About Perfect Saturdays
Looking for something to do this weekend? These great day trips are within a two-hour drive of DC.
You don’t need to book a trip to the Andes Mountains to chill with alpacas. These day trip itineraries in Loudoun and Carroll counties offer alpaca meet-and-greets close to home.
Go farm-hopping
Lovettsville, Va.
Drive time from DC: One hour.
Schedule a weekend tour at Long Meadows Farm in Loudoun County to greet a coterie of animals, including pigs, a mini donkey, Dingle the goat, and yes, alpacas. The rescue farm provides food for the animals, so you can feed, pet, and nuzzle them in the pasture. A one-hour visit is $75 for a group of up to six people.
Once you’ve indulged in some animal therapy, keep with the agricultural theme and drive less than 10 minutes to Flying Ace Farm. The working farm is also a brewery and distillery, with picnic tables set up near classic red barn buildings. Grab a cold drink to wash down smoked meats from Monk’s BBQ—think: brisket, pastrami, and pulled pork with fixings such as potato salad, mac and cheese, and cornbread.
Enjoy cuddles and cones
Finksburg, Md.
Drive time from DC: One hour and 15 minutes.
For an outing in Maryland, reserve a day from Thursday through Sunday at Black Barn Alpacas in Carroll County to feed the alpacas. Once you secure a day, come between 10 AM and 4 PM to hang in the field with the fuzzy animals. (There’s no time limit to your visit.) Each person gets a cup of feed to coax the friendly herd. The activity is $18 for adults and $15.50 for children ages three to 15.
The farm allows visitors to bring their own food and drinks for a picnic, but there are also nearby spots to get a sweet treat. It’s around a 15-minute drive to both Firehouse Creamery and Norwood Ice Cream and Candy Company. Firehouse has ice cream and swirls of soft serve from Maryland’s South Mountain Creamery, while Norwood scoops rotating flavors highlighting seasonal produce such as lemon blueberry and balsamic strawberry.
Looking for more day trip ideas? Check out our Perfect Saturdays series.
Daniella Byck joined Washingtonian in 2022. She was previously with Outside Magazine and lives in Takoma.
