Although spring is in the air, the early March day still promised cool temperatures. The leaves were not out yet, and a recent rain had left the ground a little muddy. Still, the temptation to go on a hike — to do something — ANYTHING — outside, was too much. A hiking we would go! […]
nature-focused
Exploring the Ghost Town Rail Trail: Dilltown to Eliza Furnace
Last summer, we stayed the weekend in Pittsburgh, but on our way back home to Maryland, decided to stop for a couple of hours and start what I hope will be an ongoing exploration of a new (for us) rail trail: The Ghost Town Rail Trail. This rail trail stretches 36 miles between Black Lick […]
Winter Walk in Swallow Falls State Park
When the weather outside is frightful, A walk in the park can be delightful! I was hoping for both snow and frozen water falls, but I was disappointed by balmy 40-degree days over the Christmas holidays. My family and I had rented a cabin, right on the shores of Deep Creek Lake. Plans included going […]
Starting 2017 with a Delightful First Day at Soldiers Delight
I love the idea of the First Day Hikes that have become popular over the past few years — what better way to start a new year than by getting out into our local parks and going for a hike? In October 2016, we adopted our third beagle, Charlie, from the Baltimore Humane Society. Getting to […]
Hiking a (Small) Portion of the Allegheny Highlands Rail Trail
For this week’s blog post, I’m recalling a memorable — but accidental — day trip we took during a vacation in West Virginia a couple years ago. With winter about to begin this year, it’s the time to think about warmer weather day trips — perhaps start planning a few more! It’s my guess we […]
Seeing Birds at the National Aviary
Winter school break looms large over the holiday season. What to do with the kids between Christmas and New Years? Why, take them to the National Aviary, of course! There are few opportunities to get swooshed by a Victoria Crowned Pigeon (the bird is so much more fabulous looking than “pigeon” implies), or swooshed by […]
Visiting our Ice Age Past at Cranesville Swamp
Cranesville Swamp Preserve is a 1,600-acre preserve situated in Preston County, WV and Garrett County, MD. The swamp formed 15,000 years ago during the last Ice Age, when glaciers inched close but never reached Maryland. The climate warmed and the glaciers retreated but many of the boreal plants remained. Nestled in a mountain valley bowl […]
Ringing Rocks: One of Pennyslvania’s Natural Wonders
The thought of rocks that do more than just lie around on the forest floor doing nothing more than, well, looking like rocks lying on the ground kind of intrigued me. I learned about the ringing rocks through one of those corny Facebook notifications, which promised, if we visited, that we’d encounter a fascinating “field” […]
Greeting the Morning Sun at Bear Rocks
How glorious a greeting the sun gives the mountains! — environmentalist and author, John Muir We got up at the ungodly hour of 3:30 a.m. on a Saturday morning to take the long and somewhat nerve-wracking drive up Laneville Road from Canaan Valley, where we were staying just off of Route 32 in a rental cabin, to […]
Bowmans Hill Wildflower Preserve
“There is that in the glance of a flower which may at times control the greatest of creation’s braggart lords.” –naturalist and author, John Muir Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve is a nature preserve, botanical garden, and accredited museum located just outside of New Hope, PA, that showcases an extraordinary diversity of plants native to Pennsylvania […]
Appreciating the Beauty of the Blackwater River
We arrived for our holiday weekend in Canaan Valley a few hours earlier. We unpacked the car and get settled into the cabin. The kids decided to hang out there, rather than come along with us as we re-explored Davis and traveled down memory lane a bit. The view from our cabin across Canaan Valley. […]
Whether Natural Chimneys Or Cyclopean Towers, Still Awe-Inspiring
Natural Chimneys, limestone rock formations standing an impressive 120 feet above the ground, have intrigued our imaginations for centuries. Thus on a recent visit to Harrisonburg, VA, I traveled some 15 miles southwest of the home of James Madison University to visit the regional park where Natural Chimneys is located. I prefer an old, 1800s […]
A Return Visit to Bombay Hook
I have yet to find a bad month to visit Bombay Hook National Wildlife Refuge, but I’m setting a new goal to go more often this year, maybe even every month, and share the photos and notes with the blog. There are always interesting things to notice — the birds and different species. Bombay Hook […]
Marsh of the Blueberries and More to See in Michigan’s UP
This is the second of five posts about our late summer trip to Mackinaw City and Michigan’s upper peninsula; we visited the area after bringing my son up to college in Michigan. We were impressed with how much there is to see and do in Michigan’s upper peninsula and just how lovely it is. What […]
Out Foxed at Island Beach State Park
A colleague, upon reading several of my blogs, suggested I check out Island Beach State Park. Island Beach is currently one of the most popular state parks in New Jersey and attracts approximately one million visitors every year. With beautiful, pristine beaches, I was surprised when he suggested that winter is a great time to […]