Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve

With a series of rain events moving through the region, last week was pretty saturated. Soccer was abandoned 15 minutes in due to the increasingly steady drizzle, the week’s activities cancelled left and right leaving us high and dry with little to do. When a fall festival was cancelled Friday afternoon right before we arrived – after an hour’s drive – I wasn’t too hopeful that Saturday’s plans, a hike in Travelers Rest, would be successful.

There was still a slight drizzle as we packed the car, but although it was still cloudy, the rain had stopped once we reached Bunched Arrowhead Heritage Preserve, just outside TR city limits. The 180-acre preserve was created in 1987 to protect the federally-endangered bunched arrowhead (Sagittaria fasciculata), which occurs in wetlands within the Piedmont seepage forest. Also known as duck potato and wapato, the plant produces an edible tuber that historically has been collected as a food source. Bunched arrowhead is only found in two counties in the world – Greenville and Henderson County, North Carolina. 

The federally endangered bunched arrowhead, photographed in mid-April

Other rare plants that can be found on the Preserve include climbing fern (Lygodium palmatum) and dwarf-flowered heartleaf (Hexastylis naniflora), and as the Preserve is on migratory routes a variety of birds have been documented, including acadian flycatchers, yellow-throated vireos, blue grosbeaks and indigo buntings.

We joined the hike as members of the Greenville Zoo Nature Play family nature club; the Education Department at the Greenville Zoo has introduced this program to help bring about a love of nature in children. The club provides various opportunities to participate in outdoor activities inspired by nature, this month’s hike sponsored by Sunrift Adventure out of Travelers Rest and focusing on family backpacking basics. We joined the rest of the group at the entrance to the Preserve, and received some great tips on hiking and camping with children from our guide before hitting the trail.

The Preserve was purchased with the help of The Nature Conservancy and Heritage Land Trust Fund, and is now owned and operated by the SC Department of Natural Resources. The 1.25-mile trail traverses a range of habitats including a pond, seepage bogs, grassy fields, bottomland hardwoods and upland pine-hardwoods, giving visitors a great opportunity to see a diversity of wildlife without challenging elevation changes.

The walking trail forms a loop, and initially we skirted an open field before paralleling a stream through a mixed pine and hardwoods forest. In spring there would be an abundance of butterflies and wildflowers including Solomon’s seal and white violets. Nest boxes featured prominently along the trail, the squirrel, owl, bat and bluebird boxes home to an array of animals. We kept an eye out for kestrels, hawks and bobwhite quail in the fields, but our large group (although great company) didn’t aid our efforts to spot wildlife.

Finally we walked along the top of the old damn before closing the loop on the opposite end of the parking area where we had started. Not only had the rain held off, but we were relatively dry; only a damp pant leg or two attested to a morning spent in the woods. Lauris was excited about the hike, a handful of giant leaves from the bottomland sycamores a souvenir from the trail. And although Mikus was less enthused, stomach growling from not finishing his breakfast, once he got some food in he was quick to change his vote. Final verdict; this is a quick, easy hike only 20 minutes from Greenville, one I know we’ll come back to – and we’ll bring friends.

* Note on 11/13/2015: More on the hike from Naturally Wild here. 

Camp Vilis - 1 year old!

We’ve had a one-year old for a few months now, and just like the birthday decorations which were up until one week ago still hanging in our living and dining room, I’m a little late in writing this post. Since he doesn’t know how to read yet I think he’ll forgive me…

Our rule for birthday parties is; the jubilārs gets to invite as many guests to his party as he is years old – except on first birthdays. First birthdays are for the parents, and since we hadn’t hosted a proper party in some time, I fell into the pinterest hole and started planning Camp Vilis! It just so happened that my parents were in town, so I had some help with the execution and logistics of hosting, not to mention four extra hands and two more photographers! Thank goodness we had some fabulous weather and could enjoy the backyard.

We had put out some things to snack on for when the guests first arrived including trail mix, granola bars, and a fishing tackle box full of gummy worms, lures and little carabiner compasses. The guest book was set, ready to be signed. Pieces of burlap were rustic and easy tablecloths, covering the main buffet as well as the tables we had set up outside for seating. These birch bark napkins and branch & twig pencils made for a theme-fitting yet functional addition, the pencils coming in handy for the first activity.

