Tag: walks
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An Urban Paradise
More than three miles of paths and hiking trails wind through an urban paradise in Harrisonburg, Virginia. The Edith J. Carrier Arboretum encompasses 125 acres on the James Madison University campus, offering a respite from the city’s hustle and bustle. We began our walk on the nearly one-mile path around Plecker Pond, a flat surface…
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A Canopy Of Color
It’s always fun to walk with a destination in mind, especially when a cup of coffee awaits. The Saunders-Monticello Trail fit the bill for us on a warm Sunday morning in October. This is an extremely popular trail located just outside Charlottesville, Virginia and leads to the visitor center of Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello estate. There…
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The Most Sublime
Before becoming a popular tourist attraction for 18th and 19th century European settlers, Natural Bridge was a sacred place for the Native American Monacan Tribe. It is alleged that George Washington, as a young surveyor, visited the site in 1750. Today, tour guides suggest that his initials “G.W.” are carved on the wall of the…
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Following the Appalachian Trail
As our home improvement projects wind down, we’ve been trying to get out and explore all that East Coast living has to offer. Just twenty miles from our home, the Blue Ridge Parkway (a 469-mile National Scenic Byway) meets Shenandoah National Park’s 105-mile Skyline Drive. The Appalachian Trail roughly parallels both these drives, so day-hiking…
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Continuous Travelers – Ancient Footsteps
Two years ago, we escaped the cold Oregon winter and, for the first time, spent January and February in Tucson, Arizona. The area turned out to be a hiking paradise for us, offering what seemed to be a never-ending network of trails. This year we’re back in Tucson, revisiting some old favorites and discovering new…
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Continuous Travelers – Moving On
We never intended to stay so long in Fort Bragg, however…we weren’t expecting such a nice campground just south of downtown. We weren’t expecting to find so many interesting coastal and forest hikes. We really weren’t expecting to have such gorgeous weather for the three weeks we’ve been here. Blue skies and little wind have…
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Continuous Travelers Explore The Pygmy Forest
It’s been six weeks since escrow closed on our Oregon home, and just two weeks since we left Southern Oregon and headed south. We haven’t made it very far, but that’s okay. There is no timetable. We’re enjoying an extended stay along the coast of Mendocino, taking full advantage of a stretch of beautifully sunny…
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Olympic National Park – Sol Duc Falls
Sol Duc Falls, our destination of the day, is described as one of the top waterfalls in Olympic National Park. According to the Peninsula Daily News, “Sol Duc” comes from the Native American Quileute language and translates as “sparkling waters” or “magic”waters.” We had high hope for our day.A 14-mile drive off Highway 101 (west…
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Hurricane Ridge Blew Us Away
Tuesday was another early morning for us. The plan was to drive into Olympic National Park and snag a parking spot up at Hurricane Ridge, allowing us to hike to the top of Hurricane Hill. Reg had read that parking could be competitive. The National Park service lists Hurricane Ridge as the most easily accessed…
