D is for Douthat

Douthat is one of America's great parks. It's probably less dramatic than the Grand Canyon but your chances of dying here are significantly lower.

Douthat State Park is in the Allegheny Mountains of Virginia. West Virginia is within sight. We rented a cabin here out of season and did a lot of the cliche things like hanging out by a fire we started ourselves, in a hearth as opposed to the heart of the forest, and the whole icy, sticky s'mores thing. S'mores is a quintessentially American thing. I don't really get the whole marshmallow, chocolate and cookie burned fusion thing. I have never met anyone who ate more than two in one sitting.

I'd recommend Douthat out of season, though when the lake is empty, the mountains are serene and lined with snow. In the summer, the place is full of campers and RVs.

My longtime promise to take the kids to the beach remains unfulfilled. Perhaps they'll take me there one day when I can happily drool out the side of my mouth and quietly chide the wild antics of 50-year-old whippersnappers.

The use of this term just led to a major digression. What the heck is a whippersnapper anyhow? The website Phrase Finder points out they were layabouts in the 17th century who would hang about on street corners snapping whips. Presumably, they didn't qualify for the next iPhone upgrade.

If you visit Douthat, make sure to hike the Blue Suck Falls and Tuscarora Overlook. Don't expect Niagra Falls or even Cascade Falls. The Blue Suck Falls is aptly named.