.jpg)
Virginia Outdoor Adventures: Hiking, Camping, Kayaking, Local Travel and more!
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia is a mecca for outdoor travel and adventure. Virginia Outdoor Adventures Podcast is your local guide to hiking, camping, kayaking, travel and so much more. Get the information and the inspiration to plan your own adventure, right here in Virginia. Lets Go!
Virginia Outdoor Adventures: Hiking, Camping, Kayaking, Local Travel and more!
Ten Spring Adventures in Virginia to Add to Your Travel Plans (Ep 70, Part 2)
Episode 70 marks a milestone for Virginia Outdoor Adventures podcast, celebrating nearly five years of epic adventures across the Commonwealth. Looking back, I reflect on the incredible diversity of Virginia's outdoor offerings – from whale watching and caving to kayaking and secluded island camping. These adventures have consistently showcased experiences many listeners didn't realize existed right in their own backyards.
I highlight essential spring adventures across Virginia, from waterfall hikes in Shenandoah National Park to elk viewing in Appalachia. The warming season brings excellent opportunities for paddling, wildlife viewing, boating, backpacking, and dark sky programs.
As I reflect on 70 episodes of discovery, the podcast community continues to grow, bringing outdoor enthusiasts together through shared experiences and inspirational stories. Across Virginia, listeners are discovering new adventures, planning getaways, and connecting with our state’s natural beauty through each episode. Join me as we continue this journey of adventure across Virginia's remarkable outdoor spaces. Let’s Go!
Follow VAOA Podcast:
Instagram I Facebook I Newsletter Sign Up
Support the Show! Buy Me A Coffee
Shop the Virginia Outdoor Adventures Merch Store!
VAOA Podcast is Sponsored by:
Virginia Association for Parks
Mentioned in this Episode:
Charlottesville Grotto
Friendly City Inn B&B, Harrisonburg
Spring Adventure Episodes:
Ep 64. Virginia’s Adventure Towns: Onancock
Ep 58. Virginia’s Adventure Towns: Urbanna
Ep 62. Virginia’s Venomous and Nonvenomous Snakes
Ep 54. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases
Ep 59. Wandering Waters Paddle Quest
Ep 56. Let’s Go Adventures
Ep 9. Bird is the Word
Ep 43. Virginia’s Lost Appalachian Trail
Ep 45. Waterfalls of Shenandoah National Park
Ep 55. Appalachia’s Greatest Conservation Story: Elk Restoration in Southwest Virginia
Fan Mail - Send Jessica a Text Message
Contact show host, Jessica Bowser:
jessica@virginiaoutdooradventures.com
From the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia is a mecca for outdoor travel and adventure. Virginia outdoor adventures Podcast is your local guide for hiking, camping, kayaking, travel and so much more. Get the information and the inspiration to plan your own adventure right here in Virginia. I'm your host. Jessica Bowser, Episode 70 marks a milestone for Virginia outdoor adventures podcast, celebrating five years of epic adventures across the Commonwealth. Looking back, I reflect on the incredible diversity of Virginia's outdoor offerings, from whale watching and caving to kayaking and secluded island camping, these adventures have consistently showcased experiences many listeners didn't realize existed right in their own backyards. I highlight essential spring adventures across Virginia, from waterfall hikes in Shenandoah National Park to elk viewing in Appalachia, the warming season brings excellent opportunities for paddling, wildlife viewing, boating, backpacking and dark sky programs. As I reflect on 70 episodes of discovery, the podcast community continues to grow, bringing outdoor enthusiasts together through shared experiences and inspirational stories across Virginia, listeners are discovering new adventures, planning getaways and connecting with their state's natural beauty through each episode. Join me as we continue this journey of adventure across Virginia's remarkable outdoor spaces. Let's go. This is part two of a two part episode. Virginia Outdoor Adventures is sponsored by the Virginia association for parks, V, A, F, P, champions parks across the Commonwealth. Registration for the annual conference is now live. Join us may 1 through fourth at occaneechi State Park. This year's conference will feature a tour of Staunton river battlefield State Park, a guided paddle program at occaneechi, perfect for those working on paddle quest, and a special dark sky program at Stanton River State Park, plus special guests and speakers, workshops and panel discussions, meals and lodging provided, plus plenty of opportunities for conviviality around the campfire with like minded Park enthusiasts. Register for the vafp annual conference today by clicking on Virginia association for parks in the show notes of your listening app. As soon as I got back from Minnesota, I jumped in the car and went straight to Harrisonburg. I was the keynote speaker for