Best Bed and Breakfast
First place: Manassas Junction Bed and Breakfast, Manassas, ManassasJunction.com, 703-216-7803
Consider this B&B a home away from home. Guests enjoy home-cooking and homemade jams and jellies, and the company of a resident hound dog. The B&B is located within walking distance of town and is adjacent to historic train tracks, so guests can enjoy the sound of a train whistle and see engines while they dine.
Second place: Goodstone Inn & Restaurant, Middleburg, Goodstone.com, 540-687-3333
Third place: Poplar Springs Inn & Spa, Warrenton, PoplarSpringsInn.com, 540-788-4600
Best “Do Not Miss” Tourist Attraction
First place: George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, MountVernon.org, 703-780-2000
The team at Mount Vernon is committed to maintaining historical accuracy. Each of the 21 rooms in the mansion replicates the way it looked in 1799, and the gardens are based on designs from the first president himself. The estate is also home to many of the same breeds of animals that were here when Washington was alive, including 20 lambs born in March.
Second place: The Winery at Bull Run, Centreville, WineryAtBullRun.com, 703-815-2233
Third place: Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, ArlingtonCemetery.mil, 877-907-8585
Best Equestrian Event
First place: Virginia Gold Cup Association, Warrenton, VAGoldCup.com, 540-347-2612
The Virginia Gold Cup steeplechase has run almost every year since it began in 1922. Today, the event draws more than 50,000 spectators each May, who come out for tailgating, hat contests (take a trip to the milliner beforehand—the bigger, the better), terrier races and of course, the horses themselves, who race eight times throughout the day.
Second place: Upperville Colt & Horse Show, Upperville.com, 540-687-5740
Third place: Twilight Polo, The Plains, GreatMeadow.org, 540-253-5000
Best Fishing Guide Company
First place: Orvis, Vienna, Orvis.com, 703-556-8634
Not quite confident in your casting technique? Orvis offers fly-fishing courses for beginners as well as for those who have completed the first course and are ready to hit the stream. And if you can’t make it to a class, check out the website for Orvis’ online fly-fishing learning center, complete with quizzes and video lessons.
Second place: Fish and Explore, Falls Church, FishAndExplore.com, 703-609-8083
Best Fishing Outfitter
First place: Orvis, Vienna, Orvis.com, 703-556-8634
Orvis has everything you need for your fishing expedition, and even some items you might not have thought of, like water filtration cups and stream thermometers. Along with rods and reels, Orvis also sells fishing attire like garments that help control your body temperature made with drirelease fabrics to speed up drying.
Second place: L.L. Bean, McLean, LLBean.com, 888-552-9876
Third place: Gander Mountain, Woodbridge, GanderMountain.com, 571-409-5364
Best Fitness Program
First place: CycleLuv, Leesburg, CycleLuv.com, 703-431-0347
If it’s your first time at CycleLuv, there’s no need to be intimidated; all of the studio’s instructors are previous customers, so they’ve cycled miles in your sneakers. The studio uses Keiser M3+ bikes and heart rate monitors to track your workout. Plus, they mix it up by hosting sessions themed around say, the 1980s, or the Super Bowl.
Second place: OrangeTheory Fitness, Ashburn, Ashburn.OrangeTheoryFitness.com, 703-881-9110
Third place: Body Conscience Personal Training, Manassas, Body-Conscience.com, 703-361-7205
Best Golf Course
First place: The Golf Club at Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, LansdowneResort.com, 703-729-4071
Golfers at Lansdowne can choose from three top-notch courses: the Norman Course, perfect for the more competitive player looking for a championship challenge; the Robert Trent Jones Jr. course, which is more than 7,000 yards long; and the Sharkbite Course, a short course ideal for beginners.
Second place: Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, Gainesville, RTJGC.com, 703-754-4050
Third place: Stonewall Golf Club, Gainesville, StonewallGolfClub.com, 703-753-5101
Best Gym
First place: BREAKAWAY Fitness, McLean, BreakawayCompanies.com, 703-226-1425
Though weights can be intimidating, the team at Breakaway Fitness aims to make strength conditioning accessible and welcoming to everyone. The gym offers personal training, group exercise classes (like Muffin-Top Bootcamp, which incorporates kettle bells, weights and body weight exercises), nutritional guidance and even corporate fitness classes.
