RV LIFE Podcast
The RV LIFE Podcast, created by one of the premier companies in the RV industry, is for the RV Community with a mission to Educate, Entertain and Explore the RV Lifestyle. The Podcast will explore all things RV Life: living, working, exploring, learning. With hosts Dan & Patti Hunt, full time RVers, content creators, educators and explorers.
RV LIFE Podcast
Virginia's Best Campgrounds, Top RV Travel Destinations & Must-See Attractions
Virginia’s breathtaking outdoor destinations, hidden gems, & exciting activities for RVers & adventurers alike, host of Virginia Outdoor Adventures Podcast, Jessica Bowser. Places mentioned:
Thousand Trails Harbor View in Colonial Beach
First Landing State Park Bethpage Camp Resort Urbanna, VA
Occoneechee State Park Shenandoah National Park
George Washington National Forest Kiptopeke State Park
False Cape State Park no RVs Breaks Interstate Park
Thousand Trails Virginia Landing Quinby, VA
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Are you ready to explore the stunning landscapes, hidden gems and outdoor adventure Virginia has to offer? Then this episode is for you. I'm Pettie Hunt and you're listening to the RV Life Podcast. There is no better person to guide us through all things Virginia than native Virginian host of the Virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast, jessica Bowser. She will share must-see spots and unforgettable experiences, and I am so excited to have her on.
Speaker 1:Now my background I traveled full-time in an RV for three years with my husband. We crossed the country back and forth three and a half times and after my husband became ill this past year, I have made some major changes. I'm now in a home in Pennsylvania and traveling by car and train and plane, and I have some new things coming as my new chapters begin, so stay tuned to hear more about that. Virginia is one of those places I've traveled to often, but I am excited to hear more about what there is to see and do in Virginia. To see and do in Virginia. The RV Life podcast was created to educate, entertain and explore the RV lifestyle, with the mission to inspire you to live life to the fullest. This week, what you Need to Know is brought to you by Open Road Resorts and they have locations in Idaho, nebraska, new Mexico, and two in Texas. Now, it's really cold in most of the country right now, as we are still in the middle of winter, but those of you who are looking ahead at visiting Yellowstone National Park, red Rock RV Park in Idaho is a great place to look into. It is 22 miles from the western entrance of Yellowstone and two hours from Jacksonville, wyoming and Boisman, montana. It is one of the highest rated parks in the area. So what you need to know this week. Virginia is for lovers is the tourism and travel slogan of the US Commonwealth of Virginia, and it was named that back in 1969. And, from what I understand, a lot of people got together and said you know, virginia is for mountain lovers and animal lovers and history lovers, wine lovers, beach lovers, and so that was too long a slogan and they finally settled on Virginia is for lovers, and this is a very well-known slogan across the world. That is what you need to know this week and it's brought to you by Open Road Resorts and you can find out all about their properties at openroadresortscom.
Speaker 1:Now let's get to Jessica Bowser. I am so excited. This is a former fourth grade teacher and conservation advocate. Jessica launched Virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast because she wanted to provide a platform for Virginians of all backgrounds to tell their stories, to share their connections to the outdoors and to build local community where the outdoors are for everyone. She also wanted to tell these stories through a conversation lens to encourage others to be stewards of the outdoors. Jessica is passionate about featuring outdoor recreation and travel opportunities close to home, while also supporting local businesses, tourism and economic development. Jessica is an avid hiker, cyclist, climber, backpacker, kayaker, photographer, birdwatcher and earned the Virginia State Parks Master Hiker designation.
Speaker 1:Wow, welcome to the RV Life Podcast, jessica. Thanks, patti, I'm so excited to be here. I'm so excited to have you Now just for my listeners. I like them to have a backstory like really know what the podcast looks like. We've been trying to schedule this show for weeks and I know you were under the weather. Anybody listening now could hear my voice is not great. I'm a little congested. Hopefully we'll both get through the podcast sounding good, but you were a fourth grade teacher and now a podcast host. What's your story?
Speaker 2:Well, it's kind of a long one, so I'm going to try to keep it short. But yes, I was a fourth grade teacher in Fairfax County Public Schools for many years, and after several years of teaching, I transitioned into a public education policy and advocacy career, and I did that for about another decade, and I was working in a nonprofit when the pandemic started and I was laid off from my job, and so I was sitting at home trying to figure out what I was going to do with my time, just like everybody else. And long before the pandemic started, I had many friends who were prompting me to either write a book or start a blog about Virginia's outdoors, and the reason for that is because I am a big outdoor enthusiast. I love to travel around the state, and the educator side of me also wanted to share those experiences with my friends and my neighbors and my family, and so every time that I would visit a new outdoor location or have an outdoor experience, I would share it on social media, but with information that would tell people like here's what makes us unique and here's why you might want to experience this too. And if you do want to, here are the resources you need to be able to plan it. And so I think people started to recognize that I had that skill set of being able to share information and encourage people to take on these adventures themselves.
Speaker 2:And so when the pandemic started and I was trying to figure out what to do with my time, I was kind of toying with this idea. But I didn't really want to write a book or start a blog. And somehow the idea of a podcast came to me, maybe because I had just started listening to podcasts myself around that time. But I thought, you know, let me just give this a shot. And you know, of course I knew it wouldn't be as easy as it looked. It ended up being a whole lot less easy than it looks. But I will say that I decided to give it a try and to my surprise it really took off. And I think nobody was more surprised than I was. I was like, who are all these people who are listening to this podcast I put out.
Speaker 2:But I think the timing was right. You know it was during COVID. People were trying to get outside in a safe place and stay close to home, and what's unique about Virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast is that it is opportunities that are close to home. So for people who live in Virginia, these are day experiences or weekend trips that they can take. And for a lot of folks at that time they were saying, wow, I've lived here my whole life, or I've lived here for years and years and I never knew that this existed. Or you know that this park was just around the corner from my house or this opportunity was, you know, less than a day away. So you know it opened people's eyes because now people, you know at that time people were looking for places closer to home and so I think it kind of hit it. It landed at the right time, but it has just gone on since then. That was four years ago and it's we're still going strong over here at Virginia Outdoor Adventures and that's a great story.