the Virginia adventure education conference. I've never been to that conference before. This was my first time. It was really cool, great speakers, great vendors and incredible workshops. Brings together not only college students, but educators and guides and college programs, different businesses. In other words, leaders in the outdoor industry to network and discuss industry trends. After my keynote address, I got to participate in some of the activities they had going on. And the one thing I did that really kicked my butt was cave repelling. And I have never tried that before, but I have really wanted to for a long time, having been in caves and done wild caving, I thought, How neat would it be to do this sort of rappelling or climbing, and as somebody who rock climbs and ice climbs, I thought, how hard can it be like it's got to be pretty much the same thing. It is nothing like the same thing, of course. But there was a workshop that showed people how to do it, and I got to be the person they demonstrated on. So I was putting on the harness and the different gear. And like, even the gear is really different. Some of it's similar, you know, things like carabiners and the harness, but there's a lot of additional parts and things that I hadn't recognized. So that was new to me, learning just how to get all of this heavy gear on. And then we practiced doing the climbing and the rappelling on the rock walls in the rec center at JMU. So they got me all geared up. And then the difference between, like regular climbing and rappelling and doing this cave rappelling is not only just the additional gear, but the way they have it set up is you're on the ropes. And in this case, I had someone belaying me. There's a special grip that is on the rope that you use, like you squeeze it, and it basically, like grabs onto the rope so that you can pull yourself up. And then you let go, and it loosens, and you slide it up the rope, and you pull yourself up again. And at the same time, there's also a rope hanging under you with a loop at the bottom of it that you put your foot in, and so you're basically standing up and being supported by that rope with the loop that your foot is in. So you stand up at the same time that you're pulling yourself up the rope and then grabbing on. And basically it's like sitting back and relaxing for a moment. And. And pulling yourself up again, and you're just doing that over and over and over again. It is absolutely exhausting. I mean, we only practiced inside the gym, so I don't know how high those walls can be. They're not that, not that high at all. And so talking to some of the cavers this. This particular workshop was being presented by the Charlottesville grotto, which I thought it was really cool meeting the folks there. There were a lot of younger people, and they were demonstrating how to do it, and talking me through it. And one woman was telling me that they had recently done, I think, a 290 foot drop into a cave. And so she had repelled in, but then it took her 45 minutes to repel back out, or to climb back out, I should say. And she said it was really, really hard. There were other people in the group who just didn't even bother trying, because they were they knew they weren't in good enough shape to be able to pull themselves out. But I was like, I really want to do this. It's going to be so cool. Like, you see those images of cavers that are like, going into caves, and the only way in is, like a hole in the ground, and they've got these really cool photos, like somebody went in first, and they're taking the shot from the ground up, and everything is dark, but you just see this huge hole in the ceiling of the cave, and then there's a rope and a person dangling in the middle of it. And I was like, I want that to be me. And then after this experience, I was like, I don't know if that can be me. I feel like I need to train for it. It motivated me though I actually did come home and start training and I joined the Charlottesville grotto because I want to do some of these trips. And I need, like, I need a goal. Like, I need a fitness goal in my life right now, if you listen to the episode that came out in January about hiking goals with Alejandra from girls who hike Virginia. I was like, I need a goal. I just like, I need to get one. And I never did set one, because I had the hardest time finding something that I thought I would stick with. And after that, I was like, Oh yeah, I can do this. So I've been working out, hitting the gym, doing all the things, and hopefully by the time spring hits, I'm going to be in better shape and I can start doing some of these things that I really want to do. So that was fun. Check it out for next year Virginia adventure education conference. I think it might be a JMU again next year. Don't quote me on that, but stay tuned to the podcast, because I'm sure I will be announcing it. And then the other thing I wanted to mention, when