Philly Wanderlust

 

 

It finally happened: we felt comfortable enough to venture out our back door, and away!

On, to the country roads of West Virginia…

We booked an airbnb that we’d stayed at a couple of years ago (read about the fun we had at –> West Virginian Valentine) and felt that since it was a private residence, we’d be perfectly safe – which we were!

This cabin was appealing not just because of how secluded it was, but because we remembered an outdoor fire pit (which we didn’t use last time due to the winter cold!), an indoor fireplace, beautiful surroundings, and such a cozy atmosphere within the cabin. We also didn’t want to go out to eat, and we were therefore able to bring all of our food to cook right within the cabin’s fully stocked kitchen, covid-free!

Our first venture was…

…beer and tea! Outside. With THIS surrounding us:

I made dinner in the cabin…

…and then we went for an after-dinner walk! This was one of the best parts of the day, as our walk included these sights:

West Virginian country is stunning. Not only does it look like those shots above, but it is full of country animal noises – rustling in the leaves and grass, birds chirping, roosters crowing (the next morning!). We heard a dad warn, “watch out for snakes!” as a child ran away to play in the backyard. Such a different place than we’re used to, and incredibly beautiful. (Although, down this road we did come across a completely FLATTENED snake with flies all over it. Poor guy.)

After our beautiful walk we went back to the cabin for s’mores…

(and wine.)

Oh, did I mention that the cabin has no internet or television? We downloaded a few shows and movies on our tablets in case we wanted them, and realized after two days that we had no desire, not even once, to turn on any technology! It was FREEING.

The next day, after a lovely breakfast…

…we went for a walk! Couldn’t find the trail we were looking for, but found that the road was perfect for walking, so we did a few miles there. (Matt ran!) The roads are so infrequently used, and when they are, since it’s so quiet and there is a lot of loose gravel, you can hear them coming far enough in advance that moving out of the way isn’t a problem.

These were a few of our sights…

After that walk, we drove to…

We did a loop around the lake, which took us less than an hour, and was a great walk! They didn’t require masks but encouraged distancing. We got a few dirty looks from putting our masks on during narrow parts of the trail when hikers were close to us, but it worked fine. We’d recommend this walk – stunning views, fresh air, and peace and quiet!

The rest of the night was full of leftovers, indoor fires (it rained a bit, which was SUPER cozy) and indoor s’mores, one more after-dinner walk, and relaxing. Even though we’ve been doing SO MUCH indoor time at home which is also full of relaxing – book reading, game playing, etc., it feels completely different to do those things in other environments, especially surrounded by nature.

The next morning after another breakfast, we packed up by 11 and left, on our way to…

We took a long, sweaty hike right before a thunderstorm was set to hit, and came and went just in time (maybe a few minutes too late!) to go there and back without getting rained on *too much.

We’ve hiked here before, and really like it. This day it was so hot and humid, so Matt made it all the way up while I waited for him towards the end. Beautiful views all around!

After the hike, we checked into our next airbnb in Mauertown, VA.

The airbnb is attached to a BREWERY. It’s like a dream. Private apartment, beautifully decorated, adjacent to food and beer. AND there was outdoor seating, so we were perfectly comfortable being out to eat.

Ridge Runner Farms and Brewing Company – 6895 Back Road, Mauertown, VA.

We had a beautiful view of the country road past our beer, good food and drink, and a great time enjoying some more quiet in a place that was not our house.

After our meal, we went for a walk around the brewery – up another quiet country road. When we returned, we ordered more beer and were given access to the chiminea, where we drank and enjoyed yet another outdoor fire.

The next day, we went to Seven Bends State Park in Woodstock, VA.

We walked on Eagles Edge Trail, and found the first half to be a bit boring – lots of walking by cornfields –

– but the rest was beautiful! Wildflowers and meadows…

Found ourselves wishing that A, it wasn’t going to rain (we had rotten luck with rain!), and B, that we had a picnic lunch to eat because we found a perfect spot for a picnic. One day!

In the car on the way home, I decided that I hadn’t had enough of traveling for the summer. We felt so safe wearing masks and remaining distanced – and saw that overall most people were abiding by those rules – and we booked another stay somewhere not too far away, which was also incredible.

More to come!

 

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