New project starts, Route 1 widening efforts expand in Woodbridge

Discover how the FREEDOM Map from Peden Accounting Services helps you align your financial goals with your life priorities, breaking down big dreams into manageable steps for a sustainable and fulfilling future.

Are you eyeing 2025 as the year you finally trade your daily commute for days spent traveling, relaxing, or chasing long-postponed dreams? You’re not alone. Many soon-to-be retirees are mapping out a fresh chapter—but hold up. Before you sail into the sunset, there are a few key financial moves you should have on lock.

Below, we’ll look at the top five “must-dos” that can help you retire with confidence—covering everything from making sure you don’t outlive your savings to nailing your Social Security timing. Because let’s face it: Retirement is more than a date on the calendar. It’s a financial pivot, and you want it to be a smooth one.

Travel in the 18th century was an adventure filled with challenges. Roads were rough, weather unpredictable, and inns often crowded and uncomfortable. While a journey that takes an hour by car today might have taken days by horseback, these struggles shaped the lives of colonial Virginians and tell the story of a bygone era.

Prince William County invites you to step back in time and explore preserved portions of the King’s Highway, an essential travel route of the American colonies. This historic path connected Boston to Charleston, serving as a lifeline for trade, communication, and movement during colonial times. Travelers like George Washington braved these routes, often relying on the hospitality of friends or local citizens for lodging—choosing a friendly bed over the shared accommodations of a bustling tavern.

Now, you can follow in their footsteps by visiting sections of the King’s Highway along the Prince William Revolutionary War Trail. Imagine the journeys of those who shaped our nation as you walk these historic routes, marveling at how far we’ve come from the days of muddy ruts and slow travel by carriage or horseback.

Get ready for KidFest, the most exciting event of the year, coming to the Fredericksburg Convention Center on February 8 and 9.

Packed with fun for kids and families, this action-packed weekend features bounce houses, laser tag, fire trucks, summer camp registrations, and so much more. It’s a perfect way to make memories and spend quality time together.

Event hours:
Saturday, February 8: 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Sunday, February 9: 10 a.m. – 3 p.m.

Tickets include all activities (fees apply for face painting and spin wheel), and children three and under are free.