Ever see that cutesy meme floating around the Internet comparing the two types of drivers in the world: each see the gas needle almost at “E” and one says “I need to get gas immediately” while the other says “I can go a bit longer.” I’m the one who is always trying to pump just a few more miles out of the gas tank. But one time, in the worst possible place, I reached my end and ran out of gas.
Everyone knows about the various Smithsonian museums along the National Mall in Washington, D.C. but did you know they also operate the National Zoo? This 163-acre park on a hillside is a thrill to explore with lots of animals from around the world. It’s fairly easy to reach the zoo and even easier to walk around the wide sidewalks while spotting the animals in different enclosures. Make a day out of it with the family or use this as the perfect date night!
“Stop here on red,” the sign read. I sat in my car with two ominous red eyes glowing at me from either side of a very narrow opening in the earthen wall of the fort. I was sitting on a bridge across a moat and water flowed on either side of me. The light finally turned green and I was allowed to pass through the one-lane entrance into Fort Monroe National Historic Site. It was an entrance I’ll never forget.
I was out for a drive in the countryside of Alabama one Saturday evening when I stumbled upon the Little River Canyon National Preserve. Always eager to visit a National Park Service site, and I can never pass up a good scenic drive, I followed the signs leading out of Gadsden heading north. But all the stunning scenic overlooks and exciting trails did not prepare me for coming around a curve and spotting the Mushroom Rock right in the middle of the road!
Learn how to see the wild ponies at this exciting state park in Virginia and a few things to keep in mind before you go.
Everyone has seen “that” photo of the Linn Cove Viaduct on the Blue Ridge Parkway, just like the one above. There have been photos from this location during stunning sunrises, peak of fall foliage colors, days with dramatic lighting, and beautiful summer days. But have you ever wondered just how these photographers captured this photo? Now you’ll know, you just have to keep reading.
I wish I could have met Martin Luther King, Jr. If he was anything like the monument found along The National Mall in Washington, D.C., he must have been a powerful, imposing man because that is how I felt at the memorial. The Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial is one of the newest in the capital. It was made to resemble the man etched in solid stone, breaking through a barrier, standing thirty feet above all those who visit. Now that’s an impressive character.
Everybody knows you can find the wild ponies on the Appalachian Trail just outside Grayson Highlands State Park. Or at least, I think everybody knows that. But I find most people do not know the state park nestled in one of the most beautiful areas of Southwest Virginia boasts 17 trails for hiking, cross country skiing, horseback riding, or mountain biking.
Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport is a busy hub of aviation traffic, and you have one of the best views of the traffic of any airport in the country at Gravelly Point Park. The park sits directly at the end of the runway, and directly beneath the approaching path traffic. It’s a fun place for a picnic, a great place for a romantic date, and an exciting place for aviation enthusiasts.
The General William T. Sherman Memorial sits in a little plaza adjacent to the White House, right off 15th Street NW. This makes it a popular destination for tourists wandering through the area and an easy one to find. It’s also the location for meetings and parties so on occasion you’ll find secrete service agents blocking the area off (true story).
The Jefferson Memorial is one of the most unique and outstanding of all the memorials along The National Mall. A larger than life statue of Jefferson is the centerpiece of the cavernous memorial at the edge of The Basin. It’s one of the best places in Washington, D.C. to watch the sunset, sit back and read a book, or to learn about a former president of the United States.
I had only been on the Appalachian Trail for about thirty minutes and I’d already come across a field of wild ponies, viewed a breathtaking panorama from the top of a rocky outcropping, and I could see the tallest mountain in Virginia nearby. This is exactly why Grayson Highlands State Park is one of the best places to access the Appalachian Trail. And exactly why I do it at least once every year.