Speaker 1:I love to hear people's stories. I felt the same way. I've lived in Pennsylvania, outside the Philadelphia area, my entire life and then when I went RVing, so for my RV listeners, sometimes we want those bigger adventures which we're going to talk about, but I go to areas that I had been to many, many times. Seeing it, being there, finding the on, you know the things you don't necessarily hear about, it was like, wow, this is in my backyard, lancaster, for instance, lancaster, pennsylvania, it's in my backyard, basically, and there were so many things I experienced and saw that I hadn't in the whole time growing up not far from there. So you know, I think it's like you said, I've spent a lot of time in Virginia. Virginia has so much to offer, like many areas around the country, so I'm really grateful that you were able to get on the show and share some of these great experience we could offer to my RVers and for people who don't have an RV. There are a lot of places that you could go for a day or we're going to talk about all of it, we are going to talk about it all. So let's start. This is February that this episode is coming out and we're just recording the week before, but there's a lot to do in Virginia in the winter. Can you give us some of those things before you do? I do want to talk to people about this idea of RVing in the winter. Can you give us some of those things Before you do?
Speaker 1:I do want to talk to people about this idea of RVing in the winter, and I've got to share AirSkirt, which is a hassle-free RV skirting that inflates, it goes around the perimeter of the RV, protects your pipes from freezing and causing damage, and it does that by trapping the air in which creates a natural insulator. It saves on heating costs and it's made of a heavy duty PVC coated canvas. The best part, I think, is how it sets up in minutes. You could take it down in minutes stores easily and the even better part is airscartscom is offering my listeners $200 off and you just have to use RV pod. That's RV POD. So for those people thinking about being in Virginia right now, but it is cold. It just snowed there, I think, last week. It was nasty. I just traveled down to Virginia a couple of weeks ago. It's cold. This is a way for people to go camping and keep themselves warmer, but give us some of those things to do in Virginia in the winter.
Speaker 2:Absolutely. It's funny you say that because we've gotten more snow this year than we have in past years and we're about to get hit with another big storm this week. So it's been an interesting year, but it's a good excuse to get out those snowshoes or cross-country skis, or your sled or whatever you might have has been collecting dust in the closet. But that being said, there is a lot to do here in Virginia and a lot of it is truly unique. I think, for example, most people are very surprised to learn that we have ice climbing here in Virginia, and even my listeners have said what Ice climbing in the South. But actually, if you go up to the Blue Ridge, there are quite a few really great ice climbing locations, as long as the weather cooperates, and this year has been one of those years where we have had more opportunities to ice climb than we have in past years because of the freezing cold temperatures that we've had for extended periods of time. So, especially off the Blue Ridge Parkway, there's some really great locations where water will seep out of the rocks on cliff edges and as that water seeps out and freezes, it develops what looks like a frozen waterfall, and that's a perfect opportunity to go ice climbing.
Speaker 2:So ice climbing is something that most people are like a little bit intimidated by. You know you don't, most people don't own the right equipment or you know they don't know how to find a guide. But I have a really great podcast episode about ice climbing that is very beginner friendly and talks about everything you need to know, like where the locations are, how to find a guide, how to rent equipment or how to get or borrow equipment from a guide, and when the right times are, how to keep an eye on the weather so that you know when opportunities might be coming up, and even some listservs and Facebook groups that you can join to get the right information, because it's usually a short window of time when ice climbing is available and you kind of have to keep an eye on it so that you can be ready to go at a moment's notice.
Speaker 1:As you're talking about ice climbing. This is not necessarily the sport for me. I'm not a huge fan of the winter, but as I travel around now and do it more by car or train or plane around now, and do it more by car or train or plane I think there's something to be said for being in the. It would be a beautiful experience, I think, to see the water that looks like a frozen waterfall. That would be beautiful. I could take pictures, but for me I'm probably staying on the ground. To be totally transparent, it does not sound like my cup of tea, but that's something that I've never even really heard of.
Speaker 2:Well, I'll just say, as somebody who was also inexperienced and went out for the first time recently, it is easier than you might think. Even for people who may have tried rock climbing, I find it even easier than rock climbing because when you're rock climbing you're always looking for the next hole to put your hands or your feet to hoist yourself up, whereas with ice climbing you don't need to. You just jam the spikes of your crampons into the snow and you're and the pick of your ice axe and up you go. So it's really not that difficult and it can be beginner friendly.
Speaker 1:Wow, Okay. Well, that's a good one, Something brand new for my listeners. Let's talk about what else is there to do in Virginia over the next. We're going to have at least two more months of this cold weather. What other things do you recommend?
Speaker 2:Sure. So another activity that really surprises people is whale watching off the coast of Virginia Beach. So this doesn't require any physical activity at all but is a very unique opportunity to see wildlife, and the reason why this is the winter activity is because the whales are migrating through this area this time of year, so you can't see them in the summer or the warmer months. It's an activity that is exclusive to winter and there are a couple of different boats, tour guides one of them is the Virginia Aquarium, that you can register for one of these tours and I will say it is weather dependent and weather extends beyond just what we see on land but also to on the water. So if the waves or the water is just too rough, a trip could get canceled. So that's something you want to keep in mind and maybe have a plan B. But it is a really unique opportunity to see fin whales and right whales and humpback whales just off the coast of Virginia Beach Wow that sounds incredible.
Speaker 1:Now, I did stay one time nearby the coast. I think it was called Colonial Beach RV Park. I will put that in the show notes as soon as I figure out what place that was. So for people passing through, they're going to be around for a couple days. That could be something they could try and plan Again, weather really dependent, but that would be a very cool experience. I would love to do that.
Speaker 2:It truly is, and if you are planning a trip to Virginia Beach, my recommendation for a campground would be First Landing State Park, which is also in Virginia Beach, and that park is beautiful. It's a very unique setting because it is in a cypress swamp, and the other cool thing that you can see at First Landing State Park in the winter is a phenomenon called rainbow swamp, and if you're not familiar with rainbow swamp, what happens is the cypress trees drop their leaves in fall and then those leaves start to decompose in the swamp and tannins from the leaves mix with the water and it creates what looks like a rainbow effect on the top of the water. So as you're walking the trails or the boardwalk through the swamp, you may see what looks like this beautiful rainbow, very brightly colored across the top of the water, and people come to First Landing State Park just to see that phenomenon in winter.
