We are on our way to Destination Imagination Globals, which has allowed us to visit a good friend in Marion, Virginia for the weekend. This is also the home of Hungry Mother State Park (click here), often ranked the #1 State Park in the country, but simultaneously is a well kept secret, frequented mostly by generations of the same families returning year after year.

In keeping with that tradition of return visitors, this is our fourth time here. We have in the past rented paddle boats, kayaks and canoes, stayed in a wonderful cabin, and been to bluegrass and banjo concerts here. There is a campground, lots of fishing, and a nice beach. We can’t recommend this gem of a park highly enough.

The legend of Hungry Mother is that Native Americans destroyed some local settlements taking Molly and her daughter captive. They then escaped, and tried to return home, almost getting there, when the mother collapsed for lack of food. The child was found, circling the mother repeating, “Hungry Mother, Hungry Mother.” Molly was so close to her goal but made the mistake of only sustaining the child and not herself. There is a moral here for all of us mothers to take care of ourselves as well, and not only our children! I often find myself referring to this story as a metaphor for modern mothers I know. This issue remains remarkably similar from one century to the next.

Today, my youngest daughter and I rode the lake loop trail on our bikes. I had to walk my bike both up and down the 60degree gradients, but it was still fun. The weather was perfect, and the foliage still had it’s spring green tinge. The smell of the woods was phenomenal! And a profusion of rhododendrons flanked our progress… Glorious!

Afterwards we had dinner from the salad bar, along with sweet potato fries, at the restaurant in the park…