NOVA by School of Art, George Mason University

NOVA

A TRAVEL GUIDE OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Copyright © John Taylor Young IV All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission from the publisher, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law. School of Art and Design, George Mason University 2022

This book is dedicated to all staff members associated with George Mason University and its fine arts department. This dedication goes to those who have given their time and effort into molding the new generation of designers. Let this book be a guide towards self care and relaxation in our home of Northern Virginia. A special thanks to Juana Medina Rosas for offering her exceptional knowledge of design to this senior design project.

Insider Knowledge This travel guide was created to highlight the wide variety of activities located here in Northern Virginia. With its diverse seasonal changes and terrain, this area is able to host many different types of activities that capture the attention of anyone looking for fun and adventure. After 25 years of growing up here in NOVA I have gathered so much knowledge on what makes this area so great. For this book, I was able to combine my local knowledge with top rated events in order to create a travel guide that showcases the best activities this area has to offer. My inspiration comes from all the great people and memories I have made here in my home town of Fairfax, VA, and my desire to share this area with others.

CONTENTS 2 RESTAURANTS The Lot TTT Rooftop Don Tito The Block 12 SPORTS Autobahn Indoor Speedway IFly Skyzone Nationals Stadium 22 OUTDOOR AREAS Great Falls Park Lake Accotink Gravelly Point Fountainhead Park 32 HISTORICAL SITES Arlington National Cemetery National Air and Space Museum MT. Vernon Manassas Battleﬁeld Park 42 MUSIC VENUES Jiffy Lube Live Wolf Trap Jammin Java State Theatre

RESTAURANTS

Featured The Lot

TTT Roftop

Don Tito

The Block

THE LOT The lot brings the best of both worlds together, an exciting and hip bar scene with fun outdoor activities. The lot can be seen as an adult playground where people can eat, drink and play at multiple different zones such as tiki bars, cabanas, tented sandlot, rooftop lounge, and food trucks. The lot is open Wednesday through Sunday ensuring fun weekends every time. They serve food and drinks from their restaurant as well as consistently bringing in different food trucks and other vendors to always keep things exciting. With the lot being such a large outdoor area it is a great place to host an event.

TTT ROOFTOP Founded in 2018, TTT stands for Tacos, Tortas & Tequila. As the destination for Mexican inspired street food, they aim to redefine the Mexican eating experience by delivering food prepared to order and doing it quickly. Everything is made in house daily - never frozen, healthy meals that taste great are at the highest quality. They’re goal is to show people that Mexican food can be fun, social, and healthy all at the same time. Combine that food with a great atmosphere and you have TTT Rooftop.

DON TITO Don Tito is a three floor + rooftop restaurant inspired by a classic cantina look. Their space embraces the best parts of Mexican tradition coupled with an American twist. The food is based on Mexican classics featuring tacos, tequila, and beer. Don Tito has a great mix of two different atmospheres. During the day you can come in for some amazing food, then at night they turn into a three story party area with drinks being served on all levels. Don Tito has everything you could ever want in an establishment, it just depends on what time you go.

THE BLOCK The Block was the first foodhall in Northern Virginia, and the first Asian foodhall with 3 locations throughout the DMV. The block is proudly Asian-American owned, immigrant owned, and female-owned! Th Block Foodhall and Bar is proud to be the most beloved foodhall in the DMV that brings Asian-inspired dishes/vendors and craft cocktails unique to each location. Each of their different locations throughout Northern Virginia offer something different then the next making every visit special.

SPORTS

Featured IFly

Skyzone

Nationals Stadium

AutoBahn Indoor Speedway

AUTOBAHN INDOOR SPEEDWAY Autobahn Indoor Speedway offers European-style indoor go-karting at an affordable price. Their massive state-of-the-art electric indoor go-kart racing facilities are fully air conditioned for perfect racing conditions every day. Racers can change their speed to match their ability level with the highest level being electric Italian pro style go-karts reaching speeds up to 50 MPH. A brief safety course is required for the faster Karts but it is well worth it for the driving tips you will learn. No matter what your ability level is, you are guaranteed to have a great time.

