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3 Day Twin Cities Itinerary with Middle Schoolers
My Mother-in-Law is looking to take a trip with her niece and nephew to visit family living in St. Paul. What’s fun for her generation isn’t quite in line with what’s fun for the kids, so she asked me to put together an itinerary they could all enjoy!
The Cast: 68 year old retired teacher, 12 year old girl, 10 year old boy
Timeline: 3-4 days during summer vacation
Special Interest: Baseball, Visiting Family
Day 1 (Friday):
Morning:
Kick the trip off right and get some fresh air with a kayak tour! The “Working the Local Channel” tour last 2.5 hours and the earliest tour leaves at 9am everyday from May to October. The guide will give you some info on the history of Minneapolis, the ecology of the area, and you’ll get beautiful views from the Mississippi! Prices range from $76-120/person.
Lunch:
Smack Shack is close by and will just be opening for lunch when the kayakers return. They have simple kid friendly items like fried chicken and burgers and classic seafood offerings. 4 stars on yelp and outdoor seating.
Afternoon:
After lunch everyone takes a nap and then heads over to Minnehaha Park. Wear sneakers and plan on walking to the upper and lower falls, but also be willing to take them off and splash around. This is a great time for the extended family to join you.
Dinner and Evening:
Grab a hot dog, a coke, and some cracker jacks and get ready to root for the Minnesota Twins or the St. Paul Saints! Both teams have frequent home games from May-September. Saints tickets start as low as $7 for Berm seating on Fridays nights (with post game fireworks) and the Twins start at $15 for Friday nights. Definitely check their websites because baseball teams always have promotions going on. Remember that family that joined you at the park? They should be right next to you in the stadium!
Photo by flickr user m01229. CC 2.0 Day 2 (Saturday):
Morning:
Historic cave tour of the Wabasha Street Caves. The tour starts at 11, costs $8, and fills you in on the crazy history of the mushrooms, the gangsters, and the speakeasies housed in the caves. Bonus points if you get the kids reading some gangster books before they come. I’d be surprised if the local family has done this, so make sure they come along!
Lunch:
Grab something close and easy like Babani’s Kurdish Restaurant. Hopefully the kids will try something new but if not, there’s always rice and chicken kabobs.
Afternoon:
Keep the history going with a visit to the James J. Hill house to get a feel for how the upper crust lived in the late 1800s. Hill was a railroad tycoon, but also a participant in one of the first monopolies broken up by President Theodore Roosevelt. Surely there’s something in this house that will reinforce what the kids are learning in school? Tours start every half hour until 3:30 and last 75 minutes. Seniors are $8 and the kids are $6.
After the tour head back for a quick nap before dinner.
Dinner and Evening:
How can you be on the bank of the Mississippi and not set out on a riverboat? The kids need to read Huckleberry Finn to really appreciate the experience! They don’t offer this every Saturday night, but Padelford Riverboats has a $53.35 Rib dinner with blues music and a 2 hour cruise every other Saturday night in the summer.
Photo by flickr user media601. CC2.0 Share Alike Day 3 (Sunday):
Morning:
Get up early for 8 am mass at Cathedral of St. Paul and take in the neoclassical architecture the way it was intended to be appreciated, from the pews.
After mass make sure to snap some photos outside the famous church before taking a deep breath and setting your GPS for Mall of America. Continue taking deep breaths the whole way there, but know that this is about to be the highlight of the kid’s trip.
Lunch:
You’ve only got time for the food court because you’ve got a lot of ground to cover. I recommend something light at Subway. 😉
Afternoon:
MofA is the largest mall in America and it is far more then just a place to shop. Let the kids set the priorities (you definitely won’t have time for everything) but make sure they consider:
- Sky Karting at SMAAASH
- The flight simulation at Fly Over America
- The indoor rollercoaster at Nickelodeon Universe
- The Amazing Mirror Maze
- Putt putt at Moose Mountain Adventure Golf
- The Sea Life Aquarium
I know, I’m exhausted just thinking about it. Wear sneakers and prepare to hydrate.
