Residents of Prince William County have been clamoring for a dog park for years. Finally one has arrived, thanks to Merrifield Garden Center. The park, the first of its kind, has been open for about 6 weeks. Merrifield has had a presence in the county for about a year and a half. However, up until recently, they only had a satellite shop. The new center which looks like a huge sports arena from Wellington Road is not completely finished but open to the public. If it is anything like the parent company in Fairfax, it will be a wonderful garden experience. According the Manassas News and Messenger:
And it’s something Merrifield president and co-owner Bob Warhurst said he’s wanted to create for a long time.
Merrifield has had a presence in Prince William for about a year and a half, but its present facility has been open only since mid-November.
The chain’s other two locations, in Fairfax County, don’t have enough room for a doggie den. But when Warhurst realized he could transform an overflow parking area, he went for it.
He said he felt sorry for canines who rarely got a chance to run around.“I’ve had several people come here since we’ve had this dog park and say, ‘Oh my goodness, this is the first time I’ve had my dog off-leash for two years,’” Warhurst said.
The setup was fairly simple: The Merrifield folks put down a couple inches of mulch and fenced off two areas.
“We have one that’s 40-by-40 for little dogs, and we have one that’s 50-by-80 for larger dogs,” Warhurst said. “I think the real winner here is the dog.”
I haven’t taken our dogs yet. That might just have to happen this week. Reading about the simple set up, I am wondering why it has take this long to finally get a dog park in our area. There seems to be plenty of county land. I would think a dog park would count as open space.
One might ask the same question about why there is not sky viewing area here in Prince William. We used to be able to use the Battlefield picnic area. That open space was ‘remodeled.’ Then we used the horse trailer lot for night viewing. Now that has been barricaded off to night traffic.
These types of places, dog parks and night viewing areas, use few resources in the long run and give residents a great deal of pleasure. Most businesses make poor hosts to night viewing areas. The lights needed for security and advertisement are detrimental to night viewing.
Check out the doggie park and let us all know what you think. WARNING: Merrifield Garden Center is hazardous to your pocketbook!
The dog park is very nice. I took my Cocker Spaniel over there and there were several other dogs in the small dogs area. Actually, there were a few in the big dogs area too. Also the garden center is very nice and indeed very large inside. Fill out a card for their mailing list – we did the time we were there in March and managed to win a $50 gift card.
At last, PWC has gone to the dogs.
And we saw it all coming too, didn’t we Ivan?
Good morning, Gainesville Resident. you all must have the luck of the Irish. 😉
Question for you, who cleans up the dog area? Are there paper towels, baggies, and scoopers there? I know my dog would immediately socially disgrace himself the moment he got there.
“sky viewing area” – “night viewing area”
These are new terms for me. Please explain. I view the sky both day and night from home or from where ever I might be.
As for dog parks – dogs aren’t people and those who choose to own dogs should be responsible for their “entertainment”, not tax payers, IMHO. If the parks are privately owned and maintained – fine. They would be like day care centers for dogs (I’ve heard that those do exist).
Actually, that’s a good question – I didn’t see any baggies or anything. I made sure to get my dog cleaned out before we went over there by taking a long walk. She has managed to disgrace herself in PetSmart a couple of times – fortunately they have the cleaning stations there.
I hardly ever win anything – it was a surprise to get the phone call from Merrifield about the gift certificate. Actually, it was a choice of a $50 gift certificate or two free tickets to a Washington Wizards game. Not being into basketball I picked the gift certificate, plus my wife can easily spend $50 there in a blink of an eye.
Punchak – for astronomers we need a good area away from the lights for viewing the sky. There would seem to be some possibilities in the far reaches of western PWC for this, perhaps. Most of the places in PWC where we live are too flooded with lighting from commercial shopping centers and such – and we have too much light pollution. For example, did you ever notice how the clouds in the sky at night actually are lighter than the sky where there aren’t any clouds? That’s because of all the light from shopping centers and such lighting up the sky. It really eliminates a lot of stars and other objects from being visible.
