Triangle, VA (USA)

[Mollie and had another adventure today! - we actually left the house without a specific plan (we just wanted to get away for the day) - we initially drove south on US-1, all the way to Dumphries, and talked about what we should do all the way - Mollie said she was getting carsick (and I was getting tired of the non-stop lights), so we stopped for lunch at China 1 Star - they had great food and we were completely re-charged after the meal - we headed south again and formulated a plan (to visit Prince William Forest National Park) - I had heard many good things about the place and the weather was nice enough for some outdoor activity - at Triangle, we found the road that took us to the entrance (it was actually the same one that leads to the entrance to Quantico) - we stopped at the Visitors Center (1300) and asked for a Junior Ranger booklet - the requirements this time were extensive (I actually didn't know if we could complete it in one day) - but, as usual, we were persistent! - Mollie and I took several hikes, following clues from people who used to live in the area (farm boy helped us find his farm, miner helped us find a pyrite mine and an Indian girl helped us find other local flora) - the weather was so nice and we enjoyed the remoteness of the trails - we saw several animals (box turtle, wild turkeys, lots of birds) and marvelled at the amazing variety of trees - we also located a pretty boardwalk and learned about how the land was reclaimed over the last few years - the climax of the activities was a "geo cache" type search for a special stamp (instead of GPS, we used a series of pace counts - ala "Treasure Island") - overall, it was a great day and Mollie completed her Junior Ranger Badge - the rangers were so impressed that she got it done that they gave her a special book about trees (Mollie was very proud) - we drove around a bit more in the park before leaving and found the little waterfalls/cascades on the north end of the park (pretty) - Mollie was a daredevil by this point (hopping stones and tree limbs to cross the river) and it was all I could do to keep her from getting wet - after leaving the park, we explored the nearby Quantico National Cemetery and then drove on the Marine Corps Base - we ate dinner at McDonalds and watched several Marines come in for their evening ice cream... - we also saw another ground hog or woodchuck, something we seem to find at each base we visit - Nicky started calling persistently, asking when we would be home, so we got on I-95 and we went back to Alexandria - just as we arrived, I saw Brenna walking towards a party with her friends - I gave her a ride before heading home]