There are so many great towns to see on the Northern Neck that weren't mentioned in "5 Towns you MUST Visit on the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula", that we're mentioning four additional towns that are worth seeing on your trip to the Northern Neck. Don't end your trip early without seeing these four towns:

1. Colonial Beach (Westmoreland County) - Colonial Beach is the birthplace of James Monroe (5th President of the United States). Located on the Potomac River, there are a variety of activities, sights and sounds to see. Stroll the boardwalk with outdoor dining, specialty shopping and hospitality venues. There's lots to do including boating, biking, fishing or just playing on the beach. You'll get a taste of waterfront small town with church bells ringing the hour and golf carts ruling the streets. Come see Colonial Beach!

2. Montross (Westmoreland County) - Montross, originally called Westmoreland Courthouse, is the location where a resolution was introduced by Richard Henry Lee on June 22, 1774, providing aid to a beleagured Boston, MA, following a blockade by Great Britain. Montross is is the hub of Northern Neck history as a great stoppage point within 15 miles of Westmoreland State Park, George Washington Birth Place, and Strattford Hall. Stop for lunch, grab some ice cream and head out to your next attraction. Check out more on their website: Town of Montross

3. Warsaw (Richmond County) - In 1846, Warsaw was renamed in sympathy of the Polish struggle for independence. Warsaw holds the county seat of Richmond County and was established in 1692. Downtown Warsaw has the busiest intersection in the Northern Neck at its five-point intersection. Stop in at 'The Daily' for a terrific lunch and let the kids play at the City Park. Warsaw also sponsors multiple events and farmer's markets throughout the year. Click the link or more information: Town of Warsaw   

4. Irvington (Lancaster County) - Located on Carter's Creek (a tributary to the Rappahannock River), Irvington has a rich history of the Steamboat Era. Named after Captain Levin H. Irvington, the town thrived in the 1890's and early 1900's when Steamboats brought goods and travelers to the area. In 1917, a fire destroyed much of the town at the end and rebounded as a Chesapeake Bay waterfront town. Come see the various museums and vineyards, play a round of golf, go shopping or just relax on the water at Irvington.

Enjoy your stay in the Northern Neck! 

In ancient times, people understood how important it was to build their house on a good foundation. Types of foundations vary in different parts of the country/world but today we'll focus on the Northern Neck and Eastern Virginia.

A slab (or pad) is a shallow layer of cement over the entire space of the house. The slab serves as the entire foundation and the house is built on the top of the slab. This is not common in this area and generally the homes aren't as big as the picture below when put on a slab.

A footer is a little more complex. The location of the foundation is dug out about 2 feet into the ground. Before cement is poured, it looks like a maze in the ground. Cement is then poured into the maze/hole to provide a solid surface to build foundation walls.

On top of the footer brick masons create one of three types of foundation walls: Cinder block, brick, or cinder block with a brick exterior (to give the apprearance of a brick foundation). There are multiple websites that compare and contrast the various foundation types so I'll just touch on it a little. Generally, a cinder block foundation is the least cost, brick is the most cost and the cinder/brick combination is somewhere in between. It should be noted that you don't lose any strength or durability when you chose cinder block over brick. Purely brick foundations are phasing/phased out because cinder block makes more sense financially and structurally. Cinder block also doesn't provide the rustic/historical look so common/prefered on the Northern Neck so a cinder block - brick foundation seems to be the happy medium. In the picture below, notice the brick exterior with a cinder block interior.

Hopefully you now feel a little more confident in your knowledge of the foundation process and how it all works. Packett Properties creates a solid foundation (both literally and figuratively) for you in your home construction process on the Northern Neck.

How far away is the Northern Neck?

This is a tough question since the Northern Neck encompasses several counties. With so much growth of suburbs and suburbs of suburbs, the Northern Neck offers an alternative to busy life. I guess you could say it's, "Centrally, out of the way". Thus, if you miss the big city it's only a short drive away. Whether you're coming for the weekend, Summer, or permanently you won't be far. Here are a few of the distances to major cities:

Warsaw to...

Fredricksburg: 54 miles    D.C.: 92 miles     Richmond: 52 miles    Virginia Beach: 115 miles

Kilmarnock to...

Fredricksburg: 84 miles    D.C.: 122 miles    Richmond: 72 miles    Virginia Beach: 92 miles

Callao to...

