I want to see a bear today. With this thought in the back of our minds, Caroline and I entered Shenandoah National Park a little while ago. We had planned a long day hike, but we’d gotten a late start and, additionally, wanted to get some bear spray—just in case, you know. So, we ended…
If you’re looking for a short hike in Shenandoah National Park to do with kids, the Turk Mountain Trail is a great option. This 1.1-mile (1.8-kilometer) trail commences across Skyline Drive from the Turk Gap parking lot. A stone marker indicates the way to the summit, the first 0.2 miles (300 meters) running along the…
Even though it may be a relatively less-visited corner in Vermont, the Upper Valley has a lot of things going for it. Particularly the area around Fairlee and Thetford (where I lived for almost two years before moving to Charlottesville, Virginia) is a hugely popular summer camp destination. There are several summer camps to be…
Last Saturday morning, I dropped Caroline off at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C. Her flight was at 7 am. This left me with a bunch of time to do some exploring in the greater D.C. area and northern Virginia. The first thing I did was drive to Great Falls Park, where I arrived before…
Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains are home to countless hiking trails, some short and easy, others strenuous and long. Among the best day hikes in this wonderfully lush and scenic region is the one to the summit of The Priest. The Priest is a mountain in the Religious Range of the Blue Ridge Mountains—the tallest mountain…
Big Meadows is one of the star attractions in Shenandoah National Park. Situated on milepost 51, this large expanse of grasslands dotted with patches of trees and groups of shrubs is absolutely worth a stop. This is also the location of the excellent Byrd Visitor Center, a complex consisting of an exhibit on Shenandoah National…
When Caroline and I were driving along Shenandoah National Park’s epic Skyline Drive last week, we stopped to check out Dark Hollow Falls, but also at the Byrd Visitor Center at Big Meadows to pick up a hiking guide. The views from that visitor center, incidentally, are pretty great, so definitely make sure to stop…
Shenandoah National Park is famous for many things. There is iconic, absolutely spectacular Skyline Drive. 40% of the park’s surface is designated wilderness; it is home to the densest black bear population in the United States. And there are various spectacular waterfalls. One of the most popular waterfalls in Shenandoah National Park is Dark Hollow Falls….
The northernmost national park in England, Northumberland National Park is situated between the border with Scotland in the north and Hadrian’s Wall in the south. Covering more than 1,000 square kilometers (400 square miles), this is both one of the least populated and least visited national parks in England. Northumberland National Park is one of…
You could dedicate one afternoon to visiting Cinque Terre National Park, but you could just as easily choose it as a destination for a two-week vacation. I suggest going for the latter. Situated on the rugged coast of northwestern Italy, Cinque Terre National Park consists of five villages—the “cinque terre”—, coastal cliffs, uniquely steep vineyards,…
In October, Caroline and I hiked the 112-kilometer (70-mile) Müllerthal Trail in Luxembourg’s Little Switzerland. By doing so I checked off one of my main goals for this year: completing a long-distance hike. Although it is definitely one of Europe’s less known long-distance hiking trails—I, myself, didn’t even know it until a week or two…
People who haven’t ventured past it will think that I’m crazy for saying this, but when you’re visiting Slovenia, you can skip Lake Bled. Sure, if the weather is nice, you may want to walk around it and snap some pictures, but the real beauty awaits 26 kilometers (16 miles) to the southwest. After driving…
Everyone we met (and asked) in Croatia raved about Plitvice Lakes National Park. Everyone seemed to think that it was one of the absolute highlights of a visit to Croatia—if not the one main highlight. And every guidebook I opened seemed to be saying the same thing. Needless to say, we were really looking forward to…
On the way from Istria to Dalmatia, we spent the night in the coastal city of Zadar before continuing our road trip to Krka National Park and nearby Šibenik. Both Zadar and Šibenik are excellent places to stay if you want to visit Krka National Park, respectively located less than 60 minutes and 15 minutes…