An Autumn Day in Shendandoah National Park

Located relatively close to metro Washington area, Shenandoah National Park in Virginia is a hugely popular destination for hiking and in the fall for leaf-peeping. While my recent visit coincided with unseasonably cold temperatures but did quite not coincide with peak color in some areas of the park, being able to visit on a weekday was a blessing, as October weekends in the park can be incredibly crowded.

After a pit stop in 0-60 Energy Cafe, a car-themed coffee shop in Winchester, we headed to the park.

Shenandoah NP is long and relatively narrow, and the road which runs along the ridge from north to south is called Skyline Drive. The entrance furthest north and thus closest to Washington is in the town of Front Royal, and that is where we entered. Although Skyline Drive has a total of 75 overlooks at which tourists can stop, the first overlooks when entering from the north end are not as impressive because the views include quite a bit of civilization and not that much natural beauty - other than the fact that by standing on a ridge one can see quite far. Therefore, I recommend skipping at least the first several overlooks and concentrating your efforts on exploring the park a little further south.

We did stop at the very first visitors center on Dickey Ridge - after all, it has restrooms! Here you can also speak with a park ranger, learn a bit more about your surroundings, and pick up books and postcards in the small gift shop. On a previous visit to SNP, I had purchased several editions of inexpensive park hike guides, which I have found to be very helpful. One guide features hikes to waterfalls, while another lists short hikes on the Appalachian Trail, yet another has hikes to peaks and vistas. My friend has done many hikes on the Appalachian Trail - mostly in New England - thus I knew that finding a spot on the Trail for our hike was the thing to do.

Making our way down Skyline Drive to our chosen hiking destination, we naturally stopped at several overlooks to take in the sweeping views and fresh (cold!) fall air.

Tunnel through Mary's Rock.

Eventually we reached our destination, the Pinnacles picnic area, and bundled up to head out on the trail.

Follow the white blazes!

The trail here was relatively level and made for a hike that was not too strenuous, although in many areas the trail was covered in small stones and fallen leaves, making it difficult to look around at the woods while also watching where we were putting our feet! The peace in the forest was absolutely wonderful; during our two hours on the trail we met only two other hikers.

Whoops - almost fell right off the trail!

Our time in the park was a bit limited as I needed to be back in Washington for an evening class. The hike was supposed to be two miles long, but we had missed a turn relatively early on, so we ended up walking further - at least 2,5 miles, maybe a bit more.

After our hike, we stopped at one last overlook on Skyline Drive; this area of the park was more colorful.

Enjoying the scenery.

Before leaving lovely Shenandoah we stopped in the Skyland area for a quick lunch (although both restaurants were so busy that we only managed to grab some snacks from the coffee stand). We also had the opportunity to chat with a ranger who was displaying coyote, red fox and gray fox hides. But our time in Virginia was coming to an end, and we headed home.

Mile 100 of the C&O Canal!

Memorial Day weekend weather in the DC area was as spectacular as I can ever remember. This year all three days the weather was glorious - a truly wonderful kick-off for summer. (I would be overjoyed if DC's upcoming summer is cooler and less humid than usual, but that probably will not be the case, at least not according to the Capital Weather Gang's Summer Weather Outlook. Also, the rest of May has been rather toasty - it was on track to become the warmest May ever recorded. )

A friend and I took advantage of the circumstances, and made our way to the town of Williamsport, Maryland, which is situated on the C&O Canal, near mile 99 on the towpath. First we checked out the visitors center, which is only open Wednesdays through Sundays, and is located in an old coal warehouse. I purchsed an in-depth guide, which blew my mind, as it turns out that the distance between mile posts is not always exactly a mile! In essence, if you think you've walked five miles - you might not have!

On this walk, we hiked approximately four miles by rambling out to milepost 98, and then back to mile marker 100. The area includes a half-mile re-watered section of the Canal, plus the Potomac River and the Conococheague Creek. 

In the area of the Canal closer to DC, I'm accustomed to seeing many turtles enjoying the sun, but here we saw several much larger turtles, plus one adorable baby who posed quite nicely for me. 

Part of the canal is green with algae, but it made for good contrast to this goose family.

An old lockkeeper's house is also located in this area.

We were so busy peeping at nature, and snapping photographs in this area, that we waltzed right past the mile 99 marker, and had to keep an eye for it on the way back.

Although most of the towpath is rather quiet, it does run under Interstate 81.

I-81 and the Potomac River

Any noise, however, did not bother the mamma groundhog and its baby we spotted napping on a rock. Mom ran off before I could capture the duet, but I did manage a snapshot of Junior.

Another creature we spotted was this shiny bright green beetle, and I managed to snap a portrait before it scampered off.

