Sterling, Virginia is another testimony to the leaps-and-bounds growth of the energetic Loudon County, VA.

Today it's a bustling center of commerce sitting right on top of the very-busy Route 7, the very same route that has been active during the Civil War era as well. You can see two Civil War Site signs marking the route's historic significance a few miles before you reach Sterling's bee-hive of a commercial navel.

Did you know that the whole town itself was started back in 1961 with the far-sighted developer Marvin T. Broyhill Sr.? He bought the 1,762 acres of land which became the "Sterling Park" for only a little over $2 million.

The single-family houses completed back in 1967 went for an average of $18,000 each. Today you're lucky if you can find a townhouse in Sterling for under $400,000.

The Sugarland Crossing Shopping Mall right across one of the cheapest service stations in the whole region is where I shop frequently. It is home to the store where I buy all my vacuum cleaners and cleaner bags, as well as the camera store where I purchased my small but trusty Nikon digital camera.

Other businesses of Sterling include a Giant, Starbucks (but of course!), many restaurants, cleaners, a Middle Eastern grocery (a lot of Arab-Americans, Iranian-Americans and Bahais also live in the area), car dealers, convenience stores of all kinds, an emergency pet hospital, churches, a golf club, and a community center.

Sterling is where the dignified history meets the bustling future. It's always a good place to do some shopping for your daily needs.