Virginia is for Adventurers

By Tara Z. Fisher

Join Meg and her friends as they compete in a 10-day scavenger hunt across the state of Virginia. Each day starts with a clue sheet that reveals a series of outdoor adventures they have to complete to stay in the race. Their journey includes hiking to Devil’s Bathtub, sliding down a natural water slide in Shenandoah National Park, discovering shark teeth at Fossil Beach and kayaking through the Great Dismal Swamp. The competition heats up when they encounter two bullies who try to throw them off their game. Along the way, Meg and her friends explore several regional treasures and visit the gravesites of all 7 U.S. presidents buried in Virginia. This is an adventure you don’t want to miss!

Learn more at www.virginiaisforadventurers.com

• Language: English
• Publisher: Gatekeeper Press
• Release date: Feb 22, 2022
• ISBN: 9781662920691

Book preview

DAY 1

I woke up at sunrise and waited for 7am to arrive. When it did, a firecracker of confetti exploded on the tourism website, and the instructions for the scavenger hunt magically appeared on the screen.

The moment I finished reading the clue, I pulled out my map of Virginia. I knew the game was supposed to start somewhere in southwest Virginia, so I scanned the southwest corner of the state and looked for the word Wise.

When I read the clue, I noticed the word Wise was capitalized. That usually means the word is a proper noun. I figured we were looking for a town named Wise or Wise County, so I focused my attention on towns and counties in the southwest region.

A few seconds later, my eyes landed on exactly what I had been looking for—one of the counties in southwest Virginia was named Wise.

Now I just need to find a town in Wise County with friendly people, I thought to myself.

I searched the tourism website for a list of towns in Wise County. There were only a few, including a town named Wise, so I decided to research them in alphabetical order.

The first town on the list was Appalachia. No mention of friendly people or vintage street signs there (although the people in the pictures sure looked friendly).

The second town was Big Stone Gap. Nothing that matched the clues there either.

The third town was Coeburn. The website for Coeburn showed a town seal with the words The Home of Friendly People. This was promising.

I scrolled further down and found a picture of the town. The street in the picture had two neon signs. One said Lays Hardware, and the other said Old Dominion Power Company. Both signs looked old-fashioned. This has to be it, I thought.

We have a winner! I blurted out in excitement. Our first stop is Coeburn. It matches all the clues from the website!

CHUBLET, let’s get this show on the road! my father exclaimed.

All 5 of us jumped in the car, and just like that, we were on our way to Wise County.

As we pulled onto Front Street in Coeburn, it felt like the neon signs were screaming my name. They were bold, bright, and beautiful—just like in the pictures—but we weren’t there for the neon signs, we were there to find the LOVE sign.

Fortunately for us, the map on the tourism website showed that the LOVE sign in Coeburn was right off Front Street.

When we got there, I could see that the LOVE sign truly captured the spirit of the region. There were banjos to represent bluegrass music and checkered flags to represent stock car races.

The next thing I noticed was a red box next to the sign. This must be where the clues are located, I thought. But before I could lift the lid of the box, Max jumped in front of me and grabbed a blue sheet.

You snooze, you lose, he said in a snarky voice.

Grow up, said Melanie. We’re here to win a scavenger hunt, not the prize for biggest goofball.

Yeah, yeah, replied Max. I know. Then he showed us the clue sheet.

I could hardly contain my excitement. This is going to be incredible! I shouted with glee.

The incredible thing will be seeing you navigate 12 river crossings and a rope line, Max replied. This isn’t a fairytale, Squirt. It’s a real adventure.

I know, I said in amazement. I can hardly wait!

I had been on hikes before, but never one that required multiple river crossings and a rope line.

As we walked towards CHUBLET, we saw other cars starting to arrive at the LOVE sign. One of the vehicles was a green van with a large scratch on the side. When it passed us, I noticed an orange sticker on the back bumper. The sticker said, Be Ruthless, Be Rude, Stay Alive.

Well, I thought, always good to know who you’re up against.

* * *

My father wasted no time entering Devil’s Bathtub into CHUBLET’s navigation system. The directions routed us south towards Fort Blackmore. This was going to be the journey of a lifetime, and I was more than ready.

When we arrived at the trailhead for Devil’s Bathtub, I quickly changed into my bathing suit and pulled on my water shoes. Then Melanie, Max, and I sprung from the car.

Be careful! my mother shouted.

Never! shouted Max.

Max, you’re going to give your mother a heart attack! my father exclaimed, but by now, Max was so far down the path there was no way he heard my father’s concern.

A few minutes into the hike, we arrived at the first river crossing. As I stepped down into the water, I noticed how cold it felt against my ankles. I assumed this was because it was running off a mountain somewhere north of us.

The water was also incredibly clear. I could see tons of little fish darting between the rocks. How wonderful to be a fish! I thought. You get to swim around all day without a care in the world.

Then again, I considered, fish can’t compete in scavenger hunts.

As we made our way through the woods, there were yellow diamonds that marked our path. I was thankful for these markers because there were lots of twists and turns on our route, and without them we could have easily gotten lost.

My Scouting instructor says the most important part of any hike is knowing how to follow the trail and making sure you’re out of the woods before sundown.

No one wants to find themselves lost in the woods at night with only the moon and coyotes to keep them company, she would emphasize.

About 30 minutes into the hike, we came to a flat piece of slate covered with stacks of rocks. The rock piles were impressive, but I remembered a park ranger telling us not to remove rocks from riverbeds because it can disturb an animal’s natural habitat. (I’m guessing the hikers who made these rock towers never earned their nature badge!)

