Next Bend Adventures, LLC

05/27/2026

Who can resist a rubber duck race? We can’t!! See you there!!!

We are DAYS away from the biggest The Freedom Flows Festival EVER*.

If you somehow missed the ads, the posts, and the radio spots… here’s your reminder.

This Saturday at Eastham Park—we’re taking over acres of park with races on land and in the river, 30 vendors, live music, and a whole lot more.
Parking at Eastham can be rough, so we’ve got it handled.

Park at Skyline High School and let Shenandoah Shuttles bring you in—no stress, just show up.

The party starts at 10 and runs until supper (6 PM).
We’ll see you there.

*ISH

05/26/2026

Haunted Tours!!!

Step into the stories that still linger after dark—Haunted Front Royal is waiting.🕰️

Buy your tickets here 👇
https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/warren-heritage-society-presents-haunted-front-royal--2026

05/26/2026

Come on out and celebrate the 250th on the mighty Shenandoah River!

Guess who made the TOP TEN list of events to celebrate America’s birthday in the latest issue of Virginia Living Magazine… Warren County VA250.

Yeah… we think that’s pretty cool too.

And if you want to be part of one of the top VA250 celebrations—you’re in luck. The Freedom Flows Festival is THIS Saturday, and it’s a full day of fun—live music, great food, games, and plenty more.

Click here for all the details:
https://bit.ly/3NOweQw

And don’t forget—park at Skyline High School and we’ll shuttle you to the event in style.

05/26/2026

Great opportunity for military families - teens trading screen time for green time and learning leadership, decision-making and nature literacy through fun immersive outdoor experiences!

05/22/2026

Next up in our HikingThemed series at Samuels Library.. you won’t want to miss this one!

05/18/2026

Our hearts are still so full after last Wednesday's event at the Samuels Public Library! We laughed, we cried, and we gathered as a local hiking family to hear Steven Wright share his deeply moving story from "The Weight I Carried".

I’ve been reading his memoir over the last few days, and it sparked an "aha" moment about wayfinding that I just had to share on the blog.

So many hikers get lost or injured because they are looking down at their feet for the perfect footing, completely missing the blazes on the trees right in front of them. It's the exact same for our mental and spiritual health. When we get bogged down, we forget to look up. We trade the vibrant truth of the present moment for a downward trudge.

If you're feeling a bit lost, tired of surviving, or just need a reminder to trade some "screen time for green time," grab a cup of tea and give the latest post a read. 🌲✨

Read it here: https://www.nextbendadventures.com/post/from-trudging-to-living-what-a-hidden-trail-metaphor-taught-me-about-looking-up

/Front Royal Appalachian Trail Community WFRAT

Last Wednesday night, the community room at the Samuels Public Library in Front Royal, Virginia, was buzzing. As an official Appalachian Trail Community, we gathered for the first event in a series celebrating, educating, and living the "trail life."Our kickoff featured author Steven Wright discussi...

05/14/2026

Steve Wright kicked off our Hiking Themed Series at Samuels Public Library in a HUGE way -- we laughed and we cried as he described his AT Thru Hike and how it healed his heart, his soul and gave him reasons to LIVE and to live in a BIG WAY. So blessed for this man's story -- if you missed it, be sure to order his book "The Weight I Carried" available on Amazon or order a signed copy on his website: https://theweighticarried.com/steven-c-wright/

Don't miss out on the next BIG event in this series happening on June 3 with the author Derick Lugo and "The Fabulous Thru Hike".

05/10/2026

It’s been one full year since I traded my office chair for a hiking pole and a life on wheels. 🌲⛰️

Living in the Lovebug has been a journey of "flipping the tables" on everything I thought I knew about routine and success. Whether we were parked in Front Royal or exploring the coast, this year has been about Retrieving the parts of myself I thought were lost and Restoring a sense of peace I hadn't felt in decades.

From the "Battle of the Clock" on the trail to the joy of launching Next Bend Adventures, it’s been a year of beautiful, messy, and sacred growth.

I’ve shared a very personal reflection on the blog today about this milestone and the "Aliver Mode" philosophy that guides my work now. I’d love for you to give it a read.

https://www.nextbendadventures.com/post/reflections-on-the-one-year-anniversary-of-flipping-the-tables

To everyone who has been a "Trail Angel" to me this year—thank you. The next bend looks brighter than ever.

Shout out to my local partners that supported my hike and welcomed us home to Front Royal: Mountain Trails Mountain Home Warren/Front Royal Appalachian Trail Community WFRAT Samuels Public Library Discover Front Royal Northern Virginia 4-H Educational Center

05/01/2026

🏔️ Introducing: The Appalachian Trail Speaker Series! 🥾

Something special is coming to Front Royal! Next Bend Adventures, LLC is honored to partner with Samuels Public Library and the Warren/Front Royal Appalachian Trail Community WFRAT to bring you an incredible lineup of authors and trail legends.

We are kicking off the series with an evening that promises to be as moving as it is inspiring.

✨ Kickoff Event: Steven Wright
Date: Wednesday, May 13

Time: 6:00 PM – 7:30 PM

Location: Samuels Public Library

Join us as Steven Wright shares his deeply personal memoir, "The Weight I Carried: Hiking Through Grief and Healing on the Appalachian Trail." While Steven’s journey explores the heavy themes of loss, his story is ultimately one of resilience, the restorative power of nature, and the unexpected light found in the wilderness. It’s an engaging, raw, and hopeful look at what happens when we take our heaviest burdens to the trail.

📖 Book Signing: Copies of "The Weight I Carried" will be available for purchase at the event, and Steven will be signing books following the talk!

📅 Save the Dates for the Rest of the Series!
This is just the beginning. We have an "A-List" of trail voices joining us this summer:

June 3: Derik Lugo, author of "The Unlikely Thru-Hiker" will be sharing experiences from his latest book, "The Fabulous Thru Hike". A copy of his first book can be found in the stacks of Samuels Public Library!

July 22: Mills Kelly, author of "Virginia's Lost Appalachian Trail" will be sharing stories from his latest book, "A Hiker's History of the Appalachian Trail".
..and more events are currently in the works!

🎟️ Register Now: Space is limited! Please register through the library’s event link to secure your spot: https://www.facebook.com/share/p/14ayCSFPNZC/

I am so proud to help bring these voices to our local community and can't wait to announce what's coming next!
Admission is free! Tag your favorite hiking partner in the comments and let’s fill the room for Steven on May 13th! 🌲