Laura Schwartz is a licensed Realtor in VA, D.C. and MD with McEnearney Associates in Vienna. You can follow Laura on Instagram at @LauraSchwartzRealtor or her Facebook page. Laura can be reached at 703-283-6120 or Laura@GuidingYourMove.com
I’m a beach lover. The water and sand is all I need for a good day. I’m already thinking as we approach that final week of school, about our annual trip to the eastern shore.
I put together some good day trips and some longer drive destinations if you’re looking to explore a new beach:
Day Trips
- Colonial Beach, Virginia: 90 minutes away from Tysons, easy parking, on the Potomac River so very few waves, shallow water, fishing pier. Cute snow cone and ice cream spot (try the chocolate éclair ice cream!).
- Aquia Landing Park, Stafford, Virginia: About an hour from Tysons, there’s a fee for access, popular fishing spot and beach for swimming.
- Sandy Point, Annapolis, Maryland: An hour drive from Tysons, Sandy Point is a popular beach for a day just before the Chesapeake Bay Bridge with lots of space for distancing, sand and water.
- Mason Neck State Park, Lorton, Virginia: This small hidden gem is located under an hour from Tysons and offers fishing, canoe and kayak rentals (call ahead for a reservation), swimming and walking trails.
- Lake Anna State Park, Spotsylvania, Virginia: About 2 hours away, sand and water for swimming and playing, camping grounds for overnight stays, no tents allowed on the beach, lots of walking trails.
- Calvert Cliffs, Lusby, Maryland: Located about 90 minutes from Tysons, Calvert Cliffs is a Maryland state park featuring fishing, swimming and walking trails. $7 per car day use for Virginia state plates.
Beach Weeks
Popular spots along the Eastern Shore are:
- Rehoboth Beach, DE
- Bethany Beach, DE
- Dewey Beach, DE
- Fenwick Island, DE
- Ocean City, MD
- Virginia Beach, VA
- Cape May, NJ
- Wildwood, NJ
- Avalon, NJ
- Long Beach Island, NJ
Some places have great beach/pool options, some are just beaches — it depends on what you’re looking for! Some have a great boardwalk with a “Funland” experience (games, rides, arcade), and some are more family friendly.
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Finding a gift for moms can be difficult. Google “Mother’s Day gifts,” and you’ll scroll through endless lists of beauty products, candles and fuzzy robes. Sure, those are sweet, but sometimes it’s fun to surprise loved ones with something a little more, well, practical!
Here’s one idea: Give her a gift certificate for a home cleaning from Well-Paid Maids. It’s the perfect “thank you,” “I love you” or “you’ve got this” for any mom. She can schedule the home cleaning at her convenience and breathe easy knowing she has one less thing to do.
Our cleaners will take care of everything, including vacuuming and mopping as well as cleaning and dusting countertops, tables, mirrors, appliances and more. Sinks, toilets, showers and appliance exteriors also get a good scrub.
Plus, when you buy a gift certificate from Well-Paid Maids, you’re supporting a living-wage cleaning company. That means cleaners get paid a starting wage of $24 an hour and get access to benefits, like 24 days of PTO and health insurance.
Owners of six Woofie’s franchises in Northern Virginia are hosting “Paws in the Park,” a pet adoption event on May 18 at 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. (rain date May 19) at Wolf Trap National Park, Wolf Trap Farm Park, 1645 Trap Road, Vienna. They hope to bring awareness for local animal shelters and the need for “furever” families for animals.
Woofie’s will have about 20 mobile spa vans on site, offering free nail trims and Wash ‘n Go baths for rescued dogs and pups up for adoption, and special event pricing for families who bring their own pets for grooming (as time permits/allows).
Participating Woofie’s include Reston/Herndon, Ashburn-Leesburg, McLean, Western Loudoun, South Riding-Aldie and Fairfax. Food trucks, a DJ, local vendors, and more will be available. Ridgeside K9 and Keller Williams Realty are sponsoring the event.
Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride
Join us on Saturday, May 11th and ride into spring during our Pedal with Petals Family Bike Ride. Back for its second year, Pedal with Petals is going to be bigger than ever. This year’s event will include both an
Dream, Design, Build: Home Expo 2024
Sponsored by ABW Appliances & Eden, join us for a one-of-a-kind Home Expo event on May 11th from 10AM to 4PM!
The DMV’s top experts — AKG Design Studio and GMJ Construction — are opening their doors to homeowners to