Speaker 1:Wow, that sounds amazing. These are things I've never heard of, so this is, this is really cool. Okay, there's also and you said for the winter, I think you talked about stargazing Is that more winter thing, and why so stargazing? Is that more winter thing, and why?
Speaker 2:So stargazing is appropriate any time of year. However, it's especially good in winter because the skies are really clear. You don't have that summer heat and humidity that creates a haze in the air, and so the skies are especially clear and the viewing is fantastic. If you can tolerate the cold in winter at night, this is one of the better times to go stargazing, and here in virginia we have quite a few officially designated dark sky parks. Four of them are virginia state parks, and because of that there are wonderful opportunities for astronomy programs and stargazing programs that each of the parks hosts. And even beyond just the four designated dark sky parks, there are other state parks in Virginia that host these astronomy programs as well. So if you go on the Virginia State Parks website and you just search under night sky or dark sky or astronomy, you should be able to pull up all of the upcoming events. But I would highly recommend that In the early spring, stanton River State Park, which is down near the southern border in Virginia.
Speaker 2:That was the very first officially designated dark sky park, and twice a year they have what they call a star party, once in the fall and once in the spring, and that is when um astronomers come from all around the area and they set up their telescopes out in the field and there's usually a public viewing night where anybody from the public can come into the park and go around and actually look through all of the telescopes and talk to the people who own the telescopes about what they're seeing. And it's just a really cool opportunity. I mean, certainly you can visit one of these parks anytime on your own. Maybe you have your own telescope or maybe you go to a public library and you borrow one. But what's really neat is to go during a star party where you can go around and look at other people's telescopes, and some of these people's telescopes are so big that they have to rent a U-Haul to get the telescope to the park. I mean, they are enormous. So that opportunity happens twice a year and early spring is one of them.
Speaker 1:So I'm definitely you're going to have to stay in touch because I'm definitely going to come down for that in the spring. You're talking my language now. I'm not that big on the cold weather but that sounds amazing and I know for my listeners who are RVers they're thinking where can I go, where can I stay? And we've mentioned a couple of places and throughout this podcast episode I'm going to recommend that people go to campgroundsrvlifecom. They could type in any area of Virginia and find city, state, national parks. They could find resorts, campgrounds, any kind of place that you know for an RVer to stay in the area, or some of the parks that you've mentioned.
Speaker 2:And could I just mention some options for that. Go ahead yeah.
Speaker 2:So, Stanton River State Park has a campground. In addition, they also have cabins, and these cabins are original cabins that were built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the 1930s and they have been recently renovated, and so, if you know, somebody doesn't own an RV or they just want the experience of staying in a historic cabin. There is wonderful opportunities, but you will have to plan very far ahead, because these star parties happen two times a year and everybody usually knows when they are many months in advance. So getting a cabin for a star party might be a little more challenging. But there is a campground and, if those are full, there is another state park not too far away called Okaneechi State Park, and that is located on Bugs Island Lake. So if you're looking for some lakefront camping, that's a wonderful opportunity where they have both a campground and some nicer, newer cabins as well.
Speaker 1:Okay, because I will definitely need a cabin. Most of my listeners know that I've come out of the RV and now I'm traveling. You know various other ways, so cabins is definitely the way that I'm going to stay. So I'm going to jump on that. You know, as I said, it's already February. People are planning for the spring spring and we'll, you know, find out the dates of the star parties and put it in the show notes and people can plan.
Speaker 1:Now it can be a little tough for people to be able to stay in Virginia during the cold. People have to be prepared because it could still be cold in the quote unquote spring in Virginia. The weather's been really crazy across the country this year, but as people are traveling across the country, I just want to mention Open Roads Fuel Card while I'm talking about travel, because people are now making their plans for spring. Open Roads Fuel Card is a diesel fuel card and it could save anywhere from 40 cents and up sometimes 10 or 15 cents. The average is about 40 something cents. I did an episode on February 5th where I talked to two incredible women from Open Roads and they talked about the fuel card and a toll transponder that covers all 48 states you can go back and listen to that episode as well as 12 couples that have used the Upper Roads fuel card and exactly how much money they saved, and everybody was shocked. So I highly recommend that let's go to spring now.
Speaker 1:People are a lot of my listeners are looking to travel in the spring. So, just so you know, my listeners consist of full-time RVers, part-time RVers, but people who are looking to get out. So a cabin is a great suggestion for people who are looking to explore and travel but don't have that RV. So a lot of the places that you mentioned have the cabins. Some of the campgrounds that I'll talk about also has that possibility of cabin rentals, but so a lot of people are making plans for spring. What is there? What can you recommend in Virginia in the spring?
Speaker 2:So much. Where do I even begin? So one of my favorite times to visit the coast in Virginia is both winter and spring, and a lot of people don't think about going to the beach in the colder months. They think that the beach is for the summer. But I will just tell you, the beach in winter and early spring is just phenomenal. It is such a lovely experience because you don't have the crowds and you don't have the people everywhere and you also don't have the peak prices that you would normally get other times of the year.
Speaker 2:And Virginia has a lot of coastline. Not only do we have the Atlantic Ocean and the entire Chesapeake Bay Coast, but we also have Virginia's River Realm and there's a lot of fantastic towns, and one that I would really love to recommend is the small town of Urbana, and that is a cute little. I would call it an oyster town. That's their main, their oh God, sorry, I'm getting brain fog that's their what am I trying to say? Their main economy. That sound right? Yes, your editor's going to have to work on this part, sorry.
Speaker 2:So it is a it's a charming little historic town in Virginia and there's a lot to do if you enjoy the water, but many of the campgrounds are right on the river and that's why I think your listeners would really enjoy Urbana, because there are so many campgrounds right on the water where you can fish, you can boat, and many of these campgrounds also have a lot of activities and many of these campgrounds also have a lot of activities, so they cater towards RVers and campers and they have a lot going on as far as events and different things that you can participate all season long. So I would recommend Urbana as a charming little town with a cute little main street and historic buildings, and there's a lot of history and a lot of charm to that town.
