Winter Adventures

For the very last day of winter break, we decided to let Oscar choose how we should spend the day. He's been really having some separation anxiety in the mornings again, so we thought that making the day a celebration would make for a smoother transition back to school.  He was great at quickly coming up with the idea of packing some snacks, taking a walk in the woods, and then stopping to eat our snacks when we got hungry.  We headed to one of our fairly regular spots, because he wanted a forest with streams and bridges and we knew this part of the Appalachian Trail has some picnic tables that happen to be perfect for stopping for snacks.  The weather and wind were quite chilly, but the sun was shining and the little waterfalls on the stream were lovely.  

  

After making it back to the warmth of our car, we asked Oscar what he wanted to do next.  He asked to go to a museum, not an easy task at 2pm on a Sunday and while in the middle of the woods.  We realized that we weren't far from Mister Ed's, though, and that totally counts as a proper museum!  I do really love this little place and, no matter how many times we visit, I'm certain I see something new every time.  The boys were probably most excited to buy some candy, but they really enjoy exploring the grounds outside the shop and museum too.

Oscar definitely knows how to plan a fun day!  His final choice of the day was to eat pancakes at Cracker Barrel, one of his two favorite restaurants.  After that, we headed home pretty tired from the day's adventure, but ready to start the week!

Luray Zoo

If you were to only know one thing about my husband, know that he loves animals.  Zoos, wildlife parks, and any other place we have the opportunity to see animals are always on the list when we travel.  We actually made two animal related stops on our trip to Virginia and our first was Luray Zoo.  This privately owned zoo is home to animals that have been rescued, are retired from zoos, or were no longer wanted or able to be cared for by their previous owners.  It's a little zoo, but there are lots of animals to see and the staff seemed really friendly.  Even one of the owners was out and about caring for the animals and chatting with visitors. 

This absolutely gorgeous gal is Angel.  She's a kestrel and was bred to be a falconry bird, but was born with a deformity that makes it difficult for her to use her right wing.  You can sort of see it in the photo here.  The wing sort of swoops out like an angel's wing.  The sign with her information said she loves human interaction and we definitely felt like she was as interested in us as we were in her. She was my second favorite animal at the zoo.  I'll get to my very favorite next.

This is Bella.  Her owner gave her up, after becoming sick with cancer.  I really could have spent the whole day with her.  I felt such a strong connection to her and fell in love with her sweet personality. I went back to her several times during our visit actually.  She smiled by showing her teeth each time and a few times ran around excitedly, as if she was showing off for us.  I totally cried when it was time to leave her!  Two other sweet monkeys that I believe came from the same owner were next to Bella and they were equally beautiful.

This is Zena and Chewie.  I think I have their names correct!  I believe they are older, so they didn't try quite as hard as Bella to entertain us.  They mostly seemed content with sitting peacefully and watching us watch them.

So I'm certain I could easily write a paragraph on every animal there, but I really think you need to visit for yourself and make sure to buy something from the gift shop or put some change in the donation box, because every little bit helps to care for all these amazing animals.

Red Run Lodge

I've blogged about these cabins before, twice to be exact, but I keep being drawn back to them.  Driving past them recently, we realized they seem much more noticeable than previously.  I suppose maybe it's the change in the seasons, the trees haven't quite bloomed yet and are mostly still without leaves.  In past times, I've gone alone, but this time Donnie and the boys (and two stuffed dogs) came along.  

The property that houses these cabins is currently for sale.  I'd like to think that someone will purchase it and meticulously restore these cabins to their former glory using old photographs and souvenir postcards. I think the reality is that even if the property sells anytime soon, these cabins will likely be destroyed.  I actually found an old postcard online, to give you an idea of how amazing this area used to look.  You can view my other posts about this property here and here. And if you have a spare half million dollars, you should consider buying this property.  I would be happy to help with the restoration process!
 

All of the cabins are starting to really fall into disrepair.  Since my last visit, this one has lost a rear wall.

The remains of the curtains hint at the cabin's former beauty.

My little dudes and their dogs were great brave explorers!

Even in its current state, this cabin is adorable!

I wanted there to be treasure inside.  I don't think this old bed counts.

This cabin was my favorite!  It was a bath house with two sides, presumably one for men and one for women.  This side still had a little pink plastic soap dish and the remains of the prettiest shower curtains.

De Leon Springs

Last Wednesday, I flew to Florida to spend some time with my brother and to go to Camp Tumbleweeds.  I was so so glad to spend some time with my brother.  We don't get to see each other nearly enough and he is one of my absolute favorite people!  My flight didn't get in until the evening, so we ate dinner and caught up a bit.  Before coming, my brother had mentioned a restaurant where you make your own pancakes.  Obviously I was going to be up for that!  So Thursday morning, we made the brief drive to De Leon Springs State Park, as in Ponce De Leon.  Remember him from history class?  There is an actual springs there that looked quite refreshing and a gorgeous lake for fishing and boating, but we were not there to swim or fish. We were there for pancakes!  Beside the springs, there is an old sugar mill that has been turned into a restaurant.  There are grills on each table, along with cooking spray and several different syrups.  When you order pancakes, the waitress brings out pitchers of batter and any additions you'd like (I added bananas!) and you get right to cooking!  It was so fun and the pancakes were delicious!  You even cook your own eggs, if you order those, and you can eat all the pancakes you are able to cook.  I was stuffed after only two banana pancakes and an order of bacon, one of the few things they cook for you.  We walked around the park to let all the yummy food settle and then set off.  I'll share the rest of our day together in a later post!

Pumpkin Picking

On Sunday we took the boys to Gray Wolf Plantation.  There are so many options for pumpkin buying in our area and we ended up here purely by accident, after not being able to find our originally planned destination.  This was a fun little farm with free hay rides to the pumpkin fields, big boxes of corn with buckets and shovels to play in, a corn maze, and a little store full of fall goodies.  The boys really enjoyed trekking through the muddy fields of pumpkins and we left with a little red wagon full of pumpkins and gourds that are now decorating our front porch and dining room table.  Hooray for finally feeling like autumn around here!

 

Tayamentasachta

I know that title seems like I just threw a bunch of letters together, but this actually the name of a center for environmental studies not too far from our town.  It's actually owned by a school district and I can remember taking trips there when I was in elementary school.  I've been working on a list of mostly free things to do with the boys and was surprised to learn that the area is open to the public, so we took the boys there for a nature walk and to explore the grounds.  It's a lovely area that you can learn more about here.  If you're local, I suggest a visit!

Family Adventures ~ Catoctin Zoo

A few Saturdays ago we headed to a nearby zoo, as an early celebration for Donnie's birthday.  My husband is the biggest animal lover and always requests to go to the zoo for his birthday.  I know he really wanted to head to the National Zoo in D.C., but we slept in and went to the Catoctin Zoo instead.  It's a really lovely zoo and there were tons of animals, from big lazy kitties to lots of adorable babies.  It was our first visit, but I know it won't be our last!  I took over 200 pictures, but I'll just share a few of my favorite animals!

Afternoon Nature Walk

We are really fortunate to live in an area that is surrounded by parks and state forests.  There are many points on the Appalachian Trail that are only a short distance away.  We love taking walks when the weather is nice and the nearby trails are perfect.  Now walking with two toddlers isn't always the most productive thing.  They stop to pick up every rock and stick, need mommy and daddy to carry them, and always have to pee!  We still manage to have fun, though, and appreciate the beauty around us!