The Perfect Virginia Hiking Trail for the Holidays

A perfect holiday outing when you have an onslaught of guests is one that takes very little effort on your part but delivers spectacular "oohs" and "aahs." The Buzzard Rock North hiking trail in the George Washington National Forest provided that for me and my family the day after Thanksgiving.

We'd decided to #OptOutside with REI (they closed their stores on Black Friday and encouraged everyone to go outside), and Buzzard Rock gave us an effortless way to work off some of the pumpkin pie while still knocking our socks off. Why was it perfect?

1. Buzzard Rock is an hour from the Beltway.

Straight out on I-66 and just past Shenandoah National Park, getting to the trail head only takes an hour from the Beltway. But that drive west that quickly turns tree-thick and hilly makes you feel like you're getting away from it all.

2. Buzzard Rock is a short hike to -- and through -- lots of goodness.

It's a two-mile hike to the cliffs, and that hike is a pretty one: winding through tall trees, crossing streams, over hills and dales. You do switch backs and ascends near the end, but except for one portion, I really didn't huff and puff. And I have NOT been getting to my kickboxing class. It's an all-ages, all-abilities kind of hike.

3. Buzzard Rock loses its leaves.

As we meandered, we noticed pretty hillside views that we wouldn't have been able to see in the summer and early falls months because of the leaves. I'm sure the leaves are spectacular in the fall. So are the crowds. Hiking Buzzard Rock in the winter will allow you to see more of the countryside with fewer people around (although the small parking lot got packed early on the day after Thanksgiving. Learn about the TICKET we got below.).

4. Buzzard Rock has enormous wow factor.

We were tooling along and beginning to ascend and noticing some pretty views when -- BAM! -- we hit a switch back that gave us a spectacular view of the rural countryside, a creek and ponds below. It truly surprised us. Buzzard Rock offers up a lot "ooooooooh" in its short two miles.

5. Buzzard Rock makes you feel like you've climbed a mountain.

After that first "wow" view, Buzzard Rock truly ascends for a short bit; here's where some huffing and puffing come into play. But it's totally worth it. Because at the top, you walk along a narrow ridgeline bordered by jagged slabs of rock that you can clamber on and capture astonishing views of Fort Valley below. The roads are like lines. The cars are like ants. You're high. You're cool. And you and your crew didn't even work that hard to get there.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:

• THANKS TO THE WASHINGTONIAN FOR INSPIRING US WITH THIS GREAT ARTICLE ON THE HIKE. THE ARTICLE ALSO INCLUDES POST-HIKE RESTAURANT, DESSERT AND WINERY IDEAS.

• HERE'S MORE DETAILED INFORMATION ON THE HIKE FROM HIKINGUPWARD.COM.

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Buzzard Rock Hiking Trail

 

Parking lot: The trailhead is at a small parking lot outside Front Royal, at 3087-3139 Mountain Road/Route 619. DO NOT PARK ON THE ROAD!!! The lot was already full when we got there at 10 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving. So we parked just outside the lot, on gravel between the lot and the road. We truly didn't see the No Parking signs. When we returned to our car, a nice trooper told us why we got a $20 ticket. But the other cars, parked after ours, along the road and touching the asphalt -- they were all being TOWED!! Yes, towed. DO NOT PARK ON THE ROAD!!!

Where are your places to hike in the D.C., Virginia Or maryland? Please let me know below. I'm always looking for the next Great outdoor Adventure!

A Fall Walk at Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve

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In the early past of the 19th century, a farmer was traveling home on a dark and blustery night after a nip at a Leesburg tavern when he heard the wind shrieking over the hills of his property. His animals became as unsettled as their owner. When he got home, the Irishman claimed there was a “banshee on the reeks,” a wild witchy spirit screaming across his Virginia hills and dales.

His frantic report established the name for what would later become the Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve, 725 acres of public grasslands, forest, creeks and ponds in Loudoun County south of Leesburg. The spooky story, the blazing fall colors and the fact that there’s a warming tavern meal and a cold beer just around the corner in Leesburg convinced me that there is no better place to take a walk during the stretch between Halloween and Thanksgiving.

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Banshee Reeks has over 20 miles of trails. Our two hours of exploring took us over easy trails that ran across meadows erupting with cotton-topped stalks, through shadowy forests, in between breaks in overgrown blackberry bushes and alongside ponds with small memorial benches for relaxing. We didn’t see much wildlife at the nature preserve – an occasional caterpillar or symbiotic bug on the cotton plants – but we didn’t see any people either. That was the best; having these wide vista views of the Blue Ridge Mountains and all that fiery leaf color and the quiet pathways all to ourselves.

Autumn view

The Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve offers beautiful views of the fall colors and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

The Manor House

The Manor House is where the visitor's center is located.

Trail Markers

Lots of trail marker help you find your way around the property.

The Dudes

We made it a family affair, taking a walk with our two teenaged sons and their visiting grandfather

Lots of Color

Me

Cotton Stalks

Stalks of this silky-soft cotton were all over the Preserve.

Symbiotic Bug

This Halloween-colored bug was on all the cotton plants.

Caterpillar

The only other wildlife we saw -- this caterpillar -- was also Halloween colored.

Walnut Tree

Well-Tended Trails

Benches

Ticks!

