Gettysburg National Military Park commemorates the most important battle of the Civil War, the Battle of Gettysburg. The battle began on July 1st, 1863 when the Confederate army led by General Robert E. Lee clashed with the Union army led by Major General George Gordon Meade. After three days of fighting, the Union army finally defeated the Confederate army and ended the northern march and the attempts for independence of the south.

The Battle of Gettysburg was the bloodiest battle of the whole war, resulting in 51,000 casualties–so many that every farm nearby became a graveyard and many buildings were converted into hospitals in order to care for all of the wounded soldiers. Many soldiers ultimately were buried at the Soldiers’ National Cemetery. On November 19th, 1863, the Cemetery was dedicated with President Abraham Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address.

The Gettysburg National Military Park has many walking trails among the battlefield and monuments. There are signs throughout the park with information about troops’ positions and movements during the battles. Make sure to stop at the visitor center to get maps and information to plan your visit. At the visitor center you can also take a ranger-guided tour or purchase audio guides if you choose to take the vehicle tour through the park.

The Montgomery County Fair is the largest county fair in Maryland. It was first held in 1945 as a venue to show off 4-H members’ lifestock, gardening, and home economics projects. The fair also educates visitors about agricultural issues and the importance of agriculture to our society. Many local businesses and organizations hold shows and sell crafts and baked goods during the fair.

My favorite parts of the fair are the many contests for art, photography, wood crafts, and cooking. Local residents and students submit artwork and crafts to be judged for the grand prize in different categories. Vegetables, fruits, and even honey are judged for their different characteristics. The fair has a lot of activities including animal shows, pig races, music, and even demolition derbies. The midway includes a lot of different rides for adults and for kids.

This year (2013), the Montgomery County Fair starts on August 9th and ends on August 17th. The cost of general admission for adults is $10 and is free for children under 10 years of age. Tickets for rides and some events have an additional cost. Check out the fair website for more information.

The Pinnacle Overlook is a nice 5-6 mile hike starting near Kelly’s Run, a small tributary that branch off the Susquehana River. The parking area Holtwood park was pretty boring, but the trail near the run was gorgeous. Overall, I enjoyed doing this trail and I was surprised by view of the Overlook at the end of the hike.

Hawksbill Mountain has an elevation of 4,050 feet (1,230 m) located between the border between Madison County and Page County in Virginia. The summit is the highest point in Shenandoah National Park, as well as the highest point in both Madison and Page counties.

The north face of Hawksbill Peak is a 2,500-foot (760 m) drop into Timber Hollow, which is the largest elevation change in the park. The summit is one of the few places in Shenandoah National Park where one can find balsam fir, a tree more typical of northern New England and southeast Canada. Red spruce was once found near the summit but the last of the trees died out over 20 years ago.

The National Park Service has constructed a stone observation platform at the summit (Byrd’s Nest No. 2) and is the site of a Peregrine Falcon restoration project. The summit of Hawksbill Mountain can be reached via Upper Hawksbill parking area on Skyline Drive. The Whiteoak canyon trail also leads to the summit of Hawksbill while the Appalachian Trail goes around the trail and 500 ft (150 m) below the summit.

Shenandoah National Park
Panorama Area Road and Trail Map
Park Information recording: (540) 999-3500
www.nps.gov/shen

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Map
Hawksbill Mountain Area

Mary’s Rock Summit

There are 2 trails that leads to up the summit of Mary’s Rock. The difficult trail starts from the Panorama Visitor Center and the other one starts from the Meadow Spring Parking Area. The trail from the Panorama is steeper, more difficult and longer around 3.7 miles. It follows the white-blazed Appalachian Trail. The other trail from the Meadow Spring Parking Area is shorter (2.8 miles) and somewhat less difficult. Mary’s Rock summit offers a great view of the northern section of Shenandoah National Park and Shenandoah Valley.

Mary’s Rock Tunnel

Mary’s Rock Legend
There are 3 different stories/legend how Mary’s Rock was named. One story claims that Francis Thornton married Mary Savage and brought her up the mountain to show her the lands they would own together. The second legend that claims Thornton had a daughter named Mary, who climbed up the mountain when she was young and came back with a bear cub under her arm. The third story was that it was named after Mary Barbee who was the wife of William Randolph Barbee (a famous American sculptor) who lived and was born in the park.

Shenandoah National Park
Panorama Area Road and Trail Map
Park Information recording: (540) 999-3500
www.nps.gov/shen

Map
Panorama Area

Tuckahoe State Park is located just a few minutes east of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. If you are on your way to or from the beach, you should plan to visit the park and take in the beautiful views. Tuckahoe State Park offers activities including boat rentals, a boat ramp, fishing, camping throughout the year, and picnic areas. My favorite activity here is to go hiking on the miles of trails which go around the lake, through forests, and into marshland areas. There is also hiking at the nearby Adkins Arboretum. With the many things to do, it is easy to spend a whole summer day at the park while enjoying nature.

Sandy Point State Park is a nice family beach destination close to the DC area. It is located on the Chesapeake Bay at the last exit before the Bay Bridge. From the beach area you can get a nice view of the bridge as it stretches all the way across the bay. Just north of the bridge you can see the Sandy Point Lighthouse which was built in 1883.

In addition to the beaches, Sandy Point has many picnic areas, fishing piers and jetties, a marina, and a new visitor center with specimens of local wildlife. You can also glimpse wildlife from the leisurely hiking trails that take you into the marshy areas and pine forest next to the beach. I was lucky enough to see a Peregrine falcon flying overhead when I visited the park.

On summer days you will need to come early because parking fills quickly. During April until October there is a fee of $5 per person for MD residents to enter the park. See the Sandy Point State Park website for more information about hours and fees.