I’ve been going to the Smithsonian National Zoo since I was a child. Every summer, mom would take us down to the zoo. It would be crowded and swelteringly hot, as July and August usually are in Maryland. My sister, thinking she was clever, would tease me about leaving me with the apes, and I’d […]
nature-focused
Leafpeeping in Shenandoah NPS: This Time the Sun Shone
Last year we went leaf peeping in Shenandoah and when it wasn’t blindingly foggy, it was raining! Still, we saw some gorgeous trees and the fog leant a mysterious beauty to the autumn scenery. We made the best of it. This year, though, I was hell bent on seeing the Skyline drive in all its […]
Westchester Riverwalk in Tarrytown, NY
We were actually playing Ingress — I’ve blogged about how that game has led us into accidental day trips before — and I saw a “mission” called Riverwalk. It sounded promising — we were only a mile or so away from the Hudson River and I was hoping for some lovely views. We were having […]
Hiking Maryland Heights, Part 2: Stone Fort Trail
Fellow blogger J. Hammer graciously agreed to guest blog for the Mid-Atlantic Day Trips Blog about hiking along Maryland Heights, near Harpers Ferry. This is part 2 of his two-part series. Last post I mentioned that I hadn’t hiked the Stone Fort Trail section of Maryland Heights due to a lack of time. Well, I […]
Hiking Maryland Heights, Part 1: Overlook Trail
Fellow blogger J. Hammer graciously agreed to guest blog for the Mid-Atlantic Day Trips Blog about hiking along Maryland Heights, near Harpers Ferry. This is part 1 of his two-part series. Worth a Voyage across the Atlantic Over 1400 feet high, Maryland Heights offers stunning views of the town of Harpers Ferry, WV, and the […]
A Walk Through Time: Patapsco’s Grist Mill Trail
I’ve blogged about Patapsco River Valley State Park before (check out this post and this one), but this post will focus on the Grist Mill Trail, in the Avalon part of the park. I’m writing again about it because, of all the places I have been to or go to regularly, this is the place […]
Trail Rides in Canaan Valley, WV
One way to experience Canaan Valley, as well as some of the relatively nearby mountain attractions, such as Seneca Rocks, is on horseback. If you don’t have horses of your own — or you’re a novice rider — no worries. The local riding outfits can accommodate you easily. And although the rides are kid friendly […]
There’s Lots to Dig about Crystal Grottoes Caverns
Guest blogger Melinda writes about taking her family to Crystal Grottoes Caverns. What a great day trip for any time of year! When my family and I returned two years ago from living in Europe, we decided that if Central Maryland was going to be home for the foreseeable future, we might as well get […]
Craving Cave: Exploring Penn’s Cave
For all the natural wonders above ground, I’ve always been fascinated by the ones below! But I’m not a spelunker: scary dangerous dark places and heights — and both exist in caves — are not for me. There are some 55 thousand caves in the United States, and most of them have not become tourist attractions […]
Niagara Falls and all the Trappings
Last summer we spent a week exploring the Canadian side of Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake. There is a lot to do up there for kids and adults alike. This is part of the six-part series of posts over the next three weeks about that trip and the fun times we had exploring the land up […]
Wishlist of Adventure for 2015
I didn’t do too badly on my 2014 wishlist — of the 11 items I wanted to do, I did 8 1/2. Check out the entry from a year ago to read about what I wanted to do, and see what I actually did get to go see and do by following the new links […]
Autumn Glory in Swallow Falls State Park
“Autumn burned brightly, a running flame through the mountains, a torch flung to the trees” ~ Faith Baldwin, American Family We went on a weekend getaway in search of some romance, my husband and I. And in search of autumn’s exquisite show. And maybe along the way, we’d visit some places we’d never been to […]
Favorite Places: Cunningham Falls
There are some places I like to return to over and over again; Cunningham Falls, in Frederick County’s Catoctin Mountains, is one of those places. I’d tried to bring the boys there a year ago, during a lovely cool spell in August, but we were turned away because I hadn’t realized the summer-no-dog policy in […]
Seeking Autumn Glory in Shenandoah National Park
“I’m so glad I live in a world where there are Octobers.” ~ L. M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables My husband and I love going leaf peeping every autumn, and try to come up with interesting itineraries for a one- or two-day trip. This year we planned an overnight trip, leaving mid-morning to drive […]
Hiking in Ricketts Glen State Park: 3.2 Miles, 18 Spectacular Waterfalls
Ricketts Glen State Park is a Pennsylvania state park on more than 13,000 acres in Columbia, Luzerne, and Sullivan counties. The park also is a National Natural Landmark, known for its old-growth forest and the more than 20 named waterfalls along Kitchen Creek. I was enticed by the number of waterfalls in such close proximity. […]