Maryland, Virginia, and Seneca Rocks, West Virginia

After packing up in Ocean City, Adam and I headed west! Not very far west, though. We attempted to go camping on Assateague Island with the wild ponies, but many of the campsites were full and the park ranger actually advised against the backcountry sites due to the high number of mosquitoes... so it remains on the list of places to go someday. Before we left, though, Adam did manage to spy one of the wild ponies chilling on the beach through the binoculars at the visitor's center.

Instead, we headed inland and spent a night camping at Tuckahoe State Park in Maryland. It was a pretty and wooded park, with not a whole lot going on except for a multitude of tiny frogs and a frisbee golf course! We attempted to play, but I quickly got annoyed because it was disgustingly hot and Adam was winning... so we didn't finish our game. =P The park was a wonderful base to go to the Caroline County Summerfest in Denton, MD, which was a lot of fun! We got dinner and ice cream, admired old muscle cars (the Corvettes and Chevelles were my favorites, but the one with the engine in the trunk was the most interesting!), met a selection of rescued owls that couldn't be released back into the wild due to various injuries (from a distance, of course) and watched a really talented beatboxer/guitarist/singer perform (yes, all three at once!).

The next night we stopped at my cousin Nate's place in Alexandria, Virginia, where we were treated to a delicious dinner of steak, risotto, and asparagus prepared by him and Caitlin. We also went to a nearby bar where Adam got to sample some cask beer. I also got to finally meet the dogs- Kiwi and Tetra! They were both adorable. Especially when I asked Tetra the next morning if she wanted to cuddle, and she responded so enthusiastically that she jumped OVER Kiwi to get to me.

We made our way over to West Virginia, driving through incredibly small towns on the way, and ending in Seneca Rocks to do some climbing. The cliff is absolutely stunning- a jagged flake towering over the town, visible even from the campground. We set up camp and planned our big ascent the next day, but much to our dismay I woke up with a cold. After struggling up "the Stairmaster" as the approach hike is so fondly termed, I barely managed the first pitch of our five-pitch route and just didn't have any energy left, so we had to bail. Adam has climbed here before, but it will have to remain on my list. However, we at least got to see the views when we did the hike up to the peak the next day (very slowly with frequent breaks for me). The views over the valley were gorgeous, and Adam was brave enough to clamber out onto the flake.

After hiking, we finished the day with a swim in the river winding through the valley- probably the most beautiful swimming hole I've ever swum in! Flanked by a pebbly shore on one side and a sloping cliff on the other with a great view of Seneca Rocks in the background, it was a perfect end to the day.

To see more pictures, check out the album on the Pictures page!