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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!
Mountain Peaks to Coastal Getaways: Season 5 Finale, Win a $50 Gift Card to River Rock Outfitter (Ep 77)
After 10,000 miles crisscrossing Virginia, 17 full episodes, and 4 bonus features, Season Five of Virginia Outdoor Adventures has been a remarkable journey of discovery and connection. What began as a pandemic project has evolved into a five-season exploration of the Commonwealth's most breathtaking outdoor destinations, hidden gems, and adventure opportunities.
This season marked several firsts, including five solo episodes covering practical topics like packing checklists and seasonal bucket lists. The Virginia Adventure Town series continued to captivate listeners with comprehensive guides to Onancock, Big Stone Gap, and Martinsville – destinations where tourism dollars make a meaningful impact on small communities. Educational episodes on wilderness survival, snake identification, and secondhand gear shopping provided valuable knowledge for outdoor enthusiasts, while special features on forest bathing and wild caving introduced listeners to unique outdoor experiences.
Your feedback has shaped this podcast from the beginning, guiding content creation and helping it grow beyond what I ever imagined possible. I'd love to hear your thoughts on what outdoor adventures you want to explore in Season Six.
Share your feedback through the listener survey in the show notes for a chance to win a $50 gift card to River Rock Outfitter. Subscribe to the newsletter for exclusive updates and discounts, or consider supporting the show through Buy Me A Coffee. Your contributions directly fund the thousands of miles traveled to bring Virginia's outdoor wonders to your ears.
Adventure on, Friends – I'll see you in the fall!
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Announcer, 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, Virginia Outdoor Adventures is sponsored by breaks Interstate Park. Breaks Park is a hiking destination in the heart of Appalachia. Every trail features something that will awe you, including geologic formations, scenic views of the canyon, stream crossings and wildlife viewing. Trails range from easy to difficult. The convenience of lodges, campgrounds and luxury cabins inside the park means you'll never need to wander far from the trail. Come see for yourself why breaks is known as the Grand Canyon of the South download the digital trail guide@breakspark.com or click on breaks Interstate Park in the show notes of your listening app. Hello friends, and welcome to the final episode of season five. And what a season it has been 17 episodes, plus four bonus episodes and over 10,000 miles of traveling across Virginia to create the content that you're hearing on this podcast. In season five, I did my first solo episode. I ended up doing five because I got such great feedback from all of you, and in those episodes, I covered things like packing checklists for cabin and Campground stays and also best winter and spring adventures to add to your bucket list. Amongst other things, we kicked off season five back in the fall with a special edition episode about hurricane Helene. And for those of you who caught that episode, you may remember the guests saying that she would really love for everybody to come visit the places that were hit hardest by the hurricane, to bring your tourism dollars to those areas to help rebuild their economy. And luckily, some of those places have reopened, although some are definitely still trying to rebuild. Are in the process of rebuilding, and I am going to be featuring one of those locations in the beginning of season six. It's going to be one of the Virginia adventure town episodes, and that's going to be Grayson County. I'm super excited for that to come out in season six. I also did episodes about hiking at breaks Park, the Pine Mountain Trail, and also conquering resolutions and setting goals for the new year with the group girls who hike Virginia. That was a lot of fun, a super popular episode. And then also some of the most popular episodes, which shouldn't surprise me, are the Virginia's adventure town episodes, and those covered Onancock, Big Stone Gap, and most recently, martinsville. Then I had some educational episodes, one on venomous and non venomous snakes. Another one on purchasing secondhand consignment gear. There was an episode about parks Advocacy Day, which I got a lot of feedback from people who want to participate in that next year, and of course, wilderness survival skills, that was a highly requested topic that I was able to bring back the guest on that show who had also been a guest previously on the podcast. And then there were episodes on forest bathing, wild caving and primitive camping and backpacking in Virginia state parks, so I'm super proud of all of these episodes. Somebody asked me recently if I would please highlight my favorites, and trying to choose a favorite episode would be like a parent trying to choose their favorite child, because all of these episodes I have poured a ton of work and love into and I am really proud of all of them, and there's