The Right Lanes, the brainchild of Stacy Brooks and Jenelle Lynch of Herndon, Va., continues to gain traction in northern Virginia. Brooks and Lynch created the organization earlier this year in a bid to help area businesses survive the tough economy and also provide substantial networking opportunities for women.

Earlier this summer I wrote about their first event, a daylong dining, shopping and wine-tasting excursion from Herndon to Charlottesville, Va. About 25 women participated in the May 30 trip, pumping several thousand dollars into the local economy and providing the women with solid networking opportunities.

This past weekend, The Right Lanes conducted its second Economy Boosting Excursion closer to home in Loudoun County, with 15 participants giving a bounce to several boutiques, the Zephaniah Farm Vineyard and the Crooked Run Orchard, where they waded through mud to pick their own apples. The ladies were also treated to mini-seminars by an image consultant and a career consultant.

Because it was a smaller group, "People were really able to network and make connections," Brooks says.

The 15 women didn't spend quite as much money as the earlier group did, but they took their shopping seriously. One participant popped in on a spa and booked a date to celebrate her upcoming birthday with several friends. Roaches in the Attic Antiques had a line at the cash register for the first time in its 20-year history. "Almost everyone bought something [there]," says Brooks. "I'd never been in there until I went in there to talk about the trip," added Brooks, who left the store with an antique glass pitcher in hand.

A new catering company was a big hit with participants. "This trip, a young lady who wants to start an organic catering company offered to make us a hot breakfast for the trip," Brooks says. Mimy Indra, whose new company is called Deliciously Green, showed up with 15 boxed breakfasts of eggs, bacon and potatoes. "Everybody loved it. The ladies are waiting for an opportunity to use her," Brooks says.

Meanwhile, The Right Lanes--Ladies Advancing a New Economy--is ratcheting up its activities. It has a presence on LinkedIn and Facebook, a meetup group, and 95 followers on Twitter. Brooks and Lynch are planning a local happy hour networking event on Sept. 16 and a golf tournament in June. "We have so many followers now on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. But so many of them can't get away for a whole day," Brooks says. Her goal for the shorter get-togethers is to line up stores that will provide year-long discounts for group members.

And the owner of Eyetopia Inc., one of the boutiques that participated in Saturday's adventure, wants the The Right Lanes to return to Leesburg, Va., for an evening of pre-holiday shopping in November, with discounts, gift bags and appetizers at each of several participating shops.

And of course, Brooks says she and Lynch are preparing for another daylong excursion in November. The duo also is actively seeking sponsors. "It's a great opportunity for a lead sponsor whose banner could be affixed to the bus," Brooks suggests. They're also looking for sponsors to provide scholarships for women who can't afford the excursions on their own.

As they continue to grow, they're also learning about the wide variety of unique businesses in their own backyard, and helping to introduce those shops to as many other women as they can.