School Days
I’d always thought Maryland’s nickname, “the free state,” had originated in the 1860s around the time of the Civil War. But it turns out that the name is actually tied …
Bridge to the Yukon
Regular readers (yes, all four of you) know that I write a lot about how food can be a bridge to another time and another place. Sugary breakfast treats are …
Cabins / North Carolina / USA / Virginia / West Virginia
A Trip to the Office
For obvious reasons, this year has been more about pressing pause than pressing play. And the list of things we’ve paused feels long, including air travel, crowded spaces, shared river …
Path To Discovery
Souzz and I have gotten deeper into cycling lately, and our tastes cross a wide range of trails–from rocky single track to easy pavement. This weekend’s destination, the Chesapeake and …
Biking / USA / Virginia / West Virginia
Being Quiet?
We’re over in the Greenbrier Valley of West Virginia for the second half of our trip, and we’ve gotten in a few hikes and a few bike rides despite a …
My Favorite New Channel
Our most recent outing here in Southwest Virginia was a hike in the Channels Natural Area Preserve near Abingdon. I hadn’t heard of the Channels until a few weeks ago, …
A Gap in Experience
I’ve lived in Virginia for decades, and yet there are still a bunch of spots here that I’ve never seen. We just visited one of them, Cumberland Gap National Historical …
Off To See The Wizard
We’re basing our summer vacation this year in Konnarock, on the flanks of Virginia’s highest peak, Mount Rogers. It’s a return visit for us to Southwest Virginia after scratching the …
Biking / North Carolina / USA / Virginia
Vacationing at a Distance
This summer we had originally planned a trip far afield…but then COVID-19 changed the world and changed our plans. So we decided to stay closer in order to have more …
Packrafting / Paddling / USA / West Virginia
Known Firsts
Before the COVID quarantines started some weeks back, Souzz and I snuck in an overnight paddling trip to Hopeville Canyon in West Virginia. We’d run that stretch on day trips …