The annual Blue Ridge Folklife Festival held at Ferrum College in Ferrum, Virginia, has been my window into learning more about the history of my local region: Appalachia. There is an entire culture of mule jumping, clogging, and more that I had no idea existed until my three visits over the last decade to this event.
Read MoreShenandoah National Park has some amazing campgrounds that we have enjoyed over years and years. Read about our favorite spots and hikes here!
Read MoreAs a lover of hiking, the outdoors, and history, the Harkening Hills and Johnson Farm trails near Peaks of Otter along the Blue Ridge Parkway are a perfect blend for a perfect day!
Read MoreDid you know that running through the hills and valleys of Virginia and North Carolina is the 469 mile long Blue Ridge Parkway? Chances are if you live in one of those two states, you do, but if you are from outside of the area, you may not be aware of this hidden gem that offers back-road scenery through beautiful vistas and interesting hikes and historical sites along the way.
Read MoreThis past December we headed south to Pawley’s Island in an effort to beat the winter blues. Here we relaxed along the beach, did some hiking and enjoyed time outdoors, and sampled a little of what this part of the state had to offer.
Read MoreThis past December we headed south to Pawley’s Island in an effort to beat the winter blues. Here we relaxed along the beach, did some hiking and enjoyed time outdoors, and sampled a little of what this part of the state had to offer. On day 2 we did some hiking at Santee Coastal Reserve and the Sewee shell and clam mounds in Francis Marion National Park, both short drives from Pawley’s Island.
Read MoreThis past December we headed south to Pawley’s Island in an effort to beat the winter blues. Here we relaxed along the beach, did some hiking and enjoyed time outdoors, and sampled a little of what this part of the state had to offer. On Days 3-4, we visited the beautiful Brookgreen Gardens, took some short walks at Huntington Beach State Park, and ate a delicious seafood lunch.
Read MoreEveryone should watch a moon rise over the ocean at some point. A moonrise is made even more spectacular when it’s a super moon. Check out the video of a super moon rising over the Atlantic Ocean off of Pawley’s Island.
Read MoreLooking to explore some of Virginia’s small towns? Bedford is an easy drive from Roanoke, Lynchburg, and Smith Mountain Lake.
Read MoreMabry Mill construction began around 1903 by Edwin Mabry. Within a few short years, it was an operating gristmill. Today, the mill sits off of the Blue Ridge Parkway and is one of the most photographed mills with large numbers of people visiting it per year.
Read MoreHigh on a bank looking eastward over the Potomac River sits Mount Vernon, George Washington’s home. The setting is so beautiful, it’s a wonder he was ever lured from there to engage in the founding of and leading a new country. Washington’s father owned the land, which had some smaller buildings on it. By 1758, Washington started building an expansion to the existing building and by 1774, he started adding the wings onto the house, the cupola, and other elements that define it today.
Read MoreThe Battle of Antietam or Sharpsburg? The battle is referred to both ways, and it’s not uncommon for Civil War battles to have two names, one named by the North, one by the South. Learn more about our trip to the site, how photography impacted our experience of the hiking trails we took, and why Antietam is known as the bloodiest day of the Civil War.
Read MoreI do not like winter - whether it is the actual winter season or a neighboring season playing at being winter on any given day. But, I do appreciate the beauty that can be unique to the season in the form of snow and ice. In my mind, a gorgeous snow is winter's crowning achievement. A few years ago in late winter, some friends and I (and a couple of dogs) trekked out to Cascades waterfall in Pembroke, VA on a warm day and discovered that the shade rendered huge chunks of the 4-mile round-trip hike dangerously slick and icy.
Read MoreThere are certain places you suspect you’ll love and so you go there. Sometimes you are disappointed. But sometimes your suspicions were right. The latter is Colorado for us. We love hiking, mountains, non-humid but weather warm enough to enjoy the outdoors, and so for years, Colorado was on our list of places to visit. Luckily, a few friends from high school moved there and gave us an excuse to visit…a few times!
Read MoreI have always loved Ireland for its beauty, history, and accents. In the 1870s my great-great grandmother and grandfather emigrated (likely separately) from County Cork, Ireland, to San Francisco, California, where they married. So, for my first trip abroad, it’s no wonder that Ireland topped my list.
Read MoreHilton Head, SC is a beach destination that we visited for some family time and relaxation.
Read MoreThis trip is special to me in that it was the first real solo trip my then-boyfriend, now-husband, Dustin, and I took. At this point, we had been dating 6 1/2 years and had lived together almost 4 of those years, most of which were as impoverished, no-travel-funds college students biding our time until the student loans would come due :-/. Later in the year – on Christmas Day – we would get engaged. I’d traveled to many of Arizona’s key landmarks during elementary school, but Dustin hadn’t been before.
Read MoreWhile many people who travel to New York do so for work or the myriad of excellent cultural attractions, there exist within the city limits some wonderful natural areas where you can take a breather from the bustle and congestion of the streets. Find out more about The High Line and Central Park.
Read MoreI feel as if I’m probably in the minority here, but I love noticing interesting geology in the places I travel. Knowing a little about how an area has formed helps me to put its current appearance into perspective and allows me to better appreciate the uniqueness of every place I travel.
Iceland is packed with wonderful natural features not seen in most other places in the world and especially not found right next to each other. Check it out!
Read MoreDue to the aligning of certain factors, Waterford ended up uniquely preserved with many homes and buildings from the 18th and 19th centuries.
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