FWC’s Annual Holiday Walk on December 16th, 2023, was a Huge Success!
We had an incredible day for our annual Holiday Walk in downtown Fredericksburg! It was a huge success with 112+ people walking either a 5k or 10k, with almost 50 folks joining in on the group walk. It was a perfect weather day/evening for walkers to pass by beautifully decorated streets, businesses, historic houses, buildings, and monuments. The checkpoint, which was open from 3:30-6:00, offered many homemade goodies from our volunteers – and the bourbon balls made by FWC’s president, Sharon Vines, were a big hit! Many thanks once again to the Italian Station on Caroline St. for letting us use their wonderful establishment (with delicious food & drink!) as our registration, start/finish location, and to all the volunteers who made this event happen. We had a great time!
From the Williamsburg, VA, Holiday Weekend Walking Event
On Friday, December 8th, 2023, thirty-plus FWC members travelled to Williamsburg, VA, and enjoyed an amazing weekend walking around the Historic District. This annual Walk Fest is hosted by the Peninsula Pathfinders who map out both night and day walks for Friday through Sunday. We all went on numerous walks and logged in many kilometers while having a lot of fun. Some wonderful activities included on Friday night, watching the arrival of the Yule Log preceded by the Fife and Drum Corps, then throwing pine sprigs into the fire making wishes for the New Year. Saturday night we enjoyed wonderful entertainment by carolers, hand bells, street musicians and theater, and more. The night ended with a spectacular show of fireworks called the Grand Illumination. There was so much more! The photos give a glimpse of our great weekend.
From Our #OptOutside Black Friday Walk in Fredericksburg, VA
A great group of 30 people joined us on November 24th, 2023, for our Black Friday #OptOutside walk in Fredericksburg. Starting in Old Mill Park, we followed our club’s 5K River Rambles Year-Round-Event (YRE) route onto the Canal Path, taking a side jaunt through Cossey Park, and then continuing onto the path that connects to the Rappahannock River Heritage Trail. We were very happy to welcome many new walkers (and a cute dog!), and all of us enjoyed a beautiful morning outside!
From Our October 28th, 2023 Walk at Motts Run Reservoir in Spotsylvania County
Saturday morning 31 amazing walkers, undaunted by steep hills, hiked portions of Turkey Ridge Trail and Mine Run Trail at Motts Run Reservoir in Spotsylvania County. It was a perfect day for a hike through the woods – beautiful weather and gorgeous fall colors. Afterwards, the fun continued with a group of 17 having a good lunch and conversation at Cracker Barrel. Thanks to all who joined us!
Our Club’s Fredericksburg Fall Walk on Sunday, October 15th, Was a Big Success!
FWC’s traditional Fredericksburg Fall Walk turned out to be a wonderful event, with 53 walkers participating throughout the day. It was a beautiful, sunny, and breezy morning, with about 25 people joining in the group walk that began at 10:00. We all started out together from the Italian Station on Caroline St., continuing to walk across the Chatham Bridge onto the Pratt Park Trail – where we paused at the checkpoint. There the group split with most walkers going 7K to walk on the grounds of historic Chatham Manor, and then back to the start point. A smaller group walked 12K – first to the grounds of Belmont, the 18th-century artist Gari Melcher’s historic home and studio – then back to Chatham, and finally back to the start point. Many thanks to all who joined us for this special event, and special thanks to the Italian Station for once again allowing us to use their awesome restaurant as our start and finish point.
From Our September 30th, 2023 Walk on the Spotsylvania Courthouse Battlefield
Twenty-one wonderful walkers trekked 5+ miles on parts of the Spotsylvania Courthouse Battlefield Trail. It was a great weather day for a walk through this beautiful place on paved roads and man-made/natural trails. Stopping to read and look at the many informative signs and monuments throughout really brings this important Civil War battle to life. Afterwards we enjoyed a fantastic lunch at the Itavie New York Grill & Bakery.
From Our August 27th, 2023 Walk in Curtis Memorial Park, Stafford County
Our club enjoyed another delightful hike this morning on the trails at Curtis Memorial Park in Stafford County. Twenty-one folks went 5K, walking for a short distance on a road, then on a trail that walked by the lake. Following the hike, some of us made our way to the Paradise Diner on Rt. 17 for a good lunch and great conversation.
