February 19, 2025 • 66 mins
Virginia’s breathtaking outdoor destinations, hidden gems, & exciting activities for RVers & adventurers alike, host of Virginia Outdoor Adventures Podcast, Jessica Bowser. Places mentioned:
Thousand Trails Harbor View in Colonial Beach
First Landing State Park Bethpage Camp Resort Urbanna, VA
Occoneechee State Park Shenandoah National Park
George Washington National Forest Kiptopeke State Park
False Cape State Park no RVs Breaks Interstate Park
Thousand Trails Virginia Landing Quinby, VA
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Are you ready to explore the stunning landscapes,
hidden gems and outdooradventure Virginia has to offer?
Then this episode is for you.
I'm Pettie Hunt and you'relistening to the RV Life Podcast
.
There is no better person toguide us through all things
(00:24):
Virginia than native Virginianhost of the Virginia Outdoor
Adventures podcast, jessicaBowser.
She will share must-see spotsand unforgettable experiences,
and I am so excited to have heron.
Now my background I traveledfull-time in an RV for three
(00:45):
years with my husband.
We crossed the country back andforth three and a half times
and after my husband became illthis past year, I have made some
major changes.
I'm now in a home inPennsylvania and traveling by
car and train and plane, and Ihave some new things coming as
(01:07):
my new chapters begin, so staytuned to hear more about that.
Virginia is one of those placesI've traveled to often, but I
am excited to hear more aboutwhat there is to see and do in
Virginia.
To see and do in Virginia.
The RV Life podcast was createdto educate, entertain and
(01:28):
explore the RV lifestyle, withthe mission to inspire you to
live life to the fullest.
This week, what you Need toKnow is brought to you by Open
Road Resorts and they havelocations in Idaho, nebraska,
new Mexico, and two in Texas.
Now, it's really cold in mostof the country right now, as we
(01:50):
are still in the middle ofwinter, but those of you who are
looking ahead at visitingYellowstone National Park, red
Rock RV Park in Idaho is a greatplace to look into.
It is 22 miles from the westernentrance of Yellowstone and two
hours from Jacksonville,wyoming and Boisman, montana.
(02:12):
It is one of the highest ratedparks in the area.
So what you need to know thisweek.
Virginia is for lovers is thetourism and travel slogan of the
US Commonwealth of Virginia,and it was named that back in
1969.
And, from what I understand, alot of people got together and
(02:33):
said you know, virginia is formountain lovers and animal
lovers and history lovers, winelovers, beach lovers, and so
that was too long a slogan andthey finally settled on Virginia
is for lovers, and this is avery well-known slogan across
the world.
That is what you need to knowthis week and it's brought to
(02:56):
you by Open Road Resorts and youcan find out all about their
properties at openroadresortscom.
Now let's get to Jessica Bowser.
I am so excited.
This is a former fourth gradeteacher and conservation
advocate.
Jessica launched VirginiaOutdoor Adventures podcast
(03:18):
because she wanted to provide aplatform for Virginians of all
backgrounds to tell theirstories, to share their
connections to the outdoors andto build local community where
the outdoors are for everyone.
She also wanted to tell thesestories through a conversation
lens to encourage others to bestewards of the outdoors.
(03:39):
Jessica is passionate aboutfeaturing outdoor recreation and
travel opportunities close tohome, while also supporting
local businesses, tourism andeconomic development.
Jessica is an avid hiker,cyclist, climber, backpacker,
kayaker, photographer,birdwatcher and earned the
(04:00):
Virginia State Parks MasterHiker designation.
Wow, welcome to the RV LifePodcast, jessica.
Thanks, patti, I'm so excitedto be here.
I'm so excited to have you Nowjust for my listeners.
I like them to have a backstorylike really know what the
podcast looks like.
We've been trying to schedulethis show for weeks and I know
(04:24):
you were under the weather.
Anybody listening now couldhear my voice is not great.
I'm a little congested.
Hopefully we'll both getthrough the podcast sounding
good, but you were a fourthgrade teacher and now a podcast
host.
What's your story?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Well, it's kind of a long one, so I'm going to try to
keep it short.
But yes, I was a fourth gradeteacher in Fairfax County Public
Schools for many years, andafter several years of teaching,
I transitioned into a publiceducation policy and advocacy
career, and I did that for aboutanother decade, and I was
working in a nonprofit when thepandemic started and I was laid
(05:06):
off from my job, and so I wassitting at home trying to figure
out what I was going to do withmy time, just like everybody
else.
And long before the pandemicstarted, I had many friends who
were prompting me to eitherwrite a book or start a blog
about Virginia's outdoors, andthe reason for that is because I
am a big outdoor enthusiast.
(05:27):
I love to travel around thestate, and the educator side of
me also wanted to share thoseexperiences with my friends and
my neighbors and my family, andso every time that I would visit
a new outdoor location or havean outdoor experience, I would
share it on social media, butwith information that would tell
(05:48):
people like here's what makesus unique and here's why you
might want to experience thistoo.
And if you do want to, here arethe resources you need to be
able to plan it.
And so I think people startedto recognize that I had that
skill set of being able to shareinformation and encourage
people to take on theseadventures themselves.
And so when the pandemic startedand I was trying to figure out
(06:09):
what to do with my time, I waskind of toying with this idea.
But I didn't really want towrite a book or start a blog.
And somehow the idea of apodcast came to me, maybe
because I had just startedlistening to podcasts myself
around that time.
But I thought, you know, let mejust give this a shot.
And you know, of course I knewit wouldn't be as easy as it
looked.
It ended up being a whole lotless easy than it looks.
(06:32):
But I will say that I decidedto give it a try and to my
surprise it really took off.
And I think nobody was moresurprised than I was.
I was like, who are all thesepeople who are listening to this
podcast I put out.
But I think the timing was right.
You know it was during COVID.
People were trying to getoutside in a safe place and stay
close to home, and what'sunique about Virginia Outdoor
(06:54):
Adventures podcast is that it isopportunities that are close to
home.
So for people who live inVirginia, these are day
experiences or weekend tripsthat they can take.
And for a lot of folks at thattime they were saying, wow, I've
lived here my whole life, orI've lived here for years and
years and I never knew that thisexisted.
Or you know that this park wasjust around the corner from my
(07:16):
house or this opportunity was,you know, less than a day away.
So you know it opened people'seyes because now people, you
know at that time people werelooking for places closer to
home and so I think it kind ofhit it.
It landed at the right time,but it has just gone on since
then.
That was four years ago andit's we're still going strong
(07:36):
over here at Virginia OutdoorAdventures and that's a great
story.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I love to hear people's stories.
I felt the same way.
I've lived in Pennsylvania,outside the Philadelphia area,
my entire life and then when Iwent RVing, so for my RV
listeners, sometimes we wantthose bigger adventures which
we're going to talk about, but Igo to areas that I had been to
many, many times.
(08:00):
Seeing it, being there, findingthe on, you know the things you
don't necessarily hear about,it was like, wow, this is in my
backyard, lancaster, forinstance, lancaster,
pennsylvania, it's in mybackyard, basically, and there
were so many things Iexperienced and saw that I
hadn't in the whole time growingup not far from there.
(08:21):
So you know, I think it's likeyou said, I've spent a lot of
time in Virginia.
Virginia has so much to offer,like many areas around the
country, so I'm really gratefulthat you were able to get on the
show and share some of thesegreat experience we could offer
to my RVers and for people whodon't have an RV.
(08:44):
There are a lot of places thatyou could go for a day or we're
going to talk about all of it,we are going to talk about it
all.
So let's start.
This is February that thisepisode is coming out and we're
just recording the week before,but there's a lot to do in
Virginia in the winter.
Can you give us some of thosethings before you do?
I do want to talk to peopleabout this idea of RVing in the
(09:05):
winter.
Can you give us some of thosethings Before you do?
I do want to talk to peopleabout this idea of RVing in the
winter, and I've got to shareAirSkirt, which is a hassle-free
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(09:29):
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You could take it down inminutes stores easily and the
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That's RV POD.
So for those people thinkingabout being in Virginia right
(09:49):
now, but it is cold.
It just snowed there, I think,last week.
It was nasty.
I just traveled down toVirginia a couple of weeks ago.
It's cold.
This is a way for people to gocamping and keep themselves
warmer, but give us some ofthose things to do in Virginia
in the winter.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Absolutely.
It's funny you say that becausewe've gotten more snow this
year than we have in past yearsand we're about to get hit with
another big storm this week.
So it's been an interestingyear, but it's a good excuse to
get out those snowshoes orcross-country skis, or your sled
or whatever you might have hasbeen collecting dust in the
closet.
But that being said, there is alot to do here in Virginia and
(10:31):
a lot of it is truly unique.
I think, for example, mostpeople are very surprised to
learn that we have ice climbinghere in Virginia, and even my
listeners have said what Iceclimbing in the South.
But actually, if you go up tothe Blue Ridge, there are quite
a few really great ice climbinglocations, as long as the
weather cooperates, and thisyear has been one of those years
(10:54):
where we have had moreopportunities to ice climb than
we have in past years because ofthe freezing cold temperatures
that we've had for extendedperiods of time.
So, especially off the BlueRidge Parkway, there's some
really great locations wherewater will seep out of the rocks
on cliff edges and as thatwater seeps out and freezes, it
(11:16):
develops what looks like afrozen waterfall, and that's a
perfect opportunity to go iceclimbing.
So ice climbing is somethingthat most people are like a
little bit intimidated by.
You know you don't, most peopledon't own the right equipment
or you know they don't know howto find a guide.
But I have a really greatpodcast episode about ice
(11:36):
climbing that is very beginnerfriendly and talks about
everything you need to know,like where the locations are,
how to find a guide, how to rentequipment or how to get or
borrow equipment from a guide,and when the right times are,
how to keep an eye on theweather so that you know when
opportunities might be coming up, and even some listservs and
(11:57):
Facebook groups that you canjoin to get the right
information, because it'susually a short window of time
when ice climbing is availableand you kind of have to keep an
eye on it so that you can beready to go at a moment's notice
.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
As you're talking about ice climbing.
This is not necessarily thesport for me.
I'm not a huge fan of thewinter, but as I travel around
now and do it more by car ortrain or plane around now, and
do it more by car or train orplane I think there's something
to be said for being in the.
It would be a beautifulexperience, I think, to see the
(12:31):
water that looks like a frozenwaterfall.
That would be beautiful.
I could take pictures, but forme I'm probably staying on the
ground.
To be totally transparent, itdoes not sound like my cup of
tea, but that's something thatI've never even really heard of.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Well, I'll just say, as somebody who was also
inexperienced and went out forthe first time recently, it is
easier than you might think.
Even for people who may havetried rock climbing, I find it
even easier than rock climbingbecause when you're rock
climbing you're always lookingfor the next hole to put your
hands or your feet to hoistyourself up, whereas with ice
(13:09):
climbing you don't need to.
You just jam the spikes of yourcrampons into the snow and
you're and the pick of your iceaxe and up you go.
So it's really not thatdifficult and it can be beginner
friendly.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Wow, Okay.
Well, that's a good one,Something brand new for my
listeners.
Let's talk about what else isthere to do in Virginia over the
next.
We're going to have at leasttwo more months of this cold
weather.
What other things do yourecommend?
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Sure.
So another activity that reallysurprises people is whale
watching off the coast ofVirginia Beach.
So this doesn't require anyphysical activity at all but is
a very unique opportunity to seewildlife, and the reason why
this is the winter activity isbecause the whales are migrating
through this area this time ofyear, so you can't see them in
(14:00):
the summer or the warmer months.
It's an activity that isexclusive to winter and there
are a couple of different boats,tour guides one of them is the
Virginia Aquarium, that you canregister for one of these tours
and I will say it is weatherdependent and weather extends
beyond just what we see on landbut also to on the water.
(14:22):
So if the waves or the water isjust too rough, a trip could
get canceled.
So that's something you want tokeep in mind and maybe have a
plan B.
But it is a really uniqueopportunity to see fin whales
and right whales and humpbackwhales just off the coast of
Virginia Beach Wow that soundsincredible.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Now, I did stay one time nearby the coast.
I think it was called ColonialBeach RV Park.
I will put that in the shownotes as soon as I figure out
what place that was.
So for people passing through,they're going to be around for a
couple days.
That could be something theycould try and plan Again,
weather really dependent, butthat would be a very cool
(15:06):
experience.
I would love to do that.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
It truly is, and if you are planning a trip to
Virginia Beach, myrecommendation for a campground
would be First Landing StatePark, which is also in Virginia
Beach, and that park isbeautiful.
It's a very unique settingbecause it is in a cypress swamp
, and the other cool thing thatyou can see at First Landing
(15:30):
State Park in the winter is aphenomenon called rainbow swamp,
and if you're not familiar withrainbow swamp, what happens is
the cypress trees drop theirleaves in fall and then those
leaves start to decompose in theswamp and tannins from the
leaves mix with the water and itcreates what looks like a
(15:50):
rainbow effect on the top of thewater.
So as you're walking the trailsor the boardwalk through the
swamp, you may see what lookslike this beautiful rainbow,
very brightly colored across thetop of the water, and people
come to First Landing State Parkjust to see that phenomenon in
winter.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Wow, that sounds amazing.
These are things I've neverheard of, so this is, this is
really cool.
Okay, there's also and you saidfor the winter, I think you
talked about stargazing Is thatmore winter thing, and why so
stargazing?
Is that more winter thing, andwhy?
Speaker 2 (16:24):
So stargazing is appropriate any time of year.
However, it's especially goodin winter because the skies are
really clear.
You don't have that summer heatand humidity that creates a
haze in the air, and so theskies are especially clear and
the viewing is fantastic.
If you can tolerate the cold inwinter at night, this is one of
(16:46):
the better times to gostargazing, and here in virginia
we have quite a few officiallydesignated dark sky parks.
