burke - Ellington

Photos by Victoria Ross/The ConnectionNewcomers & Community Guide 2012~13Insider’s TipState Sen. DaveMarsden (D-37):“One of my favorite placesis the Lake Accotink hikingtrail that starts on RollingRoad by the railroad tracksand continues several milesto the park itself and beyond.Very under-utilized.”Burke Lake Park’s miniature train.Hop Aboard Burke Lake TrainA sample of attractions the area offers.Burke Lake Park, 7315 Ox Road,Fairfax StationFor more information on the park, train or otherrides, call 703-323-6600 or go towww.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/burkelakeparkThe miniature Central Pacific Huntingtonsteam engine at Burke Lake Park has beena popular ride for 40 years. Last spring, theride got even better when the train andtracks underwent some improvements. “Iremember riding my bike here when I wasa kid, through what’s now Burke LakeCenter…We were adventurers,” said SupervisorPat Herrity (R-Springfield). “Generationsof families come here every year. It’sone of our most popular parks.”“This train never goes out of style,” saidCharlie Reagle, Burke Lake Park Manager,who estimates about 90,000 people ride thetrain each year. The train takes riders over1.75 miles of track in about 10 minutes andreaches speeds of 10 to 12 miles per hour.After the chug-along, there’s more old-fashionedfun at Burke Lake Park, including aspin on the carousel, a hand-dipped coneat the Ice Cream Parlor and a hike on theBurke Nursery and Garden Centre, a popular place for trees, shrubs andflowers as well as its annual Halloween and Pumpkin festival.—Compiled by Victoria Rosspark trail rated one of the 10 best urbanfitness trails in the nation by the AmericanHiking Society.History LessonsBurke Historical SocietyMeetings are held monthly at the Silas BurkeHouse, 9595 Burke Lake Road, Burkewww.burkehistoricalsociety.comThe Burke Historical Society (BHS) wasfirst established in 1978 as an advocate forpreserving Burke’s rich heritage. The societyprocures and maintains the area’s historicalmarkers, collects community artifactsfor display and sponsored the book “Memoriesof Beautiful Burke,” co-authored by NanNetherton and Ruth Rose. According to SuziFowler Neal, president of BHS, society membersrecently raised enough money to reprintthe book, which will be for sale at this year’sBurke Centre Festival in September. The historicalsociety also inspired artist BarbaraThelin Preston to paint and donate a paintingdepicting Old Burke, which the societyframed and donated to the Burke post office.Meetings and forums take place the lastSunday of the month at 4 p.m. at the SilasBurke House, 9595 Burke Lake Road.See Explore, Page 76 ❖ Burke Connection ❖ August 23-29, 2012 www.ConnectionNewspapers.com