Guess I didn’t read the top – Seems Merryfield Gardens are footing the bill. That’s probably one of the reasons “Merryfield Garden Center is hazardous to your pocketbook” 🙂
I don’t think it is very expensive to have a dog park. It is just a fenced off area basically. I don’t think it is costing Merrifield hardly anything – they had a huge amount of property and to them the loss of that small amount of square footage (roughly 500 square feet I believe) is miniscule. Probably what they gain in people coming and shopping there because of it more than makes up for what small cost there is.
My math is somehow off this morning – make that about 2500 square feet. Still, a very small amount of the huge property they have at their Gainesville location.
FYI – Understand Greg L. and some of his HSM pals plan to bring over
their pit bulls (owners and dogs wear matching camo outfits) to
sniff out any “Mexican mutts” without proper papers.
Thanks for the updates and clarifications, Gainesville Resident. Are dogs allowed inside the facility at Gainesville?
Punchak, Gainesville is a more serious amateur astronomer than I am. There is no where that I know of where groups of people who own telescopes can go out for an evening, away from the lights, to view the heavens, at least in this county. There are places south and east of Prince William.
I just look at the major events: meteor showers, eclipses etc. There really is no where to go legally once the Battlefield ousted us except on private property. Trees can be a real problem also.
Merrifield Garden Center has the prettiest flowers of all the places around this area, in my opinion. But like all nurseries, you just don’t get Lowes and Walmart prices.
Another question:
Why do people take dogs with them when they go shopping?
I guess I had better hide the chihuahua then! My daughter’s dog is an unpapered Mexican short-hair. Thanks for the warning, Poor Richard! you are ever-vigilant!
I took our dog inside and they didn’t say anything. Seems to me they’d have to – as once it gets to be warmer the dog can’t sit outside in the car while you shop – and they aren’t going to want to discourage people from shopping.
I agree, Merrifield is more expensive than Lowes or other places for plants, but they have a bigger selection.
Sky Meadows, a state park near Paris, Va., is a good spot
for sky watching.
OMG you posted about dogs. Expect many replies! Everytime our Neighborhood Watch posts about lost dogs, dog poop, dog behavior, dog whatever, it’s our longest thread. Must be that unconditional love they give us. Good luck for the dog park!
Poor Richard, Have you ever been out for oen of their evening events? I have only been out there during the day. If you have been at night, please give a full report.
Cindy, yea, I figured I was asking for it. Part of me is glad private industry handled this much needed park. The other part of me thinks so little effort for the county to have provided dog parks all along.
Dog are great but I think pit bulls are highly dangerous and I truly consider them a lethal weapon far more dangerous than a firearm since they have a mind of their own.
I’m starting to see them more and more these days. One of them attacked a small dog close to my home some years ago. I heard the small dog’s owner screaming like crazy. She was hysterical. A next door neighbor ran out and punched the pitbull until it let go.
I think the little dog died as it was badly mangled. The owner of the pitbull came along and grabbed her pitbull and ran off.
Yee haw!! Merrifield GC finally made it to PWC. Now if we could attract Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s…
My husband and I scoped out MGC about a week ago. The dog park had quite a few clients including one that had a wandering eye and was feeling quite frisky. No plastic bags in sight so I guess it’s “bring your own”.
The perennial section was still puny so I’ll probably go to their Fairfax store until they increase their variety and stock. I think they’re the best nursery in NoVa – knowledgeable staff, healthy plants, good variety.
Moonhowler,
Suggest the websites of Sky Meadows State Park, Sky
Meadows State Park Clear Sky Chart, and Northern Virginia Astronomy
Club. Not the high desert of Arizona, but worth the trip.
I’ve always enjoyed this local treasure from
when my children were young – still walk from Bleak House up to the
Appalachian Trail every month or so to make sure I still have a little
stamina. Great views and then you can stop by Paris!
