The Dulles Greenway
Weekend wine drinkers and newcomers to Loudoun have been introduced to the Dulles Greenway. It really is a beautiful stretch of roadway free from congestion. However, to enjoy the hyperspace jump out to Western Loudoun you have to pay.
The Greenway is often to the fastest way to navigate the county but unless you are comfortable giving your EZ Pass a workout I recommend setting your navigation app to “avoid tolls”. Saving 1 or 2 minutes for $4.75 or $9.50 round-trip ($11.60 during rush hour!) is not worth it. The Dulles Greenway is a privately owned roadway and separate from the Dulles Toll Road which it connects to.
Farm Markets
If there is one thing that Loudouners love, it is farm markets. Farm markets today are more than just produce and fresh meat, although you will find plenty of both. The farm markets also are a venue for all types of local small businesses to connect with the community. Visit Loudoun Farms.org for details and locations of various markets.
DC’s Wine Country
In case you haven’t already heard, Loudoun County is “DC’s Wine Country”. About an hour from DC and home to 40 wineries with different atmospheres and offerings, Loudoun lives up to the moniker.
List of Wineries on Visit Loudoun.com
Loudoun County Sheriff’s Office
The primary law enforcement agency in the county is the Sheriff’s Office with several towns having their own service as well: Leesburg, Middleburg, and Purcellville. Naturally, the State Police are present as well.
To learn what is going on behind the scenes of the County, I recommend enrolling in the Citizen’s Police Academy. Participants are presented information for each division of the Sheriff’s office and tours of facilities around the county including crime lab and emergency call center.
Data Centers
What are all these concrete block buildings around here? Data Centers. They say 70% of the world’s internet traffic goes through Loudoun County.
At one time–in the early 90’s–land in rural Loudoun was cheap. Hard to imagine now. Couple that with a reliable power grid and you have the perfect location for data centers. America Online was one of the first to setup shop here, they developed the infrastructure paving the way for many others including Amazon.