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Rocky Knob Loop
The Blue Ridge Parkway is quite close to Randy’s house, so he knows just where to go when we ask for a small hike. We wind up to the ridge for a few tantalizing views, but the first half of the trail wends through the woods, where old cabins have a tendency to disappear and…
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Great Falls Park on the Potomac
We’ve continued south on highways flanked with still-colorful oak and maple forests to Rockville, Maryland, where Ann’s friend Jonathan lives with his wife Lisa. It’s mostly a working visit for me, but I can’t resist a hike in this small national park on the Potomac river. We begin along the old “tow canal” that for…
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Spruce Mountain
Just up the road from our host’s abode is a trail to the Spruce mountain fire lookout in L.R. Jones State Forest. The trail is rocky and wet – this country seems like it would be a giant swamp if the mountains weren’t here to keep the water flowing. The summit is windy, making the…
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East Hill Road Loop
Ann and I run some of the picturesque roads near Plainfield. East Hill Road
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Visiting Burlington
My aunt and grandmother lavish food and music upon us while we stop in Burlington, Vermont to see them. I haven’t made it out here since my visit on my big bike tour eleven years ago. It’s rare and warm family time. Dinner The wild rain is predicted to continue, but breaks long enough for…
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Lost by GPS on Presque Isle
We have our first experience with misplaced trust in GPS navigation, making a 5 mile outing into 10. Fun! We’re driving east to Vermont, and it’s been raining like mad. Itching for some exercise, we drive through Erie, Pennsylvania to Presque Isle State Park, where it looks like there’s a good 5 mile bike trail.…
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Tobico Marsh Relay
When visiting Mom in Bay City, Michigan I always make it out to Tobico Marsh State Park for a hike, but some extra research from Ann adds the twist that it should be possible to reach the park from town on rail trails. To get the distances right, Ann sets out on foot while Mom…
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Platte River Beach
My uncle Dewey takes us to this popular local fishing and sunset viewing spot. The Platte River flows into Lake Michigan here. We figure the salmon must be running now, because people are arriving with small boats and fishing from the sandy shoreline. Salmon Fishers Even the local dogs are fishing here. Dog Waits for…
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Sleeping Bear Dune Climb
We can’t resist spending a night and taking a hike in the Sleeping Bear Dunes National Lakeshore. Our annual park pass gets us in, and it’s not far off our route. The D.H. Day campground is really pleasant except for one thing we couldn’t have predicted: squirrel bombardiers. The squirrels are harvesting acorns, and they…
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Rapid River Romp
We make it into Michigan! Even though there haven’t been nearly as many state and national forest campgrounds as we’re used to, we’ve discovered plenty of city and county campgrounds to take their place. Often we just follow signs, and only once did we not find a spot until after dark, and that was after…