Welcome to the Wilderness an Hour from DC

 "Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints." - unknown.

Looks like a scene from My Neighbor Totoro

This quote has been attributed to a number of environmentalists and founders of conservation movements. A quick Google search claims it to be from John Muir, but a quick scroll down the search page shows that there are others who might have coined this phrase. 

But who said the quote doesn't make it any less important when you go to wilderness for an adventure. 

This weekend I went to the Shenandoah National Park and stayed in one of the three Lodges off Skyline Drive. It was so much fun (worth the scolding I got from my cat when I got home). I found the accommodations perfect, though they're more like motels or cabins rather than 5-star resorts. I had little to no cell service and the only area with wi-fi was the main lobby. The main lobby was incredibly inviting - excellent for bird watching or curling up in a rocking chair next to a roaring fire in the fireplace. 

I stayed in Skyland which had several trails within walking distance of my room. Some were very popular like Stony Man and White Oak Falls. Others had almost no one on them like Miller's Head (which led to a beautiful view on an old fire watch). There's also a stable for horses on Skyland with the option for horseback riding starting in late May.

I walked so much that by Saturday afternoon - when the weather took a turn to grey skies and rain - I found myself passed out for several hours before crawling out of bed for dinner. 

I've never hidden my love of hiking and getting lost in the wilderness. It's dangerous to go off by yourself, especially if you don't know what you're doing, but I've made it a habit to always let people know where I'll be going, knowing how to handle an emergency, and picking trails that will have some people around.

Thankfully, the Shenandoah National Park has an app with maps and resources for hikers. If you can't use the app, most trails have a map at the beginning of the trails that you can take a picture of. They'll also let you know the estimated amount of time to complete a hike, how much water you should have, and any other gear you will want to have on hand. 

One of my favorite investments has been my headlight flashlight that sits snuggly on my head and provides white and red light. It makes climbing up rocks easier in the dark without precariously balancing a flashlight in my hands.

As I don't have much service up in the Shenandoah, I don't have my headphones in. I can take in all the sounds of the woods. There are plenty of bird calls and songs, the sway of the trees, and the occasional howl of wind. Its in this atmosphere that I have nearly ran into deer, had a close call with a depth-perception challenged hawk, and a startling encounter with a bald eagle. There were a lot of deer this trip...and possibly a majestic peregrine (its a type of falcon). 

Surprisingly, the closest I have ever gotten to a bear was less than 10 miles from my house in New Jersey. It was while I was at my favorite hiking spot with two guys on our way to a place aptly named Bear Swamp. 

I didn't seen any bears this trip, but I'm sure they were around. 

Though spring is in full swing in and around Washington D.C., the Shenandoah mountains appear to be about a month behind. Certainly there were plenty of flowers (some of my favorites on this trip were little purple buds clinging to the eastern side of rocks). Friday and Saturday had hardly any trees budding, but this morning there were little dots of green everywhere. What a difference waking up in a cloud makes. 

Yep, that's right, last night I went to sleep on a mountain and today I woke up in a cloud. I could go five minutes of the road and see clear blue skies, but the next moment the wisps of water vapor were flying up the western ridges. It was eerie. It was beautiful. 

All of this is why Shenandoah National Park continues to be one of my favorite places in the world. I highly recommend it. There's plenty of hiking, amazing views, camping, and horseback riding (seasonal). There are great places to eat and park rangers to ask questions to. 

The wilderness is about an hour and a half from D.C. The next time you want to visit the capitol, might I suggest I short detour to the wilderness in Virginia...the Appalachian Trail is there.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope y'all like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Adventure Part 3: Spontaneity

Last year, my aunt and cousin came to visit me in New York and I got to experience their version of a vacation. My uncle works for one of the major airlines, so they don't always know where they might end up when they take a trip. Essentially, they make it up as they go.

I am more of a planner, so to go on a trip without some sort of itinerary is a little daunting. However, I threw caution to the wind and followed along as my aunt and cousin had fun finding things to do "at the last minute".

It was great.

I've even started trying to do more things spontaneously.

For example, this past Friday I got an email from one of the Broadway ticket agencies. The play Burn This had a few tickets left for Sunday and, as I hadn't gotten the lottery tickets for Hamilton (again), I snagged a ticket. I did ask one of my friends if they thought it was a good idea (she said "of course" but she rarely says no to seeing a Broadway show).

Burn This is great, by the way. Adam Driver and Keri Russell are amazing. I went through a roller coaster ride of emotions, one minute laughing my butt off, the next wanting to run on stage and hug the characters (good thing I was way up in the balcony).

It's one thing to do spontaneous activities close to home. It's another to do so while traveling.

As I planned my trip to Japan, I sent my uncle a list of places I'd like to see. Some were places I had been before, others places I had heard about, and a few I found on travel recommendation sites. I told my uncle that I didn't have to see everything on my list, that I was open to different suggestions, and that I was flexible to changing my plans.

My uncle planned an amazing trip and we hit pretty much everything on the list I sent him. We only made a few small changes based on weather (which was only bad one day) or if my uncle had a different recommendation.

