Shenandoah National Park, VA

I am always amazed at the beauty and variety of these United States! I grew up in VERY flat southern Delaware—which is probably why I’ve always loved the mountains. Something about the vistas and the gentle rolls of the Appalachia Mountains, no matter which part of the 2,000-mile chain I’m on, somehow manages to bring restoration to my soul. In Shenandoah, there are over 60 peaks with an elevation over 3000 feet.

You can drive for 105 miles on Skyline Drive or hike 101 miles of the Appalachian Trail. Along the way, you might see any number of the 53 different kinds of mammals and 200 different species of birds in the park. Any season at all suits me—and apparently the million-plus visitors that came this past year!

The journey there and back for a DC resident like me can also be great fun. The outlying area is the place to enjoy snow sports in the winter and wildlife and flowers in the spring and summer. But my favorite time is apple picking in the fall. I can almost smell a pie baking now!