4Real Forums: Appalachia

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Across Time and Place
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Topic: Appalachia

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insegnante
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Joined: April 07 2006
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Posted: March 20 2007 at 4:01pm \| IP Logged

Today 5yo DS and I read Appalachia: The Voices of Sleeping Birds. I was so pleased with how much attention he paid and the interest he showed in the book after I was done reading it to him (even if he did call it "Applechania" and seem to think there must be a lot of apples there

.)

We live in Northern Virginia, and it's spring (almost?), it's beautiful out... neither money nor leisure time has been abundant recently, but I can't help thinking we can make some kind of easygoing field trip out of this. We like Front Royal (considering moving there, and went there for a super low budget day trip mini-vacation for the whole family for our last anniversary) and I'm trying to figure out whether that's Appalachia or not. Google will help me with that, but if anyone has any ideas about ways to make fun and educational very inexpensive, toddler-and-5yo-friendly preferably weekend day trips to Appalachia (VA or WV) from the western Fairfax County area, I'll be reading!

Theresa

ami*
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Posted: March 20 2007 at 9:02pm \| IP Logged

I don't have any ideas for you, but I do have a few book suggestions (that I think would be considered Appalachia):

--Down, Down the Mountain by Credle
--When I Was Young in the Mountains by Rylant
--When the Whippoorwill Calls by Ransome (I think!)
--My Great Aunt Arizona by Houston
--The Rag Coat by Mills

Sorry if the authors aren't right...I'm going off memory as I need to get to work and don't have time to look them up.

These are beautiful stories!

guitarnan
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Posted: March 20 2007 at 9:21pm \| IP Logged

When I Was Young in the Mountains (Cynthia Rylant) is SO West Virginia. (I lived in Pendleton Co. for two years.)

The visitors center at Seneca Rocks is small but friendly. Climbing Seneca Rocks is doable but challenging (my dd did it when she was 8). Seneca Caverns is also nearby; there is a nice restaurant right near the caverns, too.

Pendleton Co., WV, is full of caves and limestone formations. It's about a 3-hour drive from the Dulles Airport area. You can PM me for more info, if you like.

Snow tubing in Massanutten is always fun...and there are lots of hiking trails and junior ranger activities in Shenandoah National Park (along Skyline Drive in VA).

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Nancy in MD. Mom of ds (24) & dd (18); 31-year Navy wife, move coordinator and keeper of home fires. Writer and dance mom.

insegnante
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Posted: March 21 2007 at 1:30pm \| IP Logged

Thanks! I saw at least one and maybe two of the other Rylant books mentioned on the shelf at the library the other night.

We would need to stick to a solid plan to make a 3-hour drive each way into a reasonable day trip, but who knows, if we make it to Vigil Mass on a Saturday evening and make an early start on a Sunday. Or "splurge" on an overnight hotel stay. We've been to the nearest part of WV to our home a few times, and I've always wanted to visit farther in, past any trace of DC metro area.

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