I was in Harrisonburg, I got to stay at this adorable bed and breakfast that I really want to recommend if you are find yourself in Harrisonburg or passing through this is a really great opportunity to stay in a historic bed and breakfast. It's called the friendly city Inn. It's this charming restored mansion from 1885 ish, and according to their website, the history of the mansion is two architects from Boston creatively adapted the traditional queen and architecture to a stone and shingle New England style cottage. They describe it as the inn looks and feels like an old summer coastal home in Newport or Bar Harbor. The mansion's on two acres. It's got landscape gardens, flower beds. I of course, didn't see that because it was snowing. And then they have an old horse and carriage barn, very picturesque, right on the main road. But like the best part is that it was so close to all the parks and trails, I mean, right down the street from S and P GW, National Forest, mass and nothing. There was a little book in my room that listed all of the outdoor activities, really great trail options, how to get to everything. And Breakfast was absolutely phenomenal, which, you know, being vegan can sometimes be tricky, and they had no problem at all throwing together this incredible bowl, a huge, huge bowl of oatmeal. I had to take half of it home with me, and all of these yummy, yummy berries and juices and mimosas and coffee and teas and all the things. So I really, really enjoyed that. And I'm going back. I'm not sure exactly when. I know I'm passing down 81 again this spring. I got a couple of trips coming up for the podcast, so I plan on stopping in Harrisonburg again. Great Adventure town. I've always really enjoyed my time in Harrisonburg, so I encourage you to check it out. I'll put a link to friendly city Inn in the notes so you can find their websites. Spring is nearly here, and so it seems like a really good time to start planning some spring adventures. The last solo episode I did, I listed a bunch of Epic Winter adventures in Virginia, and that was a big hit. So coming back at you with some spring adventures, and I was going through some old episodes trying to think like, what are my favorite spring adventures? What would I recommend and things that you don't want to miss this time of year, and I want to be able to point you back to some previous episodes that you've got good resources to start planning what you want to do in the spring. So the first thing that came to mind is, of course, the very popular Virginia's adventure town series, because two of those towns are on the water, and spring is a little bit of a better time to be able to take advantage of some of those water activities. So. Those two episodes are 64 and 5864 is Virginia's adventure towns on nancock, paddling, boating, fishing and camping on the eastern shore. And then 58 is Urbana river life, fishing, crabbing, boating, camping and paddling. So if you're thinking you want to get away to the water this spring. Look for episode 64 and 68 on o nancock and Urbana. And then I was starting to think about like, what are some things that we need to know as people are starting to get back outside, but also wildlife is starting to wake up from winter. And I looked at episode 62 which is about Virginia's venomous and non venomous snakes, hiking, safety, myths and appreciation. This is a time of year when reptiles are waking up and people are also getting outside more often, and so there's more encounters with wildlife. And I know a lot of people get nervous about snakes, and the guests in that episode talked about all the reasons why you really, you really just don't need to be nervous about snakes, mindful, maybe, but not nervous. So look for episode 62 about Virginia's venomous and non venomous snakes. And then what else wakes up the ticks, most of them are in hibernation during the winter, and then they wake up and start to breed in the spring. And so episode 54 is about ticks and tick borne diseases, and how to protect yourself in the outdoors, another really great resource. Then episode 59 is about wandering waters paddle quest. This was a hugely popular episode, this is Virginia State Parks sort of water equivalent to trail quest, if you're familiar with trail quest, which is an opportunity to visit all of the state parks in Virginia while watering waters. Paddle quest is an opportunity to visit those same parks and participate in water activities such as kayaking, canoeing, stand up paddle boarding. Ranger Sammy talks all about how to participate in paddle quest and how to prepare for it too. So if you're thinking you're looking for a goal or some sort of outdoor challenge, this is a great time to start thinking about paddle quest and planning your visit to the different state parks that have paddling opportunities and sort of along those same lines, Episode 56 is about let's go adventures offered by Virginia state