Explore the Area

Tips To Avoid Blisters When You’re Hiking

January 9, 2018 by Dave Witzel

If you’re going camping and planning to take a hike while you’re there, you should be prepared for some blisters. Well, there are a few ways to avoid such damage to your feet and enjoy hiking on the natural trails in your campsite. Here’s what you need to know.

Make sure your hiking boots are fitting properly. Those that chafe or have pressure points will definitely cause blisters. The hiking boots should be watertight to prevent any moisture but also be breathable to allow the escape of any foot sweat. Find hiking boots with a scree collar that removes any debris such as dirt or pebbles that might cause blisters when you’re walking.
Always make sure your toenails are trimmed completely and remove any ingrown parts. Without doing this, you’re creating sharp edges that can irritate your skin, wear out the socks and cause blisters when you’re hiking.
Blisters often form on soft feet, especially those without calluses. Therefore, before going on your hiking trip, you should try walking barefoot around the house to form calluses on your feet. Of course, you should be careful about stepping on sharp objects that might cause wounds thus making your hiking adventure more difficult.
Your socks should always be clean, dry and soft. Don’t wear socks with seams that might rub on your feet. You should consider purchasing a polypropylene sock liner that’s easy to replace when the feet get damp. Therefore, during the hiking trip, your feet will always remain dry and free from any blisters. Additionally, you can avoid the growth of fungus that might damage your feet. Don’t wear cotton socks on your hiking trip because they will soak the moisture and retain it making your entire trip very uncomfortable.

With these useful tips, you can always avoid those pesky blisters and keep your feet looking and feeling good.

Basic Birding for Beginners

October 28, 2017 by Dave Witzel

Perhaps you have always loved birding but have not had the time to really learn how it’s done. Are you currently considering a camping trip where you could enjoy birding with the family? Well, if you’re a novice to birding, here are some ideas you can consider.

Always keep close track of the bird instead of flipping through your guide to identify it. You should stufy the bird to distinguish its markings, song, feeding habits, movements and size, then jot these details down within your diary.
Listen closely for bird songs and calls because they are the easiest way to identify birds. You could always listen while you’re looking directly on the bird to help make the proper identification.
Estimate the overall shape and size from the bird to assist you in identifying the right family it comes from. You can estimate how big the bird is with regard to other more familiar ones for easier identification.
Take a good look with the facial markings and characteristics including strips, patches of color, eye lines, eye arcs and a lot more. You need to make a note of any markings around the bill since different birds have varying bill characteristics.
Next, you should identify the details on the tail, wings and overall body. You can identify these characteristics with the bird in flight or stationary.
Glance at the length and hue of the bird’s legs and just how they impact the movement and flight. Depending upon the length and type of feet, the bird should be giving clues of its species by its jumping from every branch, swooping up or down and flying outside.
Identify the feeding habits like foraging all over the camping site, clinging to the bark of trees, and other signals.

Now you can record your observations about the bird such as the region, climate, and the place you identified it. This way, when you’re exploring the bird guide later, you can actually identify it.

Madison County Orchards for Fruit, Veggies, and Fun

October 7, 2017 by Dave Witzel

We’re fortunate to have three Pick-Your-Own orchards in our county. Our campers are often surprised to learn of the many activities that take place at them, other than just growing fine food.

Graves Mountain Farm, at 141 Apple Tree Lane, in Syria, VA.
They grow the most mouth watering apples you could even hope to taste. You can visit them in the Fall from early September until late in October. They hold an Apple Harvest Festival with bluegrass music, cloggers, craft vendors, and lots of other activities. You can see apple butter being made in kettles and visit with the farm animals. It’s lots and lots of fun. You can also get some apples while you are there, by the way.

Kipps Grapes, at 6943 South Blue Ridge Turnpike, in Rochelle, Va
Around August, depending on when the fruit ripens, you can pick grapes, apples, and peaches. They also make their own jams, jellies, and sauces from their crops. It’s a gorgeous place to stroll with beautiful views of area pastures and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Sunrise Gardens, at 114 Sunrise Lane, in Brightwood, VA
You can find beans, blackberries, blueberries, raspberries, and strawberries at this orchard. They use natural growing practices though do not advertise as organic. They are open from mid-May to mid-September and do have eggs sometimes, too.

You can find out more about each of these Madison County, Va orchards at PickYourOwn.Org

We hope you get a chance to visit a local orchard while you are in the area. There is nothing like the experience of picking fruit with the kids. It is something they will always remember and eating all of that goodness afterward is reward for work well done.

Join Us And Experience The Virginia Piedmont

November 19, 2016 by Dave Witzel

Not only are we within an hour of Washington D.C., Fredericksburg, and Charlottesville but we are right in the middle of the beautiful Virginia Piedmont.

Madison – which was named after James Madison’s family, offers several wineries in the area which welcome visitors. You’re not far from Shenandoah National Park and the Appalachian Trail.
www.madison-va.com

Fauquier – The heart of Virginia’s horse and wine country. There are more than twenty wineries for you to visit. You’ll be impressed by the award winning wines you have the opportunity to sample. They all make great gifts to bring back to those unfortunate friends that couldn’t come with you.
www.madison-va.com

Culpeper – Still making history. It is the home of the only legal moonshine distillery in Virginia; Belmont Farm. You’ll see how it is made and hear stories that have been passed down for generation within the family. It is rich in history of Civil War battlefields and proudly hosts 215 million year old dinosaur tracks at the Museum of Culpeper History.
www.visitculpeperva.com

Rappahannock – in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains. The community is small and charming, known for breathtaking landscapes, orchards and farms. They possess a love of theater and you can enjoy a performance at The Theatre House at Castleton Farms, home of Maestro Lorin and Dietlinde Maazel, a legendary and world renowned conductor.
www.rappahannock.com/visit-rappahannock

Orange – Home of Barboursville and Horton Vineyards. The history is palpable in this memorable community. Orange County Civil War sites offer an historical perspective of the war and the people who fought it.
www.visitorangevirginia.com

There truly is so much to experience here and it’s all just a short drive away. You can spend the day exploring and then return to Shenandoah Hills for a relaxing evening under the stars and in front of a campfire.

Be sure to check out our reservation page and book your stay with us. We look forward to seeing you.