Dale & Debbie Part 57 - Virginia & Maryland
22nd Apr 2025
Pedals, Ponies, & Parties: Our Travels Through Virginia & Maryland
Our latest adventures took us from the quiet charm of Damascus, Virginia to the heartwarming bustle of family and friends across the state—and beyond! We biked the beautiful Virginia Creeper Trail, spotted a lone pony at Grayson Highlands, and visited some of our favorite scenic spots like Backbone Rock. Along the way, we reconnected with loved ones, celebrated birthdays (including a surprise 70th for Dale!), and even made it to a gorgeous wedding in Annapolis. Here's a peek at the highlights and special moments that made this stretch of our journey so memorable.
We moved on to the peaceful town of Damascus, VA, where we enjoy riding the Virginia Creeper Trail. We split the 34-mile trail into two days since we were staying right in the middle.
Below are photos from the 17-mile upper portion of the trail.
Below are photos from the 17-mile lower portion of the trail.
Dale hiked at Grayson Highlands State Park one day and only saw one wild pony. We’ve hiked there in the past and saw a dozen or so.
Backbone Rock Tunnel is a manmade tunnel just outside of Damascus. Built in 1901 for the railroad, it’s known as the World’s Shortest Tunnel. We took the trail up and walked across Backbone Rock on a previous visit. We chose not to stop this time.
During our stop in Southwest Virginia, we visited with relatives on both sides of our family. It’s always a pleasure to see them!
Next, we headed to Roanoke, VA, for an overnight visit with friends, where we were treated to a delicious home cooked dinner! This was leaving their place on our way to our hometown of Richmond, VA.
We spent the month of May in the Richmond area. It flew by as we had several doctor appointments and get-togethers with friends and family. And there were still a handful of people we weren’t able to catch up with. They will be a top priority on our next visit!
We surprised Dale with a 70th birthday party! His is May 5th and my sister, Linda’s, is the day before so we celebrated them together.
We had a great luncheon/party at my sister and brother-in-law’s (Kelly and Jody’s) house.
Below is our family (Lisa, Brian, and our daughter-in-law, Dana). My sisters and I, our precious great-nephews, and our entire family (on my side).
This piebald deer lives near Dale’s cousin’s house, where we parked our motor home for the month. We had the privilege of seeing her several times. Dale captured this amazing photo!
Our next stop was yet another sister and brother-in-law’s (Sherry & Dave’s) house in Westminster, Maryland, where we left our motor home while attending our nephew’s wedding in Annapolis. We spent a couple of fun days at an Airbnb with our kids.
We took a quick tour of the capitol building. It was our second visit.
It was a gorgeous day and a beautiful wedding!
Josh & Colleen and our adorable great- nephews.
Until next time,
Debbie & Dale