From Our August 20th, 2023 Walk in Warrenton, VA
Twenty-one walkers enjoyed a great walk in Warrenton, VA, this morning. FWC’s VP and local historian, Don Shockey, led us down charming Main Street and spoke about the preserved Mosby-Spillman house (former home of the Confederate Colonel John Mosby, aka the Gray Ghost), and the Lee Street Mansion, a former school for girls. We continued onto the shady and paved Warrenton Branch Greenway, which is part of the Rails to Trails system, then back to the Visitor Center. Finally, most of us continued on to Molly’s Irish Pub for lunch and a wonderful time of eating and socializing.
From Our August 6th, 2023 Walk in Caledon State Park, King George, VA
Our amazing and fun group of 24 walkers trekked about 3.5 miles on the Boyd’s Hole Trail in Caledon State Park. It was a beautiful morning, although hot and humid, so we were happy that the trail was very shady. Friends of Caledon State Park member, Laura Schlemm, joined us and gave us some wonderful background info on the park. Her sweet dog, Chague, was a perfect gentleman the entire way. Afterwards, we drove to the Machodoc Marina and Cafe for a delicious lunch and great view of the water. Looking forward to going back to the park and cafe again sometime!
From Our July 23rd, 2023 Walk Starting at the Natl. Museum of the Marine Corps
Twenty-four walkers enjoyed a 5K walk around the grounds of the Natl. Marine Corps Museum in Triangle, VA. Our walk included walking on part of the historic Washington-Rochambeau trail. Following our delightful walk, many of us partook of the excellent fare at Tun Tavern, a great restaurant inside the museum. If you’ve never visited the museum, we encourage you to do so – there’s no fee to enter.
From Our July 8th, 2023 Walk on the Fredericksburg Battlefield
Twenty-seven walkers braved the heat and humidity and enjoyed a delightful 5-mile walk on the Fredericksburg Battlefield. We met at Prospect Hill on Lee Dr., and walked on the paved road to Lansdowne Rd. Then, we took a trail through the woods back to Prospect Hill. It was a beautiful walk with plenty of shade, although we were grateful for the water we brought. Afterwards, eighteen folks enjoyed a delicious meal at the Colonial Tavern Restuarant.
From Our June 17th, 2023, Walk on the Pratt Park Trail and Into Chatham Manor
We had a great turnout of 28 people for this walk! After meeting in downtown Fredericksburg, we crossed the Chatham Bridge onto the Pratt Park Trail. We then continued onto a short path to historic Chatham Manor – where club members Alan Zirkle and Beth Stenstrom, who are also local historians, spoke about Chatham’s history. After spending time there, Beth led us down a secret path to River Rd., and back across the bridge. Finally, some of us enjoyed a nice brunch at Eileen’s Bakery. A wonderful walk!
From Our June 3rd, 2023, Walk at Crow’s Nest in Stafford, VA
Sixteen walkers enjoyed a perfect day walking 5.5 miles on the Crow’s Nest Point Trail. This is our club’s new Seasonal Walk at the Crow’s Nest Natural Area Preserve in Stafford County. We were happy to welcome three new members! Afterwards, we enjoyed a delicious lunch at El Viejon Mexican Grill.
From Our May 20th, 2023, Walk on First Day of Chancellorsville Battlefield Trails
It turned out to be a beautiful morning to walk on the First Day of Chancellorsville Battlefield trails. Sixteen of us enjoyed walking the paths through golden barley fields and blue skies while being able to read signage throughout about important Civil War events that occurred there. This is one of our club’s year-round walks, for those who are AVA members. Afterwards, a group of us had a great lunch at Basillico’s New York Deli. We were very happy to welcome three new walkers!
From Our May 6th, 2023, Walk on the Dalgren Railroad Heritage Trail
Twenty-two walkers had a wonderful morning walk on the Dalgren Railroad Heritage Trail in King George, VA. Starting around 9:30 a.m., some of us went 5K out and back; others continued on a little further for a total of about 8K. We went off trail .5 miles to look at some nice cabins owned by a brother of one our club members who walked with us. Walking there is a great way to get out in nature, and we highly recommend it. A highlight was seeing wild Lady Slipper Orchids along the way.