Thanks Poor Richard, I will check that out later. The high desert of Az makes me want to cry just thinking about it…because I am not there now.
Censored, We got Wegmans and a dog park. What more do you want?
Mackie, that is a horrible story and I pretty much agree with you about pitbulls. At best, I think they are unpredictable. How sad to lose a dog like that. I hope the pitbull was found and euthanized.
I “heart” Wegmans!
I’m with you Moonhowler. We all need more free and open public space, and access to beautiful places. Unfortunately the majority of people want malls, concrete, and business to dominate the landscape. In my opinion the only fix to that is municipal gardens and parks funded on tax dollars.
My own property will some day become a nature conservatory for research scientists, and will be donated to the state with a stipulation to fund and reward more research and R&D grants, centered around my science library, and geek museum, and will ultimately build a hard core science center surrounded by parks and trails with exhibits centered around the 20 most influential scientists in history. The public will be able to bring their dogs and let them roam free on the property.
My neighbors do not want this to happen however, as they want to maintain a “suburban” look and feel of excessive wealth, rather than nature. I have the only agriculturally zoned property in the entire community.
Poor Richard is right, these places are treasures left by people for all to enjoy. I intend to do similar efforts with my own property in the area of the sciences. There are no hard core science museums in the entire national region, only kid museums that are very boring for adults so interested in the ultimate form of art.
Wait until I get it finished Moon, then you will have your very own authentic Galileo observatory to bring telescopes to, on a monthly basis.
I sorta like the Science Museum in Richmond. I guess we should all be big fans of Teddy Roosevelt. He probably did more to ensure our national treasures than anyone else. I believe Bill Clinton also made some contributions in that area.
I HEART the national parks.
I heart the national parks, too! Has anyone ever hiked Old Rag? I haven’t done that in years. I would like to do that this spring. I used to be an avid hiker before I had my son…I’ve done every trail off Skyline Drive I believe. I survived Mahoosuc Notch in Maine one year. THAT is some tough backpacking!
I hiked Old Rag last Oct. and then again in Jan. I was “training” for a trip to the Grand Canyon where I hiked down and then back up a couple of weeks ago. That really is some tough backpacking.
Has anyone been to death valley to see the wild flowers? I saw them in AZ about 3 years ago when they had had so much rain out there…everything being relative. They were fabulous! I hear DV puts on a real good show also.
And no, before anyone asks, I dont mean the wild flowers nudist group.
I believe Ivan deserves a standing ovation for hiking the grand canyon. I have seen that hike knock people on their arses. Cheer Ivan!!! (and thanks for reporting in to us from out there also.)
Moon, I am a HUGE fan of Teddy Roosevelt, but not just for national parks. He put a stop to “illegal” immigration, as did FDR AND stopped rampant corruption of the political and ecomomic elite, and stopped child labor, and ordered a 6 day work week, previously never restricted from the 7 days, 365 days a year exploitation typically worked by low income families.
I did old rag at night, and vertical (no path) in the snow. That makes it have a very unique charm to those who have tried it that way. It has a great geological history as well. It was one of the first mountains I also climbed as a young kid, then many times later as an adult. It is one of my favorites.
For those like Elena who think I make my life up as I blog, you can read about it in my book on “Eastern Alpining” when it finally is completed in a few years (It’s been a 5 year effort).
Basically the eastern alpining concept (because their is no other), is to pick a mountain any mountain, in the worst conditions the east has to offer, and climb a straight line from bottom to top AND BACK. Taking whatever alpine gear you need to deal with whatever obstacle is between you and the summit and back.
My favorite is buzzard rock, and the powerline up hogsback. Also the ice climb from whiteoak canyon base to the skyline summit, up the frozen falls, very few people have achieved this with ice tools and crampons, BY THEMSELVES.
Michael, when will your book be finished? I didn’t realize you were a Virginian. Where is Buzzard Rock?
michael-
You do the ice climbing by YOURSELF? Isn’t that a rather dumb-daring adventure? Do you have signaling device to use should you fall? Of course, if you were knocked out cold, that wouldn’t help. You DO have a safety net of some kind, I hope.