no way to pick a favorite. Plus, all of the guests are absolutely spectacular. I mean, I am blown away by how amazing each one of these people are and how generous they are to come on the podcast and share their passion and their love and their wisdom with all the rest of us. So I will be taking a break over the summer, just like I have over the last couple of summers. Somebody asked me, Why would you take a break over summer when that's the time to get outside? And I will tell you why. Yes, it is the time to get outside, but it is the time when podcast listenership drops, and the reason for that is because podcast listenership is pretty habitual. People tend to do it when they are doing chores around the house or commuting to work or working out at the gym, things that they incorporate into their normal routines, and when people go on vacation in the summer, those. Routines drop off. So people tend to not listen to podcasts in the summer as much as they normally would other times of the year. And to be fair to my guests and to my sponsors and my advertisers and to myself, who puts a lot of work into all these episodes, I decided that the best thing to do is to take a break in the summer, when those numbers drop and then pick back up in the fall. Summer is also when I take my break. I will be traveling overseas this summer, and as soon as I get back, I will be gearing up and getting ready for season six. So this is when I'll be doing even more, traveling across the state and meeting with guests for season six and doing features on Virginia's adventure towns, and creating a lot of the content that you will see on social media, starting in the fall. Your adventure starts in the heart of Appalachia. Hike and bike through breathtaking mountain landscapes, paddle peaceful rivers winding through hidden hollows, or cast your line in crystal clear streams teeming with trout craving something truly unique. Hop on an ATV and ride the rugged spearhead trail some of the best in the east. Take a scenic drive through winding back roads. Explore the Grand Canyon of the south at breaks park, or go on an elk tour and witness these majestic creatures roaming free. Whether you're looking for heart pounding outdoor adventure or peaceful moments in nature, the heart of Appalachia has got what you need, dine, celebrate, shop and rest well in the heart of all things fun, the heart of Appalachia Virginia's treasured southwest begin your mountain escape by clicking on heart of Appalachia in your show notes. Another new feature this past season was fan mail. And fan mail is an opportunity for you to text me directly by clicking on Send Jessica a text message, which is in your show notes, and those messages come directly to my cell phone. So that was a lot of fun this year to get messages coming to my phone for the first time. Usually, people would have to send them to me, either on social media, or they would have to email me. And now there's just a much easier way for you to contact me directly. Although there is one glitch in the system, I discovered that if you don't put your contact information in there, I really don't have any way of knowing who it's from. Like, it will tell me it's from a phone number, but it only shows me the last four digits of that phone number, and there's no name associated with it, so it keeps you anonymous. But also, I have no way of knowing who to reply to, or who to thank, or you know who to get back to moving forward. If you're going to send me a text message, and I do hope that you do, please let me know who it's from, because if you don't, I won't have any way of knowing who it's from. If you want to stay anonymous, that's fine. But if you want me to know who it's from, and I do like to know who I'm talking to, please let me know that it is you. I wanted to share this one from Ryan. And Ryan said I recently listened to your episodes on Big Stone Gap, and they were some of my favorites. I love getting to know and exploring these old mountain towns so much rich history and amazing outdoor opportunities. Two weeks ago, we went through the area and just missed Big Stone Gap on the way to Red River Gorge area in Kentucky. We passed through St Paul and Coburn, which we visited last year after hearing your episodes on the towns and the Clinch River. Before the Big Stone Gap episode even finished, I had already started thinking about when I can visit long way of saying, I like the adventure town episodes. You do a fantastic job of highlighting all the things about the towns and what people can do. Keep it up. Thank you so much, Ryan. I always appreciate your messages. I get quite a few messages from Ryan, and they are a delight. Also, you can bet that I took a screenshot of that message and sent it over to the folks at Big Stone Gap. Sent it anonymously, of course, so they don't know who exactly it was from, but they are over the moon to see that people are responding to the episode about their town. I cannot tell you guys just how much it means to the folks in these small towns when you come and visit the people who live there, and especially the folks who are from there, take a lot of pride in their towns, and they are super