2011 has not been the easiest year for JM and I. We've made it through some awesome accomplishments (me finishing school, him starting, jobs, bonuses, travels and celebrations with friends) but we've also lost dear loved ones, members of our families. Tears have flowed, frustrations have been expressed, our faith and understanding in the way the world works has been compromised. Dealing with grief has been central to 2011 and though we are moving on, it doesn't mean we miss our loved ones any less.
The other week we admitted to each other that neither of us was looking forward to the upcoming holidays. We weren't sure how to remedy this, but we thought getting out of town my help us find some joy in the holiday. Originally, we were thinking about heading out of town, to NYC, but decided we'd rather stay local, as work was exhausting and train tickets were expensive. We headed out bright and early on Saturday morning and hiked Crabtree Falls, for some beautiful, albeit cold views of Virginia.
After finishing our cold and chilly hike we headed further west to the Homestead in Bath County, VA. JM found an amazing deal, by simply calling them. We arrived at 3pm in the midst of the Homestead's complimentary tea. The fact that the Homestead is ridiculously classy and I had fallen during our hike and was covered with mud, did not stop me one bit from shoving my face with some tea, amazing hot chocolate and watercress sandwiches (and yes, I had both tea and hot chocolate).
After our delightful tea, we swam in the indoor pool, showered and made reservations for dinner at the Casino Club. The food was pretty good, but afterwards we both wished that we had eaten at one of the finer dining establishments as their menus were much more enticing (sadly we couldn't get reservations till late at either).
Post dinner we meandered around the grounds of the hotel, grabbed drinks at the Presidents Lounge and took pictures of the holiday decor.
The next morning we had a delightful brunch and headed out to the Jefferson Pools, 5 miles down the road in Warm Springs, VA. These mineral springs have been around for ages, and though the buildings aren't new or fancy the experience is fantastic. Its $17 for an hour long soak, but it is totally worth it. Plus just look at the light in these photos!
Once we were done at the Jefferson Pools, we hit the road and headed back to RVa. Though the weekend was short, it was perfect and relaxing.
Have you ever been to the Homestead? Have you ever needed a little vacation to get you in the holiday spirit?
The other week we admitted to each other that neither of us was looking forward to the upcoming holidays. We weren't sure how to remedy this, but we thought getting out of town my help us find some joy in the holiday. Originally, we were thinking about heading out of town, to NYC, but decided we'd rather stay local, as work was exhausting and train tickets were expensive. We headed out bright and early on Saturday morning and hiked Crabtree Falls, for some beautiful, albeit cold views of Virginia.
After finishing our cold and chilly hike we headed further west to the Homestead in Bath County, VA. JM found an amazing deal, by simply calling them. We arrived at 3pm in the midst of the Homestead's complimentary tea. The fact that the Homestead is ridiculously classy and I had fallen during our hike and was covered with mud, did not stop me one bit from shoving my face with some tea, amazing hot chocolate and watercress sandwiches (and yes, I had both tea and hot chocolate).
After our delightful tea, we swam in the indoor pool, showered and made reservations for dinner at the Casino Club. The food was pretty good, but afterwards we both wished that we had eaten at one of the finer dining establishments as their menus were much more enticing (sadly we couldn't get reservations till late at either).
Post dinner we meandered around the grounds of the hotel, grabbed drinks at the Presidents Lounge and took pictures of the holiday decor.
The next morning we had a delightful brunch and headed out to the Jefferson Pools, 5 miles down the road in Warm Springs, VA. These mineral springs have been around for ages, and though the buildings aren't new or fancy the experience is fantastic. Its $17 for an hour long soak, but it is totally worth it. Plus just look at the light in these photos!
Once we were done at the Jefferson Pools, we hit the road and headed back to RVa. Though the weekend was short, it was perfect and relaxing.
Have you ever been to the Homestead? Have you ever needed a little vacation to get you in the holiday spirit?
2 comments:
Awesome! That sounds fantastic. Are the baths co-ed now?
you hiked to the Homestead? my goodness you guys are amazing. Plus the baths look wonderful. Wish I could come along on all of your travels - you both look like you have such a blast together!
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