Arlington County, a suburb of Washington, D.C. across the Potomac River, is connected to the capitol by four bridges. At just under 26 square miles, the county is the third smallest in the U.S. and packed with history. An array of ethnically diverse restaurants with tempting menus, live music at places such as the restored State Theatre and a multitude of shops compliment visits to this area's historic sites.

Nestled between the mainland and Assateague Island, Chincoteague Island is the largest community on the Eastern Shore and home to plenty of water sports, seafood restaurants and salty breezes. The most famous semi-residents of the island may be the wild ponies from Assateague.

The quiet hills around Manassas look much the way they did during the Civil War. The quiet is deceptive; the first and second battles of Bull Run (Manassas) were fought on this soil. Manassas National Battlefield Park is just a few miles north of the small town once known as Manassas Junction, a railroad community. Open year-round, the 5,000-acre battlefield looks much as it did during war time.

Dense forests, flocks of birdsong, musical waterfalls and a scenic road that follows the mountaintops are just a few of the reasons over 2 million visitors flock to Shenandoah National Park each year. Over 300 square miles of the Blue Ridge Mountains are sheltered in the park including 79,000 wilderness acres.