Bath County in itself is a true delight as it is home to natural hot springs – the perfect post race treat for a triathlete’s sore body. But more than that, it’s home to Fort Lewis Lodge, where you can combine participating in the Bath County Triathlon with a return to nature getaway.

The Bath County Triathlon will be held Sunday, June 30 at 8 a.m. at Lake Moomaw.

The swim is unique in that it is wetsuit legal. Most triathlons are not wetsuit legal in the summer. Water temperatures – in water as clear as you’ve ever seen it – rangle from the low to mid 70s.

Not to brag, but Lake Moomaw is about as perfect as place to swim as you’ll find. It’s fed by two pristine rivers, the current is light and there’s hardly any chop or waves.

The bike course is managed by the National Forest Service and is closed to cars during the event. Described as a rolling out and back course, there are small hills early and late in the course. The middle miles remain mostly flat.

The run course is also closed to vehicular traffic and slightly hilly. We assure you, though, that the view from atop the small hills looking out onto Lake Moomaw and the mountain ranges that bank its shores make any pain well worth it.

A catered post race meal and blue grass music greets you at the finish line.

Interested in Moomaw Madness?

Register online now: http://www.trifind.com/re_95665/BathCountyTriathlon.html

And while you’re out this way, come stay at the Fort Lewis Lodge.

From nearly every spot at Fort Lewis Lodge, on a clear night, the sky is alive. The stars shine unlike anything you see in a city, or even small suburban neighborhood.

It’s among the many, many things we love about Fort Lewis Lodge and this slice of land we have here, tucked in away from the hustle and bustle of life.

But there’s something else up there that we love to point out to our guests – the International Space Station.

Did you know that the International Space Station can be spotted with your naked eye alone? No squinting. No telescope. Just you…and looking up at just the right time.

According to the Astro Viewer at http://iss.astroviewer.net/observation.php, “because of its size, it reflects very much sunlight. The best time to observe the International Space Station is when it is nighttime at your location, but the Space Station is sunlit. Such a situation occurs often in the morning before sunrise or in the evening after sunset.”

Before you arrive at Fort Lewis Lodge, or perhaps while you’re here, check out http://iss.astroviewer.net/observation.php.

You’ll be able to search your location to see when the next sighting opportunity will be. The list you typically get in your search results details “all visible passes of the International Space Station during the next 10 days.”

Look up at the right time while you’re here at Fort Lewis Lodge, and go home and tell your friends and family you saw more than just stars in our clear, night skies.

Sometimes, you have to let children be your guide, too.

In “Last Child in the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder,” author Richard Louv lists the top fishing tips his then 12-year-old son offered to parents.

They seem fitting to also share here. They are, on the surface, fishing tips. But read a little closer and they really feel applicable to even more areas of life, whether you’re fishing, teaching a new skill, taking a hike, swimming…

1. Fish with your kid.
2. Let your kids go fishing even if you don’t want to take them.
3. Let your kids buy tackle and supplies. That’s half the fun of fishing.
4. If your kids are young, take them to a place where fish are easy to catch and small.
5. Let kids fish as long as they want. Let them get obsessed.
6. Let kids go off and do their own thing. It can be incredibly annoying and / or frustrating if there’s an adult standing over them barking orders.
7. At least pretend to act excited when your kid catches a fish. It can quickly ruin a day of fishing if the kid feels you don’t want to be there, and he’s just dragging you down.
8. If you know how to fish, don’t give your kid too much unsolicited advice, although it can be helpful if the kid is young.
9. Let your kid teach you how to fish; participate in the fishing. This can be quality bonding time.
10. Remember that fishing and spending time with family is just as, or more important, than homework.
11. Have fun. That’s the entire point of going fishing in the first place.
12. And whatever you do, don’t let your kid throw rocks in the water.

Important tips, for sure. After all, as Louv states, direct exposure to nature is not only good for childhood development, but also for the physical and emotional health of adults.

Located near Lexington and Staunton, Fort Lewis Lodge is a 3,200-acre plantation inn that dates back to the 1750s. Our season runs from April to November each year. Reservations for 2013 can be made now here.

Like most country inns and bed, breakfasts and dinners, we trade in a change of pace, romance, and exceptional fare. Over the years we’ve come to understand that Fort Lewis has an asset

that few others have – our Shenandoah Valley wilderness, the mountains, forests, fields and streams and all the creatures that call this their home.