parks, and those are beginner friendly programs in camping, hiking, kayaking, fly fishing, archery and orienteering. And I'm bringing this up because this year they are adding something brand new to the list they have added backpacking now, I checked to see what programs are being offered on the calendar at the moment, there's a couple at macho comico, I believe, and I talked to the staff, and they told me that they are in the process of adding more right now. So if you go on the calendar and you see matcha come ago and nothing else, it's because they're finalizing those details with the parks, but they're adding more and also sneak peek. There's going to be an episode about backpacking coming out this spring with a ranger at Virginia State Parks. I'm really excited about that one, because it means I get to go backpacking in preparation for that episode, but that'll come out like late spring probably, so be on the lookout for that episode. Nine bird is the word with my friend Matt felperin, who's getting way more shout outs than anybody else I think I've ever given shout outs to on this podcast. But spring migration is starting, and this is such an exciting time to see birds passing down the Atlantic flyway. I'm sorry, passing up the Atlantic flyway, not down. They're coming back up north. People get really excited about migrating warblers and song birds, so this is a great time for that. I will tell you, though, if you're just new to birding, I personally think that warblers are really tough. They're high up in the trees. They're small. They move around a lot. Males look different from females. It's, it can be challenging, but it is really fun. It's, it's a fun opportunity if you want to try to get started. So go to Episode Nine. Matt tells you all about how to get started birding. Episode 43 is about Virginia's lost Appalachian Trail. And I bring this up in the spring because so many people are starting there through hikes. This is the time of year when folks, especially if they're planning to go from Georgia to Maine on the at are starting off in, usually Georgia at Springer Mountain, and starting to head up north. And most of those folks will hit the Virginia area around late spring or summer. So it's really interesting to hear about Virginia's lost Appalachian Trail mills. Kelly was the guest, and he's a historian at well, was a historian at George Mason University. Congratulations Mills for just retiring, but he has written this. Book about the lost Appalachian Trail, which is a section of at that ran through Virginia that was later rerouted and kind of forgotten about, and a lot of people don't know that it exists. So really interesting, fascinating history about the at in Virginia in that episode, Episode 45 one of the most popular episodes of all time of this podcast is waterfalls of Shenandoah National Park, and that was a collaborative effort with the staff at the park to raise awareness about our waterfalls and safety, especially around waterfalls, because there are more accidents around waterfalls in the park every spring than other areas of the park, mostly because people are coming out to visit for the first time or for the first time in the season, and they forget to follow the safety rules. And you know, not following the safety rules around waterfalls could be deadly. But it's not just all about rules. Rain. The ranger in that episode talks about some of his favorite waterfalls, and recommends ones that you should visit. So go back and check out the most popular episode, Episode 45 waterfalls of Shenandoah National Park. Lastly, my favorites. I saved these two for last because I personally think these are the must do spring activities in Virginia, and that is highlighted in Episode 55 Appalachia is greatest conservation story elk restoration in southwest Virginia. And for those of you who missed that episode, elk have been reintroduced to Virginia after they went extinct, and we have a heard of them in southwest Virginia being managed by the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources, and there are opportunities to visit the herd, and those opportunities are in the spring and the fall. I personally really like spring. Fall is beautiful too, but I think spring is a good time to go. I was just on the breaks Interstate Park websites to see if they have availability, and there is plenty of availability left, which I'm surprised, because this has gotten so popular that it usually fills up immediately, especially if, like DWR announces it, sometimes it fills up in a day. So maybe they didn't announce it this year. I'm not really sure what their strategy is for marketing. I just know that there are still spots left. If you happen to get on there and they're all filled up, then maybe plan your trip for the Fall breaks. Park has lodges and cabins and campgrounds, and there's a tour bus that leaves right from the park and will take you to see the elk. So if for some