Dinner and Evening:
For the last night the plan should be to hole up at a good bar and restaurant and spend the evening with family. Patrick McGovern’s Pub & Restaurant or the Dubliner Pub seem like good places to spend a few hours. Just make sure you go someplace where you can keep ordering drinks long after the food has been cleared away.
Photo by flickr user Aine. CC 2.0 Share Alike Any Twin City natives out there? Anything left out? Does anyone else have an upcoming trip they’d like me to research for them?
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Hikes and Rambles: The AT to Buzzard Rock (Whitetop, VA)
On Easter Sunday we set out late in the afternoon for a short hike to Buzzard Rock. We drove up Whitetop Mountain Road and parked in a gravel parking lot just steps away from the Appalachian Trail.
We only went a mile out and the trail had three distinct sections:
The trail surrounded by blueberry bushes, woods, and balds.
The distinctive white blaze that marks the Appalachian Trail. On the first section we met a through hiker setting up camp for the night, he had come up from Springer Mountain and was going to reach 500 miles the following day. He was from Nebraska and in incredibly good spirits. He was the only hiker we saw that day.
The next section through the woods had a more rocky path and more exciting things to distract the children. They had to be bribed and carried to keep them making forward progress here.
“The woods are lovely, dark, and deep.” 
The kids loved playing on this! 
Signs of spring! Once we left the woods there was a brief stretch through bushes and then we found ourselves up on the bald, with the entire world at our feet. There are several collections of rocks to climb and the views were stunning. The sun was coming through the clouds in exactly the right way to make you to drop everything and jump on the trail to Maine.
I took pictures every couple of minutes along this hike because the clouds were so beautiful and kept changing. 
My mom and I are thinking about joining the Cloud Appreciation Society. Who’s with us? 
Daddy and Son, climbing on rocks. 
K and Opa, surveying the kingdom. Unfortunately, we were just not equipped to walk to Maine, so we returned via the road which required a fairly steep uphill climb followed by a gentle slope down the parking lot. The road wasn’t as pleasant as the trail, but the views kept getting better and better.
Look at those clouds in the puddle, I love those. I have really loved every step of the Appalachian Trail that I’ve been privileged to walk and every time I’m near it I can’t help thinking how wonderful it would be to hike the whole thing. To take 5 months and completely get to know the woods and your own body? To bond with your fellow hikers over the simple but incredibly difficult process of putting one foot in front of the other day after day? Logistically it seems impossible to do for another 20 years, but I did come across this blog today about a family who hiked the whole trail with their 7-year-old, 9-year-old, and dog. Maybe I need to start planning for a few years from now? Or maybe we need to set a goal to complete xx miles every year?
UPDATE
We did this hike again recently and I just have to post some summer pictures. Easter weekend was a beautiful time for this hike, but it’s hard to compete with the lush green of summer in the mountains!
It’s a wonderful thing to spend time rambling in the woods! 
Views of Virginia and Tennessee from along the Appalachian Trail. 
My sweet cousin looking out from Buzzard Rock. -
Hikes and Rambles: Gray Whale Cove and Trail
My husband is out of town for the week, which means I just have to get out of the house even more then usual. Today that meant the usual routine in the morning, followed by swim lessons, followed by getting in the car and frantically googling in the carport to find someplace to go.
Luck would have it that I set the destination as Gray Whale Cove State Beach and 40 minutes later we found ourselves in a little parking lot on the side of Highway 1 overlooking the ocean.
Towards the mountain is the 2.3 mile Gray Whale Trail which we decided to walk just enough for the best possible view of the beach, probably a quarter mile or so. The trail started out very narrow with bushes hanging onto the trail from both sides but after you climbed the initial steep portion, it opened up and became a very pleasant walking trail surrounded by wildflowers.
HJ dressed as a pirate and holding a single sock. 
From here came the tricky part, crossing Highway 1 without getting smushed. Seriously though, you need to be very careful because the traffic is fast and there is a blind curve right near the crossing. If you have young children carrying them would really be the best way to go.
