For our 25th wedding anniversary, my hubby and I visited West Virginia. We considered some glitzier destinations, but I am still not much in the mood for flying. And the best thing about Berkeley Springs: only a 90 minutes drive!
We chose a secluded cabin 7 miles south of town for our romantic 3-day vacation. From the hot tub on the deck, we toasted each other with champagne in the evenings and coffee in the mornings. The deck was the perfect spot for viewing the sunset each evening. Although remote, our cabin came with all the high-tech amenities, including wifi and Netflix. We managed to watch the entire first season of Bosch in our 2 nights away! (I'd recommend this series produced by Amazon if you like gritty crime dramas.)
There are a few more things to recommend about visiting this tiny town:
1) Gorgeous views. I always love driving west out I-70. But this time of year, with the leaves turning colors against the rolling hills, the views are especially beautiful. We were lucky as the weather couldn't have been more perfect: sunny, cool, blue skies.
2) Berkeley Springs State Park. Smack dab in the center of town, there are wading pools where children and adults can strip off their shoes and socks and take the waters for free. It was a little chilly for this, so we opted instead for a trip to the onsite spa for a 15 minute soak in a Roman bath followed by a 60 minute massage. The mineral water comes out of the earth at a lukewarm 74F but is heated to about 104F in the baths. Plenty hot! And 15 minutes was definitely long enough! I was slightly dizzy upon exiting the tub, but cooled off during my massage. There is also a Gentleman's Spring where anyone can fill a jug (or several) of fresh spring water to bring home. We captured a couple of gallons ourselves!
3) Leonard's Fairfax House. One thing we learned a little late is that it's best to visit Berkeley Springs on the weekends. We were there from Tuesday-Thursday and many establishments were closed. Not this delightful Thai coffee shop, though! We had a delicious lunch here on Wednesday. My chicken salad was easily the most unique preparation I've ever tasted. It had chunky sweet and salty bits of cranberries, apples, and something that tasted like bacon! The fruit salad on the side was fresh and yummy. My hubby enjoyed his pad thai noodles, also. The staff is friendly, the place is spotless, and they even sell a few homemade crafts in addition to the food.
(Even the bathroom was pristine and lovely to look at!)
4) Berkeley Castle. Not open to the public for tours, this is a really cool place to snap a few photos. We hiked up the hill from town and wished we could get a glimpse inside.
We chose a secluded cabin 7 miles south of town for our romantic 3-day vacation. From the hot tub on the deck, we toasted each other with champagne in the evenings and coffee in the mornings. The deck was the perfect spot for viewing the sunset each evening. Although remote, our cabin came with all the high-tech amenities, including wifi and Netflix. We managed to watch the entire first season of Bosch in our 2 nights away! (I'd recommend this series produced by Amazon if you like gritty crime dramas.)
There are a few more things to recommend about visiting this tiny town:
1) Gorgeous views. I always love driving west out I-70. But this time of year, with the leaves turning colors against the rolling hills, the views are especially beautiful. We were lucky as the weather couldn't have been more perfect: sunny, cool, blue skies.
2) Berkeley Springs State Park. Smack dab in the center of town, there are wading pools where children and adults can strip off their shoes and socks and take the waters for free. It was a little chilly for this, so we opted instead for a trip to the onsite spa for a 15 minute soak in a Roman bath followed by a 60 minute massage. The mineral water comes out of the earth at a lukewarm 74F but is heated to about 104F in the baths. Plenty hot! And 15 minutes was definitely long enough! I was slightly dizzy upon exiting the tub, but cooled off during my massage. There is also a Gentleman's Spring where anyone can fill a jug (or several) of fresh spring water to bring home. We captured a couple of gallons ourselves!
3) Leonard's Fairfax House. One thing we learned a little late is that it's best to visit Berkeley Springs on the weekends. We were there from Tuesday-Thursday and many establishments were closed. Not this delightful Thai coffee shop, though! We had a delicious lunch here on Wednesday. My chicken salad was easily the most unique preparation I've ever tasted. It had chunky sweet and salty bits of cranberries, apples, and something that tasted like bacon! The fruit salad on the side was fresh and yummy. My hubby enjoyed his pad thai noodles, also. The staff is friendly, the place is spotless, and they even sell a few homemade crafts in addition to the food.
4) Berkeley Castle. Not open to the public for tours, this is a really cool place to snap a few photos. We hiked up the hill from town and wished we could get a glimpse inside.
I love this place. Have quite a few art pieces from Jonathan Heath.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jheath.com/jonathan/animalia.htm
Like the birds in wine glasses.