I had tweaked a nature scavenger hunt to feature more items easily found in our backyard, and soon the kids were racing around searching high and low for pine cones, cicada shells, beetles and fairies. (To see the original hunt, click here.) A few of the kids preferred to have a bag with to collect stuff, although it’s important to stress to them not to collect mushrooms, berries, or anything alive.

The backyard was set up to keep the kids entertained once the scavenger hunt was finished. We had a couple of tents filled with comfy blankets and pillows, and stocked with books to go with the theme, but the sandbox, playground and mud kitchen proved to be just as attractive to the little campers.

Roberts was manning the grill (with a bit of help from a friend) and soon we had shish kabobs and watermelon on the table. The veggie-kabobs were a big hit – we’ll make more next time!

As you probably know I love making the cake for these themed parties, and Camp Vilis was no exception. To make the flames I melted lifesavers in the oven on parchment paper, letting the result cool before snapping into triangular pieces. This has to be done soon before serving, as the candy tends to soften over time or in the fridge, resulting in sagging flames. The hardest part was getting those toasted marshmallows on the plate – it was a sticky, gooey endeavor!

The kids gathered around to sing happy birthday to the guest of honor, and then we helped him blow out the candle on the kliņģeris (Latvian birthday bread) his vecmamma Inga had made for him. I think Vilis polished off an entire piece of cake!

We lit the bonfire soon after, offering the kids (who definitely had not had enough sugar) a chance to roast some marshmallows and make s’mores. Poking the fire with sticks soon became a favorite activity, energy levels renewed after the second round of dessert!

A huge thank you to my parents; the party would not have been nearly as cool (and all the guests would have left hungry!) if not for you and all your help: starting with the supplies, ending with your presents, all the work in between. It was such a fun day spent with friends, all the prep work done ahead of time enabling me to enjoy the party, and to spend more time with the birthday boy. Happy 1^st birthday Vilīt, you’ve got a big year ahead of you!!!

Staying and dining in Charlottesville, Virginia

Our trip to Charlottesville corresponded with the University of Virginia homecoming football game. Now there were all sorts of little coincidences on this trip, some positive and some negative, but UVA and the football game were an influential factor in a bunch of our choices all weekend. It started about a week before when we decided to make the trip; Roberts was traveling for business and Lauris had his fall break, so we chose to join dad on his trip and then head north for the weekend. I warned Roberts that it is peak leaf season so please book a hotel soon, and then promptly forgot all about it until we were in Carrboro, North Carolina and planning on leaving for VA in the morning.

Every hotel in Charlottesville was full. Except for Holiday Inn, which was asking $300/night, and the Inn at Afton – by the way you have to read this review (it starts "Hole -ee Jeebus") – every last reasonable option in Charlottesville was booked. Roberts laughed when I gave him the “I told you so” because the last hotel he had spoken to had responded that it was actually the homecoming game against Syracuse (with an unspoken “duh”) and that our best bet would be to try something in Staunton… a good 45-60 minutes away.  Not really an option, we spoke to a booking agent who suggested an alternative – the Inn at Darden.

 

One of those little coincidences I spoke of is the University of Virginia/Monticello connection. We spent our first day in Charlottesville touring the Thomas Jefferson Monticello Estate, so it was quite the sagadīšanās that we basically stayed in UVA, the legacy of our third president. The Darden School of Business runs the Inn at Darden, an all-in-one location for conferences and continuing education classes; you sign up for courses at the School of Business and you stay in one of the 180 rooms, eat at the main dining room and relax at the Executive Pub afterwards. Rates were reasonable, the service attentive, the room clean and up to standard, but the location – the location was prime.

Founded in 1955, it is named after Colgate Whitehead Darden, Jr., a former congressman, governor of Virginia, and former president of the University of Virginia. Notable alumni include Mark Sanford (former governor of SC) and CEOs, chairman and presidents of companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Prudential Financial, PepsiCo and Target.