Speaker 1:Historic buildings and there's a lot of history and a lot of charm to that town and I believe and I'll look it up there are campgrounds in the area I believe Thousand Trails, which is a membership program, and I'll put it in the show notes when I, after I, look it up. We're both having a little bit of brain fog, but there's so much information so there's going to be a lot in the show notes. I believe there is a Thousand Trails campground there and, yeah, we'll talk more about that. I'll put it in the show notes and look into that, because it looked like a beautiful campground is something that you're potentially interested in.
Speaker 2:I have on my podcast what I call a series called Virginia's Adventure Towns, where I cover towns across the state that would appeal to outdoor adventurers, so all the outdoor adventure activities in the area, plus dining, lodging and attractions, because you know when you go into a town, it's not just outdoor stuff that you're doing, it's the whole package. So I do have an episode that features the town of Urbana, so if your listeners are trying to find more, they can learn more on that episode.
Speaker 1:Okay, and you'll give me the episode information, we'll put it in the show notes. And I personally, as I've driven across the country. So when my husband suggested we go RVing, sell everything, go full-time. I had only ever been in an RV for seven nights, like that was it. That was my experience. So I was trying to figure out, well, what would this look like, what would we do? And he said, well, we could visit every national park in the country. And I was like, okay, I wasn't totally excited about that, totally excited about that.
Speaker 1:And so three and a half years of full-time RVing, we had gone to zero national parks, not one single national park. And you're making a face like most people do when I tell them that. But the reason is I prefer the little towns like Urbana and the quaint little towns and the off the beaten path type places. That's what we kind of fell in love with as we traveled across the country. We had been, to, say, sedona in Arizona, very popular, beautiful place, glad I went. But exploring the other areas was just for me. That's what I looked forward to.
Speaker 2:Yes, patti, I couldn't agree more. There is something special about finding a hidden gem that nobody else knows about. And then you feel like why didn't everybody tell me about this? And it's because nobody knows it's a hidden gem. And that's what I try to do on my podcast is to find those hidden gems and bring them to light so that other people can discover them too.
Speaker 1:Yes, and that's what I love sharing with my RV listeners these kinds of things to help them get out there and find the things that find, the places, the people, the exploration that they might not be able to easily find. So that's great.
Speaker 2:Right, and I think would you agree with me, patti, that like some of the national parks are so crowded that it sometimes takes the joy out of visiting. I mean, when you're stuck in a crowd of people it just sort of zaps the excitement out of now you're dealing with people instead of what you came there to do.
Speaker 1:And see, and I'd say that I agree with you, but I don't know because I haven't been to. And I'd say that I agree with you, but I don't know because I haven't been to, so I can't honestly speak to that. But yes, I get it and there are certainly not to knock the national parks for either of us. There are certainly national parks that I want to go back to, the Shenandoah Valley, and my experience with that was we were staying about an hour away and we went to that area of Shenandoah Valley, but we went to Luray Caverns, which was just one of the most amazing experiences I've ever had. So let's talk a little bit more about, maybe, that area. We're jumping all over the place here because that's what we do on the RV Life podcast, so I think that's great.
Speaker 2:Yeah, the Shenandoah Valley is a beautiful part of Virginia because it is surrounded by mountains. You've got Shenandoah National Park to the east and then you've got the George Washington National Forest to the west and the West Virginia border. So it sits in this little bowl in between those two mountain ranges and there's so many opportunities. Again, going back to national parks and crowds, most people go to Shenandoah National Park but if you want to get away from the crowds, there are some fantastic camping and hiking opportunities in the George Washington National Forest and it's just on the other side. So it's the same distance, it's equally as close, but if you want the solitude that's what I would recommend Go to that area.
Speaker 2:But Shenandoah National Park, because it's a park, has amenities and a lot of people are looking for amenities. So that's the difference and I think that's why parks tend to get more attention than some of these other places is because for people who want a visitor center and a gift shop and rentals and picnic grounds and campgrounds and toilets, that flush, you know, have those things, whereas some of these other national forests or other public lands that don't have amenities, they can't offer the same amenities. So I think that's why national parks get more attention. But it's not a bad idea to spread the love and spread out a little bit and explore some of the trails less taken.
Speaker 1:And I talk to a lot of people that want those other suggestions. So I'm glad that you're able to give my listeners these other suggestions, and you know I mean people. I have listeners that travel in RVs, that are they can sustain themselves for five days, seven days, and they're fine. So it's great to give those options. So I appreciate that. Okay, so let's get into more spring, summer. I'm leaving this up to you. You're the expert here in Virginia. Okay, what else can you?
Speaker 2:share. Well, since we were just talking about the Shenandoah Valley and caves, I wanted to add that there are quite a few commercial caves in that area. You mentioned Luray, and that's probably one of the more popular ones, because I think it might be one of the older ones, but Luray Caverns is a huge attraction in the area. There are several other caverns Shenandoah Caverns is one that comes to mind, I think Endless Caverns is one. I don't remember them all off the top of my head, but that is a very unique experience too, because most people will never get to go in a cave. And here is an area where there are multiple opportunities to go into caves. And then I also wanted to mention that there's wild caving opportunities too.
Speaker 2:For, for any of your listeners who are a little more adventurous, uh, the difference between commercial caves and wild caving is a commercial cave, you buy a ticket, you go in on a, on an organized tour. You know you don't need to, you don't need any special equipment or anything like that. Usually you know the, the paths that they take you on are, you know, pretty well traveled and you know it's like. It's like taking a tour, whereas while caving you've got to put on a helmet and have a headlamp and, you know, maybe even knee pads, and you might be doing some stooping and some crawling or, depending on where you are, maybe you're in a wide open cavern, but it's wild. So that comes with a warning, though you never, ever, ever want to go into a cave by yourself.
Speaker 2:I mean that could very easily turn into a life or death situation if you are unprepared and you're not doing it safely. But if wild caving is something that might interest you, the proper way to do it is through a local grotto or to hire an experienced guide who has the appropriate permits, so there are great opportunities for caving in that area too. That is, that is just such a unique experience. It's, it's really incredible to go into a place that very few people have ever gone before, to go into a place that very few people have ever gone before, and caves are so unique that it's you feel like you're on another planet, between the formations and the glittering minerals in the rocks and underground waterfalls and wildlife that doesn't live on the surface. I mean truly. It is just unreal.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's amazing and I know when we talked we kind of did just a brief. I'm learning things today that I never knew about. So this is awesome. I hope my listeners are taking notes. Well, if they're listening to this while driving in the car exercising, they can look at the show notes. But this is incredible too. I'd love to give my listeners these things that you don't hear about all the time. So this is this has been great. I am learning so much and I am about three hours to Virginia, so I'm going to come check out these things myself. Like I can't wait to check out the stargazing. That, to me, is something that just sounds. That sounds amazing.
