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Festive Fun in the Mountains
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November 1, 2026
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The two oldest grandsons – both to turn 9 in the fall – have lost a little in the way of hiking enthusiasm from when we first took them out, way back when they were like 6.
As a part of 4 days of lots of fun and walking on a trip that based us in Old Town Alexandria, the one real hike hike was along these trails near the Potomac River where it gets scrunched up by big rocks and has
When all else fails (we again couldn't find the trailhead to go up Fort Lewis Mountain), we seem to end up goin' on up to McAfee Knob. After all, where is there a prettier view around Roanoke?
The Appalachian Trail guidebook talks about some sections of the trail having run "right down the middle" of the roadway that came along a few years after the trail was built to either cover it up or push it aside in this section.
A hot and pretty day, a son and his girlfriend visiting from Raleigh and a good wet spring . . . what better place for a hike than the Cascades and Barney's Wall?
The two oldest grandsons – both to turn 9 in the fall – have lost a little in the way of hiking enthusiasm from when we first took them out, way back when they were like 6.
As a part of 4 days of lots of fun and walking on a trip that based us in Old Town Alexandria, the one real hike hike was along these trails near the Potomac River where it gets scrunched up by big rocks and has to tumble over them through a gorge.
When all else fails (we again couldn't find the trailhead to go up Fort Lewis Mountain), we seem to end up goin' on up to McAfee Knob. After all, where is there a prettier view around Roanoke?
The Appalachian Trail guidebook talks about some sections of the trail having run "right down the middle" of the roadway that came along a few years after the trail was built to either cover it up or push it aside in this section.
A hot and pretty day, a son and his girlfriend visiting from Raleigh and a good wet spring . . . what better place for a hike than the Cascades and Barney's Wall?
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25 Years of Rhythm and Roots at the Birthplace of Country Music
Twenty-five years ago, a small festival dedicated to the music forged from the hills of the Blue Ridge Mountains took
September 14, 2026
Singing in the Garden
Singing in the Garden: The Practically Perfect Pear
“There are only 10 minutes in the life of [the average] pear when it is perfect to eat.” —Abraham Lincoln,
September 1, 2026
