Growing up, I was never a particularly outdoorsy person — unless you count the endless hours I spent soaking up the sun while lounging by the pool. (Boy, do I regret that!) Other than a few fishing trips to a local lake with my dad and a week at a Girl Scout camp, I have few memories of time spent enjoying nature.
Today, however, I seek out opportunities for outdoor exploration and for ways to expose my kids to the natural world. We’ve been fortunate to visit many national parks during the past decade, and I’m always thankful when we return home and can continue spending time together outside at one of our many local parks. Whether we’re walking the dog at Deep Run Park, taking a weekend stroll around Belle Isle or showing off Richmond to out-of-town visitors from the vantage point of the Pipeline Rapids, the time we spend outside, with no electronic distractions, has forged some of our most treasured family memories. As my older son departs for his freshman year at Virginia Tech, with the intent to study environmental engineering, I can’t help but think our efforts have made a difference in the way he sees the world and his role as a steward of it.
The time we spend outside, with no electronic distractions, has forged some of our most treasured family memories.
If you don’t regularly visit area parks, fall is the perfect time to get outside, with lower temperatures and, later in the season, colorful foliage. We share some of our favorites, as well as some hidden gems, in our parks package on page 86. Andy Thompson’s opening piece on nature deficit disorder is a must read. I can’t stop thinking about this fact he shares: In 2018, Nielsen released a study showing that American adults spend more than 11 hours per day watching, reading, listening to or simply interacting with media. That’s nearly half of our day, and for some, probably more. All the more reason to seek the solace of nature.
Another great way to escape the tyranny of the screen is by getting out to see a live cultural event. Our fall A&E preview offers myriad opportunities to take in Richmond’s thriving performing and visual arts scene. I’m looking forward to the reboot of the Current Art Fair in October and eagerly awaiting new musical discoveries at the Richmond Folk Festival. Though I don’t have tickets to the hottest show in town, the traveling production of “Hamilton” that’s coming to the Altria Theater from Nov. 19 to Dec. 8 as part of the Broadway in Richmond season, I saw it in D.C. last year and can attest that it lives up to — and exceeds — the hype.
There’s plenty to look forward to this fall. Get out there and do it!