I had the best time!

My 24 hours in Hong Kong, however, were completely unplanned...and I was on my own.

I find that not having a plan is easier when I'm traveling by myself. I've written about solo travel before (click here) while I was in Iceland. I typically have some idea of what I'd like to do or see on these trips, but I'm always willing to make changes.

As I was on my way to Hong Kong, the weather took a turn for the worse. Strong thunderstorms delayed my flight by 6 hours and by the time I reached my hotel, all I wanted was food and a shower.

However, that didn't stop me from trying to explore a new city.

Originally, I thought I might just eat at the hotel and get an early start the next morning. But that didn't sit well with me. In a moment of pure curiosity, I asked the hotel concierge where they might recommend getting something to eat. They gave me a few suggestions, which I thought about, and then asked: "what would you like to eat?"

Without second thought I said, I'd like to try something local. The concierge smiled and said that I should take the subway one stop to the Wan Chai neighborhood to see some of the night life and try some local street food.

The mini adventure was worth it and I managed to get a taste of Hong Kong that left me wanting to explore the city more. I hope to go back sooner rather than later and hopefully convince my sister to come with me.

My 24 hours in Hong Kong weren't long, but I tried to do as much as I could. I managed to take the Peak Tram up to the top of Mt. Victoria and do a bit of hiking. Even in the rain, or maybe because of it, Victoria Peak is gorgeous. Part of me felt like I was stepping into the realm of the fae with how low the clouds were.

Exploring a new place without a plan is scary. Even when I'm not certain where I'm about to go or what I might do, I still take time to do my research. However, some of the best adventures happen when you stumble right into them without having any prior knowledge.

Some of the best adventures I've been on have been within an hour of my home and they usually started because I was bored and needed something spontaneous to do.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Until next week.

Welcome to Packing For a Trip

I wish I had enough time and money to travel the world. I would love to say that I've been on every continent. If I had thought about it, I would have tried to travel more when I was still a student. Unfortunately I didn't. Now that I'm no longer a student, it's harder to find the time (and sometimes money) for travel. Most of my traveling time is used to go to visit family (or moving because I've been doing a lot of that too). I've also traveled for work, which carry an entirely different set of rules than when traveling for fun.

I prefer to travel by car. Though long road trips can be taxing, I can pack everything I need. I don't have to worry too much about what I pack (as long as I remember a change of socks that is) and I have plenty of room to fit all my luggage.

If I can't travel by car, then I usually go by train or plane. I like taking the train for short trips. There really isn't a lot of room for big bags unless you are going from one of the big stations, but it's a lot more relaxing and I can read while the train takes me to my destination. I traveled a lot by train when I lived in Maryland. It was convient. I've even taken the train from Washington D.C. to New Orleans. It took 13 hours and I hardly got any sleep, but it was so much fun.

Traveling by plane is probably my least favorite (I'm not talking about boats or ships today because I haven't taken many to far away places). There're a lot of hoops to jump through and it's very expensive. Packing for a plane trip is also a pain. I don't like checking bags because of the fees and horror stories about loosing luggage. It's always a risk that the flight will loose a bag, even if it's not actually that big of one.

Packing can be the biggest challenge of any trip. I usually make a check list for each day of what I will wear and then add one or two more shirts, an extra pair of socks, and a few other pieces of clothing just to be safe. I never know when I might have a fashion emergency. If I can get away with not having toiletries, I don't bring any with me.

If I'm traveling for work, I make sure I have very nice cloths (even while en route to my destination). I keep my laptop in an easy to get to location and I try to arrive early. Going to visit family is easy because they usually have anything I might forget at home (sorry mom but it's true). Though holiday travel can be difficult with how crazy everying is.

Traveling for pleasure is very different. I have a very long check list of things I need to bring with extra space in my bag for souvenirs and gifts I buy along the way. I can't forget anything because it'll be expensive to replace (like chargers or shampoo) or I have to do without entirely (my glasses for instance). If I'm traveling by plane I need to make sure I don't have any banned items and to remember to check in 24 hours in advance.

The list seems endless.

My mom just might be the master at packing bags for flying though. I don't know how she did it, but my sister, mom, and I lived out of one bag a couple of times. It was so we have an extra bag free for he things we brought on the road.

Traveling is expensive, but I'm always happy when I can. Whether to reconnect with family or explore a new place, I find I have a good time. Sometimes I learn new things, other times I'm just there to relax.

Until next week and may the wind always be at your back.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share, and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome To New York City

They Tell Me It's The City That Never Sleeps

There is a small stretch of highway that goes up a hill that I take on my way home from work. On clear days I can see the closest major city (and most likely one of the top ten five powerful cities in the world) New York City. It's not like Washington DC or Baltimore. For one thing it's much bigger than either of the cities I grew up around. For another, it's a very different culture from what I'm used to.

Honestly I sometimes can't explain what makes these cities feel so different. Maybe it's that the two are a lot smaller or that one of them is the seat of the national government. Even the people are different.

