The hike begins and ends with an outstanding view. With delight, we realized we were the only ones on the Ann Bailey Trail, which carries hikers 3 miles to a scenic view overlooking the Greenbrier River valley. This delightful trail in Watoga State Park almost guarantees you solitude as you follow an old roadbed across […]
Northern Carroll County Barn Quilt Driving Tour
This Sunflower quilt block is “set on point” on a small bank barn that dates to the mid 1800s.The owner chose this pattern because volunteer sunflowers will occasionally appear on the property. I love barns — and if you’re reading this, I bet you do too! A good barn tour will carry you through rolling […]
1912 Historic Hoover House Ghost Hunt
A few weeks ago, we joined Inspired Ghost Trackers in a paranormal investigation of the 1912 Historic Hoover House in Waynesboro, PA, now operated as a bed and breakfast by Pamela and Steve Barry, themselves members of the Keystone Paranormal Society and avid paranormal enthusiasts. Reportedly, the house is haunted by “warm and gentle” spirits. […]
Blooms and Butterflies at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens
Despite its location in the heart of northern Virginian suburbs, few know about this wonderful garden oasis. Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is part botanical garden, part sculpture garden (there are a number of striking sculptures around the grounds, part arboretum. There are pretty little ponds with lotuses and waterlillies, and other water plants growing in and […]
Cranberry Glades Boardwalk, One of the Coolest Spots You’ll Encounter!
You should definitely check out the Cranberry Glades Botanical Area if you’re in Pocahontas County, WV. One of West Virginia’s largest wetlands, this 750-acre area features open bogs, with the surrounding moutains — Black, Cranberry and Kennison — creating a natural bowl. With an elevation of 3400 feet, the Glades resemble an Artic tundra, only […]
Kayaking Lake Marburg in Codorus State Park
Codorus State Park is a 3,500-acre Pennsylvania state park in southwestern York County, PA, with Lake Marburg as its center piece — and that’s where we headed to go kayaking. The waters are clear — you can see underwater grasses flourishing. The park was created around Lake Marburg, an artificial lake covering 1,275 acres, and […]
Seven Fabulous Forts in the Mid-Atlantic States You Should Visit!
Everyone’s probably heard of famous Fort McHenry in Baltimore, which tells the story of the War of 1812 and is immortalized in Francis Scott Key’s “Star-Spangled Banner.” But seven other fabulous forts are worth exploring in the mid-Atlantic region: three in Maryland, and two each in Delaware and Pennsylvania. Each fort has a unique history […]
Walkway Over the Hudson State Historic Site
The Walkway over the Hudson is a steel cantilever bridge spanning the Hudson River between Poughkeepsie on the east bank and Highland on the west bank. You’ll enjoy beautiful views 212 feet above the Hudson as you walk across the span. When the train bridge opened in 1889 it connected to a nationwide network of […]
A Treasure of a Hike — the Harford Glen Loop Hike
Mysterious bridges leading over the river, waterfalls, the relaxing sound of rushing water — the Harford Glen Loop Hike has it all! Plus, with an approximate elevation gain of 800 feet, your heart will get pounding during the first half of the hike. During the second half, you get to cool down in deep shade […]
Three Budget-friendly Day Trips in Dover DE Sure to Please the Kids
An Airplane Petting Zoo Is Incredible Fun for Kids of All Ages! Even if you’re not an aviation geek, you’ll likely enjoy the Air Mobility Command Museum. This is a great place for kids and families to explore aviation history. The different shapes of the planes are impressive — a couple of them are bigger […]
Bear Pen Hike Is All About the Journey
This enjoyable hike in Watoga State Park, near Marlinton WV, is all about the journey and not the destination. Some hikes show-off their payoffs — gorgeous views, outstanding waterfalls, ruins and the like — but this loop hike is all about the walk itself. You start just off of Watoga Park Road, near Cabin 11, […]
Southern Carroll County Barn Quilt Driving Tour
This four patch quilt block on a bank barn in Westminster was popular in the early 1900s.This block was chosen by the farm owners to represent the soybeans and corn grown on their80 acre farm. Four generations of the Nelson family have farmed this land since the farm was established in 1868. If you love barns, […]
7 Amazing, Must-See Views in West Virginia
“I felt my lungs inflate with the onrush of scenery—air, mountains, trees, people. I thought, ‘This is what it is to be happy.’ ” — Sylvia Plath Seeing the beauty of nature is good for the soul — and West Virginia has more than its fair share of beautiful forests and […]
Eight Great Hikes, Kayaking, Ruins, Forgotten Cemeteries and even Ghost Hunting in Patapsco Valley State Park
Maryland’s first — and largest — state park (not to be confused with much larger state forests) is strung out like glittering glass beads on a necklace along the Patapsco River south and west of Baltimore. Established in 1912, the Patapsco Valley State Park (PVSP) was Maryland’s first state park. It’s also Maryland’s most visited […]
Rosendale Trestle and Wallkill Valley Rail Trail
When it opened to rail traffic on April 6, 1872, the Rosendale Trestle was the highest span bridge in the United States. We’d seen the entrance for the Wallkill Valley Rail Trail along Binnewater Road, as we were driving to check out the Widow Jane Mine in Rosendale. I wished we’d brought our bikes along […]