excited when people come to visit in those small towns, your dollars have a really big impact. So just keep that in mind when you're thinking about planning your summer travels, maybe check out some of the adventure town episodes and plan a trip there. You've got all the information you need, from outdoor recreation opportunities to dining, lodging and attractions, and all the links that you need to plan your trip are in the show notes. So there's really no excuse. I've done all the homework for you. You just need to book your stay. So. So if you do end up going to one of the adventure towns, please let me know. I'd love to hear about what your experience is like. I would be remiss if I didn't give a big shout out to everyone who made a contribution on my buy me a coffee page this year, especially those who signed up for a membership. Those memberships and the smaller contributions are what sustains this podcast. It pays for things like my hosting platform, my email account, MailChimp, zoom, other recording equipment, etc, etc. The list goes on. There is a long list of expenses that goes into creating this podcast, and that doesn't even include all of the travel expenses on top of just production expenses. So all of those contributions help pay for those things, and none of this would be possible without all of you. I actually to show my appreciation. I really wanted to read all of the names of everybody who contributed this year. But as I started putting the list together, it was way too long. I was like, okay, nobody's going to want to listen to all of this. I have read the names on past episodes, so I hope you all feel appreciated, because I feel very loved. And every time I get an email that says someone bought you a coffee like it absolutely makes my day. So if you want to help support this podcast, especially as I am going to be gearing up for season six, now is a really great time, because those contributions are going to help fund my travel expenses as I hit the road again in July and August to prepare for season six. And you can do that by going to your show notes and clicking on, buy me a coffee. So what is coming up in season six? What do we have to look forward to? Well, there's quite a few episodes in the works right now. I can only share a few of them with you, because some of them have not quite been finalized yet. But as far as the Virginia adventure town series, which is really popular, I can tell you, for certain Grayson County, as I mentioned earlier, is on the list, and so is King George. And King George is where Caledon State Park is located. I don't know what town in King George we're gonna feature, but I'm sure it's going to include all of the things around the county. So I'm really excited to get back to Caledon and to King George and to feature that, and then I cannot wait to go to Grayson. It's been a number of years since I've been to Grayson. There's a lot going on. If you've heard of some of the mid roll ads in the past, episodes for Grayson County, oh my goodness, I had a hard time packing it all in into one mid roll ad. So they've just got so much going on as far as outdoorsy things. So I'm very excited to get to Grayson. I'm sure it's going to be absolutely beautiful. Can't wait to take those pictures and share them with you on the socials, then I've got an episode on mushroom foraging, which is something that I got a lot of requests for. In fact, I've gotten several requests over many years for mushroom foraging, but finding the right person to do the episode as a guest was a little bit tricky, because you want to find somebody who is reputable, because, as you can probably guess, one wrong or bad mistake when you're foraging for mushrooms could be deadly. As a responsible person who only wants to give out good information, I had to make sure I found somebody who was reputable, and who really knows what they're talking about? And I did, so I'm meeting up with her hopefully in August. Now, the other episodes are still kind of up in the air. I said that I've got some that I can't quite tell you about, but here is your opportunity to tell me what you want to hear in season six. So if you go to your show notes and click on take the listener survey, you will have the opportunity to tell me what you would like to hear in season six. But even more so, this listener survey is an opportunity for you to give me your feedback on all things having to do with the podcast. This is the third year in a row that I am doing this listener survey. I always do it in the summer, so it gives me an opportunity to review your feedback as I'm creating new episodes and preparing for the next season. So I would really appreciate you clicking on that link in your show notes and answering the questions. It'll only take you a few minutes. But here's the exciting part, for the third year in a row, our friends at River Rock outfitter have offered a $50 gift card as part of a raffle for anyone who completes the survey. So once you complete the survey, you're automatically entered into the raffle for this $50 gift card to river rock outfitter in Fredericksburg. River Rock outfitter is owned by April Peterson. You may. Remember April