Registration was easy out of this museum, with rest rooms nice and handy to have available. Directions and a map on one sheet of paper made it very easy to follow the trail, with three questions for checkpoints along the way.
The route left the museum and after a few turns headed south along University Drive through nice neighborhoods towards the George Mason University campus. After a few kilometers we found ourselves on the nicely laid out campus, with some students out and about on this sunny Saturday. The Patriot Center, an arena for sporting events and concerts was our turnabout landmark to head back towards town, first along busy Braddock Road, where Marty got a little snack out of a gas station, and then north on Ox Road. The university community gradually changed into a more historical, older layout as we approached downtown Fairfax. We passed an amphitheater and an old one room schoolhouse, the 1870's Legato School, which is the subject for the A award for this walk.
Marty and I were talking a good bit on this walk, so we didn't pick up all the sights, but Peaches and India didn't miss their usual entertainment on this type of walk- chasing squirrels. One was particularly brave in the downtown area; India must have been within inches of its tail before it went up a tree! I wonder sometimes what she actually would do if she caught one....
In the downtown area we did a few loops to catch a few landmarks like the library, post office, and the old county courthouse. Lots of nicely restored colonial buildings and restaurants to catch your fancy; a computer surplus store caught ours more than any others,and we made a stop there, tying the pooches out on a tree to check out the deals inside. The owners came out to see Peaches and India, since they were big dog admirers. Marty found some deals on items he was in need of, a great find on the trail. It was on Old Lee Highway, just after the third checkpoint.
We crossed North Street, then turned left on Main Street and back to the Museum and the finish. I had never really walked or visited a lot in this suburban, yet historical town of Fairfax, so this was a real treat. We stamped our books, thanked the volunteers in the library, and headed off to Red,Hot and Blue for some great barbeque which we noticed on the trail but didn't stop at since we had no where safe to put the pooches. Anytime you are in the area, I would recommend this walk to get a good sample of what Fairfax VA is like. Many thanks to the Northern Virginia Volksmarchers for hosting and sponsoring this great year-round event.
Seneca Valley Sugarloafers
Volksmarch and Walking Index Web page
About.com DC/Annapolis
US National and State Parks