reason, they're all full this spring, never fear. Plan something for the fall when the foliage is gorgeous, that is my recommendation. And so long as you're going to be going out to the breaks, also listen to episode 61 scenic hikes in southwest Virginia breaks Park and Pine Mountain. That was the first episode of season five, and people loved it. Got lots of real, really great feedback about that, because everybody loves to hike. So check out episodes 55 and 61 and then, of course, let me know if you do any of these adventures this spring. I love to hear from my listeners. I love to know what you're out there doing. I love to hear how the podcast has impacted your time outdoors, and if you have anything to share, go ahead and either message me on the socials or click on Send Jessica a text message in your show notes. Breathtaking views, towering cliffs, roaring rivers, unlimited adventure. Discover the rugged beauty of breaks, Interstate Park deep in the heart of southwest Virginia breaks is home to the 1000 foot vertical Canyon known as the Grand Canyon of the South every one of my trips to the breaks have been packed with stunning hikes in a rocky geologic Wonderland, mountain biking through breathtaking scenery and rock Climbing on the Appalachian sandstone that makes breaks a climbers paradise. But some of my most memorable moments include hearing the bugle of an elk echoing through the mountains, or staring up at the majesty of the Milky Way outstretched over towering canyon walls. Don't miss your chance to experience Appalachia. Greatest conservation story. Elk have returned to southwest Virginia, and you can experience them in their natural habitat. Reservations for this spring's elk viewing, bus tours are available now with amenities such as lakefront cottages, Woodland Lodges, campgrounds and the rhododendron restaurant on site breaks holds epic adventures for the entire family, your adventure awaits at the breaks. Click on breaks Interstate Park in your show notes to visit breaks park.com. Let's jump into fan mail. Last time, I asked folks to let me know how the podcast has impacted your adventures, and have you tried a new activity? Or visit a new place. After listening to the podcast, I got a bunch of messages. There's just a couple that I wanted to share. This one is from Don he says, Hey, Jessica. Just wanted to say thank you for such a great podcast. Reminds me that adventures are right out our door in Virginia. Started listening with the Onan cock episode and was hooked. The Tim Kaine episode was inspiring, as well as your interview with Alejandra. Look forward to more episodes. Thanks so much. Don I just wanted to point out that Oh nancock is an adventure town episode, and the episode with Tim Kaine just blew up like I can't believe how many people really, really enjoyed that one. I think people are overall just surprised that Senator Tim Kaine is so outdoorsy and really loved hearing about how his epic adventures impact his work and and what it means to him to be a part of this beautiful, beautiful state. So that's a good one to check out. And then, of course, I already mentioned alejandra's episode came out in January, and that was all about setting outdoorsy goals for the new year. I also got a lot of messages about that. Alejandra was such a high energy guest. Her message really resonated with folks, and people identified with her and really enjoyed it. So I heard from all kinds of people. Now she's with the group girls who hike Virginia, but I heard from plenty of guys out there who told me they really liked that episode. And then I got this message from Christy, who said, Hi, Jessica, I really appreciate your work with Virginia parks and outdoor adventures. Our family started camping two years ago, and the information you've shared has helped us plan hikes and give an inspiration for places we want to visit. Thank you, Christy, that is exactly what I love to hear music to my ears. This is from Neil. This is probably one of the more touching messages I've gotten in a little while. He says, Hi, Jessica, I love your podcast, and have been listening to it for over a year. From Colorado, I grew up in Northern Virginia, and my wife and I have been planning for a while to move back to Virginia while we are officially moving to Middleburg in three weeks, and with the assistance and inspiration of your podcast, we are ready to hit the ground running. We are signed up for trail quest, and we'll be very quickly exploring sky meadows and Shenandoah River. We recently listened to Episode 41 about star gazing, and are very excited to attend an astronomy program at Sky Meadows. Just wanted to share that my mom and I loved episode 53 about Farmville in 2022 we took part in the night train trail races on the High Bridge trail. It took place at night, and seeing the fireflies was so incredible. We are planning another trip there soon after the move is complete. Thanks so much