After our walk we drove the short distance to Williamsport's main street, and stopped at the Desert Rose Cafe. The Tuscan chicken bean soup I ate was flavorful, and the scoops of ice cream we choose for dessert were creamy and very reasonably priced. The Cafe is welcoming to cyclists and hikers - they'll fill up your water bottles and Camelbaks. I also saw a waitress bring a large bowl of water out to a canine customer.

On our way back to the DC area, we stopped at a Washington County park called Devil's Backbone. located on Antietam Creek. The weather was so lovely that all I wanted to do was stretch out in the grass on a blanket. The park was busy with many others out enjoying the day - there was a large kids' party, a number of individuals were fishing, and shortly before we left several beautifully restored Model-Ts showed up from the local Model T club.

Also, this is my 150th post! Yay!!! Thanks for reading!

Spring Walks along the C&O Canal

Among the many wonderful things about living in the DC area, one of the absolute best is springtime. The area has a plethora of blooming trees and bushes, in addition to many flowers, and a good portion of these bloom around the same time. While the city itself is known for the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin, there are a total of 13 cherry varieties in the area. We also have many redbuds, magnolia trees, and dogwoods, plus a stunning amount of azalea bushes, which I adore due to the variety and richness of colors.

Redbud on C&O Canal

On two consecutive April weekends I walked along the C&O Canal, which is my favorite place for walks in the DC area. In the Great Falls area my walk was going to be a quick stroll, and began at the Tavern Visitor Center, but the weather and nature were so beautiful that my legs took me a bit past Old Angler's Inn, and back, for a total of five miles. Another stroll was near the town of Poolesville, between mile markers 27 and 29, and a total of four miles. 

The reason I even decided to make my way to the C&O on one particular Sunday morning was that the previous day I had heard (thanks, Twitter!) about bluebells being in peak bloom. It was well worth the drive and the walk, as they were just lovely!

I also discovered a little nook, located between the trail and the Potomac River, which had a tiny burbling stream and some of the world's greenest grass. The stream even made its way through the roots of a tree.

As is typical in this area, I did also spot some wildlife.

The other walk, near Poolesville, was much more peaceful because that part of the trail is far less popular. It was also unique in that quite a few wildflowers were blooming - not just bluebells.

They included a number I had never before seen, and I even took to Twitter to find out the name of these dark purple beauties: they are a type of trillium sometimes called toadshade. Later I found this wonderful guide of wildflowers found along the canal.

Nodding Star-of-Bethlehem

Flowers even bloom in the swampy canal!

We also spotted a few grape hyacinth, which were a gorgeous shade of blue-purple, and many violets.

In retrospect, I should have been taking photos of all mile markers along my many C&O Canal walks so that I could remember where exactly I have been, but hindsight is always 20/20, right?

Sugarloaf Mountain - Winery & Hike

A sunny Sunday afternoon called for yet another outing, this to Sugarloaf Mountain and the winery that sits at its foot - Sugarloaf Mountain Vineyard. Located in the furthest corner of Montgomery County, the winery is a short drive from the DC area and a wonderful destination for an outing, as witnessed by the many people imbibing on this particular day. The tasting room is not large, and can only accommodate groups of four or less at each table. There is much space outdoors, however, and a fire pit was helping keep visitors warm even on a cool day.

Unlike many wineries that only offer tastings, SMV has a larger selection of drink and snack options. The standard option of six wine tastings for $10 seemed to be the one that no one was choosing! I decided to try the sangria, which I saw quite a few other customers drinking, too. In winter months, mulled wine is offered instead of sangria. One can also buy an entire bottle of wine to enjoy, or any of their six wines by the glass. Additionally, they sell locally produced cheese, as well as a variety of chips and crackers. The only problem with the cheese was difficult-to-open plastic packaging and lack of a sharp knife to open it, as only a plastic utensil was provided.

After enjoying our wine, we drove the short distance to Sugarloaf Mountain, which - interestingly - is not owned by any government agency or entity, but rather is owned and operated by a non-profit organization. One can either park at the very foot of the mountain, and climb up, or drive up partway and climb from there. We choose the less strenuous option, although it was still a good workout. Sweeping views of the region abound.

Stairs that we used to climb down; climb up was just via mountain path/rocks.

This icicle did not yet know it's spring.

Many birds and airplanes spotted during the hike.

Waiting for Spring: Cunningham Falls State Park

Temperatures in the DC area were chillier in March than they should have been, and many days felt more like winter than spring. However, we did experience some lovely sunny days, and on a couple such cheerful occasions I ventured out for some adventures.