Once you
play chickencross safely you’ll walk a little ways down a dirt road before descending down some stairs. The stairs have a fair amount of graffiti on them, but when you get to the bottom you’ll see the cement drain pipe has really been made the art project.
Once we jumped over the little drainage stream we found ourselves with almost the entire beach to ourselves, but the best part was the ocean completely masked the highway noise.
The San Mateo Coast Beach brochure says “Never turn your back on the ocean.” It’s easy to read that at home on my computer and wonder what the heck it means, but when we were there today the ocean was absolutely making its power known. Maybe if Chris had been there we would have let the kids get their feet wet, but since I was outnumbered we didn’t go near it. Especially since I’m not a strong swimmer and HJ has been having recurring dreams about drowning (or has just been talking repeatedly about one dream? The line between fact and fantasy is very blurred at this age.)
Over the course of the 2 hours we were there the crowds did pick up a bit, but at one time the most was probably 10 people on the whole beach. Something about the location and the parking makes me think it never gets crowded.
It’s worth noting that the website specifically says that they do not accept the annual California day-use pass, but their website does not list a fee for parking and I did not see any place in the parking lot to pay. So as far as I could tell it is free. Don’t quote me on that though, and don’t turn me in if I’m wrong!
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A Work Week in Dublin
My husband is in Dublin right now (I’m so so jealous!) where he’s working for a week. His default while traveling for work is to work really hard and not experience anything the location has to offer, which I find unacceptable. So here is the research I am sending with him so he doesn’t have an excuse not to get out!
I’ve compiled what I’ve found online, but I’d love to hear more personal recommendations if anyone has them! Everything on this list can be done after 5pm on a weekday!
Drinking
Do I even have to say it? This is huge in Ireland!
The Guinness Storehouse is a little tricky because it’s open until 7pm, but the last admittance is 5pm. I’m hoping Chris will be able to make it though, since it’s such a quintessential Dublin destination. Tickets are 14 euros if purchased online and include a pint of Guinness.
The Temple Bar is an entire district, but if you’re looking to check something off your to-do list, the original Temple Bar Pub is where you’ll want to go. Expect it to be crowded and a bit more expensive then other pubs in the area. With 4 + stars and thousands of ratings on Facebook and Trip Advisor, I think it’s still a good bet.
O’Donoghues is famous for their entertainment and they claim you should stop by if you want “the real Irish music experience”. It’s also highly ranked, but with hundreds of reviews instead of thousands, so hopefully you won’t run into all the tourists here!
Rather then continue to list pubs, here are a couple people who’ve already done that! Thrillist, Food Republic, Culture Trip
Photo by flickr user René Silvio H. Public domain. Walks
The Dublin suburb of Howth is only 30 minutes away by car or by DART and features two lighthouses, a castle, and a 6 km Cliff Path. It looks like it would be well worth making the trip to walk along the Cliff Path and then grab some seafood (maybe The Oarhouse?) before heading back to the city.
North Bull Island can be hard to get to with public transportation, but it’s only a 22 minute drive (pro tip: download the Hailo app and expect shorter waits then Uber in Dublin) and there is the possibility you’ll spot seals during your nature walk.
Self guided walking tour to famous spots such as Trinity College (info to print here), St. Stephen’s Green (info to print here), St. Patrick’s Cathedral (info to print here), Dublin Castle (info to print here), or Christ Church Cathedral (info to print here).
The Iveagh Gardens are open until 6pm from March-October and look to be well worth a visit. Just do a quick google image search and you’ll see what I mean!
Photo by flickr user William Murphy. CC 2.0. Share Alike. Tours
City Kayaking offers evening tours, but you have to check their calendar since the hours vary from day to day. They didn’t have anything after 5pm the week Chris is there, but I’ve seen 6, 7, and 8 pm tours on other days. This is a 2 hour tour giving you the chance to see the city from the Liffey River. For only 29 euros this includes all your kayaking gear such as splash proof tops and bottoms. I hate to promote this too much since I have no experience with the company (except they answered one email very promptly) but in general I am very pro kayaking tours!