for creating an amazing outdoor community in Virginia. Neil, Neil, I swear if I wrote a review myself, it would not be as good as this one. This is everything that I love, and actually what I really loved about this I shared it with a potential advertiser the other day. It was one of our tourism destination marketing organizations who wanted to know where my listeners are located, and I was telling them how surprised I am every time I find out that somebody outside of Virginia is listening to this podcast. And people actually plan trips to Virginia, because they start listening, and they're so intrigued by what we have to offer here and how beautiful our outdoor spaces are, that they come here because they've discovered the podcast and decided, let's do it. And I think it's really interesting to hear from somebody living in Colorado, because there's so many people moving out west. But what I learned from the folks at the tourism DMO that I spoke with is that a lot of folks who moved out west are now moving back to the coast, and some of that has to do with cost of living, she was saying, but also, Virginia is beautiful, like, why would you not want to live here? So cool to hear from Neil, who grew up in Nova and is now moving back. But all of these examples are really fantastic, too. Trail quest, of course, is something everybody should be signed up for. If you're not signed up for Virginia State Parks trail quest, I don't know what you're waiting for, get on their website and go to the trail quest page and register so that when you visit a state park, you're getting pins in the mail and working towards earning your master hiker certificates. Sky meadows and Shenandoah River both are designated dark sky parks. I think there's four or five of them now, and episode 41 is all about star gazing in the dark sky parks. And I will just tell you Neil sky Meadows has their astronomy program like every month, and it doesn't matter what time of the year it is, so unless there's really bad weather, it usually goes on and it's very well attended. I've enjoyed the couple that I've been to. The telescopes that people bring out there are huge, like you need a U haul truck to get some of these telescopes out onto the grassy area. And it's so cool. It's. Just really, you learn so much. It's really cool to see people who are just taken aback, you know, they're so overwhelmed and or I should, maybe, I should say, overcome by how incredible the universe is and getting to see it. Some folks, for the first time, it's a lot of fun. Highly recommend that all of these dark sky programs are on Virginia State Parks websites too. And then the episode about Farmville was another one of these Virginia's adventure town series episode. I just saw the guest from that episode, Mayor Brian Vincent, at the conference that I keynoted in Harrisonburg recently. It was funny because I didn't even know he was in the room. And then I mentioned the episode about Farmville in my keynote address, and then all of a sudden I hear this shouting from the back of the room, and he's like, waving his arms. And I was like, hey, who let that guy in here? But no, I'm kidding. It was really great to see him, and he was very excited to know that people are listening to that episode and coming to visit Farmville, because the High Bridge trail is just majestic. I don't think I've seen anything else like it, or it's certainly not in Virginia. It's the longest one in Virginia. It's an old trestle bridge built during the Civil War, if I remember correctly. And the Firefly program at that park is also something you just won't see anywhere else. I mean, I went a couple years ago for the first time, and you stand on the bridge. Normally, the bridge is closed at night, so this is one of those rare opportunities where you get to go out on the bridge at night, and you stand there and look over the railing down towards the river, and the trees are just lighting up, almost like fireworks with all the different fireflies. But what's most interesting is that you learn so much about the fireflies and about the ecology. And I had no idea that there were, like many species of fireflies, and some of them have different colors. This was all new to me. So this is also one of those programs that fills up really quickly. You have to get tickets for it's a ticketed event, so you have to keep your eye on the website. You know, know the date ahead of time, put it on your calendar and just be ready when those tickets go on sale, because they go quickly. So thanks, Neil, you gave me so much to talk about and so much to look back on and remind folks about how lucky we are to live here in Virginia. So friends, go ahead and send me your messages by clicking on Send Jessica a text message in your show notes, before I hop off, I just want to remind folks that I've got some great discounts and deals on outdoor gear and experiences in my email newsletter. And one of the things