If I were to describe Washington DC (DC for people who live there), it would be professional. I feel it's the heaven for a lot of Millennials hoping to make an impact while maintaining their nerdy hobbies.

If I were to describe Baltimore (from what little I was able to explore), it was DC's quirky cousin. There was still some government presence, but it allowed for a lot more personality. Heck, we used to have a Batman cosplayer (may he rest in peace) who would visit children in the hospital as well as drive his batmobile in the Inner Harbor.

Two weekends past (yeah, I know I skipped one), I was in New York City with my family. We stayed on Broadway somewhere in Midtown (or what I assume was Midtown, it might have been part of Chelsae). It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed my time in the city. I'm still not sure what to make of the city.

The hotel I was at had a few unusually large rooms, for the city that is. Hotel rooms are typically the size of a closet. One room I was in was only able to fit a full size bed and the bathroom door would only open part way.

The city is beautiful. We were able to walk along a path that had once been part of the subway (Google isn't supplying me with the actual name). Though it was crowded, the view was great. It was a great way to see the city without feeling like an ant.

We then headed to Chelsea Market which was all decorated in Halloween stuff. Seeing all of the shops was cool, but the displays were so much fun. They were advertising an event in the 30th for the holiday. If it wasn't while I was working I would totally go.

My favorite thing we did was go to a theater and see a radio type show featuring Lovecraft readings. It was so creepy and awesome. The theater was in the East Village (or at least I think that was the area). It was very different from Chelsea and Midtown. The theater was small, maybe 100 seats. It was very different from anything I'd seen in DC.

New York City is huge and each neighborhood has its own personality. I'm having fun exploring and hope to do more. Now I just need volunteers to come with me.

Until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off) please like, share or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me.

Welcome To The Village

Happy Holiday Weekend everyone! I hope everyone has a good Memorial Day weekend and take a few moments to thank everyone you know (and maybe not know) who helped protect and shape our country. If you're in the DC area, maybe go to Arlington National Cemetery for a visit.

I've been in New Jersey for three short weeks. There's a lot to do. I moved to a village that actually kind of resembled a village (though more like one in Europe as oppose to an M. Night Shyamalan film). I would say that the two is three streets by five streets (take that as you will) with the train station cutting through the upper third.

It's a nice village. There are gaggles of teenage girls wondering around without parent supervision, so I think it's safe to say that the area is very safe, even at night. It reminds me a lot of the town my college was in.

I've basically made it my mission to try every coffee shop in town. So far I've found five coffee shops by design. Only two of those are national chains. One is technically a french pastry shop, but they're practically the same thing right? I would also, happily make the argument that the doughnut shop qualifies as a great place to get a cup of coffee, along with maple bacon doughnuts (yes, they do exist).

The first coffee shop I went to in the area had a very hipster vibe. They play different styles of music, but I've mostly heard alternative rock when I've gone in. They have pictures of the Beatles and Stones all over the walls and a few arm chairs.

The second was, well, Starbucks. They have good breakfast sandwiches. They are also the closest to the privately owned bookstore that has authors come in for book signings. A lot of people frequent it.

The next would be the french pastry shop. Not only do they have amazing breakfast sandwiches and desserts, but you can watch them make the crepes fresh. I can't wait to take my sister there. It's absolutely delicious. My roommate, their significant other and I went there last night for dessert. (I started the day out with sugar and ended it with sugar).

The forth shop I tried had a distinct health theme. I tried one of their glutton free, dairy free muffins. It was good and not very sweet. They also had a service dog working there. I enjoyed all of the different rooms in the shop as well. It is easy to find a secluded corner for reading at this shop. It's also right across from the train station.

Finally I tried the donuts shop yesterday. They make all of their doughnuts fresh at one of their locations and there is coffee. They have a lot of flavors. I tried their maple bacon doughnut and their chocolate version of Twinkies (it's not called that...I can't remember what its called).

I haven't been to the two bagel shops yet. The people of New Jersey seem to be obsessed with bagels. My office has a bagel breakfast every other week. They complain when they get more pastries than they want, saying it takes away from the bagels. Since they serve bagels, I assume they also serve coffee. Therefore they are on my places to try.

There are a few other larger breakfast places (both of which I have been to for lunch/dinner). One of them has amazing flavored marshmallows for hot chocolate. I've had the strawberry flavored. The other is a pancake house that serves you so much food, you'll have left overs for days afterward. I have not tried the coffee at either place though.

I was hoping for a few more non-chain stores (there's a Dunkin Donuts, but I haven't been there yet as I'm not fond of their coffee). However the town is small and the fact that there are any is wonderful. I love being able to walk to all of them too. It really is like being in college again, except there's no college or college students (though there are tons of teenagers).

Moving is tough, but exploring my new environment is helping with the adjustments. If only everything wasn't so expensive. Ah well, until next week.

If you enjoyed this post (or it really pissed you off), please like, share and/or leave a comment. I love hearing from my readers and I hope you guys like hearing from me. Let me know if you ever have questions about my Wonderland.