Virginia Bluebells

Another quick day trip, but one that was good for the soul.  I headed to Bull Run Regional Park in Manassas, Virginia, which is just a short distance from the famous Manassas Battlefield (also known as the Battle of Bull Run), to see the famous Virginia bluebells. These beauties weren't quite in full peak yet, but there were still enough of them to make for a lovely walk.

Bluebells bloom about the same time as the famous Washington, D.C. cherry blossoms -- around April or May.  The funny thing is I've never seen them till now (April 8, 2013), and I've lived here for over 20 years now.  I guess the moral of the story is:  There are plenty of things to do in your own backyard, if you just take a look around. 

The Horseshoe Crab Migration

They came out of the sea on that dark and stormy night -- okay, well, it wasn't really stormy, but it was dark.  On a May night in 2012, I was lucky enough to watch part of the annual horseshoe crab migration to the shores of New Jersey and Delaware.  It wasn't pretty, but it was interesting to witness them squirm awkwardly onto the sands of Slaughter Beach, Delaware.

 

I went with a Meetup hiking group who had planned the outing around certain specifics that included knowing when the moon is full and the tide. They also knew that the migration occurs in late May to early June. Yet, we still almost missed it.

 

The evening of our outing was very cold.  After standing on the beach for awhile and seeing nothing, a small group of us headed to a small store to look for something warm to eat or drink. Thank God, the owner turned out to be a local volunteer who was involved in counting horseshoe crabs each year during the migration. He sent us off with some advice on where to look.  

 

At first, we saw nothing, but as the sun set, we started to see one here, two there.  Then boom, a virtual orgy of crabs. The big ones pictured above are the females and the little ones are the males.

 

If you have questions, feel free to ask me!

 



OBX - Hatteras area

I'm in the Outer Banks, or OBX for short, right now at my friend's beach house, Ducked Out.  The Outer Banks  is the name used for a series of barrier islands that line the North Carolina coast.  At the north end lies Corolla.  Hatteras lies at its southern end, although you can pick up a ferry to Ocracoke Island, if you wish.  OBX is a great place to visit, even off-season, like it is now.

My friend, Tammy, and I took a drive down to Hatteras because I had never been that far.  When my family comes to OBX, we typically stay in the Duck area.  Hatteras, it turns out, is about an hour and half drive from Duck (without traffic).  There were really nice beach houses down south and I saw the inn from the movie, "Nights in Rodanthe."  We also saw a lot of storm damage down south from a hurricane that bruised through here last year (2011).

A little shop beckoned with a sign alerting us that it had been on the Food Channel.  It sold delicious fudge.  There were also some cute little pottery and jewelry shops along the way.  We had originally planned to take the ferry to Ocracoke, but it was very windy and it was getting late in the day, so we decided to skip that part of the journey for another day.

Hop on, Hop off Buses -- Great Way to Tour a City

One of the best ways to tour a new city is to take a Hop on, Hop off bus.  Most major cities including Paris, London and New York offer this service, which allows a guest to pay one fee and take a bus to most of that city's popular tourist sites.  A guest can choose which stops he wants to get off on and visit.  When he is satisfied with his visit, he can then catch the next Hop on, Hop off bus to come by.  In Paris and London, the buses are typically double decker.  Most of these services offer recorded information about popular attractions, as well.

Save Money by Signing up for Groupon Before Your Trip

To save money on services you may want to use while on a trip, sign up for Groupon or Living Social deals for the area you plan on visiting.  For best results, sign up several months beforehand.  I live in the Washington, D.C., area and have seen a number of very tourist friendly deals listed, including Segway tours of the monuments, photography tours of D.C., plus many restaurant deals.

These type of deals are especially helpful if you plan on staying in an area for more than a week or two.  Both Groupon and Living Social often offer deals on such things as yoga classes, cooking classes and other ways to break up a long trip or that can help you learn more about the area you are staying in.

If you are visiting a smaller city or town that doesn't seem to offer these types of deals, look for the next biggest metropolis.  Often, Groupon and Living Social will lump smaller cities in with larger neighbors.

2 Travel is 2 Live

Axioms for travelers to live by:

• Traveling doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg. 
• Whatever you save this trip can go towards a new trip.
• Researching a trip beforehand will save you money.
• However, getting lost can bring you some of the best memories.
• Do you really need that souvenier or would that  money be better saved for another trip?
• MOST IMPORTANT:  Enjoy the moment.  Be present in the moment.  Don't be wondering about the next step in your trip or the thing you might be missing.