It’s always a great pleasure when the season opens after a quiet winter and Fort Lewis Lodge’s main lodge, in-the-round silo guest rooms, hand-hewn log cabins with stone fireplaces, and Riverside House fill with guests – old and new.

As we get closer to the season, stay tuned to our Blog and Facebook page for reports from the miles of river trout and bass fishing, nearby classic swimming hole, hiking trails, mountain biking and vistas.

Over the years we’ve come to understand that Fort Lewis Lodge has an asset that few others have. Our Shenandoah Valley wilderness – the mountains, forests, fields and streams and all the creatures that call this their home. A getaway to Fort Lewis Lodge means reconnecting to nature and to each other. A true romantic getaway.

“New adventures often bring couples closer together and exploring a new area or town can be both refreshing and romantic,” said American Historic Inns. The 2013 Top 10 Romantic Inns “offer romantic locations and lovingly created environments that deeply touch the hearts of guests.”

In many ways, the urban and technological world around us is taking over. For Fort Lewis Lodge to win this award, it showcases that a return to nature, and a love of the wilderness, is a wonderful way to reconnect not only to Mother Nature, but also to the one you love.

Thank you for the honor.

Despite one of the warmest winters on record, maple sugar producers remain optimistic about this year’s harvest. With a proper combination of warm and cold temperatures syrup can be made until buds begin to form on the trees. Bruce Folks of Blue Grass taps more than 1,670 trees in what has been described as one of the most high tech maple sugar operations in the country. Sugar water from the trees is fed from the mountain slopes through a network of more than 12 miles of tubing to a vacuum pump. A reverse osmosis machine then removes enough of the water to substantially reduce the time and fuel necessary to cook the syrup. While visiting Highland County for the Maple Festival you can tour modern production facilities as well as traditional producers who still collect their sugar water in buckets, and then man a wood fire in the reduction process. Either way the result is rich tasting Virginia Maple Syrup.

To complete the day grab a dozen fresh, hot, maple flavored donuts and visit many of the arts and crafts venues. The lodge will be opening for the season on April 5th, but in the meantime I highly recommend the Highland Maple Festival to get an early mountain fix.

Lake Moomaw
Lake Moomaw, west of Warm Springs, is home to many species of fish including largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, bluegill, catfish, brook trout, brown trout, rainbow trout, pickerel, pike, bream, and crappie. Bass must be at least 12 inches long, trout at least 16 inches long. Lake Moomaw is about a 30 minute drive from Fort Lewis Lodge.

Douthat Lake
This 50-acre lake is a fee-fishing lake that is stocked twice a week during the fee season, April – June 15 and Sept 15- Oct 31 with rainbow, brown and brook trout. A 3-mile stretch of Wilson Creek is a special trout fishing area for children. In addition to trout, the lake also has very good largemouth bass fishing, sunfish, black crappie and channel catfish.

Douthat State Park is highly regarded hiking and mountain biking destination.

I’ve been on the race committee from the start and have competed in the race 6 times. This year I’m needed on land to assist all our loyal volunteers in their efforts to make sure that the race runs safely and smoothly.

Up to 350 participants will start to gather at 6:30 am in preparation for an 8 am start. Music and a great sense of anticipation fills the air as racers set up their bikes in the transition zone and prepare for the swim. It’s a sea of color and commotion.

A loud blast on an air horn signals the start of the first wave that is broken down by sex, age, and relay teams. Many racers are true competitors while others strive for a personal best. I’ve always been in the latter group but have fortunately been able to place in my age group. It’s thrilling to compete and a rewarding sense of accomplishment when it’s all over. If you are already in training I encourage you to sign up today. If not, just come to watch and then put it on your “to do” list for 2012. To register go to www.setupevents.com.

The Bert Carlson Quartet will kick things off at 12:30 on Saturday. Bert will be followed by Tizer at 2:00pm, John Hammond at 3:30pm, Blues Harmonica Blow-Out at 5:00pm and the Duke Robillard Band will close the show with a performance that begins at 6:30pm.

The festival is fantastic and the venue beyond words so if at all possible I strongly recommend you add this event to your summer schedule.

Tickets are $25 in advance/$35 the day of the show; kids under 12 free. Food and drink is available on site.

We still have some rooms available, so give us a call. It will be a memorable way to start the summer.