Our family lives in Harrisonburg, Virginia. Smack dab in the middle of the Shenandoah Valley, this really is one of the most beautiful parts of the country. From our doorstep, there are hundreds of day hikes to trek; and dozens of Vineyards to enjoy. Over the last couple years, we have taken full advantage of what this area has to offer. And, in the process gained two fabulous hobbies!
Our first family hike in 2008, Dark Hollow Falls.
Throughout the years, we have relied heavily on the internet for our adventures: researching websites and blogs to find appropriate hikes for the family, and relying on reviews from other Oenophiles to plan our vineyard visits. And, on a whim this blog idea popped into our heads (on what else, a hike), thus we have decided to share our experiences with others. We want to give back for all the great advice we have received, and we also know it will be a great way to document our adventures. In no way do we claim to be experts in either field….and that we fully embrace. Most people on the trails on any given weekend are not expert hikers, and very few couples out for an afternoon wine tasting consider their knowledge more than just a hobby. So, if you are in those majorities, we are speaking to you!
Billy and JJ started hiking when they were 5 and 3 years old.
Our hiking crew consists of us, the parents; Mickey and Minnie, as well as Billy and JJ; our 9 and 7 year old boys, and the world’s best hiking dog; J-Wow!. All three of them are full of life and love their time in the outdoors. Both boys are eager Cub Scouts, with designs on achieving the Eagle Scout rank in due time. Our hikes give Billy and JJ ample opportunity to put to use the skills they are learning. When researching hikes, the three of them are first and foremost in our minds. The boys have a blog of their own: http://billyandjj.blogspot.com/ that will at times overlap with this one. We are just your everyday average family who is blessed to share the love of such a great and healthy hobby, and to live in Central Virgina where a new and exciting hike is less than an hour away. To us, there is no better family activity than a day spent in the woods.
Our most recent hike, Lewis Falls in September 2012. Nowadays, we are almost always joined by our great hiking dog, J-Wow when we hit the trails.
Likewise, there is no better time spent as a couple for us than at a vineyard. Billy and JJ and J-Wow stay home for the wine trips, leaving the vineyard experience to the grown-ups. Mickey often focuses more on his interpretation of the wine quality when rating a vineyard, while Minnie tends to favor vineyard based on esthetics (she is a sucker for a good mountain view, and engaging staff). What we have found in visiting over 50 vineyards in Virginia and California is that all of them have been unique in what they have had to offer, and there is not one we would not visit again, given the opportunity.
Mickey and Minnie on a wine trip in 2011 to celebrate their 10th wedding Anniversary. In the background is Villa Appalachia Vineyard, located on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Now you have our back story, as well as our reasons for documenting our future adventures. We hope we can provide some great information to help you plan your next adventure on a trail, or a visit to the vines.
We would love any suggestions for future trips from you, as we hope for this to become an interactive forum where others share tips and experiences of their own.
UPDATE 6/24/14: Our blog is now going on two years now, and with time it has grown and evolved as our family has. We have recently gained a new hobby….bike riding, and we are excited to add those adventures to our blog. We also have seen through our travels, that this great state of Virginia offers so much to family adventures that from time to time we will head off the trails…..and out of the vines to report on some of our finds. The boys are now 9 and 11, and still going strong with Scouts. Billy has moved up to the Boy Scout troop, and JJ is starting out his two year adventure as a Webelo.
virginiavinesandtrails 
Thank you for your great post regarding Afton Mountain Vineyards! I’m glad that you enjoyed your visit and our wines. I’m really writing, though, to tell you what a cool blog you have. As local hikers ourselves, we are often asked for our hiking recommendations at work in the tasting room. I look forward to sending people to your blog for wines and trails!
Thank you Elizabeth. We love Afton Mountain. In fact, shortly after that visit we ‘blogged’ about, we brought two couples back for our ‘Unwine’ Friday (we take a Friday ‘off’ of work in both the spring and fall and pick a vineyard just to hang out and enjoy’….Afton Mountain was our Fall 2013 pick!). You have done amazing things with your vineyard. We will be back again….and please, let people know about our blog. We love to share our two passions with others!