Four of them are virginia stateparks, and because of that
there are wonderfulopportunities for astronomy
programs and stargazing programsthat each of the parks hosts.
(17:07):
And even beyond just the fourdesignated dark sky parks, there
are other state parks inVirginia that host these
astronomy programs as well.
So if you go on the VirginiaState Parks website and you just
search under night sky or darksky or astronomy, you should be
able to pull up all of theupcoming events.
But I would highly recommendthat In the early spring,
(17:32):
stanton River State Park, whichis down near the southern border
in Virginia.
That was the very firstofficially designated dark sky
park, and twice a year they havewhat they call a star party,
once in the fall and once in thespring, and that is when um
astronomers come from all aroundthe area and they set up their
(17:53):
telescopes out in the field andthere's usually a public viewing
night where anybody from thepublic can come into the park
and go around and actually lookthrough all of the telescopes
and talk to the people who ownthe telescopes about what
they're seeing.
And it's just a really coolopportunity.
I mean, certainly you can visitone of these parks anytime on
(18:15):
your own.
Maybe you have your owntelescope or maybe you go to a
public library and you borrowone.
But what's really neat is to goduring a star party where you
can go around and look at otherpeople's telescopes, and some of
these people's telescopes areso big that they have to rent a
U-Haul to get the telescope tothe park.
I mean, they are enormous.
So that opportunity happenstwice a year and early spring is
(18:38):
one of them.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
So I'm definitely you're going to have to stay in
touch because I'm definitelygoing to come down for that in
the spring.
You're talking my language now.
I'm not that big on the coldweather but that sounds amazing
and I know for my listeners whoare RVers they're thinking where
can I go, where can I stay?
And we've mentioned a couple ofplaces and throughout this
(19:02):
podcast episode I'm going torecommend that people go to
campgroundsrvlifecom.
They could type in any area ofVirginia and find city, state,
national parks.
They could find resorts,campgrounds, any kind of place
that you know for an RVer tostay in the area, or some of the
(19:24):
parks that you've mentioned.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
And could I just mention some options for that.
Go ahead yeah.
So, Stanton River State Park hasa campground.
In addition, they also havecabins, and these cabins are
original cabins that were builtby the Civilian Conservation
Corps in the 1930s and they havebeen recently renovated, and so
, if you know, somebody doesn'town an RV or they just want the
(19:49):
experience of staying in ahistoric cabin.
There is wonderfulopportunities, but you will have
to plan very far ahead, becausethese star parties happen two
times a year and everybodyusually knows when they are many
months in advance.
So getting a cabin for a starparty might be a little more
challenging.
But there is a campground and,if those are full, there is
(20:10):
another state park not too faraway called Okaneechi State Park
, and that is located on BugsIsland Lake.
So if you're looking for somelakefront camping, that's a
wonderful opportunity where theyhave both a campground and some
nicer, newer cabins as well.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Okay, because I will definitely need a cabin.
Most of my listeners know thatI've come out of the RV and now
I'm traveling.
You know various other ways, socabins is definitely the way
that I'm going to stay.
So I'm going to jump on that.
You know, as I said, it'salready February.
People are planning for thespring spring and we'll, you
know, find out the dates of thestar parties and put it in the
(20:50):
show notes and people can plan.
Now it can be a little tough forpeople to be able to stay in
Virginia during the cold.
People have to be preparedbecause it could still be cold
in the quote unquote spring inVirginia.
The weather's been really crazyacross the country this year,
but as people are travelingacross the country, I just want
(21:11):
to mention Open Roads Fuel Cardwhile I'm talking about travel,
because people are now makingtheir plans for spring.
Open Roads Fuel Card is adiesel fuel card and it could
save anywhere from 40 cents andup sometimes 10 or 15 cents.
The average is about 40something cents.
I did an episode on February5th where I talked to two
(21:37):
incredible women from Open Roadsand they talked about the fuel
card and a toll transponder thatcovers all 48 states you can go
back and listen to that episodeas well as 12 couples that have
used the Upper Roads fuel cardand exactly how much money they
saved, and everybody was shocked.
So I highly recommend thatlet's go to spring now.
(22:01):
People are a lot of my listenersare looking to travel in the
spring.
So, just so you know, mylisteners consist of full-time
RVers, part-time RVers, butpeople who are looking to get
out.
So a cabin is a greatsuggestion for people who are
looking to explore and travelbut don't have that RV.
(22:22):
So a lot of the places that youmentioned have the cabins.
Some of the campgrounds thatI'll talk about also has that
possibility of cabin rentals,but so a lot of people are
making plans for spring.
What is there?
What can you recommend inVirginia in the spring?
Speaker 2 (22:42):
So much.
Where do I even begin?
So one of my favorite times tovisit the coast in Virginia is
both winter and spring, and alot of people don't think about
going to the beach in the coldermonths.
They think that the beach isfor the summer.
But I will just tell you, thebeach in winter and early spring
is just phenomenal.
(23:02):
It is such a lovely experiencebecause you don't have the
crowds and you don't have thepeople everywhere and you also
don't have the peak prices thatyou would normally get other
times of the year.
And Virginia has a lot ofcoastline.
Not only do we have theAtlantic Ocean and the entire
(23:23):
Chesapeake Bay Coast, but wealso have Virginia's River Realm
and there's a lot of fantastictowns, and one that I would
really love to recommend is thesmall town of Urbana, and that
is a cute little.
I would call it an oyster town.
That's their main, their oh God, sorry, I'm getting brain fog
(23:46):
that's their what am I trying tosay?
Their main economy.
That sound right?
Yes, your editor's going tohave to work on this part, sorry
.
So it is a it's a charminglittle historic town in Virginia
and there's a lot to do if youenjoy the water, but many of the
campgrounds are right on theriver and that's why I think
(24:09):
your listeners would reallyenjoy Urbana, because there are
so many campgrounds right on thewater where you can fish, you
can boat, and many of thesecampgrounds also have a lot of
activities and many of thesecampgrounds also have a lot of
activities, so they catertowards RVers and campers and
they have a lot going on as faras events and different things
(24:30):
that you can participate allseason long.
So I would recommend Urbana asa charming little town with a
cute little main street andhistoric buildings, and there's
a lot of history and a lot ofcharm to that town.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Historic buildings and there's a lot of history and
a lot of charm to that town andI believe and I'll look it up
there are campgrounds in thearea I believe Thousand Trails,
which is a membership program,and I'll put it in the show
notes when I, after I, look itup.
We're both having a little bitof brain fog, but there's so
much information so there'sgoing to be a lot in the show
notes.
(25:02):
I believe there is a ThousandTrails campground there and,
yeah, we'll talk more about that.
I'll put it in the show notesand look into that, because it
looked like a beautifulcampground is something that
(25:24):
you're potentially interested in.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
I have on my podcast what I call a series called
Virginia's Adventure Towns,where I cover towns across the
state that would appeal tooutdoor adventurers, so all the
outdoor adventure activities inthe area, plus dining, lodging
and attractions, because youknow when you go into a town,
it's not just outdoor stuff thatyou're doing, it's the whole
package.
So I do have an episode thatfeatures the town of Urbana, so
if your listeners are trying tofind more, they can learn more
(25:47):
on that episode.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Okay, and you'll give me the episode information,
we'll put it in the show notes.
And I personally, as I'vedriven across the country.
So when my husband suggested wego RVing, sell everything, go
full-time.
I had only ever been in an RVfor seven nights, like that was
it.
That was my experience.
So I was trying to figure out,well, what would this look like,
(26:09):
what would we do?
And he said, well, we couldvisit every national park in the
country.
And I was like, okay, I wasn'ttotally excited about that,
totally excited about that.
And so three and a half years offull-time RVing, we had gone to
zero national parks, not onesingle national park.
(26:29):
And you're making a face likemost people do when I tell them
that.
But the reason is I prefer thelittle towns like Urbana and the
quaint little towns and the offthe beaten path type places.
That's what we kind of fell inlove with as we traveled across
the country.
We had been, to, say, sedona inArizona, very popular,
(26:53):
beautiful place, glad I went.
But exploring the other areaswas just for me.
That's what I looked forward to.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yes, patti, I couldn't agree more.
There is something specialabout finding a hidden gem that
nobody else knows about.
And then you feel like whydidn't everybody tell me about
this?
And it's because nobody knowsit's a hidden gem.
And that's what I try to do onmy podcast is to find those
hidden gems and bring them tolight so that other people can
(27:21):
discover them too.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Yes, and that's what I love sharing with my RV
listeners these kinds of thingsto help them get out there and
find the things that find, theplaces, the people, the
exploration that they might notbe able to easily find.
So that's great.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Right, and I think would you agree with me, patti,
that like some of the nationalparks are so crowded that it
sometimes takes the joy out ofvisiting.
I mean, when you're stuck in acrowd of people it just sort of
zaps the excitement out of nowyou're dealing with people
instead of what you came thereto do.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
And see, and I'd say that I agree with you, but I
don't know because I haven'tbeen to.
And I'd say that I agree withyou, but I don't know because I
haven't been to, so I can'thonestly speak to that.
But yes, I get it and there arecertainly not to knock the
national parks for either of us.
There are certainly nationalparks that I want to go back to,
(28:18):
the Shenandoah Valley, and myexperience with that was we were
staying about an hour away andwe went to that area of
Shenandoah Valley, but we wentto Luray Caverns, which was just
one of the most amazingexperiences I've ever had.
(28:38):
So let's talk a little bit moreabout, maybe, that area.
We're jumping all over theplace here because that's what
we do on the RV Life podcast, soI think that's great.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Yeah, the Shenandoah Valley is a beautiful part of
Virginia because it issurrounded by mountains.
You've got Shenandoah NationalPark to the east and then you've
got the George WashingtonNational Forest to the west and
the West Virginia border.
So it sits in this little bowlin between those two mountain
(29:10):
ranges and there's so manyopportunities.
Again, going back to nationalparks and crowds, most people go
to Shenandoah National Park butif you want to get away from
the crowds, there are somefantastic camping and hiking
opportunities in the GeorgeWashington National Forest and
it's just on the other side.
So it's the same distance, it'sequally as close, but if you
(29:32):
want the solitude that's what Iwould recommend Go to that area.
But Shenandoah National Park,because it's a park, has
amenities and a lot of peopleare looking for amenities.
So that's the difference and Ithink that's why parks tend to
get more attention than some ofthese other places is because
for people who want a visitorcenter and a gift shop and
(29:54):
rentals and picnic grounds andcampgrounds and toilets, that
flush, you know, have thosethings, whereas some of these
other national forests or otherpublic lands that don't have
amenities, they can't offer thesame amenities.
So I think that's why nationalparks get more attention.
(30:14):
But it's not a bad idea tospread the love and spread out a
little bit and explore some ofthe trails less taken.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
And I talk to a lot of people that want those other
suggestions.
So I'm glad that you're able togive my listeners these other
suggestions, and you know I meanpeople.
I have listeners that travel inRVs, that are they can sustain
themselves for five days, sevendays, and they're fine.
So it's great to give thoseoptions.
(30:46):
So I appreciate that.
Okay, so let's get into morespring, summer.
I'm leaving this up to you.
You're the expert here inVirginia.
Okay, what else can you?
Speaker 2 (30:58):
share.
Well, since we were justtalking about the Shenandoah
Valley and caves, I wanted toadd that there are quite a few
commercial caves in that area.
You mentioned Luray, and that'sprobably one of the more
popular ones, because I think itmight be one of the older ones,
but Luray Caverns is a hugeattraction in the area.
There are several other cavernsShenandoah Caverns is one that
(31:21):
comes to mind, I think EndlessCaverns is one.
I don't remember them all offthe top of my head, but that is
a very unique experience too,because most people will never
get to go in a cave.
And here is an area where thereare multiple opportunities to
go into caves.
And then I also wanted tomention that there's wild caving
(31:41):
opportunities too.
For, for any of your listenerswho are a little more
adventurous, uh, the differencebetween commercial caves and
wild caving is a commercial cave, you buy a ticket, you go in on
a, on an organized tour.
You know you don't need to, youdon't need any special
equipment or anything like that.
Usually you know the, the pathsthat they take you on are, you
(32:03):
know, pretty well traveled andyou know it's like.
It's like taking a tour,whereas while caving you've got
to put on a helmet and have aheadlamp and, you know, maybe
even knee pads, and you might bedoing some stooping and some
crawling or, depending on whereyou are, maybe you're in a wide
open cavern, but it's wild.
(32:24):
So that comes with a warning,though you never, ever, ever
want to go into a cave byyourself.
I mean that could very easilyturn into a life or death
situation if you are unpreparedand you're not doing it safely.
But if wild caving is somethingthat might interest you, the
proper way to do it is through alocal grotto or to hire an
(32:45):
experienced guide who has theappropriate permits, so there
are great opportunities forcaving in that area too.
That is, that is just such aunique experience.
It's, it's really incredible togo into a place that very few
people have ever gone before, togo into a place that very few
people have ever gone before,and caves are so unique that
(33:07):
it's you feel like you're onanother planet, between the
formations and the glitteringminerals in the rocks and
underground waterfalls andwildlife that doesn't live on
the surface.
I mean truly.
It is just unreal.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Wow, that's amazing and I know when we talked we
kind of did just a brief.
I'm learning things today thatI never knew about.
So this is awesome.
I hope my listeners are takingnotes.
Well, if they're listening tothis while driving in the car
exercising, they can look at theshow notes.
But this is incredible too.
I'd love to give my listenersthese things that you don't hear
about all the time.
So this is this has been great.
(33:49):
I am learning so much and I amabout three hours to Virginia,
so I'm going to come check outthese things myself.
Like I can't wait to check outthe stargazing.
That, to me, is something thatjust sounds.
That sounds amazing.
I went into Leroy Cavern and Ireally loved the story behind it
(34:15):
.
It's just such a cool place.
You feel like you are, like yousaid, on another planet.
