 painted dragons in the style of the Ming and Qing Dynasties. Erected to celebrate friendship with Washington's sister city of Beijing, it was hoped the arch would reinforce the neighborhood's Chinese character. According to the plaque next to the arch, it is the largest such archway in the world.
Also in 1986, the Metro station was given its present name, Gallery Place-Chinatown. By then, however, most of the neighborhood's eponymous Chinese population had already moved to the suburbs. The core of the neighborhood was demolished to make way for the MCI Center which was completed in 1997 (renamed Verizon Center in 2006).
Businesses In 2006, Chinatown underwent a $200 million renovation, transforming the area into a bustling scene for nightlife, shopping and entertainment, with high-end restaurants, a deluxe movie theater and a number of new stores. Gentrification has produced a strange phenomenon in DC's Chinatown. Local laws dictate that new businesses in the Chinatown area must have signs in English and Chinese, to preserve local character. Ironically most of the new businesses are national chain restaurants and stores, so that Starbucks, Hooters, CVS and Legal Sea Foods, among others, hang their names in Chinese outside their stores.
Chinatown's most prominent businesses are the approximately 20 Chinese and Asian restaurants, almost all of which are owned by Asian American families. One of the restaurants, Wok & Roll, occupies what was once Mary Surratt's boarding house — the meeting place for John Wilkes Booth and his conspirators in Abraham Lincoln's assassination.
The neighborhood is also home to a Chinese video store, a handful of general stores, and numerous Chinese-American cultural and religious charities. Recently, Chinatown has also become an independent transportation hub. Several independent, immigrant-owned Chinatown bus lines run from DC to the Chinatowns in Philadelphia, New York, and even Boston.
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Monday, December 17, 2007
2008 Chocolate Lovers Festival in Fairfax, VA
The Comfort Inn Gunston Corner in Lorton, Virginia is a suburban hotel just a few miles from Northern Virginia attractions such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon, George Mason’s Gunston Hall and historic Fairfax. Our hotel is far enough away from Washington, DC, to be affordable, and close enough to be the most convenient place to ‘headquarter’ yourself while sightseeing or indulging in your chocolate obsession!
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
The annual Chocolate Lovers Festival is a two-day festival held in early February. In 2008, the festival will be held February 2-3, and features activities everyone can enjoy.
Among the events planned each year are the Taste of Chocolate, featuring chocolate vendors selling their wares; the Chocolate Challenge, an arts extravaganza where the medium is chocolate; the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast featuring chocolate chip pancakes; historic re-enactments; children's activities; a craft show at Fire Station 3 sponsored by the Auxiliary to the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department; open houses at historic buildings; and much more.
Some events require a fee, and other events are free to all visitors.
History of the Festival
The Chocolate Lovers Festival was developed in 1992 as a joint effort of the City of Fairfax, the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Fairfax Coalition, the Downtown Fairfax Merchants Association and George Mason University.
The purpose of the festival is to draw visitors to Old Town Fairfax, to encourage community participation and to foster cooperation among the city government, the business community and local residents.
The first festival was held in February 1992 and continues an annual tradition with "love of chocolate" as a unifying theme. The popular festival continues to attract chocolate lovers from around the region.
Directions to Old Town FairfaxParking Information
From the Capital Beltway:
Take Exit 52A (Route 236, Little River Turnpike West) and travel about six miles into Old Town Fairfax.
From I-66 East or West:
Take Exit 60 (Route 123/Chain Bridge Road). Follow southbound Route 123 through the City of Fairfax to Old Town Fairfax.
From I-95 North or South:
From points north on I-95, take Exit 27 (I-495 West). Once on I-495, take Exit 52A (Route 236, Little River Turnpike West) and travel about six miles into Old Town Fairfax.
From points south on I-95, take Exit 160B (Route 123 North, Lake Ridge/Occoquan). Follow northbound Route 123 for about 16 miles to the City of Fairfax.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
The annual Chocolate Lovers Festival is a two-day festival held in early February. In 2008, the festival will be held February 2-3, and features activities everyone can enjoy.
Among the events planned each year are the Taste of Chocolate, featuring chocolate vendors selling their wares; the Chocolate Challenge, an arts extravaganza where the medium is chocolate; the Kiwanis Pancake Breakfast featuring chocolate chip pancakes; historic re-enactments; children's activities; a craft show at Fire Station 3 sponsored by the Auxiliary to the Fairfax Volunteer Fire Department; open houses at historic buildings; and much more.