Speaker 1:I went into Leroy Cavern and I really loved the story behind it. It's just such a cool place. You feel like you are, like you said, on another planet. Cool place. You feel like you are, like you said, on another planet. The stories that how it was found, and it was an experience for sure and I highly recommend it. I'm not sure about going in a cave, I'm not sure about wild caving, but we'll, we'll, we'll see about that. That's OK. It's not for everyone. Maybe I'll get a tour guide and I'll do that. Just expand my comfort zone. Step out of my comfort zone.
Speaker 2:It does challenge you. I will say, it challenged me a little bit, but I feel like I came out better for it, so I'll just throw that in there.
Speaker 1:Okay, and there was something to be said for pushing your boundaries. I mean certainly getting in an RV full-time, selling everything, going in an RV full time. If that wasn't, you know, pushing my limits, then I don't know what the caving wild caving shouldn't be that big a deal.
Speaker 2:Well, right, and to your point, everybody has different feelings about what their limits are and everybody's looking for a different experience. But, yes, there are examples of times when we do things that other people would say, what are you crazy?
Speaker 1:But we do them because we know we're going to have an amazing, life-altering experience, so we go for it, right right and like I would tell people we're scared, but you do it anyway, like I've been in a hot air balloon, I'm afraid to hide. Good for you, patty. Yeah, so it's like, yeah, I was afraid, but I did it anyway and it was amazing, awesome. Yeah, I'm glad. I'm glad I stepped out of my comfort zone, and a lot of what you're talking about is just that. What else? Where should we go from here? What else do you recommend? What should people see?
Speaker 2:we go from here. What else do you recommend? What should people see? Well, for spring or for summer, I would. So the first thing I always recommend to people is to start with Virginia State Parks because I think those are the most friendly as far as campgrounds and accessibility and the ability to get a reservation.
Speaker 2:If you go with the national parks, it can sometimes be a little bit tough to get reservations. They're obviously very popular and also in the national parks, while I do really enjoy the campgrounds, oftentimes it's a situation where every single campsite is lined up right next to the other one and you kind of feel a little crowded. The last time I camped at Shenandoah National Park and again I absolutely love that park but I went to the restroom on the campground at 11 o'clock at night and there was a line out the door of people waiting to get into the restroom and I was like this isn't really for me, right, like it's just a little too much. I have never had that experience at a state park campground and I have never had that experience out in the wilderness. So for me personally, I enjoy being away from people Because for me it's about the connection with nature. And if I'm going to connect with nature. I prefer not to be connecting with people the whole time that I'm out there, so I always recommend Virginia State Parks.
Speaker 2:There are 43 state parks across Virginia. They're literally all across the state and the accessibility to the campgrounds is really fantastic. Now it has become a lot more popular since COVID so it's a little tougher to get last minute reservations. But with there being 43 parks, even at the last minute if you're flexible enough that you don't mind traveling to someplace a little bit farther away to get to get a site and a new experience you can almost always find something at the last minute if you have that flexibility. So I definitely recommend our state parks.
Speaker 2:I mentioned First Landing. I mentioned First Landing. Other great parks in that title area include Kipta Peak State Park, which is on the very tip of the eastern shore of Virginia and it is on the ocean and it is beautiful. There's a campground right on the beach there and I really love that. There's also cabins and even lodges. So a lot of people love the lodges because they have six bedrooms and three bathrooms. So if you're hosting a large group or I know some people even do holidays or family reunions in some of these lodges. So that's an option as well. And in Kip Topek you never know what's going to wash up, right, like when you're on the beach, like that. It's just really interesting what you might find. And same goes for another park in Virginia Beach and that's Falls Cape State Park.
Speaker 2:Now there is no RV camping at Falls Cape, so if you were going to try to visit Falls Cape, I would recommend camping at first landing and then either hiking in or taking a tram tour into Falls Cape. Now the entrance to Falls Cape is actually through a National Wildlife Refuge it's Back Bay and because of that there's a lot of water, a lot of wildlife that they don't want to disturb, and so there is no vehicle traffic that is allowed through the preserve. So the only options for getting into the park are to either hike in or ride your bike in, or you could even paddle in by water, either on Oceanside or Bayside, and the only other option would be a tram tour, which they do different times of the year and they're not frequent. It's not like every day there's a tram tour, so you would have to plan ahead for something like that, but the solitude that you experience at Falls Cape is incredible. It's primitive camping if you wanted to tent camp or hammock camp and it is right on the ocean. So you're waking up to the sun rising over the horizon and shining into your tent, and it's just stunning.
Speaker 2:One time I was at Falls Cape there was a juvenile humpback whale that had washed up on the beach and they were going to leave it there because the whole idea is to let it be wild. And so when I was there the humpback whale had been there for, I think, a couple of weeks already, so it was sort of starting to decompose and it was sort of in this puddle of water that was kind of bloody and it was a little bit weird, but it was also fascinating. And to be that close to a whale, even though it wasn't alive, was like wow, this is wild. And there was another time I was there it was right after a Nor'easter and the storm had washed up all kinds of things on the beach. And the storm had washed up all kinds of things on the beach.
Speaker 2:And when you think about a wild beach compared to a commercial beach, it is totally different. On a commercial beach there's people there all the time. They're always picking things up that wash up. Sometimes they have those big machines that come through and rake the sand to pick up any trash or glass that might have, you know, gotten into the sand or whatever, and it's pretty much bare. It's almost like bare sand at a commercial beach. You go to someplace like Falls Cape and you'll find all kinds of things. I saw a sea turtle lay eggs on the beach at Falls Cape and those kinds of experiences are once in a lifetime and they just cannot be replicated. And it's so incredible to have that experience, to make that connection and to be out there primitively, like usually, by yourself. You might see a few other campers, but but not usually, or at least I didn't when I was there. So that is a really unique opportunity if you wanted to try that.