City Sightseeing offers a 1 hour musical tour every night from 8-9pm or 9:30-10:30pm. The guides are singers and dancers and promise a unique experience. For only 8.50 euros when you buy tickets online, this could be a great one to try if you are short on time.
Photo by flickr user Dyn Photo. CC 2.0 Food Tours
It’s tricky to find a weekday food tour, but the Irish Food Trail has weekday evening tours from 6-9pm. 60 euros gets you a spot on a group tour to 3 traditional Irish restaurants or pubs and food and drink at each location. Between stops you’ll be walking through the city with a guide who will fill you in on some local knowledge and history of Dublin. This tour runs with 6-18 people, so it’s perfect for meeting with friends or coworkers.
If you’re not that hungry, the same company offers a Dublin Whiskey Trail tour. The 6pm weekday option is their Deluxe option at 60 euros including 7 different whiskeys plus local produce, bread, chocolates, etc. to pair with them.
Another option that looks good is the Musical Pub Crawl which departs at 7:30 pm every weeknight. 14 euro gets you on this musical tour but you have to buy your own drinks at the bar.
Photo by flickr user LenDog64. CC 2.0 No derivatives. Scary Tours
As soon as you start looking for things to do after dark, ghost or scary history tours are sure to pop up. I know for a fact that I would never go on any of these, but they might be a good option if you aren’t as chicken as me!
Hidden Dublin does a Thursday/Friday 3 hour tour departing at 7pm every week that takes you on a walk through the Dublin Mountains and talks about the history of the occult and satanism in the area. This sounds horrifying to me, but they do guarantee an incredible view of Dublin from the mountains. 25 euro if you have it in you.
They also have more traditional ghost tours departing at 8pm everyday except Tuesday and Wednesday. These are only 13 euro.
Photo by flickr user Raphaël Chekroun. CC 2.0. Mass
I didn’t look up the schedules at all the famous cathedrals, but attending mass is definitely a great way to experience these incredible churches, which are a huge part of Irish culture. St. Patrick‘s has a “Choral Evensong” every weekday at 5:30pm.
Photo by flickr user José Manuel Armengod. CC 2.0 No derivatives. Has anyone been to Dublin on business and had to constrain their sightseeing to after work? How did it go?
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Fitzgerald Marine Reserve (near Half Moon Bay)
We had plans to visit Pastorino Farms in Half Moon Bay this weekend and I obviously wasn’t going to drive out there without going to the beach! Specifically, I was excited to see the tide pools at Fitzgerald Marine Reserve. Fortunately, my interpretation of the tide chart lined up perfectly with a couple hour visit followed by our trip to the farm. Unfortunately, my interpretation had no bearing on reality.
So our morning visit was wonderful and we got a chance to see the harbor seals and play at the beach, but we had to come back in the afternoon to explore tide pools.
The first thing we saw on both visits was this stump. I didn’t let the kids climb on it, but now I regret it because it was awesome.
In the morning we gave this spot a cursory glance then backed up to the parking lot and started down the Bluff Trail to spot some harbor seals. We didn’t have to wait long since they were sunning below the first overlook. At first glance, they looked like rocks, but they were pretty active! We saw 3 pairs of mother and pup coming ashore after a swim, HJ loved how they “walked” by hopping across the sand.
When the tide goes down the seals move further out to sea. This photo was taken at low tide in August. After the seals, we followed the trail along the fence into a hauntingly beautiful wood. Every tree was the exact same shade of gray and it looked to be frozen in time. Looking up you could see that the trees actually did have leaves, but they were so high you could hardly tell. I have no idea if this is seasonal or permanent, but it was enchanting.
The fence kept us safe from the sheer drop off that was only a few feet from the path. We saw some incredible flowers and succulents growing right on the edge of the cliff, does anyone know if there is a reason for that?
After the woods, we followed some stairs down to a sandy white beach where we played for an hour. By the time we were leaving, a huge group of sea kayaks had gathered and were surfing off shore.
We stopped to get one more good look at the seals before we headed out, and they were watching the kayakers!