Some events require a fee, and other events are free to all visitors.
History of the Festival
The Chocolate Lovers Festival was developed in 1992 as a joint effort of the City of Fairfax, the Central Fairfax Chamber of Commerce, the Downtown Fairfax Coalition, the Downtown Fairfax Merchants Association and George Mason University.
The purpose of the festival is to draw visitors to Old Town Fairfax, to encourage community participation and to foster cooperation among the city government, the business community and local residents.
The first festival was held in February 1992 and continues an annual tradition with "love of chocolate" as a unifying theme. The popular festival continues to attract chocolate lovers from around the region.
Directions to Old Town FairfaxParking Information
From the Capital Beltway:
Take Exit 52A (Route 236, Little River Turnpike West) and travel about six miles into Old Town Fairfax.
From I-66 East or West:
Take Exit 60 (Route 123/Chain Bridge Road). Follow southbound Route 123 through the City of Fairfax to Old Town Fairfax.
From I-95 North or South:
From points north on I-95, take Exit 27 (I-495 West). Once on I-495, take Exit 52A (Route 236, Little River Turnpike West) and travel about six miles into Old Town Fairfax.
From points south on I-95, take Exit 160B (Route 123 North, Lake Ridge/Occoquan). Follow northbound Route 123 for about 16 miles to the City of Fairfax.
Washington DC Auto Show - Fun for All Ages
The Comfort Inn Gunston Corner in Lorton, Virginia is a suburban hotel just a few miles from Northern Virginia attractions such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon, George Mason’s Gunston Hall and historic Fairfax. Our hotel is far enough away from Washington, DC, to be affordable, and close enough to be the most convenient place to ‘headquarter’ yourself while sightseeing.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
The youngest attendees of the 2008 Washington Auto Show®: “Engineered for the Future” may be years away from driving age, but there’s still plenty for them to see and do at the five-day automotive showcase. The Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA) has planned a wide array of children’s activities and entertainment, from encounters with superheroes to environmental learning experiences.
“We’ve created an event that truly offers something for everyone,” says Washington Auto Show Chairman John Ourisman, a principal with the Ourisman Automobile Dealerships. “With a full range of children’s entertainment, from Marvel Comics characters and sports mascots to educational activities, youth of all ages are sure to have a great time.”
While their parents won’t want to miss the hottest new vehicle models and the latest innovations in automotive safety and technology, the car-seat crowd will be delighted by their very own Playland, a special section of the Walter Washington Convention Center filled with games, activities and lovable characters. There’s even a nine-foot-tall robot! Rock-it the Robot, a
giant robot who walks, talks and rocks, will thrill children… and leave parents wondering if there is a human inside. Rock-it will be joined by a life-like polar bear and penguin, a dinosaur, parrots and many other furry and feathered friends.
The children’s activities aren’t merely fun and games. In keeping with the show’s emphasis on alternative fuels and green technology, children will also be able to take part in a variety of environmental awareness activities that are educational as well as entertaining.
The 2008 Washington Auto Show: “Engineered for the Future” dates and hours: Wednesday & Thursday, Jan. 23 and 24, 10 AM - 9 PM; Friday & Saturday, Jan. 25 and 26, 10 AM - 10 PM; Sunday, Jan. 27, 10 AM - 6 PM.
For more information, call WANADA at 1-866-WASH-AUTO or visit the Washington Auto Show online at
www.washingtonautoshow.com. Now in its 90th year, WANADA represents new car dealerships throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
The youngest attendees of the 2008 Washington Auto Show®: “Engineered for the Future” may be years away from driving age, but there’s still plenty for them to see and do at the five-day automotive showcase. The Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA) has planned a wide array of children’s activities and entertainment, from encounters with superheroes to environmental learning experiences.
“We’ve created an event that truly offers something for everyone,” says Washington Auto Show Chairman John Ourisman, a principal with the Ourisman Automobile Dealerships. “With a full range of children’s entertainment, from Marvel Comics characters and sports mascots to educational activities, youth of all ages are sure to have a great time.”
