Virginia

Hoof it at Sky Meadows, and Woof it at Barrel Oak Winery

Day Trip Destination: Fauquier County, Virginia

Grab Fido and the family and hop in the car for a day of R&B – recreation and bonding – in the beautiful countryside of Northern Virginia. But don’t expect to be roughing it on this trip – it begins with gourmet food, involves a brisk walk in historic woods and ends at a winery that’s kid and dog friendly.

First Stop: Millwood, Virginia

Before you head over to Sky Meadows, stop by the Locke Modern Country Store, in the tiny village of Millwood and just over the Clarke County line. Locke is a full-service provisioner: Here you can enjoy coffee and scones for breakfast, pick up lunch for the trail, and stow away a homemade frozen chicken pot pie to have for dinner when you get home. A visit to the Locke Store will have you seriously considering village life – or at least hiking at Sky Meadows a bit more often.

Gourmet sandwiches such as the Powerhouse – roasted chicken with sprouts, carrots, lettuce, tomatoes, avocado and havarti-dill cheese on hearty, multigrain bread – provide the perfect fuel for the trail and are large enough to split. Cookies as big as saucers could be shared, but why? Locke also sells chips, water and other beverages for a picnic, and soups, comfort foods and salads if you want to return for a more substantial lunch.

Whenever possible, Locke Store offers locally-grown foods that support sustainability. Established in 1836 on land that was once owned by Robert “King” Carter, this hidden gem is found at 209 Millwood Road (a right off Route 50 in Fauquier County), across the street from the 225-year-old Burwell-Morgan Mill. They’re open at 9 a.m. daily; closed Mondays.

Next Stop: Sky Meadows State Park

Winter hiking – on those precious days when our moderate, Mid-Atlantic climate begins to flirt with spring – has many benefits. The leaf-free, insect-light, people-scarce period that a friend of ours calls “the brown season” offers an opportunity to see the natural environment in a whole new way – uncluttered, monochromatic and peaceful.

Photographers love it, depressed people hate it, and you can appreciate it at Sky Meadows State Park in Northwest Fauquier County. Here meadows stretch up to forests that stretch up to the Appalachian Trail — that’s a lot of stretching, but there are less strenuous trails for hikers – and dogs – of all ages and condition levels.

The admission fee is $4 (cash) per vehicle, and the road leads to a parking area next to Bleak House – so named for its perch on a wind-swept hill. Built in 1840 by Abner Settle – the postmaster of nearby Paris – it housed him, his wife, and their children from the 1840s to the 1860s. The home was later owned by a member of Mosby’s Rangers but no battles were fought on this land, although the surrounding countryside was host to Civil War encampments. Information about the history of the park and trail maps may be found at the Visitors Center, which is located behind Bleak House.

Trails are a short distance away and lead to sweeping vistas or along historic roads. Highly recommended for families and dog owners is the Boston Mill Road and Snowden Interpretive Trail Circuit.

The wide, hard-packed dirt and gravel trail was once the route between the two gristmills up on Crooked Run and the village of Paris. Beyond the hand-built stonewall to the right is a field where wheat and corn were grown, which was then sent off to be ground at Simper’s Mill and shipped back in barrels as flour. In the 19^th century, this was definitely not the road less traveled.

About .4 miles down the trail and straight ahead, rustic stairs lead you up to the Snowden Trail, a one-mile loop that’s well marked with signage about the habitat and history of the area. The going is easy, yet you will still be rewarded with interesting views and great bird watching.

The park is known for its population of woodpeckers, and butterflies abound later in the year. The Visitors Center offers free brochures on the flora and fauna of the region and has a new Educational Habitat Room, as well as a Gift Shop stocked with books about insects, plants, flowers, wildlife and camping. Restrooms are in this building.

Sky Meadows State Park was established in 1975 with the gift of 1,132 acres by Paul Mellon, and it opened in 1983 when the Commonwealth of Virginia had completed its accommodations for the public. In 1987, a swath of land containing three miles of the Appalachian Trail was added, and Paul Mellon contributed another 462 acres in 1991. The latter parcel contains land that was once owned by George Washington.

The park now has over 12 miles of hiking trails and six miles of bridle trails, as well as picnic areas, primitive campsites and fishing. It’s a popular family hiking destination just one hour from Washington, D.C.

When you go…

• Sky Meadows State Park is at 11012 Edmonds Lane, Delaplane.
• Park hours are 8 a.m.-sunset.
• Pets must be kept on a leash no longer than 6 feet and should be cleaned up after.
• Alcohol is not permitted in state parks (except inside private areas such as tents).
• The park offers events, astronomy nights, GPS adventures and other programs.

