August 2017
After my trip to the Great Smoky Mountains I was home for one singular day, worked, and then immediately took off on a flight to my parents in Northern Virginia – to convince my family to join me on a visit to more National Park sites!
The first plan was unknown to me – my mom was working and my dad was going to be joining me for the day, but I didn’t know what he had planned. He let me know that we would be going to Great Falls Park, it wasn’t until we arrived that I realized the park was part of the George Washington Memorial Parkway, protected by the National Park Service and run by the Department of the Interior! I had no idea – and it’s about a 10 minute drive from my parents’ house. The falls are incredible and there are some nice hikes in the park! My dad and I did some exploring there and then we went to Turkey Run park and did some hikes down to the banks of the Potomac River.
After my day with my dad, we prepared for our two day trip to Shenandoah National Park. The park is nestled in the Appalachian Mountains is only a 2 hour drive from my parents, but despite living in the area for a few years, it was the first visit to the park for all three of us. We started at the north end of Skyline Drive and, of course, stopped at the first visitor center so I could be sure to get the stamp in my National Park passport (probably the best souvenir you could make the investment to purchase!).
We started at the Fox Hollow Trail, then did the Stony Man Summit Trail, and finally the Dark Hollow Falls Trail – all were relatively easy-moderate and we had a great time exploring. The Fox Hollow Trail led us through forested areas and to a cemetery. The Stony Man Summit allowed us see panoramic views of the valley below and the surrounding peaks. My favorite hike of the day though, was the Dark Hollow Falls trail, it traverses through a forested area and then down to the base of the falls, I didn’t super love walking back to the parking area though because it was a lot of uphill on the return trip, which is not typically super fun.
We stayed at the Skyland Lodge and Cabins for the evening. We had a double cabin, and it was definitely rustic…but it was all part of the experience! My parents were really funny, at their house they have a king bed – so the experience of them sharing a full size bed was a struggle (apparently). I was in a twin, but I was by myself so it wasn’t much of a hardship.
The next morning we went on a hike the Upper Hawksbill Trail. It was another hike which afforded panoramic views of a lower valley. After this hike, it was time for us to leave the park and head back to my parent’s house. I had to get back and make sure I was packed in anticipation of my flight home that evening.
Daring, Dangerous, and Defining 