If I had stumbled upon this spot would have left perfectly content, but I’d come to see tide pools and I hadn’t seen any! So we left to spend a few hours at the farm and then we came back to explore the beach at low tide. My jaw just about hit the floor when I saw how far the tide had receded. This was definitely a time when my expectations were blown away.
Visiting again taught me that even the water level at low tide varies dramatically throughout the month.
We explored as much as we could without getting our feet wet and were eventually rewarded with two sea anemones! I was intent on finding them, but it still would have been worth the trip if I hadn’t. The seals had moved further out to sea and were sunning themselves close to where we were exploring, there were snails everywhere, and lots of some kind of sea creature that had such good camouflage it couldn’t even be seen except that the shells sticking to it drew attention to its perfectly round shape.
“Put your arm around each other and smile.” Yeah right. 
Revisiting Fitzgerald Marine Preserve at low tide in August. -
Abingdon, Virginia
I’ve written this week about the Virginia Creeper Trail and Damascus and today I’m continuing with the love for southwest Virginia! Unlike the other two which I’ve visited several times, this weekend was my first ever trip to Abingdon. I didn’t get to do as much as I would have wanted, so part of this post is planning my next trip which will be in June!
Abingdon’s nickname is “Wolf Hills” and there are several wolf tributes around town. Legend has it the nickname came from Daniel Boone after his dog was attached by wolves. If you bike the entire 34 miles of the Virginia Creeper Trail, you will start in White Top and end in Abingdon. The same as Damascus, Abingdon has several options for shuttles that will take you and your bike to White Top. I haven’t been on the Abingdon portion of the trail, but I’m sure it’s just as beautiful as the rest.
Our day in Abingdon involved meeting at the historic Martha Washington Inn in the heart of downtown. While we waited for the whole group to arrive we walked around the Inn and through the gardens. When originally built is 1832 this remarkable building was a private home before selling in 1858 to become a girl’s college. Martha Washington College survived until 1932 when it closed its doors. In 1935 they opened again as a hotel and it has remained a hotel ever since, although with many different owners.
We camped out on their front porch for most of the day, just rotating who was exploring the town, antique shopping, or napping upstairs.
The view from the porch of the Martha Washington Inn. 
A bridge in the gardens of the Martha Washington Inn. We all had lunch at 128 Pecan just a few blocks from the hotel. We were lucky enough to walk in with a group of 13 and not only get a table right away, but we had a private room to spread out in! I had a crab cake burger with a caesar salad and it was great.
After lunch the nappers in the group headed upstairs to rest and the shoppers headed down to the art and antique stores. I’m not really a shopper, much less an antique shopper, so I just went along for the social aspect of the trip.
We walked through several stores, my favorite being the Glass Peacock, Inc. where we saw local artisans working on their stained glass pieces. If I find myself in Abingdon for a few days with no children, I will check out some of the classes they offer.
Several of the ”antique” stores were more like modern gift shops with a few antiques thrown in, but I did see a lot of Virginia Tech gear (go Hokies!) My grandmother, the most serious antiquer in the group, recommends Foxgloves Antiques & etc. as the best shop we visited. The Abingdon Antique Mall is also supposed to be good, but it is a few miles away and we did not visit.
The wolf guarding the train station. I actually missed out on Foxgloves because I took a break across the street at Anthony’s Desserts. It was a good fit, because what I don’t know about antiques I make up for in exceptional dessert knowledge ? They had a beautiful and tempting display and we sampled their butterscotch pie, it was delicious. My Father-in-Law also raved about their espresso.
We missed visiting the Arts Depot by 15 minutes, but I’ve heard it’s great and I’m looking forward to visiting it this summer.
I’m also looking for a babysitter in June so Chris and I can attend a show at the Barter Theatre, ”The State Theatre of Virginia” which originally opened as a place where farmers could barter for tickets with livestock or produce. Considering the size and remoteness of Abingdon, they get really good shows here!
After a show we are definitely going to The Tavern for drinks and/or dinner. It was opened in 1779 and it’s not often you find an American building that old still operating as originally intended! I would try this place for the history, even if the food wasn’t good, but it actually has very decent yelps!