I FLY There’s no other feeling in the world quite like indoor skydiving. iFLY’s state-of-the-art wind tunnels are designed to provide a safe flight experience, memories that will last a lifetime, and a unique story to tell. Flyers ages 3 to 103 can indoor skydive. From beginners to seasoned pros, people of all shapes, sizes, and abilities can take flight and have the time of their lives. You don’t need to be an athlete or in perfect shape, ifly has world class instructors who are trained to make every flight safe and fun.

SKYZONE Sky Zone is a wall-to-wall indoor trampoline park. If you ever enjoyed jumping on a trampoline as a kid you will have no problem fitting in at Sky Zone. They have hundreds of square feet of trampoline surface as well as trampolines mounted on the walls for an endless amount of combinations that can be done. They also have a large patio area for people to relax after some hard-core exercise. This area is also fantastic for events and parties of any age as they also have slide and ball pits for the younger kids.

NATS STADIUM Nationals Park is located in Southeast Washington, south of the Capitol, along the fast-developing Capitol Riverfront adjacent to the Navy Yard. The new park not only redefines modern sports facility architecture but also serves as the catalyst and cornerstone of a new mixed-use Capitol Riverfront in our nation’s capital. The Washington National Baseball schedule can be easily found online along with dates and ticket pricing. Scan the QR code on the right to see the season schedule.

OUTDOOR AREAS

Featured Great Falls Park

Lake Accotink

Gravelly Point

Fountainhead Park

GREAT FALLS PARK At Great Falls, the Potomac River builds up speed and force as it falls over a series of steep, jagged rocks, and flows through the narrow Mather Gorge. Great Falls Park has many opportunities to explore history and nature, all in a beautiful 800-acre park only 15 miles from the Nation’s Capital. The area is so natural and reserved that you feel like you’re out in a remote section of Virginia, but then access to everything from food to shopping is only a few minutes away if you want a change of scenery. Great Falls is truly a great destination for anyone who is into history, hiking, or nature in general.

LAKE ACCOTINK Lake Accotink Park is a very casual outdoor facility for people of all ages. While they do have a number of adrenaline pumping mountain bike trails, the majority of their activities are for the lighter crowd. With their main headquarters sitting right beside the lake, they offer canoe, kayak, and paddleboard rentals to explore. On site they also have a miniature golf course, multiple sand volleyball courts, and mini golf. Fishing on the lake is also great as well as fantastic views from the large 30 foot dam at the foot of the lake. Above the dam is a large train bridge suspended almost 70 feet high and was one of the great conflict zones of the Civil War. Lake Accotink Park is full of great activities as well as many fun historical facts.

GRAVELLY POINT Gravelly Point is an area within the National Park Service’s George Washington Memorial Parkway in Arlington, Virginia. It is located on the west side of the Potomac River, north of Roaches Run and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. Gravelly Point has a large grass area with picnic tables that make it an awesome spot to come chill during the day. With its close proximity to the airport, you will be constantly entertained by the large passenger jets flying closely overhead.

FOUNTAINHEAD PARK Fountainhead regional Park sits on the Occoquan River which gives awesome access to low-power water sports activities. Paddle boats, canoes, and kayaks are available for rent and make exploring creeks and rivers a lot of fun. On top of the water related activities, they have some of the best mountain bike trails in the area with multiple levels of difficulty and elevation change. Fountainhead Regional Park is over 2000 acres of land just waiting to be explored.

HISTORICAL SITES

Featured Arlington National Cemetery

National Air and Space Museum

MT. Vernon

Manassas Battlefield Park

ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY Arlington National Cemetery is a United States military cemetery in Arlington County, Virginia, across the Potomac River from Washington, D.C. Its 639 acres hold the dead of the nation’s conflicts which have been buried beginning with the Civil War, as well as reinterred dead from earlier wars. The United States Department of the Army, a component of the United States Department of Defense (DoD) controls the cemetery. This is a must see location for anyone interested in American history.

