Tag Archives: Civil War

Looking back on 2023

Posted on January 2, 2024 by John M

During 2023 our hiking group went on 92 hikes for a total of just over 400 miles, averaging about 4.4 miles per hike. The distance per hike was similar to last year’s, but the reduced number of hikes inevitably lowered … Continue reading →

Posted in Birds, Hiking, Photography | Tagged C&O Canal, Civil War, Great Falls National Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac River, Rappahannock River, Shenandoah Mountains, Washington DC, wildlife | 1 Comment

Living History Events during 2022

Posted on January 9, 2023 by John M

Last year was the 160th Anniversary of the American Civil War battles that took place during 1862, so our hiking group visited several Civil War battlefield sites, some of which had “Living History” events, featuring costumed reenactors. You don’t get … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged American Battlefield Trust, Civil War, Living History | 2 Comments

Looking back on 2022

Posted on December 31, 2022 by John M

During 2022 our hiking group continued to burn up the trails! We went on 108 hikes for a total of around 500 miles; averaging about 4.6 miles per hike. That’s not much different overall from last year, but this year … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged C&O Canal, Civil War, Great Falls National Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac River, Rappahannock River, Shenandoah Mountains, Washington DC, wildlife | 6 Comments

Keep moving

Posted on February 18, 2016 by John M

One of the downsides to winter is that you just have to get out there and keep moving, but you often spend more time getting dressed for and getting to a hike than you do actually hiking. (Actually, this applies … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged cardinal, Chantilly Battlefield, Civil War, Lake Audubon, nature, Ox Hill Battlefield, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Rocky Run, Smithsonian National Zoological Park, wildlife | Comments Off

Long weekend, lost wonder

Posted on September 6, 2014 by John M

Whenever a Federal holiday comes around, yielding a three-day weekend, I usually feel compelled to fill up with hikes. Maybe this compulsion comes from something I was discussing with a friend not so very long ago, about the lost wonder … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Billy Goat Trail, C&O Canal, Civil War, Great Falls National Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac Heritage Trail, Potomac River, Washington DC | 4 Comments

Catching up

Posted on August 15, 2014 by John M

The past couple of weeks I have still been busy hiking, but sadly negligent in writing posts about it. So I’ll have to back up and play catch-up again… Carderock On Saturday, August 2nd, I thought a visit to Carderock … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged C&O Canal, Cameron Run, Carderock, Civil War, George Washington Masonic National Memorial, Lockhouse 10, nature, old town alexandria, outdoors, Potomac River, South Run, Supermoon, Washington DC, wildlife | 2 Comments

Ups and Downs

Posted on April 23, 2014 by John M

Last Saturday I had a trip planned to the Shenandoah National Park (SNP), a repeat of the combined hikes at Dark Hollow Falls and Hawksbill we did last June. Since this was to be the first trip to SNP in 2014, … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Civil War, Fraser Preserve, Great Falls National Park, nature, outdoors, Potomac Heritage Trail, Potomac River, Rowser's Ford, Scotts Run Nature Preserve, Seneca Park, Shenandoah Mountains, Shenandoah National Park | 2 Comments

Persistence

Posted on February 13, 2014 by John M

Persistence is the word that comes to mind when looking back over the past couple of weekends’ hikes: the persistence of a cold Winter, as it drags through February and probably at least halfway through March, and the persistence of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Alexandria, Civil War, Cross County Trail, Ellsworth, fairfax county virginia, Old Town, outdoors, Potomac River | 3 Comments

Contrasts

Posted on December 30, 2013 by John M

This past weekend presented a study in contrasts. Saturday was sunny, clear and warm, and a big group of hikers turned out for a moderate to strenuous hike over rocky, hilly terrain, while Sunday was overcast, rainy and cold, and only a few … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, Photography | Tagged Billy Goat Trail, Bull Run, Civil War, Great Falls National Park, Hemlock Overlook Regional Park, Manassas, Mather Gorge, Matildaville, nature, outdoors, Paradise Springs Winery, Potomac River, Potowmack Canal | Comments Off

First Manassas Trail

Posted on November 25, 2013 by John M

I visited the Manassas National Battlefield Park last Saturday to hike the First Manassas Trail, a 5.4-mile route that starts from the Henry Hill Visitor Center, leads northeast to the Stone Bridge, up Bull Run to the fording site of … Continue reading →

Posted in Hiking, History, Photography | Tagged Civil War, First Manassas, Gray Ghost Vineyards, Henry Hill, Manassas National Battlefield Park, Matthews Hill, nature, outdoors, Stonewall Jackson, the Stone House, wildlife | 4 Comments