So that’s what we did and are planning to do. Anything else we need to add to our June itinerary?
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Hikes and Rambles: Arizona Garden (Stanford)
This is really pushing “rambles” to the limit, since we walked further from our parking spot then we did inside the garden, but I still think it qualifies.
The Arizona Garden is a stunning collection of cacti and succulents with dusty walking trails woven throughout. The garden was planted between 1881-1883 and actually predates Stanford, which first welcomed students in 1891. The garden was originally intended to stand next to a stately home belonging to the Stanfords, before they decided instead to commission a university in honor of their deceased son.
I am not knowledgeable about cacti or plants in general, and there were no signs or labels with which to educate myself, but most sources claim there are over 500 species of cacti and succulents and they are located in the garden by native land (Africa, Europe, and Asia vs. the Americas). There is an official map of the garden here, but it is not particularly detailed.
The kids really enjoyed seeing all the cacti, but I had to repeat “Don’t touch!” so many times I’ll probably be saying it in my sleep.
During our visit many of the cacti had mature buds and I expect they will be flowering within the next month. I’m hoping to come back in a couple weeks and see them in bloom!
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Hikes and Rambles: Bond Park (Cary, NC)
Today’s hike was a cautionary tale that I share in the hopes that others will learn from my mistakes.
I’ve been hiking with the kids at least twice a week for the last couple months and we’ve been trying new trails every time. Apparently this has made me cocky because my Mom and I set out today for a short 2 mile loop that I’ve run or walked at least 100 times. We brought both children and absolutely nothing else. Our goal was to make it to the playground halfway and then continue the loop around the lake.
We start about half way around the lake trail and everything is going well. The trail is pleasant and quiet and we stop to throw rocks in the lake and pick up rocks and sticks. Pure joy.
After awhile I notice my son has developed a stench but he assures me that his diaper is clean and, like it’s my first day, I believe him.
We turn out of the woods and take a brief detour because the bridge is down, only to find ourselves paces away from a beautiful blue heron. We watch him for a few moments before he takes flight and he’s really an impressive sight.
From here we connect to the paved portion of the trail and walk under the green canopy. My son’s smell has become more pronounced but I don’t have the tools required to do anything about it, so I choose to live in ignorance a bit longer.
The playground is a hit and the kids are quite happy until I finally check K’s diaper and announce that we have to leave. I try to clean him up the best I can but I end up with a dirty but happy boy going commando and a gross dirty cloth diaper in my other hand.
Obviously, both children are tired and insist on being carried.
We pass close to the boat house where they rent paddle boats, canoes, and kayaks and we get a good look at some geese and another heron. We climb onto the dam for the full view of the lake and I finally decide to sacrifice my sweater to the dirty diaper. I tie it up and then tie it to my belt loop.
As we get back into the woods my son falls asleep in my arms. Great, now he’s definitely not walking and we still have half a mile to go.
This part of the trail is lined with houses and most have made an effort to fill their back yards with beautiful azaleas, so this is usually a wonderful part of the trail. Today, it is torture as my arms burn carrying my big, sleeping, 2 year old boy.
When we finally stumbled off the trail my Mom and I start talking about what we should have done differently. She thinks diapers and wipes were the most important thing I forgot, whereas I think that if I’d had the baby carriers, I could have gotten home quickly and remedied the situation. Ideally, we would have brought both!
Notes to self:
- Don’t get cocky!
- Diapers and wipes, never leave anywhere without them! You never know!
- Toddler carrier, never leave the car without it!
- Fred G. Bond Metro Park is a beautiful place for a walk with children!
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Damascus, VA
Yesterday I wrote about the VA Creeper Trail which starts in Whitetop and winds down to Abingdon Virginia. Damascus is the half way point and as far as I ever gotten biking the trail.
Damascus is arguably the most well-known town along the Appalachian Trail and hosts sections of 7 trails in all, including the VA Creeper Trail. You can also find thousands of hikers here during the annual “Trail Days” festival.