While their parents won’t want to miss the hottest new vehicle models and the latest innovations in automotive safety and technology, the car-seat crowd will be delighted by their very own Playland, a special section of the Walter Washington Convention Center filled with games, activities and lovable characters. There’s even a nine-foot-tall robot! Rock-it the Robot, a
giant robot who walks, talks and rocks, will thrill children… and leave parents wondering if there is a human inside. Rock-it will be joined by a life-like polar bear and penguin, a dinosaur, parrots and many other furry and feathered friends.
The children’s activities aren’t merely fun and games. In keeping with the show’s emphasis on alternative fuels and green technology, children will also be able to take part in a variety of environmental awareness activities that are educational as well as entertaining.
The 2008 Washington Auto Show: “Engineered for the Future” dates and hours: Wednesday & Thursday, Jan. 23 and 24, 10 AM - 9 PM; Friday & Saturday, Jan. 25 and 26, 10 AM - 10 PM; Sunday, Jan. 27, 10 AM - 6 PM.
For more information, call WANADA at 1-866-WASH-AUTO or visit the Washington Auto Show online at
www.washingtonautoshow.com. Now in its 90th year, WANADA represents new car dealerships throughout Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
53rd Washington Antiques Show
The Comfort Inn Gunston Corner in Lorton, Virginia is a suburban hotel just a few miles from Northern Virginia attractions such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon, George Mason’s Gunston Hall and historic Fairfax. Our hotel is far enough away from Washington, DC, to be affordable, and close enough to be the most convenient place to ‘headquarter’ yourself while sightseeing or antiquing.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
The Washington Antiques Show was founded in 1955 to benefit children and families through the Thrift Shop Charities and is one of the longest running antiques shows in the US. The theme for the 2008 show is Inspirations from the Garden and is dedicated to the memory of Lady Bird Johnson. The Honorary Chair is Ambassador and Mrs. Christiaan Kroner of the Netherlands. Dates are January 11 - 13, 2008. Location is the Omni Shoreham Hotel in North West Washington, DC.
The show will have almost 50 dealers from the United States and Europe and will offer period furnishings and decorative arts, ceramics, vintage silver and jewelry and garden accent pieces. Avid collectors as well as those just learning about antiques will enjoy the opportunity to learn, browse and purchase fabulous objects. The catalog will include detailed descriptions of loan artifacts as well as articles on the garden theme by experts in the antique field.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
The Washington Antiques Show was founded in 1955 to benefit children and families through the Thrift Shop Charities and is one of the longest running antiques shows in the US. The theme for the 2008 show is Inspirations from the Garden and is dedicated to the memory of Lady Bird Johnson. The Honorary Chair is Ambassador and Mrs. Christiaan Kroner of the Netherlands. Dates are January 11 - 13, 2008. Location is the Omni Shoreham Hotel in North West Washington, DC.
The show will have almost 50 dealers from the United States and Europe and will offer period furnishings and decorative arts, ceramics, vintage silver and jewelry and garden accent pieces. Avid collectors as well as those just learning about antiques will enjoy the opportunity to learn, browse and purchase fabulous objects. The catalog will include detailed descriptions of loan artifacts as well as articles on the garden theme by experts in the antique field.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Decorating the Christmas Tree
The Comfort Inn Gunston Corner in Lorton, Virginia is a suburban hotel just a few miles from Northern Virginia attractions such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon, George Mason’s Gunston Hall and historic Fairfax. Our hotel is far enough away from Washington, DC, to be affordable, and close enough to be the most convenient place to ‘headquarter’ yourself while sightseeing.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
When you decorate your Christmas tree this season, you are carrying on a tradition started many years ago and made popular by royalty! Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition in the 16th century when Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce.
The Christmas tree custom gradually became popular in other parts of Europe. In England Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria made Christmas trees fashionable by decorating the first English Christmas tree at Windsor castle with candles and a variety of sweets, fruits and gingerbread in 1841. Soon other wealthy English families followed suit, using all kinds of extravagant items as decorations. In the 1850s, Charles Dickens described such a tree as being covered with dolls, miniature furniture, tiny musical instruments, costume jewelry, toy guns and swords, fruit and candy. Early Christmas trees had, in place of angels, figures of fairies - the good spirits, though horns and bells were once used to frighten off evil spirits.
Most of the 19th century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania. They put one on show to raise money for a local church. In 1851 a tree was set up outside of a church. The people of the parish thought it such an outrage and a return to paganism and asked the minister to take it down.