Speaker 1:Right, and that's a very different side of, I think, anything we've ever talked about on the podcast. So again, it's great to have these other options. I mean that sounds amazing. You know, seeing what a wildlife beach you know, a beach that's not commercial, not touched looks like I was a life science teacher, so that really gets my you know, my geek going. That's very cool and I had so many thoughts and questions all at the same time. This gives opportunity for people, you know, to do these, these. You know it's just opportunities that a lot of people don't think about I've not heard a lot of people talk about, so I'm really excited that we could give this to my listeners.
Speaker 1:So many things we will never hit on, all things RV. You know, virginia, what I want to let people know again, I am going to put this stuff in the show notes for those people who want to camp in an RV park or campground with all the amenities. Campgroundsrvlifecom and even these national state parks should be listed on that site so people could go and find out all there is to know. One of the points I wanted to make first of all, when we talk about campgrounds last week my episode on 2-12, so February 12th, I talked about campgrounds and different types and what they mean. So, like there's boondocking and moochdocking, there's your RV parks, your RV resorts, your campground, city, state, national park, blm land so I talked about a lot of that. For people who are new and looking for that kind of terminology and looking to know more about, you know, different types of camping. So that was the episode on February 12th. If people want to check that out.
Speaker 1:The episode on February 12th, if people want to check that out. Okay, so you've covered a lot of different things. What else would you recommend for people coming into Virginia?
Speaker 2:Well, Patty, there's one other hidden gem I want to mention that I think is so special to Virginia, and that is Brakes Interstate Park. Now, now, brakes is an interstate park because it's on the border of Virginia and Kentucky, so the two states share the funding for this park. But it is known as the Grand Canyon of the South, and when you visit the Brakes, you'll understand why. When you stand at one of the overlooks, you will will be viewing the Russell Fort Gorge and the canyon that was created by that river, and it is stunning. It's the most beautiful thing I think I have ever seen in Virginia, and the park itself has all the amenities that somebody who is camping or visiting with their RV could possibly need. So there are campgrounds there inside the park. The park also has a beautiful visitor center with a restaurant that is open seasonally it's called the Rhododendron Restaurant and additionally, there is a little water park and a pool.
Speaker 2:For people who are interested in that Maybe you're staying long-term there's a lodge, so there are rooms available, and then there's also really beautiful lakefront cabins, and the lake itself, called Laurel Lake, has fishing and boating opportunities, with kayak rentals and, I believe, paddle boats, if I remember correctly. So this park is wonderful for hiking. It's wonderful for the views. There's also rock climbing opportunities in the park, which is really neat. It's wonderful for the views. There's also rock climbing opportunities in the park, which is really neat. It's just got a lot going on. There's even a zip line in this park, which is so awesome. I mean you're hundreds of feet above the canyon when you're zipping across these three long zip lines and the experience of being that high up over the treetops and like sort of watching your feet dangle in the air as you're zipping past this stunning canyon like I can't say enough about it. It's not an experience you're going to find in too many other places. So I highly recommend the breaks.
Speaker 2:But there's one other thing about the breaks that is especially unique, and that is the opportunity to see elk. Now, most people don't know that elk were native to Virginia, but they were hunted to extinction over 100 years ago and they were recently reintroduced to the area several years ago and so now there is an opportunity to take a bus from Brake Center State Park to a viewing area that has beautiful platforms and you can actually see the elk now that have been brought back to Virginia and are thriving and that has been huge for the area, not only because for conservation reasons, but from an economic standpoint. They're getting visitors from all over the state and all up and down the East Coast who are interested in seeing the elk. And if you had never heard a male elk bugle, it is something that will give you goosebumps. It's just, it's so unreal when you hear it. And when I first took an elk tour from the breaks to see the elk, there was a woman on the bus who literally started to cry. She was just so moved by what she was seeing that she couldn't and she couldn't stop talking about it the whole bus ride back, about how she had to tell everybody she knew about this and how she just couldn't wait to come back. And it's truly special and those, those tours are in the spring and in the fall, and so that's another thing that if people are interested in an elk tour, they're going to want to plan ahead.
Speaker 2:I have done both the spring and the fall tours and they're similar and yet different. When I did the spring tour in April, there was actually a snowstorm, so I was viewing the elk that were covered in a dusting of snow, which was like wow, it was just amazing. And at that time a lot of the elk were shedding their antlers, so you would see an elk that had one massive antler on the side of its head and the other one was missing. So that was kind of cool. And then in the fall, that's when they have, that's when they're wait, is that right? No, they're breeding in the spring. Sorry, nevermind that confused. But in the fall you get the foliage. So the the experience of seeing the elk in the fall is against the setting of spectacular fall foliage all throughout the mountains. So it's a it's just so amazing. But you do have to plan ahead if you want to see that, and I think all of those reasons combined make breaks. One of the best experiences in Virginia.
Speaker 1:Really Okay. So the best experience in Virginia, and I mean it just again and the way you talk about it. We both have a podcast, so people are listening and we really have to explain things. A podcast, so people are listening and we really have to explain things. And I'm sitting here visualizing this whole thing and people could certainly go and find pictures and videos of it, but I really appreciate how much you're explaining, where I'm like okay, I have to go. I'm making a list of things that I now want to do.
Speaker 1:I always talk to my listeners about a bucket list. Put on the bucket list the things you want to do and start making the plan to do it. So you've certainly given people a lot to talk about, to visit, to explore in Virginia, and I'm sure you haven't even touched on half. So we're not finished. I'm going to. I want to talk about a, an event.
Speaker 1:So for those of my listeners looking for their next RV or for the first RV, the ultimate RV VIP RV buyers event is Music City Motorhome Expo. It's May 31st to June 4th, takes place in Lebanon, tennessee, and you could be the first to see the 2026 model year coaches from all the major manufacturers and, with limited attendance. You can drive as many, take as many test drives as you want. You can chat with manufacturers, product developers and engineers. They will have seminars. You're given three meals a day really good meals, high-end entertainment. I was there last year and it was an incredible event and I plan on being back this year. And you can check all of that out by going to musiccitymotorhomeexpocom.
