Packing for a Weekend Adventure

By Vanessa Park

So, you have decided to take an Excursion trip.  You have read our Lynchburg issue and have decided you would really like to see Sharp Top and experience Lynchburg's beautiful fall colors.  Your significant other is ready for a weekend away, you have made a fresh batch of our Best Ever Fall Trail Mix and you are looking forward to a weekend away outside.  But, other than clothes and toiletries, what should you pack?  Here, I will give packing tips for both those of you who will camp out and those of you who prefer the comfort of a hotel.

No matter where you are staying in Lynchburg, you will want to bring rain gear.  Lynchburg is beautiful, but known for having the occasional rainy day.  Secondly, be sure to use an online map service (such as Map Quest) to map out your route and to print directions for the places you know you want to go, this could include trails, restaurants and the locations of different events on our calendar. As you are planning what you will do, make a list of gear you might need (appropriate shoes for hiking, water bottles, sunscreen, etc.) and then use the list to pack your backpacks.  A packing list can save you from forgetting things and, in the end, save you valuable time and money on your weekend adventure!  If you plan on taking pictures, be sure to grab your camera and some extra batteries, just in case! Last, but certainly not least, grab the issue of Excursion Magazine featuring the place you're going.  Flip through it again in the car, and you may find something else you want to do or somewhere else you want to go! 

More on Devil's Marble Yard

The fall issue of Excursion included a feature on trails in the Lynchburg area.  Here, Kelly Teufel, an Excursion staff member shares with you her personal experience at Devil's Marble Yard in Lynchburg,

I went to Devil's Marble Yard Trail, recommended in the last issue of Excursion Magazine.  I went with a bunch of friends and my siblings.  I was an experience I will never forget. 

We started our journey at 1 p.m. on a Sunday. We started walking through the trail and crossed over some baby brooks. We went in autumn so the leaves were falling and the scenery was beautiful. The leaves were red, orange and yellow and it was about 65 degrees and absolutely beautiful. At the end of our trail we saw the large boulders of rock. It was a tad intimidating because we couldn’t see the top of the mountain so we didn’t know when it would end. So we started our hike and climbed up the mountain. 

We stopped half way up for a water break and to eat lunch. The view from that point was beautiful, but we knew that the top would be ever more spectacular. We chatted and decided we wanted to rush through lunch so we could get to the top. So we started to climb again and when we reached the top we turned around and saw the most beautiful view. We saw birds flying into the valley. We took a bunch of photos to capture the moment. 

We waited for the sun to set between two mountain peaks and it was breathtaking. After the sun was almost completely down we climbed down and headed back to town. I would highly recommend this trail for your next adventure.