The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the Smoky Mountains

The Good, Bad, and Ugly of the Smoky Mountains

As a kid, the closest I ever got to the Smokies was looking at my National Geographic calendars. You know the type I’m talking about. The ones with beautiful photos displaying tree-lined mountains of brilliant oranges, reds, and yellows in the fall. Those photos...
Trails & Ales: Northern Virginia

Trails & Ales: Northern Virginia

6 Fantastic Fall Hikes and Breweries in Northern Virginia Fall is here, and we’re in one of my favorite places in the US…northern Virginia.  After living and working here for years, I fell in love with the local hiking options. You can drive west to...
10 Trail Etiquette Rules for Newbie Hikers

10 Trail Etiquette Rules for Newbie Hikers

I was only on the Appalachian Trial for ten minutes when I turned the corner and saw a family of five sitting on boulders taking their break squarely in the middle of the trail!!  It wasn’t too hard to see why these folks were so winded just 1/2 mile in from the...
What’s So Great About the White Mountains?

What’s So Great About the White Mountains?

Keith used to accuse me of being a hiking snob.  I’d come back home after spending a week of hiking in Colorado, and I’d be gloomy about the utter lack of mountains where we lived.  Sure you can still go hiking without mountains.  Or without the terrific vistas.  And...