Speaker 1:There is a link in the show notes for you. And again, you and I are both trying to think of things as we go along. I think there might be a discount code there as well. Okay, so how can people we've talked about the podcast how can people reach out to you? The podcast is Virginia Outdoor Adventures Podcast. I highly recommend it. Anybody even thinking about being in Virginia at all, whether it's for just a day or for weeks, definitely have to check out your podcast. Do you have social media? Is there other ways people can find out about you?
Speaker 2:Absolutely, Of course I do so. I have Instagram and Facebook and you can find me just by searching Virginia Outdoor Adventures. That should come up for you. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, the website is virginiaoutdooradventurescom. I have all the latest episodes easily linked on there. Of course, it's available on all of the listening platforms Apple Podcasts, Spotify and anywhere you listen to podcasts. If you would like to get a hold of me, you can email me at jessica at virginiaoutdooradventurescom. Or if you're listening to any one of my episodes, there is a link in the show notes called Send Jessica a Text Message and you can send me fan mail by clicking on that link, and I am going to say.
Speaker 1:You have made it where you are totally accessible, so people really need to reach out to you if they have questions or thoughts or comments. You've made it so there's every possible way for people to do that. We're not finished with you yet. I'm gonna ask you a question, I'm gonna give you a few minutes to think about it, and I think this is gonna be tough for you, for my listener just so you know, I do not let my guests know that I'm going to ask this and the question is what is something that is on your bucket list that you either still want to do or something else? You've talked about a lot of things that you would recommend to my listeners and I'm going to give you a minute to think about that.
Speaker 1:And while I talk about innovative toll solutions and this is a toll pass that covers all 48 states not only does it cover all 48 states, but if you should have a problem with tolls anybody traveling anywhere at times you have a problem going through that toll and you know there's fines there's. How do I get this resolved? Innovative toll solutions will take care of it for you. They will resolve the issue for you, and you can find out all about Innovative Toll Solutions by going to the link in the show notes checking it out. It's only $24 a year, so an incredible value. Okay, jessica, questions on you. Your time has run out. You've got a look on your face. There's got to be a lot, but yeah, oh yeah.
Speaker 2:I'm trying to figure out how I limit it so that we don't keep going on and on, but I thought of two unique experiences that have been on my list for a while that I just need to do. I just need to find the time to do it. If I wasn't doing a podcast, maybe I'd have more time. But the first one is I really want to backpack through Mount Rogers National Recreation Area, which is in Southwest Virginia. The Appalachian Trail crosses through this area and, according to ThruHikers, this area and according to ThruHikers, it's one of their favorite sections of the entire Appalachian Trail, and Virginia has more miles of Appalachian Trail than any other state that the trail passes through.
Speaker 2:I did not know that.
Speaker 1:That's incredible.
Speaker 2:Okay, thank you for sharing. Yeah, so sometimes ThruHikers refer to Virginia as the Virginia Blues, because they get into Virginia and it takes them so long to get through it that it starts to become like a mental block, right, and some of it is tough too. But this area through Mount Rogers is at very high elevations it's some of the highest elevations in the Commonwealth, and up there they have what they call balds, which means that deciduous trees will only grow up to a certain elevation, and then beyond that they have what they call balds, which means that deciduous trees will only grow up to a certain elevation, and then beyond that they don't. So it's wide open mountaintops with a lot of boulders and some low lying brush and shrubs, but it's absolutely stunning a lot of pines, and backpackers just love this area. I've been up there during the day, but I have never backpacked through there, so that is on my list of places and things to do that I'm going to get to one of these days, I swear.
Speaker 2:And then the other experience that's on my list is kayak camping down the Potomac. I want to pack all of my usual backpacking gear into a kayak and paddle down the Potomac, and there are several state parks that are on the Potomac that have paddling campgrounds, and so you could literally go all the way down the Potomac practically and just pull into a different state park campground, unpack at the campground, you know, spend the night, pack it all up in the morning, get back in your kayak and keep going. But that requires a lot of planning too. You've got to. You know you've got to have the right weather for that. You probably don't want to go alone if you're not really experienced and also just paddle, paddle backpacking or kayak camping just takes a different level of preparation and knowing when the tides are coming in and out so you're not paddling against the tide, things like that. So there's a lot to plan for.
Speaker 1:Wow, yeah, that sounds incredible. Not sure I'm going to think about whether or not I can put that one on my bucket list. I'm not sure about that one, but I never say never. So you know, you again have painted a picture of something that sounds absolutely incredible. So you know I'm not going to cross it off the list. I'll put it on the list.
Speaker 2:And I'll just tell you, patty, before I started this podcast, a lot of these activities were not things that I had done or would even think of doing. But as I have met people who do these things and they share their passions and they want other people to try these opportunities, they share how to do it, so they make it beginner friendly, and then I'm like, well, maybe I'll give this a try and I start, you know, just a little bit like I had never been caving, or not wild caving anyway, before this podcast. I had only been rock climbing a handful of times. I had never been ice climbing, I never saw a whale in the wild. I, you know, I think I had spent maybe one or two nights outdoors like backpacking with a group. I had never solo backpacked before this podcast. So it really opened your eyes to different experiences and if you have the right resources, then anything's possible. Is? You just have to have the willingness to give it a shot, and I think that you said.
Speaker 1:Like you encapsulated what RVers for the most part are looking for, most of them going out experiencing things they never have. So I think that is a definitely. You know, my RV community has that belief system. I mean going, like I said, in a hot air balloon. I never would have thought to do that, that. I went and did it for a second time. That time I was told by the pilot that it was going to be a moderate landing, which you never want to hear, and you know it was a little rough, but it is kind of pushing those comfort zones. I went.
Speaker 1:When you mentioned zip lining, I kind of made a face, but I went zip lining in Panama, over the rainforest. I mean it was one of the longest zip lines in the world, I think. And I was telling somebody this story just last week and they were wide-eyed like I can't even imagine and I thought to myself I couldn't either, I'd get there. We're told how big this zip line is and the reason I actually did is because my 18 year old daughter was with and she didn't really do anything. She was afraid of a lot of things and there she was going on and I'm like how can I check it out if she's going on? And when it was was all over she said, well, I only went on because you went on. And I said, well, I only went on because you went on.
