We were looking for a fairly inexpensive house to rent while we explored the Catskills and we found “Grandma’s Place” in Woodstock NY. Perfect for a couple or small family, Grandma’s Place is walking distance to the center of Woodstock. The house sleeps four comfortably: one double bed and one queen bed. The […]
ecotourism
White Rock Falls Hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains
White Rock Falls Hike is a hidden gem of a hike: moderate, 2.5-mile out-and-back, that offers very pretty views, hidden grottos amongst the rhododendron, wading pools, and a series of small water cascades that collectively form White Rock Falls. It’s located in central Virginia south of Humpback Rocks on the Blue Ridge Parkway at mile […]
Let the Autumn Colors Inspire You to Daytrip Too!
We would see amazing things if we could learn to be travelers in our own neighborhoods, Henry David Thoreau said. Fall is a great time to explore your own neighborhood and see it with new eyes. Grab a camera and take yourself out for a fun afternoon daytrip! One of my favorite things to do […]
Hiking the Serpentine Loop in Soldiers Delight NEA
It seems the only times I think to go hiking in Soldiers Delight Natural Environmental Area, a part of the Patapsco Valley State Park, is in the winter. And winter is a great time to hike there — it’s sunny and bright and really beautiful in the colder months; just walking there will lift your […]
Oak Mountain Hideaway: North Star Cabin
Oak Mountain Hideaway offers a cozy place to stay, right in the heart of some of the most beautiful woods you’ll find in Pennsylvania. Instead of car alarms and lawn mowers, you’ll hear sounds of nature — birds, crickets, deer rustling through the trees, elk bugling in the distance, a coyote’s howl. This bed and […]
Maryland’s Best Kept Secret: A Cozy Cabin Hideaway at New Germany State Park
We just discovered Maryland’s “best kept secret,” renting a cabin at New Germany State Park. Nestled between Big Savage Mountain and the Eastern Continental Divide, New Germany State Park offers 10 miles of hiking, a lake to swim or kayak on, and of course, 12 cabins. This was our first stay at a state park […]
Maryland’s Beauty Spots — A Driving Tour to Green Ridge State Forest’s Scenic Overlooks
Come on a journey to seven of Maryland’s beauty spots, during a scenic drive that will take you through the country roads and byways of the Green Ridge State Forest, past forgotten family cemeteries and to some of the prettiest spots in western Maryland. Plan on at least three hours for this 44-mile scenic drive […]
It’s All Downhill: the Blackwater Canyon Trail
The Blackwater Canyon Railtrail is an extension of the 35-mile Allegheny Highlands Railtrail, connecting to it in Hendricks, WV, and running through the gorge to Thomas. The railtrail is about 3 hours from Washington DC, but it’s a destination trail and worth the drive or planning a stay in Canaan Valley. You really need to […]
Only the Really Cool Trees Have Knees: Secrets of Battle Creek Cypress Swamp
Bald cypress trees are an ancient tree that once covered parts of Delaware, Maryland, DC, and Virginia. Cypress trees have been dredged from the Baltimore Inner Harbor, and stumps thought to be a hundred thousand years old have been found at the mouth of the Patapsco River. Logs tens of thousands of years old have […]
Add Hearing the Elk Bugle to Your Bucket List
Since I discovered it was a thing, it was on my bucket list: hearing the bull elk bugle during rutting season. I’d visited Clearfield County a couple times already and had seen a herd of elk cows and calves grazing in a meadow — and yes, that was an amazing thing, in and of itself. […]
Hiking the Buzzard Rock – Sawmill Trail Loop in Patapsco Valley State Park
Buzzards Rock and Sawmill Trail Loop is a 5 mile loop trail in the Patapsco Valley State Park that has multiple “pay-offs,” including a pretty view from Buzzards Rock, from which you can see the Patapsco River below; even from that distance you can hear the falls. There are some breath-taking inclines and declines, but […]
Sunset at Trap Pond State Park
There’s a meme floating around that states “The two best reasons for owning a kayak is sunrise and sunset.” Early morning and sunset are my favorite times to hit the water and Trap Pond, already one of the prettiest places for a paddle, is even lovelier when the shadows are long and the fading evening […]
History and Wonder at the Natural Bridge
I remember a photo of my grandmother posing, pretending to hold up a rock bridge in Virginia. My grandfather would often tell my grandmother to “pack for cold” or “pack for warm” depending on whatever destination he had in mind. And then they would set off for an adventure. He took my Nana all over […]
Kayaking the Nanjemoy
Nanjemoy Creek flows just over 13 miles in Charles County, MD to the Potomac River. It comprises a some open water ways, as well as thick, marshy grassland, providing an ideal habitat for a variety of water fowel and other birds. It is also an ideal habitat for kayakers. Nanjemoy — the town and the […]
Revisiting Brookside Gardens
We first visited Brookside Gardens Mothers Day weekend, a few years ago. Construction was just beginning on the series of reflection ponds, but there was much to see and enjoy. This year, we visited on Father’s Day morning. We went early, hoping to beat any crowds and wishing to go while it would still be […]