Fraser Preserve (10/3/08)

Who knew there was such a beautiful nature preserve literally 10 minutes from my house? I sure didn't. But thanks once again to one of my handy-dandy hiking books, I discovered the Fraser Preserve right off Georgetown Pike, down past Chez Francois on Springvale Road. On this particular Friday, I was tired and didn't want to get up early for a long drive. So I headed out to this nearby sanctuary around 9 am and was pleasantly surprised by it's beauty and sense of isolation - I could have been in the middle of the Shenandoah! In fact, a couple times I pretended I was, just for fun. :D
After walking about 3/4 of a mile down a gravel road into the Preserve, I took a narrow trail through the woods, across a open gas line right of way, and eventually to the banks of the Potomac. As I talked with other hikers, I found out that the Potomac Heritage National Scenic Trail runs right through the Preserve. This is a newly established trail that is currently the second longest trail on the East Coast (second only to the Appalachian Trail). It's already 830 miles long with more trail miles planned. Currently, it runs from the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay all the way to the Allegheny Highlands in the upper Ohio River basin. I will be investigating that trail more in the near future!

While hiking along this lovely area on this gorgeous day, I was struck by how much I love being outdoors, exploring nature and drinking in the beauty of God's creation. When I'm doing so on a regular basis, balance in life seems more attainable. I feel emotionally, spiritually and physically healthy. If only I could find a job that paid me to be outside exploring nature! Hmmmmm....