Local: Northern Virginia: Fairfax County “Unusual Splurges – Top Golf and Fish Pedicures” Review

I consider myself frugal, not cheap. I’ll happily spend a pretty penny if its something that I believe is worthwhile. My goal is not to eliminate all spending, it’s to reduce the amount I’m spending on things that aren’t important to me and replace it with things that are important to me. As far as entertainment goes, I’ll happily spend a small fortune at Walt Disney World because it really is the happiest place on earth, but I detest spending money on work lunches, and things that aren’t worth their price. You can see how we used this method to save $23,537.00 last year by clicking here. 

 

 

With that being said, I’ll let you in on my two favorite things in Northern Virginia. While neither are cheap, I think they’re frugal because they are well worth the cost to me. They’re unique, a ton of fun and a great experience.

 

 

1.                       Top Golf:

 

 

 

Top Golf is completely unique. There are two locations in the Unites States and there is no similar experience available. This is great for everyone from children to avid golfers. Each golf ball is chipped and assigned to you. There are several games to play and the computer registers where your ball lands giving you information such as targets hit and distance the ball traveled. My favorite game there combines darts and golf. The grounds have colored targets scattered around at different distances. Each target is sectioned into different zones. When you hit your ball, it measures where the ball hits the target and gives you a point value based on where you have hit. Jon’s a golfer and he can consistently hit the back targets, I’m more of a mini golfer. But the game is fun for both of us, because I can use a putter and hit the center of the closest target with consistency and beat Jon if he goes after the higher value targets and misses a few times.

 

                                                    Top Golf Injectable Donuts

 

Besides the fun of the actual game, they have a few bonus features. Their food is outstanding. It’s one of my favorite places to eat in Northern Virginia. They bring the food straight to the bays for you. They also have a selection of draft beers. The food they serve is far from the chicken finger type fare I was expecting. On my last visit, I had a buffalo chicken wrap with sweet potato fries and freshly made donut holes that came with injectable chocolate and raspberry filling. The filling came to the table in plungers that you could fill your own donuts. A-M-A-Z-I-N-G.

 

9 Months Pregnant and Kicking Jon's Butt with a Putter. 

(Okay, that was an exaggeration- I won by one point)

                                                   

They also have very high powered heaters that blow directly on you if you turn them on. They are open all winter and you can play in two feet of snow (the bays are covered) wearing a tee shirt, without feeling even a little bit chilly. They have mini golf at the facility if you would rather try that. They also have a night scene with a bar, patio tables, outdoor lighting, and free games of corn hole.

 

 

Each game costs about $4.80 depending on the time you play and if you’re eligible for discounts (military, ladies night).

 

 

2.                       Fish Pedicures at Yvonne’s Day Spa:

 

This is one of the neatest experiences I’ve ever had. When Yvonne’s started offering fish pedicures several years ago, they were completely unique. No one else in the United States offered that service. In fact, it was considered “weird or bizarre” according to most media reports at the time. It caught on quickly and a slew of them have opened up all over the United States. I think it’s kind of cool we can go to the original since we live in the area.

 

 

When you walk in, you are seated on a cushioned bench seat with long fish tanks at your feet. The tubs are filled with dr. fish of all sizes. You place your feet in the tanks and the fish attack you. There’s no other way to say it. The fish go nuts trying to eat the dead skin on your feet. The larger fish will actually muscle their way between your toes to get more dead skin. Gross, right? It doesn’t hurt, they don’t eat any healthy skin, just the dead skin. It’s a unique sensation that would be hard to describe to someone who hasn’t done it. I can’t really think of a time when I felt something similar. Everyone that I’ve ever went with for the first time has cried, but not because it hurts or because they’re upset. As I said, it’s hard to describe.

 

(yvonnesalon.com)

 

Once you’ve sat in the tanks for as long as you have purchased (normally 15 or 30 minutes), you get moved to a standard pedicure chair. At this point a very normal pedicure takes place complete with a hot water foot bath. Your feet will be baby smooth and your toes will look great. It’s pretty pricey at $65.00 for 30 minutes in the tanks and a standard pedicure.  However, I think it’s well worth the cost if your going infrequently to bring out of town friends or just to have the experience.

 

 

They do also have full body tank baths, but if you ask me there are some places that fish should never, ever be.

 

 

If you’re in the area, you should check these places out and let me know if I’m missing other unique area experiences.