River Trip Recap, Part 2 - Nature Hike

Just one more post on our quick little River trip over Spring Break... On Wednesday, my mom, the kids, Lucy, and I went to the Bush Mill Stream Natural Area Preserve for a nature hike. We did this last spring break, and it was a lot of fun. It's also a reasonable (read: not terribly long or difficult) hike for the kids. You start up in the woods and end up down at Bush Mill Stream in the marshy area.

From Trails.com:

Though not long, the trail at Bush Mill Stream is a valued resource for denizens
of Virginia’s Northern Neck. Bring binoculars for bird-watching or a picnic
lunch to enjoy on your leisurely descent through mixed forest to the marshy
banks of the preserve’s namesake Chesapeake Bay tributary.

For those of you back at work, take a moment to relax and join us on our nature hike.

Here is the start (pets allowed on leash - that's good, since we have one!)

Trail "map" Blue = easy. Orange = just a little longer with an extra view overlook.

Most of the trail is through the woods. Lots of mountain laurels. I would love to see them in bloom.

This is where we go though the marsh at the end. Usually we look over the walk and see little animal tracks down in the mud by the grasses.

We took the orange trail back and had this as our view at the overlook. Isn't it beautiful?

If you are ever in Virginia's Northern Neck, you should stop by...

River Trip Recap

Our quick Spring Break trip to the River was lots of fun this week. We always have a great time, and puppy Lucy did great - she is going to be a total river dog! My parents' house is on Judith Sound, which opens right to the Potomac River, just before it joins the Chesapeake Bay. You can see Maryland right across the water (we are just southwest of Point Lookout and can hear planes taking off from Patuxent Naval Base).

It is fun, but it is also my most relaxing place to be. We spend lots of time here in the summer. Even in the cold weather, it's beautiful. To start here are a couple of sunrise pics that I snapped when I took Lucy out first thing in the morning.

We collected firewood on our morning walk so we could build a fire in the firebowl and hopefully roast hot dogs and marshmallows for lunch.

Lucy collected pine cones on the walk.

It was too windy, but we did get the marshmallow roasting in (priorities...). The previous/original owner put in this long concrete sidewalk sort of thing next to the rip-rap, so we call it the boardwalk. It's perfect for the firebowl.

Lucy hung out while we built the fire.

Here's another pic of the boardwalk, dock, water.

Another pic around the side of the house. Lots of room for Lucy to run around and chance tennis balls, lumber, sticks, and pine cones.

And a pic of the house. Last year when we were there for Spring Break, we were having cocktails out on the deck and all of a sudden there were hundreds of ladybugs swarming all over the rails. We figured they must have been hibernating in the deck rails. It was amazing to see. Wasn't that warm this time. But the kids spent plenty of time on the swings. The hammock gets pulled out in warmer weather.

We also took a fun nature hike that I'll post on later. This one is long enough for now...

Spring Break - 2009

So, it's Spring Break and day trips with the kiddies are out this week since we can leave Lucy in the crate for 3 hours, max. (Heard that rule? Age in months = Hours they can stay in crate) So, for a change in scenery, we headed to the River to see my parents. Well, actually just my mom since my dad is working during Tax Season, so he's in Richmond mid-week. It's nice just to be away from home for a few days. And it's so beautiful here.

We are on the Potomac River, right by where it meets the Chesapeake Bay, on the Virginia side, aka "The Northern Neck." The house is right on Judith Sound, which basically opens right to the Potomac, and we can see Maryland across the River on a clear day. I know that, technically, Maryland starts and the edge of the Potomac, but I'm talking about land, people. Sitting out on the dock on a warm, sunny, breezy day is about as close to zen meditation as I get right now, but it certainly does the trick. I'll try to remember to take and post pics.

The downside is that it is cold here. And being right on the water and right out in the open, you can take the regular amount of wind you are getting and jack it up. It's downright blustery. And it's muddy from all the rain over the past couple of days. And when you have a puppy, you need to be outside...a lot. Thus the need for the boots, the parka, that hat & gloves that I just didn't feel like Polyvore-ing.

So here is my Polyvore for what I brought for a few days away.

Spring Break River Trip by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew tops

And then here is my Polyvore for what I *wish* I could have packed for Spring Break. Maybe next time!

Fantasy Spring Break-2009 by HeidiGblog featuring J Crew t-shirts

Despite the cold, I am so happy to be here. There's such a sense of peace and calm here...until the kiddies are running around hollering and splashing in the water, and then it's just joy. So I am lucky to be here and to have this place to escape to.

Which brings me to the main point - away with the kiddies and trying really hard to disconnect a bit for a few days. I was particularly inspired by FabulousFloridaMommy's post about disconnecting and "just being". Catch you soon!