Second place: Old Town Athletic Club, Warrenton, OTACFitness.com, 540-349-2791
Third place: Lifetime Fitness, Reston, LifetimeFitness.com, 571-512-3500
Best Historic Site
First place: George Washington’s Mount Vernon, Mount Vernon, MountVernon.org, 703-780-2000
Guided tours at Mount Vernon include “Through My Eyes,” which explores the life of figures such as Washington’s granddaughter or his farm manager; “All the President’s Pups,” about the canine experience at the historic estate; a seasonal sightseeing cruise from the Potomac; and even a behind-the-scenes look at the places where the blockbuster National Treasure 2: Book of Secrets was filmed.
Second place: Manassas National Battlefield Park, NPS.gov/Mana, 703-361-1339
Third place: The Winery at Bull Run, Centreville, WineryAtBullRun.com, 703-815-2233
Best Hotel
First place: The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, McLean, RitzCarlton.com, 703-506-4300
This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner, located just outside the nation’s capital. The hotel provides luxury accommodations for nearly 400 in its rooms and suites, as well as a day spa, a wine bar and lounge with more than 60 vintages available by the glass, and a tavern serving traditional American cuisine.
Second place: Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, LansdowneResort.com, 703-729-8400
Third place: Airlie Center, Warrenton, Airlie.com, 540-347-1300
Best Hunting Outfitter
First place: Orvis, Vienna, Orvis.com, 703-556-8634
Large game, small game, waterfowl—if it involves hunting, Orvis can outfit you. Along with shotguns, knives, and the appropriate accoutrements for their care, the retailer also offers attire (for men and women), protective gear, binoculars and scopes, and accessories like locator bells and multipurpose belts.
Second place: Gander Mountain, Woodbridge, GanderMountain.com, 571-409-5365
Third place: Dick’s Sporting Goods, Dulles, DicksSportingGoods.com, 571-434-0046
Best Hunting Preserve
First place: Shady Grove Kennel & Hunting Preserve, Remington, Shady-Grove.com, 540-439-2683
From April through September, Shady Grove Kennel & Hunting Preserve offers pheasant, quail, duck and chukar hunts (both guided and unguided) on its 900 acres, as well as training for retrievers and pointing dogs. The preserve also offers sporting clays.
Best Outdoor Adventure
First place: Great Falls, NPS.gov/GRFA, 703-285-2965
Open from 7 a.m. to dark every day of the year except Christmas, Great Falls National Park offers many water oriented adventures, including whitewater boating, fishing and hikes to the falls on the River Trail. For those looking to stay dry, the park also offers hiking, rock climbing, horseback riding and biking.
Second place: Harper’s Ferry Adventure Center, Purcellville, HarpersFerryAdventureCenter.com, 540-668-9007
Third place: Sky Meadow State Park, Delaplane, VirginiaStateParks.gov, 540-592-3556
Best Resort
First place: Lansdowne Resort, Leesburg, LansdowneResort.com, 703-729-8400
In January, Lansdowne announced the renovation and total redesign of its 296 guestrooms (including the presidential suite and signature suites) commemorating the 4-diamond resort’s 25th anniversary. Situated on 476 acres, the redesign takes inspiration from the resort’s wine country location. Now complete, the renovated rooms are available for reservations.
Second place: Salamander Resort & Spa, Middleburg, SalamanderResort.com, 540-687-3600
Third place: Airlie Center, Warrenton, Airlie.com, 540-347-1300
Best Retirement Community
First place: Greenspring, Springfield, EricksonLiving.com, 703-436-4515
Greenspring is home to more than 200 resident clubs, from the Greenspring Players theater group to its outdoorsy nature and gardening clubs. In 2015, the community was awarded the Hobart Jackson Cultural Diversity Award from non-profit association LeadingAge, recognizing its commitment to celebrating residents’ unique backgrounds.
Second place: Ashby Ponds, Ashburn, EricksonLiving.com, 703-722-6763
Third place: Sommerset Retirement Community, Sterling, SommersetRetirement.com, 703-450-6411
Best Summer Camp
First place: The Congressional Camp, Falls Church, CongoCamp.org, 703-533-9711
Founded in 1940 as a summer program for the Congressional School, Congressional Camp now hosts more than 2,000 happy campers each summer on its 40-acre campus. Activities include wall climbing, zip lining and archery. Congressional offers day and sleep away options for pre-K through teens.
Second place: Camp Lansdowne, Leesburg, LansdowneResort.com, 703-729-8400
Third place: Acting for Young People, Fairfax, AFYP.org, 703-554-4931