After we passed the piles of rocks, I noticed the river that ran next to our path was closer than before, and the sound of rushing water was growing louder. This must mean we’re getting close, I thought.

We’ve reached the rope line! Melanie shouted. She was several steps ahead of me and my parents.

Alright, my mother replied. Go for it!

I could see Melanie place her feet on the narrow ridge and use the rope line to secure her balance. She was no longer on solid ground. She was walking across wet, slippery sandstone. The sandstone had so many ridges, it looked like the wrinkly skin of an elephant.

Directly below the narrow ridge was the river that had been beside us for most of our journey. Only now the water level was higher and the current stronger. The loud, rushing sound of the river matched the loud, thumping sound of my heart.

Don’t let go of the rope! hollered Max, who had already made his way across the ridge. If you do, you are dunzo!

You wish! replied Melanie. She moved her feet carefully and methodically along the ridge. Once she got across, it gave me confidence that I could do it too.

I was scared and excited all at the same time. The ridge was the only thing that stood between me and Devil’s Bathtub, and I just had to conquer it!

I placed one foot next to the other, moving ever so slowly across the ridge. The small steps helped me maintain my balance, but it also made it feel like the ridge went on forever.

I was concentrating so hard on where I placed my feet that I rarely looked up to track my progress. Eventually, I caught a glimpse of Melanie out of the corner of my eye, and I knew I was nearing the end.

My final step off the ridge was greeted by the words, Took you long enough, Squirt!

But Max’s words couldn’t dampen my mood. In front of me was one of the most beautiful swimming holes I had ever seen.

Above the swimming hole was a rope swing, and Max was getting ready to give it a go. Clear the way, he yelled. It’s Tarzan time!

We’re not at the bathtub yet, my mother reminded him as she crossed the ridge. We still have some rock scrambling and a river crossing before we reach our destination.

There’s always time for fun! Max replied. Then he used the rope swing to jump into the water below. Yikes! he exclaimed. The water is freezing!

What did you expect? asked Melanie. Did you think the Devil was going to warm it up for you?

As we made our way along the rippling sandstone, I caught my first sight of the bathtub. It was smaller than I had pictured it, but it was also more spectacular than I had imagined. The water was an emerald green, and you could see all the way down to the bottom.

It’s gorgeous! exclaimed Melanie.

It’s unbelievable! my father concurred.

It was definitely worth the trek, my mother added. I’ve never seen water this pristine.

Who’s jumping in first? asked Max.

Then, surprising us all, my mother took the first plunge. Brrrr! she squealed. It really is freezing!

Don’t say I didn’t warn you, said Max, as he jumped in behind her.

Make room for me! exclaimed Melanie, as she leapt in from the edge.

I stood there for a moment, trying to decide how I wanted to enter. The bathtub was small, but it was also deep. I swallowed my fear and leapt in from the side opposite a small waterfall.

This is amazing! I said as I came back up for air. Truly and utterly amazing!

Agreed, said Melanie. I wonder how they discovered this little oasis?

It’s so well hidden in these woods, my mother noted. It’s incredible anyone stumbled across it.

Must be the Devil’s work, said my father. Luring us deep into the woods to enjoy this enchanted escape…I just hope we make it out alive!

My father said this in his best spooky voice, but his spooky voice is more like a goofy voice, so it didn’t have its intended effect.

Before we get too carried away, we need to take a picture, my mother reminded us. She climbed out of the tub, grabbed her camera, and took a quick selfie of the family. That should do it! she declared.

We splashed around for a few more minutes. Then we began to hear voices. Other families were starting to make their way across the rope line, and we knew it was time to move on.

We jumped out of the tub and dried off. Then we headed back on the same path we took in. When we got to the rope line, we had to wait our turn to cross. The other families were friendly and wished us good luck as we passed. The green van must not belong to any of them, I thought.

When we arrived at the end of the trail, my mind immediately began to focus on the next adventure. I knew we had to stay on task if we wanted to complete everything before dark. When we got to the car, I pulled out the clue sheet and changed our destination to Natural Tunnel State Park.

* * *

We arrived at the entrance of Natural Tunnel State Park while the sun was still high in the sky. It was a bright, sunshine-filled day, and we were all running on adrenaline.

I couldn’t remember the last time I saw my family this happy. Everyone was smiling from ear to ear, and we all felt quite good about what we had just accomplished.

My father walked up to the ticket booth and paid for the 5 of us to take the chair lift down the mountain to the tunnel floor. As we got in line for the ride, I quickly claimed Melanie as my partner. I did not want to be anywhere near Max and a swinging chair. I knew he would rock the carriage back and forth, and that rocking motion would inevitably tie a knot in my stomach.

As we climbed onto the lift, I could feel my knees getting weak. It was the same feeling I got every time I started up the Big Walker Lookout. Once the chair lift started to move, however, the tingling sensation subsided.

I enjoyed the ride down the mountain next to Melanie. That feeling was further solidified when I looked behind me and saw Max’s carriage swinging in rhythm with his legs.

I’m so thankful I’m not back there, said Melanie.

My thoughts exactly, I replied.

When we got off the lift, we took a sharp left and headed towards the tunnel. We didn’t have to walk far to see the amazing feat of nature before us. Now I understood why William Jennings Bryan called it the Eighth Wonder of the World. (I read that in the park pamphlet.)

Our guide explained that the hole in the rock was carved by a river running through the limestone for thousands of years. She also said that