Where to Live: Woodbridge, Virginia

Our first stop of this tour is the Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge. Situated right where the Potomac River meets the Occoquan River, Occoquan Bay offers over 4 miles of scenic walking trails and is open-year round.

This area is often frequented by visitors who enjoy nature and animal photography due to the vast diversity of species that live here including North American River Otters and Ospreys. A great place to bring your binoculars and bird watch is at the photo blind overlooking Marumsco creek. Here you’ll see plenty of waterfowl grazing and flying overhead.

Just make sure when you visit to only take photos and leave only footprints.

There are a lot of wonderful neighborhoods and communities here along the Occoquan River that Guy Allen would love to tell you about.

Take a right at Dawson Beach Road

We will be turning left on Jefferson Davis Highway, but if you were to go to the right, you would find the Woodbridge VRE Train Station. The Virginia Railway Express, or VRE for short, is a commuter rail serving outlying towns from Northern Virginia into D.C.

This station also offers connections to Amtrak’s Northeast Regional line which serves the Northeast Corridor making stops in high traffic cities such as New York and Boston. So, whether you’re taking a daily commute or a weekend getaway, the close proximity of this train station will make travel seamless.

Did you know the VRE’s existence saved 1 billion dollars in cost associated with highway widening? True story.

From Jefferson Davis Highway, please turn right on Prince William Parkway.

On your left we will be passing Lancaster Park. This cute little park offers basketball courts, volleyball nets, a playground as well as a picnic area complete with charcoal grills. This is a great place for an afternoon stroll or weekend picnic.

Continue down Prince William Parkway. We are going to cross over the infamous Interstate 95 to get to one of the best outlet malls around.

Please turn left at the next intersection and get ready to shop. Or, get ready to come back and shop because right now we are busy exploring. After you turn left, please turn left again when you get to Potomac Mills Circle, and then…

Welcome to the largest outlet mall in Virginia, Potomac Mills, located at the end of Worth Avenue. By the way, Potomac Mills has over 225 stores as well as an 18-screen AMC movie theatre. Enjoy high-end retailers at outlet prices such as Bloomingdale’s-The Outlet Store, Nordstrom Rack and Neiman Marcus. Would you like me to tell you what the other 222 stores are? Not gonna do that. You are just gonna have to come back later to shop.

Keep following Potomac Mills Circle toward the large blue and yellow box filled with amazing furniture and meatballs - otherwise known as Ikea.

Thinking of sprucing up your home or making a new home office? Head over to Ikea! They offer everything you could need to furnish your home. The best part is their easy to build furniture is flat packed, so you can jam your furniture into your car the same day you pick it out. Just make sure to stop at their food court on the way out for some Swedish meatballs. That is just part of the experience.

Keep following your navigation. We will be turning left on Garza Way and then another left on Smoketown Rd. As you drive, take notice of the restaurants along the way.

If you’re looking for somewhere to grab a bite, just along the way is Silver Diner, a DMV area favorite! Started in 1989, Silver Diner embodies both the retro-feel and nostalgia of diners while adding health-conscious and locally sourced food to their menus. Enjoy an indulgent breakfast like apple-pie stuffed French toast or hearty coconut quinoa pancakes after a long day of shopping.

This has absolutely nothing to do with Woodbridge, but do we even know what quinoa is? Well, the Whole Grains Council says it is a gluten-free, whole-grain carbohydrate, as well as a whole protein, meaning it has all nine essential amino acids.
You want more information, don’t you? Of course you do. Quinoa is a plant seed, so technically it is not a grain. If it was a grass seed it would be a grain. But since is from a plant, it is classified as a “pseudo-cereal.” Go ahead and take that information to you next trivia night.

I got a little carried away there. I hope you followed your navigation while you listened to my quinoa lecture.

Next, we turn right on Potomac Center Blvd where we will pass Stonebridge, which is another fantastic hotspot for restaurants, shopping and entertainment. And by entertainment, I mean things like ice skating, drinking and movie watching. Alamo Drafthouse Cinema is located there, where you can get the best film, food and drinks all in one seat.
Just keep following your navigation please.