By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas to reach from floor to ceiling.
The early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German-American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts.
Electricity helped introduce Christmas lights making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country. All important buildings, private and public, signaled the beginning of the Christmas holiday with the tree ceremony.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
When you decorate your Christmas tree this season, you are carrying on a tradition started many years ago and made popular by royalty! Germany is credited with starting the Christmas tree tradition in the 16th century when Christians brought decorated trees into their homes. Some built Christmas pyramids of wood and decorated them with evergreens and candles if wood was scarce.
The Christmas tree custom gradually became popular in other parts of Europe. In England Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria made Christmas trees fashionable by decorating the first English Christmas tree at Windsor castle with candles and a variety of sweets, fruits and gingerbread in 1841. Soon other wealthy English families followed suit, using all kinds of extravagant items as decorations. In the 1850s, Charles Dickens described such a tree as being covered with dolls, miniature furniture, tiny musical instruments, costume jewelry, toy guns and swords, fruit and candy. Early Christmas trees had, in place of angels, figures of fairies - the good spirits, though horns and bells were once used to frighten off evil spirits.
Most of the 19th century Americans found Christmas trees an oddity. The first record of one being on display was in the 1830s by the German settlers of Pennsylvania. They put one on show to raise money for a local church. In 1851 a tree was set up outside of a church. The people of the parish thought it such an outrage and a return to paganism and asked the minister to take it down.
By the 1890s Christmas ornaments were arriving from Germany and Christmas tree popularity was on the rise around the U.S. It was noted that Europeans used small trees about four feet in height, while Americans liked their Christmas to reach from floor to ceiling.
The early 20th century saw Americans decorating their trees mainly with homemade ornaments, while the German-American sect continued to use apples, nuts, and marzipan cookies. Popcorn joined in after being dyed bright colors and interlaced with berries and nuts.
Electricity helped introduce Christmas lights making it possible for Christmas trees to glow for days on end. Christmas trees began to appear in town squares across the country. All important buildings, private and public, signaled the beginning of the Christmas holiday with the tree ceremony.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Christmas Concerts at the National Cathedral
The Comfort Inn Gunston Corner in Lorton, Virginia is a suburban hotel just a few miles from Northern Virginia attractions such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon, George Mason’s Gunston Hall and historic Fairfax. Ft. Belvoir and the Quantico Marine Corps base are a short hop from our front door. Our hotel is far enough away from Washington, DC, to be affordable, and close enough to be the most convenient place to ‘headquarter’ yourself while sightseeing.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
The Washington, DC area really sparkles during the Christmas holidays. One of the most thrilling events is Handel's Messiah at the National Cathedral. Wonderful music performed in one of the most beautiful and majestic cathedrals in the world, this is an experience you will never forget. Don't miss this!
The Washington National Cathedral Choir and Baroque Orchestra perform the holiday classic - Cathedral Music Director Michael McCarthy conducts. Soloists include internationally renowned Elizabeth Weigle, soprano; Yvette Smith, alto; Rufus Müller, tenor and William Sharp, bass.
- Friday, December 7, 2007, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, December 9, 2007, 4 p.m. Tickets: $20.-$60. Call (877) 537-2228 or order online.
The Joy of Christmas - Friday, December 14, 2007 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, December 15, 2007 4 p.m.; Sunday, December 16, 2007 4 p.m. This festive holiday concert includes Christmas carol favorites by the Children's Chorus of Washington, the Cathedral Choral Society, and Washington Symphonic Brass. Tickets: $20.-$80. Call (877) 537-2228 or order online.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
The Washington, DC area really sparkles during the Christmas holidays. One of the most thrilling events is Handel's Messiah at the National Cathedral. Wonderful music performed in one of the most beautiful and majestic cathedrals in the world, this is an experience you will never forget. Don't miss this!
The Washington National Cathedral Choir and Baroque Orchestra perform the holiday classic - Cathedral Music Director Michael McCarthy conducts. Soloists include internationally renowned Elizabeth Weigle, soprano; Yvette Smith, alto; Rufus Müller, tenor and William Sharp, bass.
- Friday, December 7, 2007, 7:30 p.m.; Sunday, December 9, 2007, 4 p.m. Tickets: $20.-$60. Call (877) 537-2228 or order online.
