Parks and Playgrounds

Awesome idea Heather!

I thought I would start a list of some of our favorite parks and playgrounds and why we love them and you guys can just pop onto this post and add your own.

Erika's Picks:

Meadowlark Park (Vienna)- I grew up going to this beautiful botanical garden and it remains a favorite of mine. It is huge and there are gazebos and ponds and nature trails and beautiful flowers, especailly right now. They started charging about 10 years ago which is a bit of a turn off, but it's $5 a person and 6 and under are free. It's a great place to take a ball to kick around and there is a nice picnic area right in front of the park to bring lunch to.

Clemyjontri Playground (McLean)- By far, the hugest, coolest playground I have ever seen! This place is awesome for kids and there is a carousel in the middle and a track that goes around the rubbery surface that all of the play equipment is built on. My best advice is to go on a slightly chilly day so it isn't so crowded and beware that it is an easy place to lose a youngster simply because it is such a big area.

Rady Park (Warrenton)- We just discovered this park last weekend upon the recommendation of a mom from preschool. It's nothing spectacular, but they do have a small playground in the SHADE and a stream that runs through that is shallow enough for kids to get right in, which we did. It has a trail that circles it and some huge athletic fields to run around in. While you're in Warrenton, stop at my new favorite fast food restaraunt Chick-fil-a that is right on the way to the park and is so super clean and the staff is very helpful and friendly, not to mention the yummy food!