Another nod to Monticello: the large clock

Designed by architect Robert A. M. Stern to complement Jefferson’s aesthetic vision for UVA, the buildings feature sand-struck Virginia brick, Chippendale balustrades and red-metal standing seam roofs. Saunders hall has an octagonal entrance room that echoes that of Monticello, complete with domed roof. Being a Saturday we were free to explore without bothering students, and so we wandered around for a bit, admiring the elegantly furnished rooms and the sunny, inviting courtyards. If you would like to make a virtual visit, try the online tour on the University of Virginia Darden School of Business website.

Not only did UVA make our housing decisions for us, it also made our dining decisions… The night before the game we were headed from Monticello to campus, tired from a long day and hoping to eat as soon as possible. It wasn’t the first place we saw (possibly the second?), but FIREFLY was an auspicious stop. The bar and restaurant combines craft beer, food and gaming; you couldn’t have imagined a better spot for the boys to eat that night! They spent every spare minute watching people play video games and trying their own hand at a few classics, and the food disappeared as soon as it was put down in front of them. With a menu heavy on local, seasonal and organic options, and a craft beer menu featuring plenty of local favorites, mom and dad were happy also.

On our final evening in town we were in a race against time to find a dinner spot, as our return from Shenandoah National Park coincided with the end of the football game. We lost the race, every football fan in the city flooding the restaurants and bars, including those on Main Street, the historic pedestrian mall in the center of downtown. And so once again our dining was decided by UVA, as we chose the place that could get us in with the least amount of wait – The Whiskey Jar. The classic southern fare is locally sourced (including from the chef’s very own farm), is seasonal, and made entirely from scratch. Our meals were delicious, the atmosphere lively yet comfortable, and the staff were reasonably accommodating to children. If you are a whiskey drinker you might want to check out the spirits menu, however the brunch, lunch and dinner menus have enough barbecue and southern favorites that nobody will leave hungry.

Side note: the Whiskey Jar is just across from the Charlottesville Main Street Arena. The 40,000 square feet of space hosts everything from martial arts matches and the Virginia Film Festival’s Headquarters to hockey and figure skating. ‘Cool’ place to step inside while waiting on a table – you might just catch a hockey game in action!

In pursuit of fall colors

It was back up to the mountains last week with our Canadian guests Māris and Ieva! It was almost a month ago that we were in Shenandoah and I was thinking a week of rain might have knocked a majority of the leaves off the trees, but I shouldn’t have worried; it was spectacular. 

Caesars Head was ablaze with color despite an overcast morning. The observer with Hawk Watch had only just arrived, but reported large numbers of hawks had been counted coasting ahead of the storms this fall, including over 10,000 broad-winged hawks at Grandfather Mountain.

We made the stop at Bald Rock, despite a persistent drizzle. The colors there were no less impressive, with rivers of fog having settled into the valleys.

The waterfall at Wildcat Wayside was running on the full side, and the hillside opposite Highway 11 was simply vibrant.

The show wasn’t confined to the Blue Ridge, as Falls Park and downtown are enjoying beautiful fall color too.

The giant American beech has only just started turning, but it won’t be long now before the brilliant yellows appear.

It was a pleasure showing our guests around town, and I’m thankful for the motivation to make the trip up to Caesars Head as we might have missed these gorgeous views otherwise. Autumn still is not done in the Upstate, and hopefully we’ll be out often checking on its progress…

Shenandoah - autumn on Skyline Drive

Over 1 million people visit Shenandoah National Park each year, the 200,000-acre park a popular escape for the metropolitan areas of Washington DC, Virginia, Maryland and Pennsylvania. 500 miles of trail are open to hiking, a large percentage accessible from Skyline Drive, including 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. With a dozen large waterfalls, lush forests, remnants of former homesites and unending majestic scenery, Shenandoah is gorgeous any time of year; however it is in autumn that the colorful hardwoods spilling over the ridges into endless valleys create a cacophony of color that make the Park a destination not to be missed.