Cool place.
You feel like you are, like yousaid, on another planet.
The stories that how it wasfound, and it was an experience
for sure and I highly recommendit.
I'm not sure about going in acave, I'm not sure about wild
caving, but we'll, we'll, we'llsee about that.
(34:37):
That's OK.
It's not for everyone.
Maybe I'll get a tour guide andI'll do that.
Just expand my comfort zone.
Step out of my comfort zone.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
It does challenge you .
I will say, it challenged me alittle bit, but I feel like I
came out better for it, so I'lljust throw that in there.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Okay, and there was something to be said for pushing
your boundaries.
I mean certainly getting in anRV full-time, selling everything
, going in an RV full time.
If that wasn't, you know,pushing my limits, then I don't
know what the caving wild cavingshouldn't be that big a deal.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Well, right, and to your point, everybody has
different feelings about whattheir limits are and everybody's
looking for a differentexperience.
But, yes, there are examples oftimes when we do things that
other people would say, what areyou crazy?
Speaker 1 (35:26):
But we do them because we know we're going to
have an amazing, life-alteringexperience, so we go for it,
right right and like I wouldtell people we're scared, but
you do it anyway, like I've beenin a hot air balloon, I'm
afraid to hide.
Good for you, patty.
Yeah, so it's like, yeah, I wasafraid, but I did it anyway and
(35:47):
it was amazing, awesome.
Yeah, I'm glad.
I'm glad I stepped out of mycomfort zone, and a lot of what
you're talking about is justthat.
What else?
Where should we go from here?
What else do you recommend?
What should people see?
Speaker 2 (36:02):
we go from here.
What else do you recommend?
What should people see?
Well, for spring or for summer,I would.
So the first thing I alwaysrecommend to people is to start
with Virginia State Parksbecause I think those are the
most friendly as far ascampgrounds and accessibility
and the ability to get areservation.
If you go with the nationalparks, it can sometimes be a
little bit tough to getreservations.
(36:24):
They're obviously very popularand also in the national parks,
while I do really enjoy thecampgrounds, oftentimes it's a
situation where every singlecampsite is lined up right next
to the other one and you kind offeel a little crowded.
The last time I camped atShenandoah National Park and
again I absolutely love thatpark but I went to the restroom
(36:46):
on the campground at 11 o'clockat night and there was a line
out the door of people waitingto get into the restroom and I
was like this isn't really forme, right, like it's just a
little too much.
I have never had thatexperience at a state park
campground and I have never hadthat experience out in the
wilderness.
So for me personally, I enjoybeing away from people Because
(37:09):
for me it's about the connectionwith nature.
And if I'm going to connectwith nature.
I prefer not to be connectingwith people the whole time that
I'm out there, so I alwaysrecommend Virginia State Parks.
There are 43 state parks acrossVirginia.
They're literally all acrossthe state and the accessibility
to the campgrounds is reallyfantastic.
(37:30):
Now it has become a lot morepopular since COVID so it's a
little tougher to get lastminute reservations.
But with there being 43 parks,even at the last minute if
you're flexible enough that youdon't mind traveling to
someplace a little bit fartheraway to get to get a site and a
new experience you can almostalways find something at the
(37:52):
last minute if you have thatflexibility.
So I definitely recommend ourstate parks.
I mentioned First Landing.
I mentioned First Landing.
Other great parks in that titlearea include Kipta Peak State
Park, which is on the very tipof the eastern shore of Virginia
and it is on the ocean and itis beautiful.
There's a campground right onthe beach there and I really
(38:18):
love that.
There's also cabins and evenlodges.
So a lot of people love thelodges because they have six
bedrooms and three bathrooms.
So if you're hosting a largegroup or I know some people even
do holidays or family reunionsin some of these lodges.
So that's an option as well.
And in Kip Topek you never knowwhat's going to wash up, right,
like when you're on the beach,like that.
(38:39):
It's just really interestingwhat you might find.
And same goes for another parkin Virginia Beach and that's
Falls Cape State Park.
Now there is no RV camping atFalls Cape, so if you were going
to try to visit Falls Cape, Iwould recommend camping at first
landing and then either hikingin or taking a tram tour into
(39:00):
Falls Cape.
Now the entrance to Falls Capeis actually through a National
Wildlife Refuge it's Back Bayand because of that there's a
lot of water, a lot of wildlifethat they don't want to disturb,
and so there is no vehicletraffic that is allowed through
the preserve.
So the only options for gettinginto the park are to either
(39:23):
hike in or ride your bike in, oryou could even paddle in by
water, either on Oceanside orBayside, and the only other
option would be a tram tour,which they do different times of
the year and they're notfrequent.
It's not like every day there'sa tram tour, so you would have
to plan ahead for something likethat, but the solitude that you
(39:43):
experience at Falls Cape isincredible.
It's primitive camping if youwanted to tent camp or hammock
camp and it is right on theocean.
So you're waking up to the sunrising over the horizon and
shining into your tent, and it'sjust stunning.
One time I was at Falls Capethere was a juvenile humpback
(40:04):
whale that had washed up on thebeach and they were going to
leave it there because the wholeidea is to let it be wild.
And so when I was there thehumpback whale had been there
for, I think, a couple of weeksalready, so it was sort of
starting to decompose and it wassort of in this puddle of water
that was kind of bloody and itwas a little bit weird, but it
was also fascinating.
(40:26):
And to be that close to a whale, even though it wasn't alive,
was like wow, this is wild.
And there was another time Iwas there it was right after a
Nor'easter and the storm hadwashed up all kinds of things on
the beach.
And the storm had washed up allkinds of things on the beach.
And when you think about a wildbeach compared to a commercial
beach, it is totally different.
(40:47):
On a commercial beach there'speople there all the time.
They're always picking thingsup that wash up.
Sometimes they have those bigmachines that come through and
rake the sand to pick up anytrash or glass that might have,
you know, gotten into the sandor whatever, and it's pretty
much bare.
It's almost like bare sand at acommercial beach.
You go to someplace like FallsCape and you'll find all kinds
(41:10):
of things.
I saw a sea turtle lay eggs onthe beach at Falls Cape and
those kinds of experiences areonce in a lifetime and they just
cannot be replicated.
And it's so incredible to havethat experience, to make that
connection and to be out thereprimitively, like usually, by
(41:32):
yourself.
You might see a few othercampers, but but not usually, or
at least I didn't when I wasthere.
So that is a really uniqueopportunity if you wanted to try
that.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Right, and that's a very different side of, I think,
anything we've ever talkedabout on the podcast.
So again, it's great to havethese other options.
I mean that sounds amazing.
You know, seeing what awildlife beach you know, a beach
that's not commercial, nottouched looks like I was a life
(42:02):
science teacher, so that reallygets my you know, my geek going.
That's very cool and I had somany thoughts and questions all
at the same time.
This gives opportunity forpeople, you know, to do these,
these.
You know it's justopportunities that a lot of
people don't think about I'venot heard a lot of people talk
(42:24):
about, so I'm really excitedthat we could give this to my
listeners.
So many things we will never hiton, all things RV.
You know, virginia, what I wantto let people know again, I am
going to put this stuff in theshow notes for those people who
want to camp in an RV park orcampground with all the
(42:48):
amenities.
Campgroundsrvlifecom and eventhese national state parks
should be listed on that site sopeople could go and find out
all there is to know.
One of the points I wanted tomake first of all, when we talk
about campgrounds last week myepisode on 2-12, so February
(43:11):
12th, I talked about campgroundsand different types and what
they mean.
So, like there's boondockingand moochdocking, there's your
RV parks, your RV resorts, yourcampground, city, state,
national park, blm land so Italked about a lot of that.
For people who are new andlooking for that kind of
terminology and looking to knowmore about, you know, different
(43:35):
types of camping.
So that was the episode onFebruary 12th.
If people want to check thatout.
The episode on February 12th, ifpeople want to check that out.
Okay, so you've covered a lotof different things.
What else would you recommendfor people coming into Virginia?
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Well, Patty, there's one other hidden gem I want to
mention that I think is sospecial to Virginia, and that is
Brakes Interstate Park.
Now, now, brakes is aninterstate park because it's on
the border of Virginia andKentucky, so the two states
share the funding for this park.
But it is known as the GrandCanyon of the South, and when
(44:14):
you visit the Brakes, you'llunderstand why.
When you stand at one of theoverlooks, you will will be
viewing the Russell Fort Gorgeand the canyon that was created
by that river, and it isstunning.
It's the most beautiful thing Ithink I have ever seen in
Virginia, and the park itselfhas all the amenities that
(44:36):
somebody who is camping orvisiting with their RV could
possibly need.
So there are campgrounds thereinside the park.
The park also has a beautifulvisitor center with a restaurant
that is open seasonally it'scalled the Rhododendron
Restaurant and additionally,there is a little water park and
a pool.
(44:57):
For people who are interested inthat Maybe you're staying
long-term there's a lodge, sothere are rooms available, and
then there's also reallybeautiful lakefront cabins, and
the lake itself, called LaurelLake, has fishing and boating
opportunities, with kayakrentals and, I believe, paddle
boats, if I remember correctly.
So this park is wonderful forhiking.
(45:19):
It's wonderful for the views.
There's also rock climbingopportunities in the park, which
is really neat.
It's wonderful for the views.
There's also rock climbingopportunities in the park, which
is really neat.
It's just got a lot going on.
There's even a zip line in thispark, which is so awesome.
I mean you're hundreds of feetabove the canyon when you're
zipping across these three longzip lines and the experience of
(45:41):
being that high up over thetreetops and like sort of
watching your feet dangle in theair as you're zipping past this
stunning canyon like I can'tsay enough about it.
It's not an experience you'regoing to find in too many other
places.
So I highly recommend thebreaks.
But there's one other thingabout the breaks that is
especially unique, and that isthe opportunity to see elk.
(46:02):
Now, most people don't knowthat elk were native to Virginia
, but they were hunted toextinction over 100 years ago
and they were recentlyreintroduced to the area several
years ago and so now there isan opportunity to take a bus
from Brake Center State Park toa viewing area that has
beautiful platforms and you canactually see the elk now that
(46:24):
have been brought back toVirginia and are thriving and
that has been huge for the area,not only because for
conservation reasons, but froman economic standpoint.
They're getting visitors fromall over the state and all up
and down the East Coast who areinterested in seeing the elk.
And if you had never heard amale elk bugle, it is something
(46:47):
that will give you goosebumps.
It's just, it's so unreal whenyou hear it.
And when I first took an elktour from the breaks to see the
elk, there was a woman on thebus who literally started to cry
.
She was just so moved by whatshe was seeing that she couldn't
and she couldn't stop talkingabout it the whole bus ride back
(47:08):
, about how she had to telleverybody she knew about this
and how she just couldn't waitto come back.
And it's truly special andthose, those tours are in the
spring and in the fall, and sothat's another thing that if
people are interested in an elktour, they're going to want to
plan ahead.
I have done both the spring andthe fall tours and they're
(47:29):
similar and yet different.
When I did the spring tour inApril, there was actually a
snowstorm, so I was viewing theelk that were covered in a
dusting of snow, which was likewow, it was just amazing.
And at that time a lot of theelk were shedding their antlers,
so you would see an elk thathad one massive antler on the
(47:49):
side of its head and the otherone was missing.
So that was kind of cool.
And then in the fall, that'swhen they have, that's when
they're wait, is that right?
No, they're breeding in thespring.
Sorry, nevermind that confused.
But in the fall you get thefoliage.
So the the experience of seeingthe elk in the fall is against
(48:11):
the setting of spectacular fallfoliage all throughout the
mountains.
So it's a it's just so amazing.
But you do have to plan aheadif you want to see that, and I
think all of those reasonscombined make breaks.
One of the best experiences inVirginia.
Speaker 1 (48:28):
Really Okay.
So the best experience inVirginia, and I mean it just
again and the way you talk aboutit.
We both have a podcast, sopeople are listening and we
really have to explain things.
A podcast, so people arelistening and we really have to
explain things.
And I'm sitting herevisualizing this whole thing and
people could certainly go andfind pictures and videos of it,
(48:50):
but I really appreciate how muchyou're explaining, where I'm
like okay, I have to go.
I'm making a list of thingsthat I now want to do.
I always talk to my listenersabout a bucket list.
Put on the bucket list thethings you want to do and start
making the plan to do it.
So you've certainly givenpeople a lot to talk about, to
(49:11):
visit, to explore in Virginia,and I'm sure you haven't even
touched on half.
So we're not finished.
I'm going to.
I want to talk about a, anevent.
So for those of my listenerslooking for their next RV or for
the first RV, the ultimate RVVIP RV buyers event is Music
(49:34):
City Motorhome Expo.
It's May 31st to June 4th,takes place in Lebanon,
tennessee, and you could be thefirst to see the 2026 model year
coaches from all the majormanufacturers and, with limited
attendance.
You can drive as many, take asmany test drives as you want.
You can chat with manufacturers, product developers and
(49:57):
engineers.
They will have seminars.
You're given three meals a dayreally good meals, high-end
entertainment.
I was there last year and itwas an incredible event and I
plan on being back this year.
And you can check all of thatout by going to
musiccitymotorhomeexpocom.
There is a link in the shownotes for you.
(50:19):
And again, you and I are bothtrying to think of things as we
go along.
I think there might be adiscount code there as well.
Okay, so how can people we'vetalked about the podcast how can
people reach out to you?
The podcast is Virginia OutdoorAdventures Podcast.
I highly recommend it.
(50:40):
Anybody even thinking aboutbeing in Virginia at all,
whether it's for just a day orfor weeks, definitely have to
check out your podcast.
Do you have social media?
Is there other ways people canfind out about you?
Speaker 2 (50:54):
Absolutely, Of course I do so.
I have Instagram and Facebookand you can find me just by
searching Virginia OutdoorAdventures.
That should come up for you.