that was featured in the most recent email newsletter I wanted to share so I had a phone call not too long ago with the owner of this little cottage company called the pee style. And if you've never heard of it, it's an adventure accessory. It's designed for those of us who can't pee standing up. And so she said to me, I would love for you to try my product. I'm going to send it to you if you want to let me know how it works out for you. I'd love to hear your experience with it. So she sends it to me, and as somebody who has not needed a device to, you know, to be able to pee outside for my whole life, I was like, Well, what am I going to do with this? So it remained unused for a long time, and then when I started packing for Minnesota, I found it, and I was like, You know what? This might actually be a really good thing to have, because the temperatures were so cold, as I mentioned, in Minnesota, like negative 18, negative 32 it just seemed less than ideal to try to go the traditional way. And so I took this device with me. It's plastic and it's small. Comes in this little carrying case, and it's got a little carry little Caribbean around it, so you can hook it to your pack or whatever you have. And it really came in handy. And it was funny, because the first day of the trip, I was with two guys, so we had to have the conversation about, like, what are we going to do when we're driving around this bog? And I'm the only person in the group who, you know, can't just go anywhere, you know, the guys, they can just go anywhere. But I was like, well, actually, so I have this thing. I started telling them about the P style and how it had been sent to me, and I had never used it, but this seemed like a really good opportunity to try it out. And I gotta tell you, it came in handy. And then I started thinking, like, what else can this be used for? And I started thinking about the flight on the way home, you know, if you're you need to use a bathroom while you're on the plane. And I don't like to sit on those gross toilets. That's really disgusting. But also, if you try squatting over them and the plane is moving, that causes a little bit of a problem too. So having something like this is really good. And then I started thinking about like, climbing and backpacking. And when you're backpacking, like, if you've got a really heavy pack on, squatting with all that extra weight on, you can put a lot of stress on your knees and your legs and taking it off and putting back. On is kind of a pain. And then when you're climbing, you've got a harness on, and you don't want to take the harness off and then go, and then have to put it all back on. So like, all of a sudden, all of these scenarios started coming to me, like, where this would actually really come in handy. So now I'm really glad I have it, and I am recommending it for my listeners. It is 10% off for my listeners, there's a link in the email newsletter. So if you're not signed up for the email newsletter, I try to feature a different product or outdoor experience in every newsletter, and I also have a list of all of the previous ones that you will receive when you sign up for the emails newsletter, along with my new listener resource guide. And the resource guide has got all kinds of cool things, like the top episodes my Virginia bucket list of must do things in Virginia, and then, of course, these discounts. So if you haven't signed up for that, you can click the link in the show notes. It says, sign up for the email newsletter. Another option is just go to the website, Virginia outdoor adventures.com and scroll down to the bottom of the homepage, and you'll see a sign up box there, or a pop up box will probably pop up and you can sign up there too. So check it out, my friends, that's going to be all for episode seven zero. I think it's absolutely remarkable that I've made it this far. I think it's even more remarkable that anybody is still listening. If you want to help me out, share your favorite episode with a friend or someone who you think will enjoy Virginia outdoor adventures that helps the show grow and helps more people discover adventures in their own backyard. You can also buy me a coffee on my buy me a coffee page. Links are in the show notes, and I will see you in the next episode. Virginia Outdoor Adventures is inspired by and supported by listeners like you, which is why your messages and feedback means so much to me. You can text me directly by clicking on Send Jessica a text message in your show notes, I answer questions, respond to comments and share your feedback on the show. Never miss a new episode. Sign up for my email newsletter and receive my listener resource guide with the top podcast episodes, a Virginia outdoor bucket list and exclusive brand discounts for my listeners. Click on newsletter, sign up in your show notes, or visit Virginia outdoor adventures.com thanks for listening until next time. Adventure on you.