Two weeks ago, I dropped my fiancée off in Virginia for her final bit of professional training before she becomes a board-certified veterinary technician.

The six-week program is located in Waynesboro, Virginia. Depending on traffic, the ride is about five hours long. While there, she will work with wildlife indigenous to the Virginia wilds. Animals like black bears, bald eagles and raccoons are common sights.

Instead of taking the popular route down I-95 through Philadelphia, we headed west toward Harrisburg and took I-81 south. The two-lane highway is always filled with tractor trailers and travelers in a rush to get south. Aside from a few particularly bashful truckers, the ride was smooth as I got set to say goodbye to my fiancée for six weeks.

Tucked off a main road, the Wildlife Center of Virginia is exactly what someone might think of if asked to describe desolate woods. Tall trees, plant life and animal life are all around. In the distance, mountains rise above the horizon in hazy glory.

I was only in Virginia for the day, but the ride and scenery were well worth the visit. Nearby Charlottesville has some great restaurants and wineries I cannot wait to try when I go back to visit for a weekend.

During the drop-off, there was not enough time to try any of the local dining or do any real hiking or sightseeing. Those are pieces of a future itinerary.

Until I return, I have to settle for the photos and videos Ashley sends me. As great as the photos are, though, nothing will compare to driving through the woods and watching the mountains rise far above in a haze.

— Erich Martin, assistant editor