And if you want to learn moreabout the podcast, the website
is virginiaoutdooradventurescom.
I have all the latest episodeseasily linked on there.
Of course, it's available onall of the listening platforms
(51:14):
Apple Podcasts, Spotify andanywhere you listen to podcasts.
If you would like to get a holdof me, you can email me at
jessica atvirginiaoutdooradventurescom.
Or if you're listening to anyone of my episodes, there is a
link in the show notes calledSend Jessica a Text Message and
you can send me fan mail byclicking on that link, and I am
(51:35):
going to say.
Speaker 1 (51:36):
You have made it where you are totally accessible
, so people really need to reachout to you if they have
questions or thoughts orcomments.
You've made it so there's everypossible way for people to do
that.
We're not finished with you yet.
I'm gonna ask you a question,I'm gonna give you a few minutes
to think about it, and I thinkthis is gonna be tough for you,
for my listener just so you know, I do not let my guests know
(52:01):
that I'm going to ask this andthe question is what is
something that is on your bucketlist that you either still want
to do or something else?
You've talked about a lot ofthings that you would recommend
to my listeners and I'm going togive you a minute to think
about that.
And while I talk aboutinnovative toll solutions and
(52:22):
this is a toll pass that coversall 48 states not only does it
cover all 48 states, but if youshould have a problem with tolls
anybody traveling anywhere attimes you have a problem going
through that toll and you knowthere's fines there's.
How do I get this resolved?
Innovative toll solutions willtake care of it for you.
(52:45):
They will resolve the issue foryou, and you can find out all
about Innovative Toll Solutionsby going to the link in the show
notes checking it out.
It's only $24 a year, so anincredible value.
Okay, jessica, questions on you.
Your time has run out.
(53:06):
You've got a look on your face.
There's got to be a lot, butyeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (53:12):
I'm trying to figure out how I limit it so that we
don't keep going on and on, butI thought of two unique
experiences that have been on mylist for a while that I just
need to do.
I just need to find the time todo it.
If I wasn't doing a podcast,maybe I'd have more time.
But the first one is I reallywant to backpack through Mount
Rogers National Recreation Area,which is in Southwest Virginia.
(53:35):
The Appalachian Trail crossesthrough this area and, according
to ThruHikers, this area andaccording to ThruHikers, it's
one of their favorite sectionsof the entire Appalachian Trail,
and Virginia has more miles ofAppalachian Trail than any other
state that the trail passesthrough.
I did not know that.
Speaker 1 (53:53):
That's incredible.
Speaker 2 (53:54):
Okay, thank you for sharing.
Yeah, so sometimes ThruHikersrefer to Virginia as the
Virginia Blues, because they getinto Virginia and it takes them
so long to get through it thatit starts to become like a
mental block, right, and some ofit is tough too.
But this area through MountRogers is at very high
elevations it's some of thehighest elevations in the
(54:15):
Commonwealth, and up there theyhave what they call balds, which
means that deciduous trees willonly grow up to a certain
elevation, and then beyond thatthey have what they call balds,
which means that deciduous treeswill only grow up to a certain
elevation, and then beyond thatthey don't.
So it's wide open mountaintopswith a lot of boulders and some
low lying brush and shrubs, butit's absolutely stunning a lot
of pines, and backpackers justlove this area.
(54:38):
I've been up there during theday, but I have never backpacked
through there, so that is on mylist of places and things to do
that I'm going to get to one ofthese days, I swear.
And then the other experiencethat's on my list is kayak
camping down the Potomac.
I want to pack all of my usualbackpacking gear into a kayak
(55:01):
and paddle down the Potomac, andthere are several state parks
that are on the Potomac thathave paddling campgrounds, and
so you could literally go allthe way down the Potomac
practically and just pull into adifferent state park campground
, unpack at the campground, youknow, spend the night, pack it
all up in the morning, get backin your kayak and keep going.
(55:21):
But that requires a lot ofplanning too.
You've got to.
You know you've got to have theright weather for that.
You probably don't want to goalone if you're not really
experienced and also just paddle, paddle backpacking or kayak
camping just takes a differentlevel of preparation and knowing
when the tides are coming inand out so you're not paddling
against the tide, things likethat.
(55:42):
So there's a lot to plan for.
Speaker 1 (55:45):
Wow, yeah, that sounds incredible.
Not sure I'm going to thinkabout whether or not I can put
that one on my bucket list.
I'm not sure about that one,but I never say never.
So you know, you again havepainted a picture of something
that sounds absolutelyincredible.
So you know I'm not going tocross it off the list.
(56:05):
I'll put it on the list.
Speaker 2 (56:07):
And I'll just tell you, patty, before I started
this podcast, a lot of theseactivities were not things that
I had done or would even thinkof doing.
But as I have met people who dothese things and they share
their passions and they wantother people to try these
opportunities, they share how todo it, so they make it beginner
friendly, and then I'm like,well, maybe I'll give this a try
(56:29):
and I start, you know, just alittle bit like I had never been
caving, or not wild cavinganyway, before this podcast.
I had only been rock climbing ahandful of times.
I had never been ice climbing,I never saw a whale in the wild.
I, you know, I think I hadspent maybe one or two nights
outdoors like backpacking with agroup.
(56:50):
I had never solo backpackedbefore this podcast.
So it really opened your eyesto different experiences and if
you have the right resources,then anything's possible.
Is?
You just have to have thewillingness to give it a shot,
and I think that you said.
Speaker 1 (57:05):
Like you encapsulated what RVers for the most part
are looking for, most of themgoing out experiencing things
they never have.
So I think that is a definitely.
You know, my RV community hasthat belief system.
I mean going, like I said, in ahot air balloon.
I never would have thought todo that, that.
(57:26):
I went and did it for a secondtime.
That time I was told by thepilot that it was going to be a
moderate landing, which younever want to hear, and you know
it was a little rough, but itis kind of pushing those comfort
zones.
I went.
When you mentioned zip lining, Ikind of made a face, but I went
(57:48):
zip lining in Panama, over therainforest.
I mean it was one of thelongest zip lines in the world,
I think.
And I was telling somebody thisstory just last week and they
were wide-eyed like I can't evenimagine and I thought to myself
I couldn't either, I'd getthere.
We're told how big this zipline is and the reason I
(58:10):
actually did is because my 18year old daughter was with and
she didn't really do anything.
She was afraid of a lot ofthings and there she was going
on and I'm like how can I checkit out if she's going on?
And when it was was all overshe said, well, I only went on
because you went on.
And I said, well, I only wenton because you went on.
So I like what you said aboutpeople kind of trying things
(58:33):
outside their comfort zone.
You know, maybe take a littlebit at a time and to your point,
there are beginner type, for alot of these things are beginner
type.
You know there's places tostart.
Don't just get out there and gorock climbing.
Let's start from step one.
You know, take it a step at atime.
Speaker 2 (58:53):
Yes, and a lot of these activities are even kid
friendly, like rock climbing iskid friendly, wild caving is kid
friendly.
So if the kids can do it thencertainly you know the adults
could at least think about doingit too, right?
Speaker 1 (59:08):
Absolutely, that sounds great.
I want to talk about thefeature campgrounds.
Time for the feature campgroundof the week and that is brought
to you by RV Life.
And this week's campground isThousand Trails, virginia
Landing in Quimby, virginia.
Do you know that area?
Did I say it right?
No, and I love putting myguests on the spot.
(59:30):
So Quinby, virginia, and I'llfind out exactly where that is,
because I didn't know you know,I'm looking it up right now.
Okay, you look it up and I'llkeep talking about it.
It is a Thousand Trailscampground, but you do not need
to be a member to stay at thiscampground.
It's got 285 sites and this RVresort is scenic and secluded
(59:52):
and it's located between theChesapeake Bay and the Atlantic
Ocean and it offers peace andtranquility and lots to do for
those people who like their fullhookups.
They have full hookups, theyhave pull-in sites, they are pet
friendly and they have cottagesand cabin rentals, which I love
.
And Thousand Trails, virginiaLanding has a solid 7.9 rating
(01:00:19):
on the RV Life campgrounds, with45 reviews.
So you let me know you jump inwhen you find it.
What I love is how easy it is oncampgroundsrvlifecom to find
all of the campgrounds we arementioning.
You should be able to find allof them by just going to
campgroundsrvlifecom.
(01:00:41):
If you're looking for ThousandTrials, virginia Landing, then
just type that in once you getthere and it'll show you all the
photos, tips, all the amenities, everything about this property
that you need to know.
Did you find it?
Sure, did.
It is on the.
Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
Eastern Shore, really kind of right in the middle of
the eastern shore of Virginia.
That is a fantastic location.
It is facing the Atlantic Ocean, and what I love about the
eastern shore is the wildlife.
A lot of these barrier islandson the eastern shore are some of
the last wild, I guess, oceanfrontage on the entire east
(01:01:21):
coast of the United States.
They're undeveloped and theyare so important as far as being
breeding grounds for birds andsea turtles and other marine
wildlife, and so if you're intowildlife watching, that's a
fantastic location, especiallyin the winter or actually any
time of year.
But winter you've got migratorywaterfowl that are spending the
(01:01:45):
winter, but in the spring andsummer you've got migration.
So for people who really enjoybirding, what's fantastic about
the eastern shore, especially inthe spring, is as birds migrate
down the Atlantic Flyway ordown the east coast, they get
funneled by this peninsula thatis the eastern shore, and a lot
of times they hit the tip of theshore and then they stop,
(01:02:06):
because then they have to crossover the Chesapeake and so
they'll stop for a little bitand you end up with this massive
concentration of, like warblersand other songbirds, and if
you've ever been there duringmigration, it is incredible.
There's like birds everywhere.
And what's really cool aboutthe fall migration is you got
migratory raptors and there'sactually an observation platform
(01:02:31):
at Kipta Peak State Park wherethey count the raptors that are
flying overhead during migration.
That is a really cool place tobe.
You can see everything fromgolden eagles to peregrine
falcons, all kinds of hawks,eagles.
It's just, it's amazing.
So I really enjoy that.
And I'll just mention too thatthat campground is very close to
(01:02:51):
the town of Onancock, which isone of the towns that I did
Virginia's Adventure Town seriesfeature on and that is a
historic port town On the otherside feature on.
And that is a historic porttown On the other side I saw the
Chesapeake side of the easternshore but also fantastic for
fishing and for boating andpaddling and the sunsets.
(01:03:13):
There are epic Great littlerestaurants, really nice
restaurants too.
Oh, and Antiquing.
It's an artsy town.
If you like arts.
I mean everything from theaterarts to like painting and
sculpture and like, oh, it'sjust.
I cannot say enough.
I've got an episode about that.
Check that out too.
(01:03:33):
And I'm going to stop therebecause I could just keep going.
Speaker 1 (01:03:36):
Patti, I love that part of the Eastern Shore.
I love it and you're talkingabout, like learning about birds
and actually seeing itfirsthand.
And I was a teacher myself.
For people who don't know, Iwas a teacher for 20 years as
well and I'm thinking this isgreat for the kids, the parents
that are homeschooling, roadschooling their kids.
(01:03:56):
But as an adult, I just lovethis.
I love looking at nature, Ilove learning about it and
everything you said.
I'm just in awe.
That sounds so cool.
Speaker 2 (01:04:08):
I can't wait so when am I going to see you in
Virginia, Patty?
Speaker 1 (01:04:13):
Next month.
Actually, we are going to get.
I was just down there a coupleof weeks ago.
My brother lives in Virginiaand as I was driving down there
a horrible rainy night, but as Iwas driving down there I was
thinking about you definitelyhave to get together.
Speaker 2 (01:04:28):
Yes, please, let's do that.
I would love to get together inperson.
Speaker 1 (01:04:32):
Yes, so for those of you looking for these
campgrounds again, I'm going toput a lot of them in the show
notes.
You could also go tocampgroundsrvlifecom.
If you're not part of the RVLife Pro Suite of products,
there is a 25% discount.
You go to the show notes, clickthe link.
When you go to check out, the25% will come off.
(01:04:53):
It is less than $50.
It's somewhere around $48 ayear for everything.
I'm talking about moreCampgrounds.
The RV Life Campgrounds is part.
It gives you RV parks,campgrounds, resorts, city state
national parks everything wetalked about you should see on
there.
Well, I want to thank you somuch and I really encourage my
(01:05:17):
listeners to reach out to you.
I'm going to put all the waysyou mentioned they can reach out
to you.
Listeners to reach out to you.
I'm going to put all the waysyou mentioned they can reach out
to you Certainly to check outyour podcast, virginia Outdoor
Adventures podcast, to find outmore about what there is to know
about Virginia.
I don't think any of us willever learn all of it, but you're
such a wealth of information.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (01:05:39):
Thank you for having me, Patty.
It's been a pleasure and I hopeto see some of your listeners
here in Virginia.
Speaker 1 (01:05:46):
Absolutely, and if people come to Virginia and they
they message you, they shouldsay they heard about it on the
RV Life podcast.
I would love to hear from them,yes, and anybody that wants to
reach out to me.
The RV Life Podcast.
You can put a comment in thereview section of any platform
you're listening from, or go toInstagram or Facebook, and
(01:06:09):
that's RV Life Podcast.
I want to hear from you.
I want people to makesuggestions for things they've
seen in Virginia, things youheard about that you want to go
check out.
This has been beyond amazing.
Like, thank you, thank you.
Thank you, patty, it's been apleasure and I want to thank my
listeners and remind you life isa journey.
(01:06:31):
Live each day to the fullest,without regrets.
I'm Patty Hunt and you've beenlistening to the RV Life podcast
.
Are you ready to explore the stunning landscapes,
hidden gems and outdooradventure Virginia has to offer?
Then this episode is for you.
I'm Pettie Hunt and you'relistening to the RV Life Podcast
.
There is no better person toguide us through all things
(00:24):
Virginia than native Virginianhost of the Virginia Outdoor
Adventures podcast, jessicaBowser.
