Few Virginians ever get to the Cumberland Gap, the gateway to the pioneers going west beginning in the mid-1700s. It is actually 568 miles from Virginia’s Eastern Shore to the far corner of Southwest Virginia, where the Commonwealth of Virginia meets Kentucky and Tennessee at its tip end, with a gap through the Appalachian Mountains.

I discovered it one Mother’s Day weekend, maybe in 2007, when I visited Wilderness Road State Park to see the re-enactment of the Cherokees burning down Martin’s Fort.

While many families spend spring break heading to beaches or theme parks, this year we took a different route filled with nature, exploration, and unforgettable memories. Instead of chasing crowds, we chased trails and fossils, trading roller coasters for bike rides and sandcastles in Virginia State Parks.