#46 - Culpeper, VA

Culpeper Visitor Center

With the Holiday's around the corner, getting out and about some of the small towns in the area makes for a beautiful day hike - with the added benefit of finishing up with window shopping, local bakeries, coffees, beers and food! But how to map out a route can sometimes become a challenge. Enter the Virginia Volkssport Association!

Recalling the days when we would volksmarch in the local communities of Germany, the Virginia Volkssport Association organizes walks, bikes, and swims that are non-competitive, going at your own pace. Normally done as part of a group, Culpeper was laid out as a "do it yourself" volksmarch with 5K and 10K options. Bonnie and I completed the 10K (6.2 mile) portion.

Starting at the Visitor Center, our hike started in the center of town, but quickly headed to the outskirts, allowing us to see sights we otherwise would have possibly by-passed.

As we made it to the outskirts of town, we were very surprised to find that Culpeper had a National Cemetery to honor their veterans. We saw graves sites dating back to the Civil War. It was very neat, clean, and you could tell an area of great pride.

 

From here, we headed through the historic residential area, with large homes resting on beautiful lots. A beautiful day, enjoying the sights and fresh air.

We skirted back around the center of town, taking in the sights, as we headed toward the nearby Yowell Meadow Park.

 

The park had a nice path ~ 2 miles long, following along Mountain Run, which was the town's water source years before.

All of this offered us a nice glimpse of the town that we would have never seen had we stayed in the historic district. It made us realize even more what a nice community Culpeper is. A prideful community, taking care of each other, making good decisions on how they want their community represented.

We headed back into town, finishing up our hike. Picking up some goodies at the local baker, enjoying oysters and craft beer at a local restaurant.

Raw Bar :-)

It is easy to say we "Love" Culpeper, and have plans to visit again soon! We also enjoyed the do it yourself volksmarch and plan to see what else they have to offer.

Happy Holidays - and keep hiking, friends!