She will share must-see spotsand unforgettable experiences,
and I am so excited to have heron.
Now my background I traveledfull-time in an RV for three
(00:45):
years with my husband.
We crossed the country back andforth three and a half times
and after my husband became illthis past year, I have made some
major changes.
I'm now in a home inPennsylvania and traveling by
car and train and plane, and Ihave some new things coming as
(01:07):
my new chapters begin, so staytuned to hear more about that.
Virginia is one of those placesI've traveled to often, but I
am excited to hear more aboutwhat there is to see and do in
Virginia.
To see and do in Virginia.
The RV Life podcast was createdto educate, entertain and
(01:28):
explore the RV lifestyle, withthe mission to inspire you to
live life to the fullest.
This week, what you Need toKnow is brought to you by Open
Road Resorts and they havelocations in Idaho, nebraska,
new Mexico, and two in Texas.
Now, it's really cold in mostof the country right now, as we
(01:50):
are still in the middle ofwinter, but those of you who are
looking ahead at visitingYellowstone National Park, red
Rock RV Park in Idaho is a greatplace to look into.
It is 22 miles from the westernentrance of Yellowstone and two
hours from Jacksonville,wyoming and Boisman, montana.
(02:12):
It is one of the highest ratedparks in the area.
So what you need to know thisweek.
Virginia is for lovers is thetourism and travel slogan of the
US Commonwealth of Virginia,and it was named that back in
1969.
And, from what I understand, alot of people got together and
(02:33):
said you know, virginia is formountain lovers and animal
lovers and history lovers, winelovers, beach lovers, and so
that was too long a slogan andthey finally settled on Virginia
is for lovers, and this is avery well-known slogan across
the world.
That is what you need to knowthis week and it's brought to
(02:56):
you by Open Road Resorts and youcan find out all about their
properties at openroadresortscom.
Now let's get to Jessica Bowser.
I am so excited.
This is a former fourth gradeteacher and conservation
advocate.
Jessica launched VirginiaOutdoor Adventures podcast
(03:18):
because she wanted to provide aplatform for Virginians of all
backgrounds to tell theirstories, to share their
connections to the outdoors andto build local community where
the outdoors are for everyone.
She also wanted to tell thesestories through a conversation
lens to encourage others to bestewards of the outdoors.
(03:39):
Jessica is passionate aboutfeaturing outdoor recreation and
travel opportunities close tohome, while also supporting
local businesses, tourism andeconomic development.
Jessica is an avid hiker,cyclist, climber, backpacker,
kayaker, photographer,birdwatcher and earned the
(04:00):
Virginia State Parks MasterHiker designation.
Wow, welcome to the RV LifePodcast, jessica.
Thanks, patti, I'm so excitedto be here.
I'm so excited to have you Nowjust for my listeners.
I like them to have a backstorylike really know what the
podcast looks like.
We've been trying to schedulethis show for weeks and I know
(04:24):
you were under the weather.
Anybody listening now couldhear my voice is not great.
I'm a little congested.
Hopefully we'll both getthrough the podcast sounding
good, but you were a fourthgrade teacher and now a podcast
host.
What's your story?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
Well, it's kind of a long one, so I'm going to try to
keep it short.
But yes, I was a fourth gradeteacher in Fairfax County Public
Schools for many years, andafter several years of teaching,
I transitioned into a publiceducation policy and advocacy
career, and I did that for aboutanother decade, and I was
working in a nonprofit when thepandemic started and I was laid
(05:06):
off from my job, and so I wassitting at home trying to figure
out what I was going to do withmy time, just like everybody
else.
And long before the pandemicstarted, I had many friends who
were prompting me to eitherwrite a book or start a blog
about Virginia's outdoors, andthe reason for that is because I
am a big outdoor enthusiast.
(05:27):
I love to travel around thestate, and the educator side of
me also wanted to share thoseexperiences with my friends and
my neighbors and my family, andso every time that I would visit
a new outdoor location or havean outdoor experience, I would
share it on social media, butwith information that would tell
(05:48):
people like here's what makesus unique and here's why you
might want to experience thistoo.
And if you do want to, here arethe resources you need to be
able to plan it.
And so I think people startedto recognize that I had that
skill set of being able to shareinformation and encourage
people to take on theseadventures themselves.
And so when the pandemic startedand I was trying to figure out
(06:09):
what to do with my time, I waskind of toying with this idea.
But I didn't really want towrite a book or start a blog.
And somehow the idea of apodcast came to me, maybe
because I had just startedlistening to podcasts myself
around that time.
But I thought, you know, let mejust give this a shot.
And you know, of course I knewit wouldn't be as easy as it
looked.
It ended up being a whole lotless easy than it looks.
(06:32):
But I will say that I decidedto give it a try and to my
surprise it really took off.
And I think nobody was moresurprised than I was.
I was like, who are all thesepeople who are listening to this
podcast I put out.
But I think the timing was right.
You know it was during COVID.
People were trying to getoutside in a safe place and stay
close to home, and what'sunique about Virginia Outdoor
(06:54):
Adventures podcast is that it isopportunities that are close to
home.
So for people who live inVirginia, these are day
experiences or weekend tripsthat they can take.
And for a lot of folks at thattime they were saying, wow, I've
lived here my whole life, orI've lived here for years and
years and I never knew that thisexisted.
Or you know that this park wasjust around the corner from my
(07:16):
house or this opportunity was,you know, less than a day away.
So you know it opened people'seyes because now people, you
know at that time people werelooking for places closer to
home and so I think it kind ofhit it.
It landed at the right time,but it has just gone on since
then.
That was four years ago andit's we're still going strong
(07:36):
over here at Virginia OutdoorAdventures and that's a great
story.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
I love to hear people's stories.
I felt the same way.
I've lived in Pennsylvania,outside the Philadelphia area,
my entire life and then when Iwent RVing, so for my RV
listeners, sometimes we wantthose bigger adventures which
we're going to talk about, but Igo to areas that I had been to
many, many times.
(08:00):
Seeing it, being there, findingthe on, you know the things you
don't necessarily hear about,it was like, wow, this is in my
backyard, lancaster, forinstance, lancaster,
pennsylvania, it's in mybackyard, basically, and there
were so many things Iexperienced and saw that I
hadn't in the whole time growingup not far from there.
(08:21):
So you know, I think it's likeyou said, I've spent a lot of
time in Virginia.
Virginia has so much to offer,like many areas around the
country, so I'm really gratefulthat you were able to get on the
show and share some of thesegreat experience we could offer
to my RVers and for people whodon't have an RV.
(08:44):
There are a lot of places thatyou could go for a day or we're
going to talk about all of it,we are going to talk about it
all.
So let's start.
This is February that thisepisode is coming out and we're
just recording the week before,but there's a lot to do in
Virginia in the winter.
Can you give us some of thosethings before you do?
I do want to talk to peopleabout this idea of RVing in the
(09:05):
winter.
Can you give us some of thosethings Before you do?
I do want to talk to peopleabout this idea of RVing in the
winter, and I've got to shareAirSkirt, which is a hassle-free
RV skirting that inflates, itgoes around the perimeter of the
RV, protects your pipes fromfreezing and causing damage, and
it does that by trapping theair in which creates a natural
insulator.
It saves on heating costs andit's made of a heavy duty PVC
(09:29):
coated canvas.
The best part, I think, is howit sets up in minutes.
You could take it down inminutes stores easily and the
even better part is airscartscomis offering my listeners $200
off and you just have to use RVpod.
That's RV POD.
So for those people thinkingabout being in Virginia right
(09:49):
now, but it is cold.
It just snowed there, I think,last week.
It was nasty.
I just traveled down toVirginia a couple of weeks ago.
It's cold.
This is a way for people to gocamping and keep themselves
warmer, but give us some ofthose things to do in Virginia
in the winter.
Speaker 2 (10:08):
Absolutely.
It's funny you say that becausewe've gotten more snow this
year than we have in past yearsand we're about to get hit with
another big storm this week.
So it's been an interestingyear, but it's a good excuse to
get out those snowshoes orcross-country skis, or your sled
or whatever you might have hasbeen collecting dust in the
closet.
But that being said, there is alot to do here in Virginia and
(10:31):
a lot of it is truly unique.
I think, for example, mostpeople are very surprised to
learn that we have ice climbinghere in Virginia, and even my
listeners have said what Iceclimbing in the South.
But actually, if you go up tothe Blue Ridge, there are quite
a few really great ice climbinglocations, as long as the
weather cooperates, and thisyear has been one of those years
(10:54):
where we have had moreopportunities to ice climb than
we have in past years because ofthe freezing cold temperatures
that we've had for extendedperiods of time.
So, especially off the BlueRidge Parkway, there's some
really great locations wherewater will seep out of the rocks
on cliff edges and as thatwater seeps out and freezes, it
(11:16):
develops what looks like afrozen waterfall, and that's a
perfect opportunity to go iceclimbing.
So ice climbing is somethingthat most people are like a
little bit intimidated by.
You know you don't, most peopledon't own the right equipment
or you know they don't know howto find a guide.
But I have a really greatpodcast episode about ice
(11:36):
climbing that is very beginnerfriendly and talks about
everything you need to know,like where the locations are,
how to find a guide, how to rentequipment or how to get or
borrow equipment from a guide,and when the right times are,
how to keep an eye on theweather so that you know when
opportunities might be coming up, and even some listservs and
(11:57):
Facebook groups that you canjoin to get the right
information, because it'susually a short window of time
when ice climbing is availableand you kind of have to keep an
eye on it so that you can beready to go at a moment's notice
.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
As you're talking about ice climbing.
This is not necessarily thesport for me.
I'm not a huge fan of thewinter, but as I travel around
now and do it more by car ortrain or plane around now, and
do it more by car or train orplane I think there's something
to be said for being in the.
It would be a beautifulexperience, I think, to see the
(12:31):
water that looks like a frozenwaterfall.
That would be beautiful.
I could take pictures, but forme I'm probably staying on the
ground.
To be totally transparent, itdoes not sound like my cup of
tea, but that's something thatI've never even really heard of.
Speaker 2 (12:47):
Well, I'll just say, as somebody who was also
inexperienced and went out forthe first time recently, it is
easier than you might think.
Even for people who may havetried rock climbing, I find it
even easier than rock climbingbecause when you're rock
climbing you're always lookingfor the next hole to put your
hands or your feet to hoistyourself up, whereas with ice
(13:09):
climbing you don't need to.
You just jam the spikes of yourcrampons into the snow and
you're and the pick of your iceaxe and up you go.
So it's really not thatdifficult and it can be beginner
friendly.
Speaker 1 (13:23):
Wow, Okay.
Well, that's a good one,Something brand new for my
listeners.
Let's talk about what else isthere to do in Virginia over the
next.
We're going to have at leasttwo more months of this cold
weather.
What other things do yourecommend?
Speaker 2 (13:38):
Sure.
So another activity that reallysurprises people is whale
watching off the coast ofVirginia Beach.
So this doesn't require anyphysical activity at all but is
a very unique opportunity to seewildlife, and the reason why
this is the winter activity isbecause the whales are migrating
through this area this time ofyear, so you can't see them in
(14:00):
the summer or the warmer months.
It's an activity that isexclusive to winter and there
are a couple of different boats,tour guides one of them is the
Virginia Aquarium, that you canregister for one of these tours
and I will say it is weatherdependent and weather extends
beyond just what we see on landbut also to on the water.
(14:22):
So if the waves or the water isjust too rough, a trip could
get canceled.
So that's something you want tokeep in mind and maybe have a
plan B.
But it is a really uniqueopportunity to see fin whales
and right whales and humpbackwhales just off the coast of
Virginia Beach Wow that soundsincredible.
Speaker 1 (14:42):
Now, I did stay one time nearby the coast.
I think it was called ColonialBeach RV Park.
I will put that in the shownotes as soon as I figure out
what place that was.
So for people passing through,they're going to be around for a
couple days.
That could be something theycould try and plan Again,
weather really dependent, butthat would be a very cool
(15:06):
experience.
I would love to do that.
Speaker 2 (15:09):
It truly is, and if you are planning a trip to
Virginia Beach, myrecommendation for a campground
would be First Landing StatePark, which is also in Virginia
Beach, and that park isbeautiful.
It's a very unique settingbecause it is in a cypress swamp
, and the other cool thing thatyou can see at First Landing
(15:30):
State Park in the winter is aphenomenon called rainbow swamp,
and if you're not familiar withrainbow swamp, what happens is
the cypress trees drop theirleaves in fall and then those
leaves start to decompose in theswamp and tannins from the
leaves mix with the water and itcreates what looks like a
(15:50):
rainbow effect on the top of thewater.
So as you're walking the trailsor the boardwalk through the
swamp, you may see what lookslike this beautiful rainbow,
very brightly colored across thetop of the water, and people
come to First Landing State Parkjust to see that phenomenon in
winter.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
Wow, that sounds amazing.
These are things I've neverheard of, so this is, this is
really cool.
Okay, there's also and you saidfor the winter, I think you
talked about stargazing Is thatmore winter thing, and why so
stargazing?
Is that more winter thing, andwhy?
Speaker 2 (16:24):
So stargazing is appropriate any time of year.
However, it's especially goodin winter because the skies are
really clear.
You don't have that summer heatand humidity that creates a
haze in the air, and so theskies are especially clear and
the viewing is fantastic.
If you can tolerate the cold inwinter at night, this is one of
(16:46):
the better times to gostargazing, and here in virginia
we have quite a few officiallydesignated dark sky parks.
Four of them are virginia stateparks, and because of that
there are wonderfulopportunities for astronomy
programs and stargazing programsthat each of the parks hosts.
(17:07):
And even beyond just the fourdesignated dark sky parks, there
are other state parks inVirginia that host these
astronomy programs as well.