One of the most unique things about Shenandoah NP is that it was created entirely from privately-owned land as opposed to setting aside federally owned land for preservation. Many a western Park was established to preserve wilderness and natural features on already-public land, but the area along the Blue Ridge in Virginia was heavily populated and had been used/abused for centuries: farming, mining, logging, trapping, grazing and milling had utilized and depleted the natural resources starting in the mid-1700s. Still, the mountain views, water and air were an inspiration for a National Park, and soon the seeds of idea had been planted for a park on the Blue Ridge.

In the early days it was thought that there might be only one southern park, and supporters of the Great Smoky Mountains NP were quickly able to satisfy requirements for the establishment of GSMNP. However, it turned out that three National Parks were eventually established: at Mammoth Cave, in the Smoky Mountains, and along the Blue Ridge at Shenandoah. Authorized by Congress in 1926, there was still much work to be done including raising the money to buy out and relocate the 500 families that still lived in the hills. Over the following decade 24,000 Virginians pledged to contribute $1.3 million, while the legislature allocated an additional $1 million towards the creation of the Park, and it was 1935 before the Park was finally officially established. In the last 80 years forests have regenerated to cover over 95% of the Park in a remarkable example of recovery, the soils and plant diversity bouncing back after centuries of poor agricultural practices.

Our Shenandoah experience had started at the south end of the park (MP 105), and after a hike at Blackrock Summit (MP 84.8) we were once again headed north on the famous Skyline Drive. Our destination was the Byrd Visitor Center at MP 51, at which point we knew we would probably have to turn around. Although the Skyline is only 105 miles long, the 35 mph speed limit combined with a few thousand leaf-peepers results in a one-way trip easily requiring 3 hours… if you don’t stop even once. With scenic pullouts every few miles that are impossible to resist, traversing the entire park would result in a really long day. As it was, dusk was starting to settle as we drove the last miles to exit the park, however we were content with the portion we were able to see.

The Harry F. Byrd Sr. Visitor Center is part of the Big Meadows area that includes campgrounds, a lodge, a wayside and the visitor center as well as several trailheads. We stamped our National Park passports, explored the exhibits, watched a video on the creation of the Park, ate a hurried lunch at one of the windy picnic tables and then finished our Jr. Ranger activity books, earning a badge for the effort. Having picked up a few postcards we then headed out again, with the goal of stopping at a few more scenic overlooks on the trip back south.

Lauris and Mikus had been very patient with all the sitting in carseats expected of them, but they also had their activity books and Track Trails brochures to work on, snacks to eat and backpacks full of books and toys. Vilis was less content with the segments spent driving, and frequent stops would have been required even if the scenery hadn’t been as alluring. Luckily we had plenty of options of places to stop and stretch, photograph the scenic autumn vistas and inspect interesting rocks and leaves.

There are four points of access to the Park, the north and south entrances, Thornton Gap Entrance (MP 31.5) and Swift Run Gap Entrance at MP 62.7 We debated exiting at Swift Gap and taking an alternate route back to Charlottesville, but eventually the pull of Skyline won out. It was meant to be, because although it tacked on some additional time in the car, we would not have seen one of the highlights of trip had it not been for this decision. In my experience cars stopping in the middle of the road and people gawking at the woods means one of two things; an accident, or a wild animal. Luckily it was one of the resident black bears of Shenandoah foraging for its dinner that caused our backup.* In addition to the estimated 300-500 bears, the Park is also home to white-tailed deer, bald eagles, coyotes and timber rattlesnakes among dozens of other animals.

There was a steady flow of cars headed out of the park, but the parking areas and overlooks were still full of visitors enjoying the last hours of sunlight on the slopes. The twilight made the mountains glow, the effect invigorating yet completely eluding capture on film – a good reminder to put the camera down and live in the moment, to enjoy the scene without a filter. All in all it was a memorable day in Shenandoah; the combination of crisp fall weather, the brilliant leaf colors, a unique hike and finally a bear sighting for the boys captured the essence of autumn in the Blue Ridge.

* The picture of the black bear was taken from the safety of our vehicle. I do not condone nor encourage stopping in the roadway, parking on roadsides or approaching wildlife, all of which are dangerous to you, the animals and others utilizing the road. Please do not approach wild animals and do not feed them - let them remain wild.