'Stepping Into Another World'
A hiker checks out the view from an overlook near Bears Den Trail Center in Bluemont, just off the Appalachian Trail.
(By Lucian Perkins -- The Washington Post)
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The Appalachian Trail: 2,175 miles from Georgia to Maine.
You could spend five, six months hiking the entire thing: sleeping in the rain, spending thousands of dollars on gear and, you know, giving up your day job to do it.
Or you could drive west for an hour, spend a day on the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains portion of the trail and wind up snuggled in your own sweet bed that night.
Either way, you'll probably love nature a little more by the time you're through.
"This is one of the prettiest sections, and there are just some spectacular day hikes," says Vern Conaway of the Potomac Appalachian Trail Club. Conaway actually did hike the entire trail (in an impressive 5 1/2 months) and still favors the stretch in our back yard. "It's so close to Washington, but it's like stepping into another world."
There are lots of jumping-off points, but one worth considering is the Bears Den Trail Center in Bluemont. At its heart is a stone lodge often used by through-hikers and youth groups. But there's also parking for day hikers who just need a good walk in the woods.
And these are great woods. The path from the lodge leads right to an overlook with sweeping views of the Shenandoah Valley. From there you can head north or south on the Appalachian Trail. Of course, you can go for as long or as little as you like, but folks looking for a workout won't be disappointed. Bears Den sits in the middle of an area known among AT hikers as the Roller Coaster.
"For me it's spiritual," Conaway says. "It's getting away from the rat race. It's just a connection with a bigger world -- the real world, I would say."
· Bears Den Trail Center, 18393 Blueridge Mountain Rd., Bluemont. 540-554-8708. http:/
Urban Campfire on the Mall
There won't be ghost tales or s'mores or even a real fire, but there will be some good storytelling in a great setting on Saturday night -- this time just steps away from the Washington Monument. This National Park Service program invites people to sit awhile and listen to history presented by experts under the warm glow of the backlit monuments. The topic this week: the Gettysburg Address. Who knows, maybe there will be ghosts, perhaps of the tall, stovepipe-hat-wearing, presidential variety.
· Urban Campfire, Saturdays at 9 p.m., through September. Sylvan Theater, 15th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 202-438-4173.http:/