So if you go on the VirginiaState Parks website and you just
search under night sky or darksky or astronomy, you should be
able to pull up all of theupcoming events.
But I would highly recommendthat In the early spring,
(17:32):
stanton River State Park, whichis down near the southern border
in Virginia.
That was the very firstofficially designated dark sky
park, and twice a year they havewhat they call a star party,
once in the fall and once in thespring, and that is when um
astronomers come from all aroundthe area and they set up their
(17:53):
telescopes out in the field andthere's usually a public viewing
night where anybody from thepublic can come into the park
and go around and actually lookthrough all of the telescopes
and talk to the people who ownthe telescopes about what
they're seeing.
And it's just a really coolopportunity.
I mean, certainly you can visitone of these parks anytime on
(18:15):
your own.
Maybe you have your owntelescope or maybe you go to a
public library and you borrowone.
But what's really neat is to goduring a star party where you
can go around and look at otherpeople's telescopes, and some of
these people's telescopes areso big that they have to rent a
U-Haul to get the telescope tothe park.
I mean, they are enormous.
So that opportunity happenstwice a year and early spring is
(18:38):
one of them.
Speaker 1 (18:40):
So I'm definitely you're going to have to stay in
touch because I'm definitelygoing to come down for that in
the spring.
You're talking my language now.
I'm not that big on the coldweather but that sounds amazing
and I know for my listeners whoare RVers they're thinking where
can I go, where can I stay?
And we've mentioned a couple ofplaces and throughout this
(19:02):
podcast episode I'm going torecommend that people go to
campgroundsrvlifecom.
They could type in any area ofVirginia and find city, state,
national parks.
They could find resorts,campgrounds, any kind of place
that you know for an RVer tostay in the area, or some of the
(19:24):
parks that you've mentioned.
Speaker 2 (19:26):
And could I just mention some options for that.
Go ahead yeah.
So, Stanton River State Park hasa campground.
In addition, they also havecabins, and these cabins are
original cabins that were builtby the Civilian Conservation
Corps in the 1930s and they havebeen recently renovated, and so
, if you know, somebody doesn'town an RV or they just want the
(19:49):
experience of staying in ahistoric cabin.
There is wonderfulopportunities, but you will have
to plan very far ahead, becausethese star parties happen two
times a year and everybodyusually knows when they are many
months in advance.
So getting a cabin for a starparty might be a little more
challenging.
But there is a campground and,if those are full, there is
(20:10):
another state park not too faraway called Okaneechi State Park
, and that is located on BugsIsland Lake.
So if you're looking for somelakefront camping, that's a
wonderful opportunity where theyhave both a campground and some
nicer, newer cabins as well.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
Okay, because I will definitely need a cabin.
Most of my listeners know thatI've come out of the RV and now
I'm traveling.
You know various other ways, socabins is definitely the way
that I'm going to stay.
So I'm going to jump on that.
You know, as I said, it'salready February.
People are planning for thespring spring and we'll, you
know, find out the dates of thestar parties and put it in the
(20:50):
show notes and people can plan.
Now it can be a little tough forpeople to be able to stay in
Virginia during the cold.
People have to be preparedbecause it could still be cold
in the quote unquote spring inVirginia.
The weather's been really crazyacross the country this year,
but as people are travelingacross the country, I just want
(21:11):
to mention Open Roads Fuel Cardwhile I'm talking about travel,
because people are now makingtheir plans for spring.
Open Roads Fuel Card is adiesel fuel card and it could
save anywhere from 40 cents andup sometimes 10 or 15 cents.
The average is about 40something cents.
I did an episode on February5th where I talked to two
(21:37):
incredible women from Open Roadsand they talked about the fuel
card and a toll transponder thatcovers all 48 states you can go
back and listen to that episodeas well as 12 couples that have
used the Upper Roads fuel cardand exactly how much money they
saved, and everybody was shocked.
So I highly recommend thatlet's go to spring now.
(22:01):
People are a lot of my listenersare looking to travel in the
spring.
So, just so you know, mylisteners consist of full-time
RVers, part-time RVers, butpeople who are looking to get
out.
So a cabin is a greatsuggestion for people who are
looking to explore and travelbut don't have that RV.
(22:22):
So a lot of the places that youmentioned have the cabins.
Some of the campgrounds thatI'll talk about also has that
possibility of cabin rentals,but so a lot of people are
making plans for spring.
What is there?
What can you recommend inVirginia in the spring?
Speaker 2 (22:42):
So much.
Where do I even begin?
So one of my favorite times tovisit the coast in Virginia is
both winter and spring, and alot of people don't think about
going to the beach in the coldermonths.
They think that the beach isfor the summer.
But I will just tell you, thebeach in winter and early spring
is just phenomenal.
(23:02):
It is such a lovely experiencebecause you don't have the
crowds and you don't have thepeople everywhere and you also
don't have the peak prices thatyou would normally get other
times of the year.
And Virginia has a lot ofcoastline.
Not only do we have theAtlantic Ocean and the entire
(23:23):
Chesapeake Bay Coast, but wealso have Virginia's River Realm
and there's a lot of fantastictowns, and one that I would
really love to recommend is thesmall town of Urbana, and that
is a cute little.
I would call it an oyster town.
That's their main, their oh God, sorry, I'm getting brain fog
(23:46):
that's their what am I trying tosay?
Their main economy.
That sound right?
Yes, your editor's going tohave to work on this part, sorry
.
So it is a it's a charminglittle historic town in Virginia
and there's a lot to do if youenjoy the water, but many of the
campgrounds are right on theriver and that's why I think
(24:09):
your listeners would reallyenjoy Urbana, because there are
so many campgrounds right on thewater where you can fish, you
can boat, and many of thesecampgrounds also have a lot of
activities and many of thesecampgrounds also have a lot of
activities, so they catertowards RVers and campers and
they have a lot going on as faras events and different things
(24:30):
that you can participate allseason long.
So I would recommend Urbana asa charming little town with a
cute little main street andhistoric buildings, and there's
a lot of history and a lot ofcharm to that town.
Speaker 1 (24:42):
Historic buildings and there's a lot of history and
a lot of charm to that town andI believe and I'll look it up
there are campgrounds in thearea I believe Thousand Trails,
which is a membership program,and I'll put it in the show
notes when I, after I, look itup.
We're both having a little bitof brain fog, but there's so
much information so there'sgoing to be a lot in the show
notes.
(25:02):
I believe there is a ThousandTrails campground there and,
yeah, we'll talk more about that.
I'll put it in the show notesand look into that, because it
looked like a beautifulcampground is something that
(25:24):
you're potentially interested in.
Speaker 2 (25:24):
I have on my podcast what I call a series called
Virginia's Adventure Towns,where I cover towns across the
state that would appeal tooutdoor adventurers, so all the
outdoor adventure activities inthe area, plus dining, lodging
and attractions, because youknow when you go into a town,
it's not just outdoor stuff thatyou're doing, it's the whole
package.
So I do have an episode thatfeatures the town of Urbana, so
if your listeners are trying tofind more, they can learn more
(25:47):
on that episode.
Speaker 1 (25:48):
Okay, and you'll give me the episode information,
we'll put it in the show notes.
And I personally, as I'vedriven across the country.
So when my husband suggested wego RVing, sell everything, go
full-time.
I had only ever been in an RVfor seven nights, like that was
it.
That was my experience.
So I was trying to figure out,well, what would this look like,
(26:09):
what would we do?
And he said, well, we couldvisit every national park in the
country.
And I was like, okay, I wasn'ttotally excited about that,
totally excited about that.
And so three and a half years offull-time RVing, we had gone to
zero national parks, not onesingle national park.
(26:29):
And you're making a face likemost people do when I tell them
that.
But the reason is I prefer thelittle towns like Urbana and the
quaint little towns and the offthe beaten path type places.
That's what we kind of fell inlove with as we traveled across
the country.
We had been, to, say, sedona inArizona, very popular,
(26:53):
beautiful place, glad I went.
But exploring the other areaswas just for me.
That's what I looked forward to.
Speaker 2 (27:01):
Yes, patti, I couldn't agree more.
There is something specialabout finding a hidden gem that
nobody else knows about.
And then you feel like whydidn't everybody tell me about
this?
And it's because nobody knowsit's a hidden gem.
And that's what I try to do onmy podcast is to find those
hidden gems and bring them tolight so that other people can
(27:21):
discover them too.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
Yes, and that's what I love sharing with my RV
listeners these kinds of thingsto help them get out there and
find the things that find, theplaces, the people, the
exploration that they might notbe able to easily find.
So that's great.
Speaker 2 (27:39):
Right, and I think would you agree with me, patti,
that like some of the nationalparks are so crowded that it
sometimes takes the joy out ofvisiting.
I mean, when you're stuck in acrowd of people it just sort of
zaps the excitement out of nowyou're dealing with people
instead of what you came thereto do.
Speaker 1 (27:57):
And see, and I'd say that I agree with you, but I
don't know because I haven'tbeen to.
And I'd say that I agree withyou, but I don't know because I
haven't been to, so I can'thonestly speak to that.
But yes, I get it and there arecertainly not to knock the
national parks for either of us.
There are certainly nationalparks that I want to go back to,
(28:18):
the Shenandoah Valley, and myexperience with that was we were
staying about an hour away andwe went to that area of
Shenandoah Valley, but we wentto Luray Caverns, which was just
one of the most amazingexperiences I've ever had.
(28:38):
So let's talk a little bit moreabout, maybe, that area.
We're jumping all over theplace here because that's what
we do on the RV Life podcast, soI think that's great.
Speaker 2 (28:49):
Yeah, the Shenandoah Valley is a beautiful part of
Virginia because it issurrounded by mountains.
You've got Shenandoah NationalPark to the east and then you've
got the George WashingtonNational Forest to the west and
the West Virginia border.
So it sits in this little bowlin between those two mountain
(29:10):
ranges and there's so manyopportunities.
Again, going back to nationalparks and crowds, most people go
to Shenandoah National Park butif you want to get away from
the crowds, there are somefantastic camping and hiking
opportunities in the GeorgeWashington National Forest and
it's just on the other side.
So it's the same distance, it'sequally as close, but if you
(29:32):
want the solitude that's what Iwould recommend Go to that area.
But Shenandoah National Park,because it's a park, has
amenities and a lot of peopleare looking for amenities.
So that's the difference and Ithink that's why parks tend to
get more attention than some ofthese other places is because
for people who want a visitorcenter and a gift shop and
(29:54):
rentals and picnic grounds andcampgrounds and toilets, that
flush, you know, have thosethings, whereas some of these
other national forests or otherpublic lands that don't have
amenities, they can't offer thesame amenities.
So I think that's why nationalparks get more attention.
(30:14):
But it's not a bad idea tospread the love and spread out a
little bit and explore some ofthe trails less taken.
Speaker 1 (30:23):
And I talk to a lot of people that want those other
suggestions.
So I'm glad that you're able togive my listeners these other
suggestions, and you know I meanpeople.
I have listeners that travel inRVs, that are they can sustain
themselves for five days, sevendays, and they're fine.
So it's great to give thoseoptions.
(30:46):
So I appreciate that.
Okay, so let's get into morespring, summer.
I'm leaving this up to you.
You're the expert here inVirginia.
Okay, what else can you?
Speaker 2 (30:58):
share.
Well, since we were justtalking about the Shenandoah
Valley and caves, I wanted toadd that there are quite a few
commercial caves in that area.
You mentioned Luray, and that'sprobably one of the more
popular ones, because I think itmight be one of the older ones,
but Luray Caverns is a hugeattraction in the area.
There are several other cavernsShenandoah Caverns is one that
(31:21):
comes to mind, I think EndlessCaverns is one.
I don't remember them all offthe top of my head, but that is
a very unique experience too,because most people will never
get to go in a cave.
And here is an area where thereare multiple opportunities to
go into caves.
And then I also wanted tomention that there's wild caving
(31:41):
opportunities too.
For, for any of your listenerswho are a little more
adventurous, uh, the differencebetween commercial caves and
wild caving is a commercial cave, you buy a ticket, you go in on
a, on an organized tour.
You know you don't need to, youdon't need any special
equipment or anything like that.
Usually you know the, the pathsthat they take you on are, you
(32:03):
know, pretty well traveled andyou know it's like.
It's like taking a tour,whereas while caving you've got
to put on a helmet and have aheadlamp and, you know, maybe
even knee pads, and you might bedoing some stooping and some
crawling or, depending on whereyou are, maybe you're in a wide
open cavern, but it's wild.
(32:24):
So that comes with a warning,though you never, ever, ever
want to go into a cave byyourself.
I mean that could very easilyturn into a life or death
situation if you are unpreparedand you're not doing it safely.
But if wild caving is somethingthat might interest you, the
proper way to do it is through alocal grotto or to hire an
(32:45):
experienced guide who has theappropriate permits, so there
are great opportunities forcaving in that area too.
That is, that is just such aunique experience.
It's, it's really incredible togo into a place that very few
people have ever gone before, togo into a place that very few
people have ever gone before,and caves are so unique that
(33:07):
it's you feel like you're onanother planet, between the
formations and the glitteringminerals in the rocks and
underground waterfalls andwildlife that doesn't live on
the surface.
I mean truly.
It is just unreal.
Speaker 1 (33:29):
Wow, that's amazing and I know when we talked we
kind of did just a brief.
I'm learning things today thatI never knew about.
So this is awesome.
I hope my listeners are takingnotes.
Well, if they're listening tothis while driving in the car
exercising, they can look at theshow notes.
But this is incredible too.
I'd love to give my listenersthese things that you don't hear
about all the time.
So this is this has been great.
(33:49):
I am learning so much and I amabout three hours to Virginia,
so I'm going to come check outthese things myself.
Like I can't wait to check outthe stargazing.
That, to me, is something thatjust sounds.
That sounds amazing.
I went into Leroy Cavern and Ireally loved the story behind it
(34:15):
.