The Joy of Christmas - Friday, December 14, 2007 7:30 p.m.; Saturday, December 15, 2007 4 p.m.; Sunday, December 16, 2007 4 p.m. This festive holiday concert includes Christmas carol favorites by the Children's Chorus of Washington, the Cathedral Choral Society, and Washington Symphonic Brass. Tickets: $20.-$80. Call (877) 537-2228 or order online.
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Christmas at Mount Vernon
The Comfort Inn Gunston Corner in Lorton, Virginia is a suburban hotel just a few miles from Northern Virginia attractions such as George Washington’s Mount Vernon, George Mason’s Gunston Hall and historic Fairfax. Our hotel is far enough away from Washington, DC, to be affordable, and close enough to be the most convenient place to ‘headquarter’ yourself while sightseeing.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 and visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
The Mount Vernon estate of George Washington offers Candlelight Tours where Martha Washington hosts an 18th-century Christmas with candlelit walks, fireside caroling, and holiday décor. Visitors are treated as guests of the Washington family. During this exciting event, the rarely-seen third floor will be open to the public, where visitors can see Martha Washington's garret chamber. The room was unveiled in 2005 after new research transformed this sparse space into an accurate restoration of the elegant room used by Mrs. Washington after her husband's death.
Visitors will also meet a cast of friends and family of the famous founding couple. In the kitchen, the final stop on the tour, guests will hear about 18th-century holiday cooking. An elaborately re-created dessert course will be displayed in the large dining room with the Washingtons' famed "Great Cake" as the centerpiece of the feast. Free copies of the original "Great Cake" recipe and a version adapted to the 21st century will be available.
Enjoy hot cider and cookies while strolling, singing carols and sharing the Christmas spirit at the home of our first president.
2007 Candlelight Tour Dates
November 23, 24 & 25
November 30, December 1, & 2
December 7, 8 & 9
Admission Prices
Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12. Tickets may be purchased in advance from Mount Vernon's Main Gate, or through Ticketmaster at 703-573-SEAT.
The Food Court and the Shops at Mount Vernon are open during Candlelight Tours. Many visitors combine the candlelight tours with an evening of dining at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant. Reservations are suggested. Please call (703) 780-0011.
Mount Vernon shimmers with Holiday Cheer for Daytime VisitorsDecember 1, 2007 - January 6, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily.
The Holidays at Mount Vernon gives visitors a glimpse of an early-American Christmas, Washington style. Visitors can learn about Christmas traditions and see the Mansion prepared for the holidays.
The Mount Vernon Estate is open Christmas and New Year's Day.
Call for reservations at 703-643-3100 and visit our website at www.cigunston.com to view pictures and get directions.
The Mount Vernon estate of George Washington offers Candlelight Tours where Martha Washington hosts an 18th-century Christmas with candlelit walks, fireside caroling, and holiday décor. Visitors are treated as guests of the Washington family. During this exciting event, the rarely-seen third floor will be open to the public, where visitors can see Martha Washington's garret chamber. The room was unveiled in 2005 after new research transformed this sparse space into an accurate restoration of the elegant room used by Mrs. Washington after her husband's death.
Visitors will also meet a cast of friends and family of the famous founding couple. In the kitchen, the final stop on the tour, guests will hear about 18th-century holiday cooking. An elaborately re-created dessert course will be displayed in the large dining room with the Washingtons' famed "Great Cake" as the centerpiece of the feast. Free copies of the original "Great Cake" recipe and a version adapted to the 21st century will be available.
Enjoy hot cider and cookies while strolling, singing carols and sharing the Christmas spirit at the home of our first president.
2007 Candlelight Tour Dates
November 23, 24 & 25
November 30, December 1, & 2
December 7, 8 & 9
Admission Prices
Admission is $15 for adults and $10 for children under 12. Tickets may be purchased in advance from Mount Vernon's Main Gate, or through Ticketmaster at 703-573-SEAT.
The Food Court and the Shops at Mount Vernon are open during Candlelight Tours. Many visitors combine the candlelight tours with an evening of dining at the Mount Vernon Inn Restaurant. Reservations are suggested. Please call (703) 780-0011.
Mount Vernon shimmers with Holiday Cheer for Daytime VisitorsDecember 1, 2007 - January 6, 2008 from 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. daily.