NATIONAL AIR AND SPACE MUSEUM The National Air and Space Museum is a fantastic place to visit no matter what your interests are. It is also a great place to bring children as there are so many educational aspects of the museum. The museum holds a number of airplanes and spaceships that are real and full sized making them jaw-dropping to see in person. As well as just being a museum for viewing, there are many educational programs that children and adults alike can take part in. There are a number of games and activities that teach kids about science, technology, engineering, and math in just a quick 30 minute seminar. They also have some interesting food that you can try, one of the most notable is astronaut ice cream which is truly what the astronauts eat up in space. A trip to the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum will be a trip that everyone in your party will remember forever.

MT. VERNON Mount Vernon is an American landmark and former plantation of George Washington, the first President of the United States. The estate is on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia. It is located south of Washington, D.C. and across the river from Prince George’s County, Maryland. The Washington family acquired land in the area in 1674. Around 1734, the family embarked on an expansion of its estate that continued under George Washington, who began leasing the estate in 1754 before becoming its sole owner in 1761. This is an incredible piece of historic land and a must see for anyone interested in American history.

JIFFY LUBE LIVE

MANASSAS BATTLEFIELD Here at Manassas Battlefield Park you will begin your visit at the Henry Hill Visitor Center. Here, you can pick up a park brochure, trail guide, or learn about the daily schedule of interpretive programs. A museum features artifacts related to the First and Second Battles of Manassas as well as a 6-minute electronic map of the troop movements during the first battle of the Civil War. There is also a park orientation film called “Manassas: End of Innocence”: This 45-minute film covers both the First and Second Battles of Manassas. This film is shown daily, every hour on the hour, starting at 9 a.m. with the last show at 4 p.m.

MUSIC VENUES

Featured Jiffy Lube Live

Wolf Trap

Jammin Java

State Theatre

JIFFY LUBE LIVE Jiffy Lube live is a premier music venue that hosts some of the biggest artists in the world. This is a full blown, full-size concert venue that you and your friends are guaranteed to have a good time at. They offer seating as well as a large grassy area for viewing the show, and great parking layout for tailgating both before and after the show. This is one venue that you will not want to miss if you have an artist coming up that you were interested in. The best thing to do is check their website and see who is playing within the next few months. Their website is very easy to navigate and makes it super easy to buy your tickets all in one place. Jiffy Lube live truly gives you a great music experience.

WOLF TRAP Wolf Trap National Park for the Performing Arts is one of the most visited modern art museums in the United States. They are truly on the forefront of some of the most important artists of the 21st-century. No matter what your interests are or whether you’re into art or not, you are sure to find something that will spark your interest here. Unlike typical art museums where you walk around and have to explore for yourself, performing arts are something where you are able to kick back and enjoy. Even if art has never been your thing, I highly encourage you to look online for upcoming events because I’m sure you’ll find something of interest.

JAMMIN JAVA In 2011, jammin Java was founded by a very unique group of individuals. Two brothers Luke and Daniel were not satisfied with their jobs after graduating college and we’re questioning what to do next. Their entire family revolves around music and that was eventually the path that they decided to take. They opened the business in hopes of serving food and drinks alongside live shows and it evolved into what we now know as jammin Java. After gaining significant traction throughout the years, they were featured in multiple magazines that put them on the list of top 40 music venues in the country. Jammin Java is the absolute highlight of social life in the music scene and everyone who attends is guaranteed to have a blast. You can check online for a list of upcoming artists and find a genre you are interested in before visiting.

STATE THEATRE The State Theatre is a restaurant and concert venue in Falls Church, Virginia. Built in 1936, the venue operated as a movie theater until 1988 when it closed down. The theatre reopened in 1999 as a events hall and music theatre. Since its reopening, the venue has gained significant traction in all different music genres. They receive a large mix of smaller underground bands, to some larger performers that have significant followings. State Theatre is a must see location for anyone interested in music, and upcoming shows can be easily viewd by scanning the QR code on the right side of the page.