It's just such a cool place.
You feel like you are, like yousaid, on another planet.
Cool place.
You feel like you are, like yousaid, on another planet.
The stories that how it wasfound, and it was an experience
for sure and I highly recommendit.
I'm not sure about going in acave, I'm not sure about wild
caving, but we'll, we'll, we'llsee about that.
(34:37):
That's OK.
It's not for everyone.
Maybe I'll get a tour guide andI'll do that.
Just expand my comfort zone.
Step out of my comfort zone.
Speaker 2 (34:47):
It does challenge you .
I will say, it challenged me alittle bit, but I feel like I
came out better for it, so I'lljust throw that in there.
Speaker 1 (34:54):
Okay, and there was something to be said for pushing
your boundaries.
I mean certainly getting in anRV full-time, selling everything
, going in an RV full time.
If that wasn't, you know,pushing my limits, then I don't
know what the caving wild cavingshouldn't be that big a deal.
Speaker 2 (35:11):
Well, right, and to your point, everybody has
different feelings about whattheir limits are and everybody's
looking for a differentexperience.
But, yes, there are examples oftimes when we do things that
other people would say, what areyou crazy?
Speaker 1 (35:26):
But we do them because we know we're going to
have an amazing, life-alteringexperience, so we go for it,
right right and like I wouldtell people we're scared, but
you do it anyway, like I've beenin a hot air balloon, I'm
afraid to hide.
Good for you, patty.
Yeah, so it's like, yeah, I wasafraid, but I did it anyway and
(35:47):
it was amazing, awesome.
Yeah, I'm glad.
I'm glad I stepped out of mycomfort zone, and a lot of what
you're talking about is justthat.
What else?
Where should we go from here?
What else do you recommend?
What should people see?
Speaker 2 (36:02):
we go from here.
What else do you recommend?
What should people see?
Well, for spring or for summer,I would.
So the first thing I alwaysrecommend to people is to start
with Virginia State Parksbecause I think those are the
most friendly as far ascampgrounds and accessibility
and the ability to get areservation.
If you go with the nationalparks, it can sometimes be a
little bit tough to getreservations.
(36:24):
They're obviously very popularand also in the national parks,
while I do really enjoy thecampgrounds, oftentimes it's a
situation where every singlecampsite is lined up right next
to the other one and you kind offeel a little crowded.
The last time I camped atShenandoah National Park and
again I absolutely love thatpark but I went to the restroom
(36:46):
on the campground at 11 o'clockat night and there was a line
out the door of people waitingto get into the restroom and I
was like this isn't really forme, right, like it's just a
little too much.
I have never had thatexperience at a state park
campground and I have never hadthat experience out in the
wilderness.
So for me personally, I enjoybeing away from people Because
(37:09):
for me it's about the connectionwith nature.
And if I'm going to connectwith nature.
I prefer not to be connectingwith people the whole time that
I'm out there, so I alwaysrecommend Virginia State Parks.
There are 43 state parks acrossVirginia.
They're literally all acrossthe state and the accessibility
to the campgrounds is reallyfantastic.
(37:30):
Now it has become a lot morepopular since COVID so it's a
little tougher to get lastminute reservations.
But with there being 43 parks,even at the last minute if
you're flexible enough that youdon't mind traveling to
someplace a little bit fartheraway to get to get a site and a
new experience you can almostalways find something at the
(37:52):
last minute if you have thatflexibility.
So I definitely recommend ourstate parks.
I mentioned First Landing.
I mentioned First Landing.
Other great parks in that titlearea include Kipta Peak State
Park, which is on the very tipof the eastern shore of Virginia
and it is on the ocean and itis beautiful.
There's a campground right onthe beach there and I really
(38:18):
love that.
There's also cabins and evenlodges.
So a lot of people love thelodges because they have six
bedrooms and three bathrooms.
So if you're hosting a largegroup or I know some people even
do holidays or family reunionsin some of these lodges.
So that's an option as well.
And in Kip Topek you never knowwhat's going to wash up, right,
like when you're on the beach,like that.
(38:39):
It's just really interestingwhat you might find.
And same goes for another parkin Virginia Beach and that's
Falls Cape State Park.
Now there is no RV camping atFalls Cape, so if you were going
to try to visit Falls Cape, Iwould recommend camping at first
landing and then either hikingin or taking a tram tour into
(39:00):
Falls Cape.
Now the entrance to Falls Capeis actually through a National
Wildlife Refuge it's Back Bayand because of that there's a
lot of water, a lot of wildlifethat they don't want to disturb,
and so there is no vehicletraffic that is allowed through
the preserve.
So the only options for gettinginto the park are to either
(39:23):
hike in or ride your bike in, oryou could even paddle in by
water, either on Oceanside orBayside, and the only other
option would be a tram tour,which they do different times of
the year and they're notfrequent.
It's not like every day there'sa tram tour, so you would have
to plan ahead for something likethat, but the solitude that you
(39:43):
experience at Falls Cape isincredible.
It's primitive camping if youwanted to tent camp or hammock
camp and it is right on theocean.
So you're waking up to the sunrising over the horizon and
shining into your tent, and it'sjust stunning.
One time I was at Falls Capethere was a juvenile humpback
(40:04):
whale that had washed up on thebeach and they were going to
leave it there because the wholeidea is to let it be wild.
And so when I was there thehumpback whale had been there
for, I think, a couple of weeksalready, so it was sort of
starting to decompose and it wassort of in this puddle of water
that was kind of bloody and itwas a little bit weird, but it
was also fascinating.
(40:26):
And to be that close to a whale, even though it wasn't alive,
was like wow, this is wild.
And there was another time Iwas there it was right after a
Nor'easter and the storm hadwashed up all kinds of things on
the beach.
And the storm had washed up allkinds of things on the beach.
And when you think about a wildbeach compared to a commercial
beach, it is totally different.
(40:47):
On a commercial beach there'speople there all the time.
They're always picking thingsup that wash up.
Sometimes they have those bigmachines that come through and
rake the sand to pick up anytrash or glass that might have,
you know, gotten into the sandor whatever, and it's pretty
much bare.
It's almost like bare sand at acommercial beach.
You go to someplace like FallsCape and you'll find all kinds
(41:10):
of things.
I saw a sea turtle lay eggs onthe beach at Falls Cape and
those kinds of experiences areonce in a lifetime and they just
cannot be replicated.
And it's so incredible to havethat experience, to make that
connection and to be out thereprimitively, like usually, by
(41:32):
yourself.
You might see a few othercampers, but but not usually, or
at least I didn't when I wasthere.
So that is a really uniqueopportunity if you wanted to try
that.
Speaker 1 (41:41):
Right, and that's a very different side of, I think,
anything we've ever talkedabout on the podcast.
So again, it's great to havethese other options.
I mean that sounds amazing.
You know, seeing what awildlife beach you know, a beach
that's not commercial, nottouched looks like I was a life
(42:02):
science teacher, so that reallygets my you know, my geek going.
That's very cool and I had somany thoughts and questions all
at the same time.
This gives opportunity forpeople, you know, to do these,
these.
You know it's justopportunities that a lot of
people don't think about I'venot heard a lot of people talk
(42:24):
about, so I'm really excitedthat we could give this to my
listeners.
So many things we will never hiton, all things RV.
You know, virginia, what I wantto let people know again, I am
going to put this stuff in theshow notes for those people who
want to camp in an RV park orcampground with all the
(42:48):
amenities.
Campgroundsrvlifecom and eventhese national state parks
should be listed on that site sopeople could go and find out
all there is to know.
One of the points I wanted tomake first of all, when we talk
about campgrounds last week myepisode on 2-12, so February
(43:11):
12th, I talked about campgroundsand different types and what
they mean.
So, like there's boondockingand moochdocking, there's your
RV parks, your RV resorts, yourcampground, city, state,
national park, blm land so Italked about a lot of that.
For people who are new andlooking for that kind of
terminology and looking to knowmore about, you know, different
(43:35):
types of camping.
So that was the episode onFebruary 12th.
If people want to check thatout.
The episode on February 12th, ifpeople want to check that out.
Okay, so you've covered a lotof different things.
What else would you recommendfor people coming into Virginia?
Speaker 2 (43:52):
Well, Patty, there's one other hidden gem I want to
mention that I think is sospecial to Virginia, and that is
Brakes Interstate Park.
Now, now, brakes is aninterstate park because it's on
the border of Virginia andKentucky, so the two states
share the funding for this park.
But it is known as the GrandCanyon of the South, and when
(44:14):
you visit the Brakes, you'llunderstand why.
When you stand at one of theoverlooks, you will will be
viewing the Russell Fort Gorgeand the canyon that was created
by that river, and it isstunning.
It's the most beautiful thing Ithink I have ever seen in
Virginia, and the park itselfhas all the amenities that
(44:36):
somebody who is camping orvisiting with their RV could
possibly need.
So there are campgrounds thereinside the park.
The park also has a beautifulvisitor center with a restaurant
that is open seasonally it'scalled the Rhododendron
Restaurant and additionally,there is a little water park and
a pool.
(44:57):
For people who are interested inthat Maybe you're staying
long-term there's a lodge, sothere are rooms available, and
then there's also reallybeautiful lakefront cabins, and
the lake itself, called LaurelLake, has fishing and boating
opportunities, with kayakrentals and, I believe, paddle
boats, if I remember correctly.
So this park is wonderful forhiking.
(45:19):
It's wonderful for the views.
There's also rock climbingopportunities in the park, which
is really neat.
It's wonderful for the views.
There's also rock climbingopportunities in the park, which
is really neat.
It's just got a lot going on.
There's even a zip line in thispark, which is so awesome.
I mean you're hundreds of feetabove the canyon when you're
zipping across these three longzip lines and the experience of
(45:41):
being that high up over thetreetops and like sort of
watching your feet dangle in theair as you're zipping past this
stunning canyon like I can'tsay enough about it.
It's not an experience you'regoing to find in too many other
places.
So I highly recommend thebreaks.
But there's one other thingabout the breaks that is
especially unique, and that isthe opportunity to see elk.
(46:02):
Now, most people don't knowthat elk were native to Virginia
, but they were hunted toextinction over 100 years ago
and they were recentlyreintroduced to the area several
years ago and so now there isan opportunity to take a bus
from Brake Center State Park toa viewing area that has
beautiful platforms and you canactually see the elk now that
(46:24):
have been brought back toVirginia and are thriving and
that has been huge for the area,not only because for
conservation reasons, but froman economic standpoint.
They're getting visitors fromall over the state and all up
and down the East Coast who areinterested in seeing the elk.
And if you had never heard amale elk bugle, it is something
(46:47):
that will give you goosebumps.
It's just, it's so unreal whenyou hear it.
And when I first took an elktour from the breaks to see the
elk, there was a woman on thebus who literally started to cry
.
She was just so moved by whatshe was seeing that she couldn't
and she couldn't stop talkingabout it the whole bus ride back
(47:08):
, about how she had to telleverybody she knew about this
and how she just couldn't waitto come back.
And it's truly special andthose, those tours are in the
spring and in the fall, and sothat's another thing that if
people are interested in an elktour, they're going to want to
plan ahead.
I have done both the spring andthe fall tours and they're
(47:29):
similar and yet different.
When I did the spring tour inApril, there was actually a
snowstorm, so I was viewing theelk that were covered in a
dusting of snow, which was likewow, it was just amazing.
And at that time a lot of theelk were shedding their antlers,
so you would see an elk thathad one massive antler on the
(47:49):
side of its head and the otherone was missing.
So that was kind of cool.
And then in the fall, that'swhen they have, that's when
they're wait, is that right?
No, they're breeding in thespring.
Sorry, nevermind that confused.
But in the fall you get thefoliage.
So the the experience of seeingthe elk in the fall is against
(48:11):
the setting of spectacular fallfoliage all throughout the
mountains.
So it's a it's just so amazing.
But you do have to plan aheadif you want to see that, and I
think all of those reasonscombined make breaks.
One of the best experiences inVirginia.
Speaker 1 (48:28):
Really Okay.
So the best experience inVirginia, and I mean it just
again and the way you talk aboutit.
We both have a podcast, sopeople are listening and we
really have to explain things.
A podcast, so people arelistening and we really have to
explain things.
And I'm sitting herevisualizing this whole thing and
people could certainly go andfind pictures and videos of it,
(48:50):
but I really appreciate how muchyou're explaining, where I'm
like okay, I have to go.
I'm making a list of thingsthat I now want to do.
I always talk to my listenersabout a bucket list.
Put on the bucket list thethings you want to do and start
making the plan to do it.
So you've certainly givenpeople a lot to talk about, to
(49:11):
visit, to explore in Virginia,and I'm sure you haven't even
touched on half.
So we're not finished.
I'm going to.
I want to talk about a, anevent.
So for those of my listenerslooking for their next RV or for
the first RV, the ultimate RVVIP RV buyers event is Music
(49:34):
City Motorhome Expo.
It's May 31st to June 4th,takes place in Lebanon,
tennessee, and you could be thefirst to see the 2026 model year
coaches from all the majormanufacturers and, with limited
attendance.
You can drive as many, take asmany test drives as you want.
You can chat with manufacturers, product developers and
(49:57):
engineers.
They will have seminars.
You're given three meals a dayreally good meals, high-end
entertainment.
I was there last year and itwas an incredible event and I
plan on being back this year.
And you can check all of thatout by going to
musiccitymotorhomeexpocom.
There is a link in the shownotes for you.
(50:19):
And again, you and I are bothtrying to think of things as we
go along.
I think there might be adiscount code there as well.
Okay, so how can people we'vetalked about the podcast how can
people reach out to you?
The podcast is Virginia OutdoorAdventures Podcast.
I highly recommend it.
(50:40):
Anybody even thinking aboutbeing in Virginia at all,
whether it's for just a day orfor weeks, definitely have to
check out your podcast.
Do you have social media?
