Fairfax County has 420 parks on nearly 25,000 acres of parkland so there’s something for everyone, said Judy Pedersen of the Fairfax County Park Authority. “With gas prices as high as they are, and the impacts of inflation hitting families hard, staying local and enjoying our wonderful park system makes lots of sense,” Pedersen said.

First stop, a go-kart track in the Dulles Airport area called the Autobahn Indoor Speedway. It offers racers an opportunity for speed at their indoor facility with some karts reaching 50 miles per hour. It’s a little more high-tech than the tracks at the beach so be prepared. There are “Junior Karts,” with a minimum age of 8 and height requirement of at least 48 inches tall. 

For the Pro Karts, the minimum age is 13 and drivers must be at least 56 inches tall. Summer go-kart camps are available for ages 8-15.

Vacations and stay-cations are all about putt-putt golf too. Got to have the flaming volcanoes and waterfalls, and that’s just the ticket at Upton Regional Park or the Treasure Island Mini Golf course at Pohick Bay. Other mini golf courses can be found at the Monster Mini Golf in Chantilly or the Cameron Run Mini Golf in Alexandria. Burke Lake has mini golf, and a frisbee golf course and a par-3 course too.

If that’s not enough for the thrill seeker, there are several spots in the area that have obstacle courses and rope climbing. At Upton…