The Holidays at Mount Vernon gives visitors a glimpse of an early-American Christmas, Washington style. Visitors can learn about Christmas traditions and see the Mansion prepared for the holidays.
The Mount Vernon Estate is open Christmas and New Year's Day.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Giles Run Meadow
The Comfort Inn Gunston Corner is delighted to have a new recreational park only two blocks from our front door. Visit our website at www.cigunston.com to see our quiet, affordable hotel and call 703-643-3100 to make reservations.
A disc golf course, fishing pond and trails for biking and hiking are among the amenities now available at Fairfax County's newest park, the 153 acre Giles Run Meadow. A hikers delight, the new Laurel Hill Greenway Trail is connected to the 41-mile Cross County Trail. A large meadow is set aside for passive recreation and is the perfect place for flying a kite or just enjoying a romp with the kids. Wildlife includes foxes, deer, raccoons and even the occasional coyote. It seems almost unbelievable that Interstate 95 is just a few blocks away from this green oasis.
The park is in an area near the grounds of the now-empty Lorton Workhouse Reformatory and Penitentiary. This area has been been closed to the public for about 100 years. The prison housed its last prisoners in 2001. It is also the site of the Laurel Hill Plantation, dating back to the Revolutionary War. In fact, several soldiers from this conflict are buried nearby.
Much time and effort has been spent removing trash, creating picnic areas and ballfields as well as improvements to a historic barrel bridge. The future could hold the addition of a sportsplex, an equestrian center and a proposed Cold War museum on a former Nike missile control site. A center for the arts, known as the Workhouse, is being constructed at another Lorton prison site nearby on Ox Road.
A portion of the old Lorton prison covering nearly 30 acres, stands just across the parking lot from the Giles Run Meadow Park entrance. It is surrounded by fencing and high brick walls in the former high-security area. The buildings not open to the public, but a baseball field on the grounds is open for use.
The Lorton facility was built in 1910 by the District of Columbia as a low-security work camp, where inmates from DC learned construction skills and worked the nearby farmland. There was a dairy, chickens and later on, a cannery used to put up the vegetables grown during the summers. The goal was to have a self supporting reformatory that actually paid for its own upkeep, while giving the inmates a healthy, active daily routine. Many of the bricks and other materials used to construct the buildings were made by early inmates. The buildings, which are described in prison literature as being in the colonial revival style, are said to resemble 19th century factories in New England and Great Britain.
A disc golf course, fishing pond and trails for biking and hiking are among the amenities now available at Fairfax County's newest park, the 153 acre Giles Run Meadow. A hikers delight, the new Laurel Hill Greenway Trail is connected to the 41-mile Cross County Trail. A large meadow is set aside for passive recreation and is the perfect place for flying a kite or just enjoying a romp with the kids. Wildlife includes foxes, deer, raccoons and even the occasional coyote. It seems almost unbelievable that Interstate 95 is just a few blocks away from this green oasis.
The park is in an area near the grounds of the now-empty Lorton Workhouse Reformatory and Penitentiary. This area has been been closed to the public for about 100 years. The prison housed its last prisoners in 2001. It is also the site of the Laurel Hill Plantation, dating back to the Revolutionary War. In fact, several soldiers from this conflict are buried nearby.
Much time and effort has been spent removing trash, creating picnic areas and ballfields as well as improvements to a historic barrel bridge. The future could hold the addition of a sportsplex, an equestrian center and a proposed Cold War museum on a former Nike missile control site. A center for the arts, known as the Workhouse, is being constructed at another Lorton prison site nearby on Ox Road.
A portion of the old Lorton prison covering nearly 30 acres, stands just across the parking lot from the Giles Run Meadow Park entrance. It is surrounded by fencing and high brick walls in the former high-security area. The buildings not open to the public, but a baseball field on the grounds is open for use.
The Lorton facility was built in 1910 by the District of Columbia as a low-security work camp, where inmates from DC learned construction skills and worked the nearby farmland. There was a dairy, chickens and later on, a cannery used to put up the vegetables grown during the summers. The goal was to have a self supporting reformatory that actually paid for its own upkeep, while giving the inmates a healthy, active daily routine. Many of the bricks and other materials used to construct the buildings were made by early inmates. The buildings, which are described in prison literature as being in the colonial revival style, are said to resemble 19th century factories in New England and Great Britain.
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