MH –
Just looked it up. Buzzard Rock is near Front Royal in Geo Wash Nat’l Forest.
Trail lenght: 7 mi
Elevation gain: 2510 ft (whew!)
I wonder why it has such a name? Probably buzzards swarming overheads from everyone not having a safety net. J-K
Ivan and Michael,
I’m glad others have had the Old Rag experience. It’s so great! Ivan, did it prepare you at all for the Grand Canyon, or was that something that you really couldn’t prepare for?
I hiked the Grand Canyon years ago when I was much younger. Actually I’ve done it twice – down to the bottom and back up. I wouldn’t try it now though – that was 20 years ago when I hiked it.
Twinad,
Old Rag didn’t prepare me for the Canyon as much as it showed me how much training I needed to do to make it up and down comfortably. It did however show my wife that she needed to do more than Yoga to get ready. After Old Rag, we started doing more stair climbing and road work.
The problem with the Canyon is that you are going down and coming up at fairly steep angles and it’s pretty hard to duplicate that around here. You just have to strengthen the muscles around the knees and hips as much as you can. It helps to have a healthy back too. It would have helped to have been 20 years younger, we decided to do it now because at 61, me mountain climbing days are about over.
I am just impressed that you guys did it, Ivan. Did you take pictures or were you too exhausted to pick up a camera?
Back to the Blue Ridge, there is a facinating history of those who came out of those mountains when the Skyline Drive and the Blue Ridge Parkway were being built. The mountain people were forced to move, and they didn’t like it. Many settled in Albemarle and Green Counties. Most were self sufficient until they were moved out. I need to read more about it.
Moon, We took a ton of pictures, I’ll try to e-mail you some.
I self-belay punchak, and I rarely take un-necessary risks.
Michael, to the layperson, what did you just say?
Ivan if you stay on the trails that is true, the trails at Canyon (north and south rim) are steeper grades than most of the trails around here. If you go vertical (off-trail) on the mountains in Virgina, the grades well exceed those of the Grand Canyon access trails.
A self-belay or a running belay is used by most mountaineers that go into the mountains alone (remaining within their experience limits). The technique involves establishing a very solid anchor at the bottom, setting additional anchors (or “protection”) at intervals of greatest risk (5-20 ft intervals depending on hazards), and using a special belay device. Progress upward is much slower, but almost as safe as a two-person team. The real safety hazard is subjective hazard (hazards of nature) but in the eastern mountains that is rarely as big a hazard as big, high altitude, remote mountains.
The point of all this is to remain within your limits and level of experience and technical training. Things become “daringly dumb” when you do them beyond your experience level.
Sorry, “objective hazards” are from nature. Subjective hazards are caused by your brain being out of gear and making mistakes. Exprience and training is the teacher here.
Since I don’t live out west, I’ve learned to create challenging but relatively safe alternatives with what we’ve got. Sort of in the style of the Scottish Alpinists on “Ben Nevis”. (Moon, you should look this up, its beautiful).
If you want to do “buzzard” there are four progressively harder routes.
1. The East approach, from Rural Route 619 trail turnout (Grade I, 3.0)
2. The South approach, from Elizabeth Furnace trail, to Swift Gap, then north to buzzard rock (Grade 1, 3.0), a variation is the old logging road vertical to Swift Gap, which is more challenging (Grade 1, 3.0)
3. The North Ridge approach from the trout ponds (Grade 1, 3.0-4.0, AI2)
4. The West Buttress Direct approach from Fort Valley Road (creek hazard, Grade 1, 4.0-5.9, AI2-3 depending on route taken and season)
In late spring and summer watch out for timber rattlesnakes in the boulder field.
The grades I’ve given it are worst case conditions (snow, ice and night time conditions) and the steepest conditions encountered. The trails are all Class 2.0, with no scrambling.