The whole economy of Damascus is built around the trails and you just can’t have a town that loves trails without having a town that’s wonderful to visit. 🙂
When you bike or hike in you will find a beautiful mountain town with a variety of lodging options, restaurants, and shuttle services all catering to bikers and hikers passing through. It can get quite busy during the summer and you’ll find many businesses are closed during the winter, but you can’t beat Damascus in the spring or fall. This weekend the whole town was in bloom and the sun was shining with all its might.
We’ve been at least a half a dozen times and usually make a beeline for the first restaurant you see, In the Country, for burgers and ice cream. Nothing about the food is exceptional, but it always tastes good after a couple hours on a bike. We like that there is outdoor seating and we can watch the bikers coming into town.
After lunch, we continue down the trail to Damascus Town Park and play on the playground, climb the old train car, or wade in Beaverdam Creek. It’s a great park for an afternoon nap in the sun or shade and it’s a fun spot for watching the hikers since the AT runs right through the park. For those hikers coming up from Georgia, Damascus is mile marker 463.
Riding the trail through town is one of my favorite parts since we get to see all the super cute vacation rentals and the old train station.
After we exhaust ourselves at the park, it’s time to find a shuttle to take us back up the mountain (most hikers do this the other way, taking the shuttle in the morning and leaving their car/lodging in Damascus and biking down). After having done this several times, you would think we’d have it down, but we ran into a bit of a snag this weekend.
We had a total of 7 adults, 2 kids, and 1 car. We sent 3 adults up in the car and the rest of us got on our bikes to catch the shuttle. I didn’t know where we were going but I planned to just follow my brother who was pulling my 2 kids. One block into our ride I looked up to see that he had disappeared. No worries. I’ll just ask my Dad riding behind us where the reservation is. Nope, he’s gone.
My mother-in-law and I stick our heads into #1 and #2 shuttle shops before finding my brother and kids at #3. At this point, my phone rings and my father is waiting at #4. It could have been worse, there is a #5 in town.
Moral of the story: When making reservations in Damascus, inform everyone in your party which shuttle shop you chose.
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Bikes and Rambles: Virginia Creeper Trail (Damascus, VA)
There is a warm spot in my heart for the southwest corner of Virginia and we were thrilled to spend Easter weekend there with both Chris and my family.
The Creeper Trail is a 34.3 mile Rails-to-Trails project stretching from White Top to Abingdon Virginia. In addition to the beautiful scenery, the trail also has the advantage of gently sloping downhill for the first 17 miles to Damascus! My favorite way to bike 🙂 Most people catch a shuttle in Damascus and bike back, making for a not-too-strenuous day in nature.
Since we stay at my grandparent’s place (use this link to get $40 off your first airbnb stay) we just roll our bikes down the driveway and roll down the trail at the 30 mile mark. It’s fantastic because if we leave the house at 9 or 10 we beat the crowds on the trails and don’t have much competition for the return shuttles. If we are missing the first 4 miles of trail, we can take the shuttle to the top and bike down them at the end of the day.
We put the kids in the trailer and start down the wide dirt and gravel path. They always doze off at some point during the trip.
The path snakes through the woods, past farms and tiny towns, and along the winding Laurel River. Depending on the season you can expect to see hikers coming from Georgia to Maine (the AT meets the Creeper Trail in Damascus and stays together for a couple miles), fishermen in the river, beautiful rustic farms, incredible trees, old wooden bridges, and many happy bikers.
We take around 2.5 hours with a couple stops, grab lunch and playground time in Damascus, and then catch the shuttle back. My parents have been known to continue another 17 miles to Abingdon, but we have yet to attempt that. I’m saving it for when the kids can pull me in the trailer!
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not much of a biker, but the gentle slope along this stretch of trail is delightful to ride and Damascus is a wonderful town to end up in. I cannot recommend this trail enough as the perfect family weekend getaway. We biked down with 3 generations this weekend and everyone had a blast!
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Magnets From Everywhere
Dreaming, planning, inspiring family travel. Starting here, starting now.
Magnets From Everywhere 