One outing was to Cunningham Falls State Park in Maryland with a couple of friends. Located in the Catoctin Mountains, not far from the Presidential retreat Camp David, the park is divided into two sections: one has a lake, waterfall and camping area, while the other contains another camping area, plus the historic Catoctin Iron Furnace. I had been to the waterfall several times previously, and enjoyed the short hike and lovely scenery. Due to the snow and rain we had experienced recently, I was expecting the waterfall to be more impressive than usual, and on that count I was a tad disappointed. Regardless, the easy half-mile hike to the falls was enjoyable.

We were also able inspect, touch, and hold several preserved animals that park volunteers had on display.

After our hike, we decided to drive back to the DC area on side roads. That's how we came across the Catoctin Iron Furnace Historical Area, which is also a part of the state park.

Building where furnace was located

Ruins of furnace superintendent's home

Other than the furnace building and old home to inspect, we also found the short historical trail. Naturally, we investigated to see where it would lead! The trail crossed a burbling stream, then the highway, and ended at the side of a picturesque small river. I would love to return in the summer to go wading, though I suspect it is a popular hang-out for local teenagers - we found engravings on trees to attest to that.

Bridge circa 1872! Originally wider & in a different location, it now spans Little Hunting Creek.

I can only imagine how pretty this scene is in the spring, summer, and fall!

One of My Favorite Places: C&O Canal Celebrates 60 Years

This morning I was surprised to read an interesting article about the C&O Canal National Park in the Washington Post. It turns out I knew nothing at all about the history of the Park, and I'm glad this article taught me a thing or two! Basically, the story boils down to U.S. Supreme Court Justice William O. Douglas and his wife hiking in the park many weekends, then hearing about a 1954 plan to build a highway along or over the area, and finding a clever way to protest this. The highway plan was abandoned, and in 1954 President Eisenhower designated the canal and towpath a national monument. Although many people outside of the DC area have not heard of the park, it is the ninth most popular park in the country, given that five million people visit annually!

Over the weekend I hope to finally finish my post about the great Latvian conference I attended last week, but in the meantime I plan to enjoy the sparkling weather we are having -- maybe even with a hike along the C&O!

Local Nature & Finnish Design: Weekend Outings

(Note: in an effort to not spend enormous amounts of time on one post and to get a new post up, this entire post was crafted on a tablet app. I am not sure how it will actually look on the blog. If it looks horrendous, then I will know that for future reference! The app has less flexibility than the Blogger website, so if the post looks strange or just plain bad, my apologies!)

The past weekend was another fantastic one in terms of weather. On Saturday some friends and I took advantage of the warm sunny day by exploring Scotts Run Nature Preserve, a Fairfax County park located in McLean, Virginia. We took a short hike along the creek, which at its end has a waterfall and leads to the Potomac River. The waterfall is popular with local high school and college kids, but being pretty far outside that demographic, we admired it only from afar. However, we did do some wading and rock throwing in a shallow part of the creek.

Sunday was the last day to visit an exhibit at the Embassy of Finland, so I invited my friend N to join me. The Finnish brand Marimekko is celebrating the fiftieth anniversary of its iconic Unikko (poppy) pattern, and the embassy had organized a small exhibit to commemorate this occasion. As explained by the embassy's website, the pattern "was born in1964 after Marimekko's founder Armi Ratia had publicly announced that Marimekko would never print floral patterns, because she thought that flowers were more beautiful in nature than on fabric. However, designer Maija Isola paid no heed to Ratia's decree and - perhaps inspired by the poppies growing in her yard - painted a red Unikko along with an entire series of floral patterns in protest. Unikko looked new, graphic and distinctive, and once Ratia saw it, she immediately included the design in Marimekko's collection where it has been ever since."

My personal history with the Marimekko brand dates back over thirty years. When my mom visited me in April, she pointed out that she purchased bed sheets with a Marimekko print on them at a Washington, D.C. area Lord & Taylor department store in the late 1970s. Those colorful sheets faithfully served my younger sister and me for a very long time. However, I believe the only Unikko item I own is a small bag I purchased in New York City four years ago when, while visiting, I specifically hunted down the Manhattan Crate & Barrel which contained a Marimekko section.

The embassy itself is interesting to visit, as it is a modern and green building which is located on Massachusetts Avenue (aka Embassy Row), yet also overlooks Rock Creek Park. The exhibit was in the reception hall which contains large windows looking out onto the park. While very small, the exhibit was nicely arranged, and it gave N a chance to see the embassy (I'd been there before). 

Afterward we lunched at Cactus Cantina, a Tex-Mex restaurant which is - honestly - okay. My chicken and beef enchiladas were just average. Next time I'll remember to seek out Guapo's instead. In search of dessert, we hit up Lilit Cafe in Bethesda and greatly enjoyed our gelato choices.

Another fun weekend in the DC area had passed. N commented how fortunate we are to live in this area, but that it takes a bit of effort to go out and actually take advantage of all the wonderful opportunities we have here. This is true, but I find that the effort always pays off!

Have a good week!