Speaker 1:So I like what you said about people kind of trying things outside their comfort zone. You know, maybe take a little bit at a time and to your point, there are beginner type, for a lot of these things are beginner type. You know there's places to start. Don't just get out there and go rock climbing. Let's start from step one. You know, take it a step at a time.
Speaker 2:Yes, and a lot of these activities are even kid friendly, like rock climbing is kid friendly, wild caving is kid friendly. So if the kids can do it then certainly you know the adults could at least think about doing it too, right?
Speaker 1:Absolutely, that sounds great. I want to talk about the feature campgrounds. Time for the feature campground of the week and that is brought to you by RV Life. And this week's campground is Thousand Trails, virginia Landing in Quimby, virginia. Do you know that area? Did I say it right? No, and I love putting my guests on the spot. So Quinby, virginia, and I'll find out exactly where that is, because I didn't know you know, I'm looking it up right now.
Speaker 1:Okay, you look it up and I'll keep talking about it. It is a Thousand Trails campground, but you do not need to be a member to stay at this campground. It's got 285 sites and this RV resort is scenic and secluded and it's located between the Chesapeake Bay and the Atlantic Ocean and it offers peace and tranquility and lots to do for those people who like their full hookups. They have full hookups, they have pull-in sites, they are pet friendly and they have cottages and cabin rentals, which I love. And Thousand Trails, virginia Landing has a solid 7.9 rating on the RV Life campgrounds, with 45 reviews. So you let me know you jump in when you find it.
Speaker 1:What I love is how easy it is on campgroundsrvlifecom to find all of the campgrounds we are mentioning. You should be able to find all of them by just going to campgroundsrvlifecom. If you're looking for Thousand Trials, virginia Landing, then just type that in once you get there and it'll show you all the photos, tips, all the amenities, everything about this property that you need to know. Did you find it? Sure, did. It is on the.
Speaker 2:Eastern Shore, really kind of right in the middle of the eastern shore of Virginia. That is a fantastic location. It is facing the Atlantic Ocean, and what I love about the eastern shore is the wildlife. A lot of these barrier islands on the eastern shore are some of the last wild, I guess, ocean frontage on the entire east coast of the United States. They're undeveloped and they are so important as far as being breeding grounds for birds and sea turtles and other marine wildlife, and so if you're into wildlife watching, that's a fantastic location, especially in the winter or actually any time of year. But winter you've got migratory waterfowl that are spending the winter, but in the spring and summer you've got migration.
Speaker 2:So for people who really enjoy birding, what's fantastic about the eastern shore, especially in the spring, is as birds migrate down the Atlantic Flyway or down the east coast, they get funneled by this peninsula that is the eastern shore, and a lot of times they hit the tip of the shore and then they stop, because then they have to cross over the Chesapeake and so they'll stop for a little bit and you end up with this massive concentration of, like warblers and other songbirds, and if you've ever been there during migration, it is incredible. There's like birds everywhere. And what's really cool about the fall migration is you got migratory raptors and there's actually an observation platform at Kipta Peak State Park where they count the raptors that are flying overhead during migration. That is a really cool place to be. You can see everything from golden eagles to peregrine falcons, all kinds of hawks, eagles. It's just, it's amazing. So I really enjoy that.
Speaker 2:And I'll just mention too that that campground is very close to the town of Onancock, which is one of the towns that I did Virginia's Adventure Town series feature on and that is a historic port town On the other side feature on. And that is a historic port town On the other side I saw the Chesapeake side of the eastern shore but also fantastic for fishing and for boating and paddling and the sunsets. There are epic Great little restaurants, really nice restaurants too. Oh, and Antiquing. It's an artsy town. If you like arts. I mean everything from theater arts to like painting and sculpture and like, oh, it's just. I cannot say enough. I've got an episode about that. Check that out too. And I'm going to stop there because I could just keep going.
Speaker 1:Patti, I love that part of the Eastern Shore. I love it and you're talking about, like learning about birds and actually seeing it firsthand. And I was a teacher myself. For people who don't know, I was a teacher for 20 years as well and I'm thinking this is great for the kids, the parents that are homeschooling, road schooling their kids. But as an adult, I just love this. I love looking at nature, I love learning about it and everything you said. I'm just in awe. That sounds so cool.
Speaker 2:I can't wait so when am I going to see you in Virginia, Patty?
Speaker 1:Next month. Actually, we are going to get. I was just down there a couple of weeks ago. My brother lives in Virginia and as I was driving down there a horrible rainy night, but as I was driving down there I was thinking about you definitely have to get together.
Speaker 2:Yes, please, let's do that. I would love to get together in person.
Speaker 1:Yes, so for those of you looking for these campgrounds again, I'm going to put a lot of them in the show notes. You could also go to campgroundsrvlifecom. If you're not part of the RV Life Pro Suite of products, there is a 25% discount. You go to the show notes, click the link. When you go to check out, the 25% will come off. It is less than $50. It's somewhere around $48 a year for everything.
Speaker 1:I'm talking about more Campgrounds. The RV Life Campgrounds is part. It gives you RV parks, campgrounds, resorts, city state national parks everything we talked about you should see on there. Well, I want to thank you so much and I really encourage my listeners to reach out to you. I'm going to put all the ways you mentioned they can reach out to you. Listeners to reach out to you. I'm going to put all the ways you mentioned they can reach out to you Certainly to check out your podcast, virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast, to find out more about what there is to know about Virginia. I don't think any of us will ever learn all of it, but you're such a wealth of information. Thank you so much.
Speaker 2:Thank you for having me, Patty. It's been a pleasure and I hope to see some of your listeners here in Virginia.
Speaker 1:Absolutely, and if people come to Virginia and they they message you, they should say they heard about it on the RV Life podcast. I would love to hear from them, yes, and anybody that wants to reach out to me. The RV Life Podcast. You can put a comment in the review section of any platform you're listening from, or go to Instagram or Facebook, and that's RV Life Podcast. I want to hear from you. I want people to make suggestions for things they've seen in Virginia, things you heard about that you want to go check out. This has been beyond amazing. Like, thank you, thank you.
Speaker 1:Thank you, patty, it's been a pleasure and I want to thank my listeners and remind you life is a journey. Live each day to the fullest, without regrets. I'm Patty Hunt and you've been listening to the RV Life podcast.