Is there other ways people canfind out about you?
Speaker 2 (50:54):
Absolutely, Of course I do so.
I have Instagram and Facebookand you can find me just by
searching Virginia OutdoorAdventures.
That should come up for you.
And if you want to learn moreabout the podcast, the website
is virginiaoutdooradventurescom.
I have all the latest episodeseasily linked on there.
Of course, it's available onall of the listening platforms
(51:14):
Apple Podcasts, Spotify andanywhere you listen to podcasts.
If you would like to get a holdof me, you can email me at
jessica atvirginiaoutdooradventurescom.
Or if you're listening to anyone of my episodes, there is a
link in the show notes calledSend Jessica a Text Message and
you can send me fan mail byclicking on that link, and I am
(51:35):
going to say.
Speaker 1 (51:36):
You have made it where you are totally accessible
, so people really need to reachout to you if they have
questions or thoughts orcomments.
You've made it so there's everypossible way for people to do
that.
We're not finished with you yet.
I'm gonna ask you a question,I'm gonna give you a few minutes
to think about it, and I thinkthis is gonna be tough for you,
for my listener just so you know, I do not let my guests know
(52:01):
that I'm going to ask this andthe question is what is
something that is on your bucketlist that you either still want
to do or something else?
You've talked about a lot ofthings that you would recommend
to my listeners and I'm going togive you a minute to think
about that.
And while I talk aboutinnovative toll solutions and
(52:22):
this is a toll pass that coversall 48 states not only does it
cover all 48 states, but if youshould have a problem with tolls
anybody traveling anywhere attimes you have a problem going
through that toll and you knowthere's fines there's.
How do I get this resolved?
Innovative toll solutions willtake care of it for you.
(52:45):
They will resolve the issue foryou, and you can find out all
about Innovative Toll Solutionsby going to the link in the show
notes checking it out.
It's only $24 a year, so anincredible value.
Okay, jessica, questions on you.
Your time has run out.
(53:06):
You've got a look on your face.
There's got to be a lot, butyeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2 (53:12):
I'm trying to figure out how I limit it so that we
don't keep going on and on, butI thought of two unique
experiences that have been on mylist for a while that I just
need to do.
I just need to find the time todo it.
If I wasn't doing a podcast,maybe I'd have more time.
But the first one is I reallywant to backpack through Mount
Rogers National Recreation Area,which is in Southwest Virginia.
(53:35):
The Appalachian Trail crossesthrough this area and, according
to ThruHikers, this area andaccording to ThruHikers, it's
one of their favorite sectionsof the entire Appalachian Trail,
and Virginia has more miles ofAppalachian Trail than any other
state that the trail passesthrough.
I did not know that.
Speaker 1 (53:53):
That's incredible.
Speaker 2 (53:54):
Okay, thank you for sharing.
Yeah, so sometimes ThruHikersrefer to Virginia as the
Virginia Blues, because they getinto Virginia and it takes them
so long to get through it thatit starts to become like a
mental block, right, and some ofit is tough too.
But this area through MountRogers is at very high
elevations it's some of thehighest elevations in the
(54:15):
Commonwealth, and up there theyhave what they call balds, which
means that deciduous trees willonly grow up to a certain
elevation, and then beyond thatthey have what they call balds,
which means that deciduous treeswill only grow up to a certain
elevation, and then beyond thatthey don't.
So it's wide open mountaintopswith a lot of boulders and some
low lying brush and shrubs, butit's absolutely stunning a lot
of pines, and backpackers justlove this area.
(54:38):
I've been up there during theday, but I have never backpacked
through there, so that is on mylist of places and things to do
that I'm going to get to one ofthese days, I swear.
And then the other experiencethat's on my list is kayak
camping down the Potomac.
I want to pack all of my usualbackpacking gear into a kayak
(55:01):
and paddle down the Potomac, andthere are several state parks
that are on the Potomac thathave paddling campgrounds, and
so you could literally go allthe way down the Potomac
practically and just pull into adifferent state park campground
, unpack at the campground, youknow, spend the night, pack it
all up in the morning, get backin your kayak and keep going.
(55:21):
But that requires a lot ofplanning too.
You've got to.
You know you've got to have theright weather for that.
You probably don't want to goalone if you're not really
experienced and also just paddle, paddle backpacking or kayak
camping just takes a differentlevel of preparation and knowing
when the tides are coming inand out so you're not paddling
against the tide, things likethat.
(55:42):
So there's a lot to plan for.
Speaker 1 (55:45):
Wow, yeah, that sounds incredible.
Not sure I'm going to thinkabout whether or not I can put
that one on my bucket list.
I'm not sure about that one,but I never say never.
So you know, you again havepainted a picture of something
that sounds absolutelyincredible.
So you know I'm not going tocross it off the list.
(56:05):
I'll put it on the list.
Speaker 2 (56:07):
And I'll just tell you, patty, before I started
this podcast, a lot of theseactivities were not things that
I had done or would even thinkof doing.
But as I have met people who dothese things and they share
their passions and they wantother people to try these
opportunities, they share how todo it, so they make it beginner
friendly, and then I'm like,well, maybe I'll give this a try
(56:29):
and I start, you know, just alittle bit like I had never been
caving, or not wild cavinganyway, before this podcast.
I had only been rock climbing ahandful of times.
I had never been ice climbing,I never saw a whale in the wild.
I, you know, I think I hadspent maybe one or two nights
outdoors like backpacking with agroup.
(56:50):
I had never solo backpackedbefore this podcast.
So it really opened your eyesto different experiences and if
you have the right resources,then anything's possible.
Is?
You just have to have thewillingness to give it a shot,
and I think that you said.
Speaker 1 (57:05):
Like you encapsulated what RVers for the most part
are looking for, most of themgoing out experiencing things
they never have.
So I think that is a definitely.
You know, my RV community hasthat belief system.
I mean going, like I said, in ahot air balloon.
I never would have thought todo that, that.
(57:26):
I went and did it for a secondtime.
That time I was told by thepilot that it was going to be a
moderate landing, which younever want to hear, and you know
it was a little rough, but itis kind of pushing those comfort
zones.
I went.
When you mentioned zip lining, Ikind of made a face, but I went
(57:48):
zip lining in Panama, over therainforest.
I mean it was one of thelongest zip lines in the world,
I think.
And I was telling somebody thisstory just last week and they
were wide-eyed like I can't evenimagine and I thought to myself
I couldn't either, I'd getthere.
We're told how big this zipline is and the reason I
(58:10):
actually did is because my 18year old daughter was with and
she didn't really do anything.
She was afraid of a lot ofthings and there she was going
on and I'm like how can I checkit out if she's going on?
And when it was was all overshe said, well, I only went on
because you went on.
And I said, well, I only wenton because you went on.
So I like what you said aboutpeople kind of trying things
(58:33):
outside their comfort zone.
You know, maybe take a littlebit at a time and to your point,
there are beginner type, for alot of these things are beginner
type.
You know there's places tostart.
Don't just get out there and gorock climbing.
Let's start from step one.
You know, take it a step at atime.
Speaker 2 (58:53):
Yes, and a lot of these activities are even kid
friendly, like rock climbing iskid friendly, wild caving is kid
friendly.
So if the kids can do it thencertainly you know the adults
could at least think about doingit too, right?
Speaker 1 (59:08):
Absolutely, that sounds great.
I want to talk about thefeature campgrounds.
Time for the feature campgroundof the week and that is brought
to you by RV Life.
And this week's campground isThousand Trails, virginia
Landing in Quimby, virginia.
Do you know that area?
Did I say it right?
No, and I love putting myguests on the spot.
(59:30):
So Quinby, virginia, and I'llfind out exactly where that is,
because I didn't know you know,I'm looking it up right now.
Okay, you look it up and I'llkeep talking about it.
It is a Thousand Trailscampground, but you do not need
to be a member to stay at thiscampground.
It's got 285 sites and this RVresort is scenic and secluded
(59:52):
and it's located between theChesapeake Bay and the Atlantic
Ocean and it offers peace andtranquility and lots to do for
those people who like their fullhookups.
They have full hookups, theyhave pull-in sites, they are pet
friendly and they have cottagesand cabin rentals, which I love
.
And Thousand Trails, virginiaLanding has a solid 7.9 rating
(01:00:19):
on the RV Life campgrounds, with45 reviews.
So you let me know you jump inwhen you find it.
What I love is how easy it is oncampgroundsrvlifecom to find
all of the campgrounds we arementioning.
You should be able to find allof them by just going to
campgroundsrvlifecom.
(01:00:41):
If you're looking for ThousandTrials, virginia Landing, then
just type that in once you getthere and it'll show you all the
photos, tips, all the amenities, everything about this property
that you need to know.
Did you find it?
Sure, did.
It is on the.
Speaker 2 (01:00:56):
Eastern Shore, really kind of right in the middle of
the eastern shore of Virginia.
That is a fantastic location.
It is facing the Atlantic Ocean, and what I love about the
eastern shore is the wildlife.
A lot of these barrier islandson the eastern shore are some of
the last wild, I guess, oceanfrontage on the entire east
(01:01:21):
coast of the United States.
They're undeveloped and theyare so important as far as being
breeding grounds for birds andsea turtles and other marine
wildlife, and so if you're intowildlife watching, that's a
fantastic location, especiallyin the winter or actually any
time of year.
But winter you've got migratorywaterfowl that are spending the
(01:01:45):
winter, but in the spring andsummer you've got migration.
So for people who really enjoybirding, what's fantastic about
the eastern shore, especially inthe spring, is as birds migrate
down the Atlantic Flyway ordown the east coast, they get
funneled by this peninsula thatis the eastern shore, and a lot
of times they hit the tip of theshore and then they stop,
(01:02:06):
because then they have to crossover the Chesapeake and so
they'll stop for a little bitand you end up with this massive
concentration of, like warblersand other songbirds, and if
you've ever been there duringmigration, it is incredible.
There's like birds everywhere.
And what's really cool aboutthe fall migration is you got
migratory raptors and there'sactually an observation platform
(01:02:31):
at Kipta Peak State Park wherethey count the raptors that are
flying overhead during migration.
That is a really cool place tobe.
You can see everything fromgolden eagles to peregrine
falcons, all kinds of hawks,eagles.
It's just, it's amazing.
So I really enjoy that.
And I'll just mention too thatthat campground is very close to
(01:02:51):
the town of Onancock, which isone of the towns that I did
Virginia's Adventure Town seriesfeature on and that is a
historic port town On the otherside feature on.
And that is a historic porttown On the other side I saw the
Chesapeake side of the easternshore but also fantastic for
fishing and for boating andpaddling and the sunsets.
(01:03:13):
There are epic Great littlerestaurants, really nice
restaurants too.
Oh, and Antiquing.
It's an artsy town.
If you like arts.
I mean everything from theaterarts to like painting and
sculpture and like, oh, it'sjust.
I cannot say enough.
I've got an episode about that.
Check that out too.
(01:03:33):
And I'm going to stop therebecause I could just keep going.
Speaker 1 (01:03:36):
Patti, I love that part of the Eastern Shore.
I love it and you're talkingabout, like learning about birds
and actually seeing itfirsthand.
And I was a teacher myself.
For people who don't know, Iwas a teacher for 20 years as
well and I'm thinking this isgreat for the kids, the parents
that are homeschooling, roadschooling their kids.
(01:03:56):
But as an adult, I just lovethis.
I love looking at nature, Ilove learning about it and
everything you said.
I'm just in awe.
That sounds so cool.
Speaker 2 (01:04:08):
I can't wait so when am I going to see you in
Virginia, Patty?
Speaker 1 (01:04:13):
Next month.
Actually, we are going to get.
I was just down there a coupleof weeks ago.
My brother lives in Virginiaand as I was driving down there
a horrible rainy night, but as Iwas driving down there I was
thinking about you definitelyhave to get together.
Speaker 2 (01:04:28):
Yes, please, let's do that.
I would love to get together inperson.
Speaker 1 (01:04:32):
Yes, so for those of you looking for these
campgrounds again, I'm going toput a lot of them in the show
notes.
You could also go tocampgroundsrvlifecom.
If you're not part of the RVLife Pro Suite of products,
there is a 25% discount.
You go to the show notes, clickthe link.
When you go to check out, the25% will come off.
(01:04:53):
It is less than $50.
It's somewhere around $48 ayear for everything.
I'm talking about moreCampgrounds.
The RV Life Campgrounds is part.
It gives you RV parks,campgrounds, resorts, city state
national parks everything wetalked about you should see on
there.
Well, I want to thank you somuch and I really encourage my
(01:05:17):
listeners to reach out to you.
I'm going to put all the waysyou mentioned they can reach out
to you.
Listeners to reach out to you.
I'm going to put all the waysyou mentioned they can reach out
to you Certainly to check outyour podcast, virginia Outdoor
Adventures podcast, to find outmore about what there is to know
about Virginia.
I don't think any of us willever learn all of it, but you're
such a wealth of information.
Thank you so much.
Speaker 2 (01:05:39):
Thank you for having me, Patty.
It's been a pleasure and I hopeto see some of your listeners
here in Virginia.
Speaker 1 (01:05:46):
Absolutely, and if people come to Virginia and they
they message you, they shouldsay they heard about it on the
RV Life podcast.
I would love to hear from them,yes, and anybody that wants to
reach out to me.
The RV Life Podcast.
You can put a comment in thereview section of any platform
you're listening from, or go toInstagram or Facebook, and
(01:06:09):
that's RV Life Podcast.
I want to hear from you.
I want people to makesuggestions for things they've
seen in Virginia, things youheard about that you want to go
check out.
This has been beyond amazing.
Like, thank you, thank you.
Thank you, patty, it's been apleasure and I want to thank my
listeners and remind you life isa journey.
(01:06:31):
Live each day to the fullest,without regrets.
I'm Patty Hunt and you've beenlistening to the RV Life podcast
.
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