Fredricksburg: 65 miles    D.C.: 100 miles    Richmond: 64 miles    Virginia Beach: 127 miles

Montross to...

Fredricksburg: 44 miles    D.C.: 79 miles     Richmond: 62 miles    Virginia Beach: 126 miles

Reedville to...

Fredricksburg: 86 miles    D.C.: 121 miles    Richmond: 90 miles    Virginia Beach: 111 miles

One of the advantages of living on the Northern Neck is it's great access to parks.

There are three major parks on the Northern Neck: Westmoreland State Park, Belle Isle State Park, and George Washington Birth Place. Both State parks offer camping and GWBP is a good place to spend the day. Here are some of the Highlights:

Westmoreland S. P.:

I didn't realize this when I went but they have an Olympic sized swimming pool. That's a big pool! The pool also has two diving boards, a slide, and kiddie pool. We also hiked most of the trails (about 5 miles total). The campgrounds are well defined and not too close together. There's also a beach where you can hunt for ancient shark teeth and swim.

Belle Isle S. P. :

Belle Isle has a large play area right by the Rappahannock river so it's fun to picnic while playing at the river or on the play toys. There are fewer campsites than Westmoreland but they have a good buffer and there is more seclusion. Belle Isle also has fun Geocaching and because it's an isle you can rent canoes or kayaks and stay in calm water. There aren't any places to swim so you can leave your suit at home. I would strongly suggest taking bikes or you can rent them when you get there. Activities are also hosted by Rangers during the Summer weekends (check the website for a schedule).

George Washington B. P. :

As I said earlier, we always take our family to George Washington Birth Place. First, its free to enter and second, we can let the kids run around. Located on Pope's Creek and the Potomac River, you can see the outline of the original home and also see a working Colonial farm. I strongly suggest having one of the Rangers take you around. Outside of the farm you can go to the Washington Cemetary, no George Washington isn't buried there, but his ancestors are! Visiting the beach is a must. You can also find shark teeth but you're not supposed to take them. You can swim in the water (at your own risk).

 All of these parks make a great trip. In my opinion George Washington Birthplace is a day trip  while Belle Isle and Westmoreland State Parks should be camped.

Home building can be as simple or complex as you make it. Here are three basic steps to planning you new home.

1) Are we ready? Can we afford it?

      There is an inherent risk in home construction. Much like buying a car, you need to decide what you're willing to spend. You can go to multiple banks to see what the best structure of a mortgage is best for you. It may not be your current bank! Yes, you want to be loyal but you also don't want to throw thousands of dollars away if you can help it. There is nothing wrong with opening an account at a different bank so you get a better loan. After you have a good idea of what you can afford or are pre-approved. Make sure your significant other is 'on board' as well.

2) Decide the Who? What? and Where? (But not necessarily in that order) This can be very difficult but also very exciting as this is the 'dream' phase of the process.

           Where? You need to decide what property features you like. Do you have to have water front? Do you want maintenence-free? Do you want several acres? How close do you need to be to shopping? What school do you want your children to attend? Decide what is most important to the decision and focus on an area. Research now will help you before you go looking. Once you have decided a general area go exploring, meet real estate agents, and see what's on the internet.

           Who?   Some of the best advice you can get is from the people you already know so ask your friends/family. If you're building in a new area, you should consider asking around: future neighbors, real estate agents, or building material companies. You can also look for new homes and simply ask the owners who built their home. Finding a builder with a lot of experience will save you some of the headaches down the road but might be a little more expensive. Younger builders might be less expensive but they might not foresee the problems that are going to arise and might cost you money. Just remember that everyone has a bias. So take all advice with a grain of salt.

          What?  Do some online research to know what type of house you want. The worst situation is not having an opinion until the house is finished. Once you've found a good builder, he can also help you with your planning as to what you'd like. Finding a 'base' plan and making mild alterations is much easier than starting from scratch. Also, don't change a plan to change a plan. If it's a great plan, then you're probably not going to make it much better. I found a good piece on Mistakes to Avoid.

3) The dreaded paper work

     Before there is a hole in the ground, the entire process needs to be mapped out. Your builder will help you with this. Contracts and agreements will protect you, the builder, and the lending institution. There is no turning back when the contracts and agreements are signed but this is the last phase of preparing to build a house.

Now you're ready to do the ground work!

Do you have advice for people planning on building a new home? Post your advice in the comments.