The trails in Cathedral State Park are easy going and pleasant, perfect for little kids as well as my elderly parents. Cathedral State Park is an ancient hemlock forest of majestic proportions, and one of the last living commemorations of the vast virgin hemlock forest which once flourished in the Appalachian highlands. Trees up to […]
Month: August 2018
Another Wonderful Maryland Lake to Kayak!
Little Seneca Lake, anchoring Black Hill Regional Park, is a reservoir located in Montgomery County, MD. Don’t be fooled by the name — this more than 500-acre lake, which was man-made and completed in 1984, runs about 7 miles long and curls into numerous inlets and coves. Three creeks — Little Seneca, Cabin Branch and […]
VA Air & Space Museum Brings Us to Space, and Beyond!
A number of children’s drawings and paintings are hung in the museum. The artist of this wonderful painting is a second grader from Argyle, TX. (The artist’s name is withheld to protect the child’s privacy.) Hampton, VA and the NASA Langley Research Center is the birthplace of America’s space program. It was here that the […]
Exploring Seneca Creek State Park by Kayak
The lake beckoned to us when we drove around the park for Winter Lights. Even as we were admiring the animated reindeer jumping across the road, we were thinking, “gotta come back during kayaking season.” The lake is Clopper Lake, at the Seneca Creek State Park. This state park — all 6300 acres of it […]
Ghost Hunting at Eastern State Penitentiary
Photo Courtesy Eastern State Penitentiary; photographerTom Bernard By day, Eastern State Penitentiary is a museum dedicated to educating the public about the history of both the penitentiary itself and incarceration in America. By night, it is a ghost hunter’s dream: shadowy figures, mysterious laughter, and footsteps have all been reported. EVPs are not uncommon. (EVP […]
Fort Wool
Located at the entrance to the Hampton Roads Harbor, Fort Wool, originally named Fort Calhoun, was built to maintain a crossfire with Fort Monroe, located directly across the channel, thereby protecting the entrance to the harbor. Along with Fort Monroe, Fort Wool was constructed following the War of 1812 to protect Hampton Roads from the […]
Eastern State Penitentiary Update
I first visited Eastern State Penitentiary about 10 years ago, and wrote about it in MidAtanticDayTrips in 2014, several years after the actual visit. It haunted me then, and still does. Even as the cell blocks high arched ceilings evoke a cathedral-like reverence, the cells still hold their secrets, and they’re not giving them up. […]
York’s Art Scene
York’s art scene is as varied and diverse as its many artists, with a mix of private galleries, public displays, and outdoor murals and sculpture. If you’re considering a visit to York — and if you’re not, you should — then consider dipping your toes into the variety of York’s artistic offerings! These fun “retro-rustic” […]