he Mid-Atlantic states (PA, NJ, MD, DE, WV, and VA) and the District of Columbia (DC) have stories that are as varied as their landscapes, their native flora and fauna, their soils, and the people who settled these lands beginning 15,000 years ago. Stories of success and failure; joy and sorrow; immigration and emigration; ebb and flow; flood and drought; change and durability; colliding continents; people changing the land and the land changing the people. Flowing like water from the past to the present, these River Stories are woven into enlightening and entertaining presentations and workshops that I would be glad to offer to your organization, school or social/service group.

Let River Stories open new doors of exploration for you:

• Book a program or workshop and let me introduce your group to new ways of seeing this region and get your feet headed to marvelous new places.
• Contact me to create a customized day trip for your group or family.
  
• Browse this web site for my personal recommendations for places to go and things to see and do. Also visit my RESOURCES pages for excellent lists of web sites, learning materials, and recommended places to visit.
  

My goal is to get people fired up to go outside and experience, first hand, all the wonderful scenery, history, sights, sounds, smells, and tastes that make this region the special place that it is. If you follow my suggestions, I think you will be pleasantly surprised at what you find off the beaten path (and some times on it).

Thanks so much for stopping by and letting River Stories open doors to the Mid-Atlantic for you.

Upcoming Events:

Sun, April 15th, 2012, 3:00 PM  Illustrated Talk: In Search of Native Orchids - A Personal Travelogue at the Audubon Naturalist Society's Rust Sanctuary, Leesburg, VA. This program will be an entertaining and informative one-hour illustrated talk in which I will discuss how I got interested in looking for wild orchids, what makes orchids special, what orchids can be found nearby Washington, and some of the people and places I encountered on my orchid explorations. My pictures which include many (but not all) native orchids in Virginia and adjoining states will be accompanied by tales of my explorations, suggestions for places and times to look for certain orchids, and my recommendations for printed and on-line resources for your own orchid hunting trips. Learn about one of the most successful plant groups on the planet and how you can find go looking for them when you are travelling in the Mid-Atlantic states.

Check Out:

 My new Shenandoah Valley Resources Page:  I have put together a really nice listing of on-line and printed learning resources related to the many aspects of Shenandoah Valley Eco-history.  Stop by and have a look.

Great Ideas for Local Family Trips:  This is a great time of year to get out and explore especially given the unusually mild (knock wood) weather we are enjoying. I have some excellent suggestions for Great Family Destinations for January through March and suggestions to help you plan outings in the April to June time frame that will make your exploring a delight. For additional suggestions on where to go and what to see and do, visit my detailed list of regional sites that offer visitors multi-layered experiences (e.g., history, scenic beauty, outdoor trails, and industrial history) and see what catches your interest. I have tried to provide insights into places that may not get front billing in the regional travel literature and thus might be unknown to you.

Find Two Species of Woodland Orchids Right Now: Read how you can locate two species of native orchids during the winter months and also find out other joys of late Winter early Spring explorations in

the outdoors.

A great new book on the Potomac River and C&O Canal:  I would like to recommend a new book called 'A Washington Sketchbook: The Drawings of Robert L. Dickinson 1917 - 1918'.  Local author Gail Spilsbury has done those of us living in the Washington DC area a huge favor by finally publishing the lovely sketches and drawings of Robert L. Dickinson who worked professionally in the DC area at the end of WWI and who was an avid hiker of local scenic by-ways along the Potomac River and the C&O Canal.  Ms. Spilsbury augments these lovely drawings with stories and background information about the areas pictured so that the reader not only gets a sense of what the places pictured were like almost 100 years ago but their roles in defining the Washington area not only then but today as well.  Another wonderful aspect of the book is the inclusion of facsimile reprints of newspaper columns written by the noted local photographer and hiker, Harry Shannon (aka 'The Rambler') at the same time and about the same places that were sketched by Mr. Dickinson.  In fact the two men met at least once and appear to have actively corresponded with each other swapping ideas of places to see and stories of each other's adventures. The book thus intertwines Mr. Dickinson's lovely sketches, period photographs, Dickinson's and Shannon's anecdotes and comments, and Ms. Spilsbury's own background research to produce a real treasure:  a visually rich tapestry of Washington area landscapes in the 1917-18 time frame that is worth the modest price ($24 direct from the author plus shipping) all on its own which is also a well-researched book that provides a highly readable and accurate piece of Washington history.  This is so much more than a nostalgic look back to 'the good old days.' I whole-heartedly recommend that every lover of Washington history add this wonderful book to their bookshelf.

Featured Day Trip Destination: Two Great Shenandoah Valley Museums:  This month I am highlighting two of the smaller museums in the Shenandoah Valley:  the Heritage Museum in Dayton, Virginia and the Port Republic Museum in Port Republic, Virginia along the banks of the Shenandoah River's Southern Branch.  These museums are excellent compliments to the Museum of the Shenandoah Valley and the Frontier Culture Museum and while smaller, offer first-rate exhibits and excellent interpretation that bring Valley history to life in an engaging and personal way.  All four museums may be reached via Interstate I-81 which makes travel fast and relatively convenient.  Please note that the Port Republic Museum is open April through October Sundays from 1:30-4:00 (subject to weather) [and closed November thru March] but may be opened for groups at other times if special arrangements are made and confirmed in advance.

The Chesapeake Conservancy can help you find great events at local gateways that will be fun, educational and a great time for the entire family. Sign up for their helpful email summaries of what is happening each week.

Simplicity Matters Earth Institute (SMEI) offers a self-guided discussion program, 'Discovering a Sense of Place,' (DSOP) which utilizes an informative supplement on the Chesapeake Bay Region that I wrote specifically for this program. Forming a DSOP discussion group can you help forge deeper connections to the place where you live.