Apparently, ticks can be bad here, although we didn't notice any on this cool fall day. But if you're visiting during the warmer months, come prepared with bug spray and skin-covering clothing.

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Banshee Reeks Nature Preserve

21085 The Woods Road Leesburg, VA 20175; Open Saturdays and Sundays, 8 a.m. - 4 p.m.

In-Between Tip: After your exhilarating fall walk, head to historic Downtown Leesburg for a great meal in the same area where the Preserve's original owner would have enjoyed one. We've had amazing meals and unique experiences at The Wine Kitchen, Tuscarora Mill Restaurant and Windy City Red Hots with their authentic Chicago-style hot dogs. For dessert, go to the West Loudoun Street Cafe for ice cream and milkshakes or pick up an incredible pie at Mom's Apple Pie.

Last minute addition: I just discovered this great video about the Preserve created as a community service project by the DC Area Drone User Group. How cool is that?

#NoAlcohol Blogs

I like the sauce.

I like cocktails and Bourbon neat and a nice Pinot Noir and a cold Bud on a hot day. I like to make herb-infused simple syrups and visit whiskey distilleries and take classes that help me distinguish between a Rhone Valley Syrah and a South Australian Shiraz. I have an academic appreciation for alcohol as well as an appreciation for its soothing effects at the end of a long day.

Part of the reason I started this blog was to give potential employers in the wine, spirit and hospitality industries a sampling of my writing ability. So I’m going to be writing a lot about alcohol; four of my seven blogs have already focused on it. But I've also embraced this mission to discover fun activities for those of us 40-55, and I don't want to give the impression that our fun is dependent on having a drink in hand.

I was in the produce section of Trader Joe’s once. The scent of the limes hit me when I passed them. Instantly I thought of margaritas and relaxing Friday afternoons, and I was flooded with happy endorphins. And while that seems like a fun story, the fact that the smell of a lime made me think of a drink, and the fact that the drink signaled happiness to my system freaked me out. I took a month off of drinking.

There are those In-Betweeners who – because of health or moral reasons, or sometimes, because of a long, hard fight – have decided not to drink. I want this blog to give non-drinking In-Betweeners options as well

My grandmother, the bad-ass drug and alcohol counselor, Mary Lopez

My grandmother, Mary Lopez, is almost two-times her in-between years, but she likes to have fun. She likes to garden and go fishing and play the slot machines and every now and then, she’ll have a beer on the back deck. She's not a teetotaler, but she has every right to be: My grandfather’s alcoholism pushed her into raising six children essentially on her own. She ironed shirts and cleaned houses until the counselors at the Al-Anon meetings she attended noticed she had a real knack at getting people to listen to her. They helped her get her GED and then her degree. My grandmother became a powerhouse drug-and-alcohol counselor in the southeastern Kansas town where she lives.

In honor of my bad-ass grandmother, Mary Lopez, I'm launching the hashtag #NoAlcohol, which will signal blogs that are alcohol-free. (This blog, technically, does not count since I lavishly describe drinks above). Some will be blogs about locations where alcohol is available but not the point of the place, like the 9:30 Club, and I'll need your help in determining if that's okay. I figure I have to give myself that caveat -- we went to Hershey Park recently and they serve beer -- or I'd have very few #NoAlcohol places to recommend. Which reminds me again that In-Betweeners who have chosen to avoid a drinking lifestyle might feel they have limited options. I want to make sure this blog gives them some.

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Favorite #NoAlcohol To-Dos in the DMV

Check out my Pinterest board for more #NoAlcohol to-dos

Union Market - This newly launched indoor urban market near Gallaudet University is brimming with people and vitality, and while some of the cool eateries serve beer and spirits, there are tons of other things -- mini pies from Ris, spices from Bazaar Spices, the incredible Bulgogi Steak Tacos at TaKorean -- to try.

U.S. Botanic Garden or U.S. National Arboretum - While the many free museums of the D.C.-metro area are an obvious choice for an engaging and alcohol-free to do, these two plant-focused museums are a feast for the senses. The Botanic Garden's many-stories-high Conservatory allows you to enjoy the warmth and plants of the tropics in January, and the U.S. Arboretum in northeast D.C. is a 466-acre sanctuary of tree groves and herb gardens and koi ponds.

Victory Comics - This big and bright comic book store in Falls Church is a great way to appease your fandom for a day. Check out the retro-toys near the front celebrating your favorite characters, spend hours perusing through their massive collection of comics and graphic novels, or wander back into the large game room and join a Dungeons and Dragons game.

1st Stage Theatre - 1st Stage doesn't serve alcohol. We know; we headed to the lounge at intermission and were disappointed. But what this theater tucked into an industrial park in Tysons Corner does offer is some fantastic drama and comedy in a black-box setting. We saw "Never the Sinner," a play about the murderers Leopold and Loeb, and were completely awed at the power the play produced with so few actors and props. "Bat Boy: The Musical" runs until June 22. 

Billy Goat Trail - You will find that this 4.7-mile hike along the Potomac River in Potomac, Maryland, is aptly named as you climb up and clamber over rocks like a billy goat. The trail is close-in, easy to get to, very popular, and usually crowded. And totally worth doing. 

For more #NoAlcohol options, check out my ever-expanding Pinterest board #NoAlcohol To-Dos in the DMV