If you’re visiting Virginia Beach, just a few minutes up the road along the Chesapeake Bay is the wild and wonderful First Landing State Park. As Virginia’s most visited state park, there is so much to do, from hiking, biking, and camping to swimming and the seashore itself. We enjoyed a nice and quiet afternoon here hiking along the peaceful Osmanthus Trail with our son.
When traveling through the southwest, one of my favorite national parks by far was the Petrified Forest National Park. This park located in northeastern Arizona is naturally and culturally significant and quite beautiful. This area is strewn with colorful fossilized logs that date back to the Late Triassic Period. About 2,000 years ago, humans settled in and built little communities here.
Meandering trails take you throughout the park, giving you glimpses of trees that look like works of art and pueblos from hundreds to thousands of years ago show you how these prehistoric people lived. There’s even one home that looks like it was made from precious stones, which it kind of is.
I love art and because of that, I’m trying to get my son exposed to art from an early age. We have been to several museums, but it gets tricky with a one year old. This is especially true because we don’t want to inadvertently ruin the museum experience for anybody else. This is where Art Omi comes in to save the day. There is art and it is outside. Win and win! My son can run around all he likes, scream, and be fascinated with the giant sculptures scattered throughout the grounds, and it won’t ruin anybody else’s own personal art experience.
I love walking in the woods in the fall. There’s something about the smell of leaves in crisp, cool air that revitalizes my senses. We visited the Stewart Preserve on a nice fall day. Though the sun was mostly hidden behind clouds, when it did decide to peek out, the forest glowed. We will definitely be returning to this beautiful place in the early spring to see what else it has to offer.
The Lisha Kill Preserve is a beautiful place, and echoes the feeling I had while traipsing though the Black Forest in Germany. The forests here consist of tall, dark trees and soft pine needles trail riddled with roots to walk on. It’s simply magical.