I’m sure I’ve written something similar before, but I’ll say it again: one of the things that I enjoy most about Northern Virginia is that we have easy access to all of the amenities of a major city, while at the same time living a short drive away from beautiful rural landscapes. With that inContinue reading “Shenandoah River State Park and Front Royal”
Author Archives: Old Dominion for Young Virginians
Sailor’s Creek Battlefield State Park
So it’s been a long time since I’ve updated the blog. A really long time. Almost ten months to be exact. Any parents who are reading will know that a lot can happen in ten months. In this case, the past ten months provided us with enough time to become parents again! Daughter #2 wasContinue reading “Sailor’s Creek Battlefield State Park”
Twin Lakes State Park
Following our trip to High Bridge Trail State Park, we knew we wanted to continue exploring the local parks, especially in a slightly more shaded or cooler area. For that reason, off we headed to Twin Lakes State Park in nearby Green Bay, VA. As its name suggests, this 548-acre park boasts two different lakes.Continue reading “Twin Lakes State Park”
High Bridge Trail State Park
When we first set our goal to visit all of Virginia’s state parks, one of the destinations I was most excited about was High Bridge Trail State Park. Home to the 31-mile-long High Bridge Trail, the park’s namesake is a gorgeous bridge that stretches for half a mile and soars about 125 feet above theContinue reading “High Bridge Trail State Park”
Searching for LOVE(works)
It has been a while since my last blog post. Between a busy time at work (report card writing and parent-teacher conferences were within a week of each other), recovery from vaccine #2 (which totally knocked me out), and several bitterly cold and icy weekends, we haven’t done nearly as much exploring as I wouldContinue reading “Searching for LOVE(works)”
Northern Virginia’s Regional Parks
I consider myself tremendously lucky to live in an area that is so accessible to lush, gorgeous parkland. Northern Virginia is home to national park sites, state parks, and county parks that lend themselves beautifully to family-friendly hiking and exploration. Yet there is another category of park that should not be overlooked: Northern Virginia RegionalContinue reading “Northern Virginia’s Regional Parks”
Trail Quest
When I started writing this blog, the first post I shared on social media was this one about the 4th grade National Parks pass. My college friend Heather, who also lives in Virginia, commented that I should look into the Trail Quest challenge. I was intrigued, so I decided to check it out. Trail QuestContinue reading “Trail Quest”
Westmoreland State Park
After doing so much reading about First Day Hikes, I was pretty psyched to start off the New Year with a family hike in a state park. Since we arrived in Colonial Beach on New Year’s Eve, we decided that our first hike of 2021 would take place 25 minutes away in Westmoreland State Park.Continue reading “Westmoreland State Park”
Colonial Beach: Virginia’s Best-kept Secret
Small getaways have always been a guilty pleasure for my little family. Although we love exploring new places, we usually can’t seem to make it through a year without at least one stop in Colonial Beach. I mean, it’s hard not to plan a visit when you know you’re less than two hours away fromContinue reading “Colonial Beach: Virginia’s Best-kept Secret”
Mason Neck State Park
Happy New Year! It’s hard to believe 2020 is finally over. In spite of the unprecedented circumstances, I’m proud of our little family for getting outdoors as much as possible and finding magical new places to socially distance. As a matter of fact, we are currently on a two-night getaway, which was my Christmas giftContinue reading “Mason Neck State Park”
Old Dominion for Young Virginians 