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens – A Photographer’s Field Day
Day Trip Destination: Vienna, Virginia

Driving down roads that pass by the second largest retail center on the East Coast – as well as numerous McMansions, McDonald’s and other stuff-of-life in the technovillage called Tysons Corner – it’s difficult to envision the sense of peace that a visit to Meadowlark Botanical Gardens will bring. And that is exactly what makes this day trip an unexpected treasure.

Foot trails start at the park’s Visitors Center and lead to a 95-acre wonderland of ornamental display gardens, native plant collections, lakes, gazebos and artistic sculptures. And a camera grants access to the world-within-a-world, revealing the fat, fuzzy bodies of bumblebees and the silvery green wool of the lamb’s ear plant.

Any day is a great day to stroll through, stopping to appreciate the colorful gardens and intoxicating scents. But Meadowlark’s Photographers’ Field Day, offered twice a year, gives a special look – with extended hours and several classes aimed at the beginner through the expert photographer.

On a recent such event, photographer Lauren DiPerna led a sunrise macro photo shoot and shared her tips for capturing the detail of flowers and insects. About a dozen photographers trekked after her, discussing the art of the up-close-and-personal and carting around equipment that was probably worth more than my house.

Later that same day, Lauren had equal enthusiasm for teaching beginners about the basics of using a point-and-shoot camera to take better pictures.

Some of the photographers visit the gardens many times a year, so they especially appreciate the opportunity to capture “the magic hour” here at Meadowlark – when lighting is optimal and only the clicking of shutters and the chirping of birds dares shatter the silence.

For those who prefer to view the world with a naked eye and not through the lens, there is still plenty to see – without getting up at the crack of dawn, having special equipment or making reservations.

Throughout the year the gardens open at 10 a.m., and closing time varies by month. Several collections are assembled with theme and purpose: the Herbal Potpourri Garden, Butterfly Garden, Pollenators Garden and Perennial Color Border. Others display plants that are native to the Potomac River Valley – wild hydrangea, tulip poplar and azalea.

Trails loop through the park, and every once in a while you’ll stumble upon a thoughtfully displayed sculpture – a massive pine cone under a mighty conifer tree, or a rusty rhino in the rough. The pieces enjoy their gorgeous outdoor gallery while on a rotational program, and most are for sale.

Two lakes serve as centerpieces for the park – Lake Lina with its boardwalk and Virginia Native Wetlands Bog Garden, and Lake Caroline with a gazebo and flowering cherries, irises, peonies and daylilies. Marshy areas are dotted with water lilies and cat o’ nine tails, and fish and turtles abound.

Kids love to feed the fish with food that is available in the Visitors Center for $1 per bag. Children also love the huge sand box near the water, and a Garden Tea House that’s right out of a fairy tale.

New this year is the 4.7 acre Korean Bell Garden, featuring a traditional Korean pavilion with a cast iron bell that was handcrafted in Korea using a centuries-old technique. This is the first Korean Bell Garden in North America, and it was funded by the Korean American Cultural Committee with financial support from the Republic of Korea.

A rustic, 18^th century log cabin is found at a clearing in the woods – and it’s all that remains of the home of Gardiner Means and Caroline Ware. The couple – he an economics professor and she an author, educator and social historian – met at Harvard University and came to the Washington area to help FDR craft the New Deal in 1935.

They lived in a farmhouse that once enveloped the one-room log cabin, and when Means and Ware discovered the humble homestead they exposed its logs to enhance their living room. Here they entertained friends, who helped them harvest wheat, pick apples and make cider in exchange for dinner and lively conversation.

Gardiner Means and Caroline Ware donated 50 acres of their land to the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority in 1980, and in 1990 – three years after Means passed away – Ware deeded them the house and an additional 23 acres. She died shortly thereafter, but the legacy of this forward-thinking couple lives on.

Meadowlark Botanical Gardens is a property of the NVRPA. Beauty, conservation, education and discovery flourish here, and Gardiner Means and Caroline Ware would surely be pleased.

When you go …

 

• The next Photographers’ Field Day will be held on October 15, 2011.
• Photographers and non-photographers are welcome to enjoy the extended hours.
• Meadowlark Botanical Gardens normally opens at 10 a.m.
• Summer admission is $5 for adults and $2.50 for kids 7 & up.
• Dogs are not allowed at Meadowlark, but they are welcome on the perimeter trail.
• Picnic tables are located near the parking lot; food is not allowed inside the park.
• Sunscreen, hats, bug spray and water are recommended for hot, sunny days.
• All paved trails are stroller friendly, and most of the park is wheelchair accessible.
• Trail maps, snacks, drinks, cards, and gifts are available in the Visitors Center.
• Restrooms are also found in the Visitors Center.
• Meadowlark offers classes on topics ranging from gardening to wreath making.

Story copyright 2011, Elaine C. Jean. All rights reserved.
Photos copyright 2011, Paul N. Jean. All rights reserved.