Ahead is the Campus of Northern Virginia Community College - Woodbridge or better referred to as NOVA. NOVA is Virginia’s largest public institution and the second-largest community college in the United States. NOVA is known for its diverse range of academic offerings, offering over 120 degrees at both the associate and certificate level.

The first classes at Woodbridge were offered in 1972 and has rapidly grown since its humble beginnings. Now the campus has four academic buildings, sports fields and the Regional Center for Workforce Education and Training.

Continue down Neabsco Mills Road. We are heading toward the Rippon Lodge. After we cross Jefferson Davis Highway, please enjoy the short country drive to our next stop.

Just south of us is the Julie J. Metz Neabsco Creek Wetlands Preserve. Amazing how we can be surrounded by shopping and restaurants and then minutes later be surrounded by forests, scrub and wetland. Just one of the huge bonuses of living in Woodbridge.

The small road ahead on your left goes to Rippon lodge, one of the oldest houses remaining in Prince William County. The actual visitor entrance is farther ahead but I’ll tell you about it now. Rippon Lodge was built in 1747 by Richard Blackburn. The home's proximity to the port town of Dumfries made it a perfect location for him and his son, Thomas, to export tobacco, wheat and other commodities.

He and his son were prominent figures in politics as well as his son served in the local militia during the Revolutionary War. Most notably his daughter married George Washington’s Nephew.

In 2007, The Rippon lodge opened its doors to the public. Here you can see and learn about the rich history of the home and its owners from 1747 to 2000. You can enjoy guided tours as well, strolling through the gardens and trails.

Did you know Rippon Lodge has its very own bee sanctuary? Honey bees are facing a serious decline in numbers and by providing safe habitats for these beautiful creatures that have been around for millions of years, the Rippon Lodge is doing its part to help keep these bees around for another few million years.

On your right we will be passing Neabsco Regional Park. Neabsco Regional Park comprises 300 acres of natural forest and wetlands. Take a walk on the Neabsco Creek boardwalk. Open in 2019, the boardwalk allows hikers and visitors to walk through the wetlands to see the rich natural scenery and wildlife.

A great aspect of this park is it is mostly wheelchair accessible, so even those in wheelchairs can enjoy and be up close to nature. The marshland is home to many beautiful and breathtaking animals such as Blue Herons, beavers and egrets.

Nebasco Regional Park also offers group programming. Take a walk during a full moon and roast s'mores on their Full Moon Hike or drop in for some outdoor yoga on the boardwalk.

Continue down Blackburn Road and turn right on Rippon Blvd. We are headed to the end of our tour. By the way, along this last stretch feel free to go off the route and drive through some of the neighborhoods. There are some fantastic streets with amazing homes that you might wanna see. Ok, enjoy your drive and I will see you at the end.

Our last stop of the tour is the Featherstone National Wildlife Refuge. Now, just because you can’t see it from here doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. It is just east of us here, on the Occoquan Bay. Like most good wildlife refuges, it is tucked safely away. There are wonderful new neighborhoods here and older waterfront neighborhoods with docks and bay access if you continue north past the refuge.

Established in 1979, Featherstone provides a sanctuary for 325 acres of freshwater tidal marsh and upland forest. This land is vital for migrating birds that use it as a stop between migrating patterns.

Some notable birds that nest here are Golden-Winged Warblers, hooded mergansers and even Bald Eagles. The Creek is built for public access but the only access point currently is for non-motorized boats. So, take advantage of this little slice of silent and undisturbed paradise.

That concludes our tour of Woodbridge, Virginia. I hope you had as much fun exploring as I did showing you around. If you liked what you saw and want to know more give Guy Allen a call at 571-722-2337 or send him an email at guy.allen@exprealty.com.

Thanks again for taking a tour with UCPlaces! Have a fantastic day!