Peterson from Episode 65 when she talked about consignment gear and the reboot program at River Rock outfitter. I'm in close contact with April and river rock, and they have just opened a new location and also a second location in Fredericksburg, which is amazing for a brick and mortar store in today's economy where people like to shop online. I think it says a lot about her business and about the community in Fredericksburg supporting small local businesses. So fill out that listener survey. You just might win a $50 gift card to river rock outfitter, even if you don't win, please check out river rock. It is an awesome store, a very valuable partner in our community. All of the outdoor outfitters could use your support river rock and so many others all across the state. So please do frequent your local Outfitters. Upcoming events. I only have one upcoming event on the calendar, and that is the Appalachian Trail festival in Loudoun County, which is coming up this weekend. But by the time this episode airs, it will be in the past, and I will be somewhere in Europe. So if anything else comes up, I will be putting it in Instagram and Facebook stories, if you really want to keep up to date with where I'm going to be, and also so many other things, like latest episodes, discounts for my listeners, tips, special offers and other things you really want to sign up for my email newsletter if you haven't done that yet, the link to sign up for the newsletter is in the show notes. It only comes out once every other week, so you're not going to get bombarded by emails from me, but you will stay up to date with the podcast and also get some exclusive information that other folks aren't getting unless they subscribe to the email newsletter. You will also get my resource guide when you sign up, and my resource guide includes things like bucket list items in Virginia that you don't want to miss. Hey, adventure seekers, can you believe I traveled 10,043 miles across Virginia last year? Yep, over 10,000 miles in search of the best trails, parks and base camps to help you plan your next adventure. If you've enjoyed discovering these hidden gems and want to hear more, consider supporting the podcast through my buy me a coffee page. Your contribution, whether it's a one time tip or a monthly membership, helps cover the cost of creating these episodes and keeps the adventure going. Every bit helps fuel the journey, plus members get some awesome perks. So head to my buy me a coffee page by clicking on support the show. In your show notes, shout out to the newest members of Virginia outdoor adventures. Anne from Fredericksburg, Matt from Roanoke. Barb from Chesterfield, Lori from Norfolk, Rafael from Falls Church, Kevin from Richmond and Allison from Clearbrook. Thanks for helping me share Virginia's wildest, most inspiring places one adventure at a time. That brings me to the end of this episode and also to the end of season five. By the time you all are listening to this, I will be somewhere overseas. I am going to Austria and Slovenia. I have family reunions in each country. And on the front end of the trip, I will be accompanying my husband to London and Milan and Venice, where he has work meetings arranged. And on the back end of the trip, some a couple of my cousins and I are going to be going to Trieste, Italy, which is the northeast corner of the country on the Adriatic for holiday, as they like to say. And at the very tail end of the trip, I will be hiking solo through Slovenia. Although I don't have all the details worked out just yet, or I would share them, I'm really looking forward to this trip. It's been two summers since I was last overseas, so I cannot wait to see my family again and to just take a break and decompress a little bit. But before I sign off, I want to give a very big thank you to all of you for supporting the show throughout the seasons. If you're new, welcome and thank you so much for joining us, and if you've been around for a while, I cannot express how much I appreciate you sticking around, for listening, for sending me messages, for sharing the podcast with your friends, for contributing on buy me a coffee, for signing up for the newsletter, for taking the listener survey, for leaving a five star rating and review, and all of the things that you all Have done throughout the seasons to help the show grow and to help me continue doing what I'm doing. I still cannot believe it's been five seasons this podcast started as a pandemic project for something to keep me busy and occupied, and also because I was looking for an outlet to share all. All of the beautiful, wonderful, amazing places that we have in the outdoors right here in Virginia, especially at a time when so many people were looking to get outside in a safe way. And never could I ever have imagined that five years later I would still be sitting here doing this full time. It's really unbelievable, but none of it would be possible without all of you. So thank you, thank you, and thank you, and I look forward to seeing you in season six. Chow Chow and adventure on 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 of 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.