From Our April 23rd, 2023, “Spring into History” Traditional Walk in Fredericksburg, VA
We had a great day! Sixty-seven walkers took part in our club’s “Spring into History” one-day, traditional event. Walkers had perfect weather to walk either 7K or 12K around beautiful, historic Fredericksburg and Alum Spring Park. Sixteen of us had a good time walking together in the group walk. And we had a very happy winner of the REI hiking poles we raffled off! Many thanks to the volunteers and all who helped make this event happen – especially to Kay Shoemaker who planned these awesome walks – and to all the folks who came out to walk with us and made this event a great success. Finally, we’re so grateful to the Italian Station for once again letting us set up our start/finish tables at their wonderful establishment.
Also to note: Not only is Fredericksburg, VA, an area where major Civil War events played out, it also has been highlighted as part of the Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route National Historic Trail of 1781 (for more info: https://w3r-us.org/). The AVA (America’s Walking Club) and this organization have joined together and now you can find where sanctioned walks have been designated across nine states and Wahington, D.C.; plus, you can order either National or Virginia logbooks to record your walks. Visit this page for more info: https://www.walkvirginia.org/wash-roch.
Our walks in Fredericksburg and surrounding region take us past many historical places and markers. Walking with us is a great way to learn more about events that shaped the America we live in today.
From April 8th, 2023, When We Joined the Bryan Park Welcome to Spring Traditional Walk in Richmond
On April 8th, 2023, nine FWC members traveled to Richmond and enjoyed a 4.3-mile walk, taking part in the Bryan Park Welcome to Spring Traditional Walk sponsored by the Lee Lepus Walking Club. We walked through beautiful neighborhoods and into Bryan Park, where vibrant azaleas and other flowers were making their spring appearance. A mile before the finish, we stopped and ate at Dot’s Back Inn, a local diner with good food. Many thanks to the members of Lee Lepus for hosting such a great event.
From our March 26th, 2023 Chancellorsville Battlefield walk:
We had a great turnout of 26 people on a very enjoyable 4+-mile walk on Chancellorsville Battlefield trails, led by club member Beth Hudson Stenstrom. Walking on our area’s numerous battlefields is a walk through history. We walked by the area where Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded by “friendly fire;” also by earthworks, the ruins of the Chancellor House, and the site of the Bullock House. There are many descriptive signs along the way, talking about events that happened during that battle. Afterwards, a bunch of us had a good time eating and talking at Harry’s Ale House.
From our March 12th, 2023 Ashland walk:
Sixteen walkers travelled to Ashland, VA to participate in one of our Year-Round-Event walks – a very nice turnout! Ashland is referred to as “the center of the universe” by locals, because it is located right in the middle of Hanover County. A very historic town, dating back to the 1840s, developed by the railroad as a mineral springs resort. We started at the visitor’s center/railroad station and walked a 5K around neighborhoods with beautiful houses, and through the Randolph-Macon college campus. A few walkers continued on to do the 10K. Afterwards, had a great lunch at the Iron Horse restaurant with good food and conversation!
From our February 18th, 2023 Warrenton walk:
Twenty-one walkers enjoyed a 6K walk in beautiful, historic Warrenton, VA – one of our Year-Round-Event walks. Club member and vice-president, Don Shockey, provided everyone with much interesting historical information along the way. Warrenton is named after Gen. James Warren, a Revolutionary War hero, and is a well-preserved town reflecting its historical role as an agricultural crossroads. Also along the walk is the post-Civil War home of Col., Mosby, the Gray Ghost. Afterwards, we had a great lunch at Molly’s Irish Pub.
From our Jan. 29th, 2023 England Run walk:
We had a great turnout of twenty people on this neighborhood walk. We met at Vinny’s Pizzaria off of Route 17 and Plantation Dr. in south Stafford and walked more than 3.5 miles on a trail and some sidewalks around the England Run neighborhood and surrounding areas. Afterwards many of us had lunch at Vinny’s and enjoyed good conversation and getting to know each other more – so happy to have new walkers join us!
From our Jan. 14th, 2023 Culpepper walk:
Despite the cold weather, we had a great turnout with 14 of us starting in historic downtown Culpepper at the Visitor’s Center/Museum and then walking to and around Yowell Meadow Park. We passed numerous historical markers and memorials as shown in the photos. Afterwards we warmed up with lunch at the Frost Cafe. Very enjoyable!
Fredericksburg Walking Club 