Labor Day Weekend 2020

Most Labor Days have been spent around water for the Lucks but this year we switched things up and headed to the mountains. We were seeking a nice, peaceful weekend and Massanutten, VA delivered. We have gone to this resort in the winter a couple of times for snow tubing. The last time we were there, Abbie noticed all the summer activities the resort has to offer and expressed her desire to go back to try it out. With that in mind we head up to this beautiful retreat near the Shenandoah Valley.

We got up there late Friday afternoon with enough time to check in and freshen up before dinner. We loved our greeting of deer roaming the sides of the road looking for their dinner and just how unfazed they were with the traffic and people. This became a daily spotting for us and little Ellie took such delight in seeing them. Due to Covid the restaurants the resort offered were limited in their capacity so my planning husband made sure we had reservations for two of our three nights.

We stayed in this cute little two bedroom, two bath efficiency condo. It was perfect for our needs. It had a refrigerator, microwave, toaster oven and grill on the back porch. There was a dining area and living room, as well as seating on the back porch. The girls particularly loved the huge jacuzzi in the guest bath. One room had two twin beds and the second room was the master with a king size bed and en suite. You could also have two more guest who could sleep on the pull out couch.

On our first night we ate at the Base Camp restaurant. This was located at the bottom of the ski slopes. We had a great evening out under the stars at dusk! Perfect mountain breeze, live music and of course plenty of deer grazing in the distance. The food was delish, nothing too fancy. I had BBQ nachos, Ken had a prime rib sandwich, Brenda had chicken skewers and the girls had some pizza and chicken tenders. Standard fare that fit in nicely with the overall esthetic. We were tired but Ken still managed to be Dad of the year and took both girls to go swimming in the indoor pool.

Saturday was full of outdoor fun. We decided to go gem mining first. The girls loved panning for their stones and got super excited at the different stones they ended up with. Next up was for Abbie to tackle the ropes course she saw back in February. She had a blast and loved that she got to go twice. Her dad and her also got to go rock wall climbing and both enjoyed it. We did the next event as a family. They turn the snow tubing hill into summer tubing, so we took a few runs down the hill. It is so much faster in the summer than in the winter. And so much fun, hearing my babies squeals of delight made my day.

After our morning fun we went back to the condo and ordered delivery from the VA BBQ restaurant. We all enjoyed great pork bbq sammies. Ken took the girls to the pool {too cold for me} and while he did that I enjoyed a nice mountain walk/hike. Afterwards Ken, Brenda and Abbie went shopping and Ellie and I hung out at the condo. There is a cool crafts store on the mountain that had a lot of handmade soaps, bath bombs and jewelry. They also went and played a round of putt putt and had a blast. Abbie was so excited that she beat her daddy.

That night we ate at the Campfire Grill. The inside is very rustic and decorated to make you think you are at a campsite. I really like this restaurant. The fare there is similar to Basecamp but they do have a few dishes unique to them. They have a really tasty flat bread that is topped with blue cheese, prosciutto, arugula and apples. They also have signature skillets of steak, chicken, shrimp or all three They are perfectly portioned and each is very flavorful and filling. We had an early night because the next day was our trip to Mt. Vernon.

One of the reasons I love this area so much is it is rich in history. On previous trips we have taken the girls to see both Madison and Jefferson‘s respected houses. Both are only about an hour and fifteen minutes away from the resort and we have gone to them on our way back to Charlotte at the end of our visits. Washington D.C. is only about two hours and fifteen minutes away. Prior to Covid the resort offered daytime tours to the District, which I hope we can do at another time. Fortunately Mt Vernon is privately owned and was open for business. We got there around lunch time and managed to get the last remaining tickets to tour the house. It also meant we would be able to explore at our own pace.

We began our day there by having lunch at the Mt. Vernon Inn. One of the things I noticed while we were eating our lunch outside was that the area must be very popular for cyclist to ride to and get a quick bite before heading back from where they came from. It also was very pet friendly as many of the visitors I saw also had dogs with them. After lunch we went through the shops before making our way onto the grounds.

Once we were inside we started walking the grounds on the north garden side of the property. Abbie loved the north gardens and the greenhouse. We explored the various buildings we passed as we made our way to the main house. It is such a simple home compared to the other founding fathers homes but it is probably the most charming. To have the view of the Potomac in your back yard is stunning to say the very least. We then made our way to the old and new tomb where Washington is laid to rest. Afterwards we walked back to the main lawn and enjoyed some

ice cream and water. Next, we took a shuttle down to the barn and farm area. We walked around and saw the river and then Abbie and I walked the nature trail back up to the house, while the others caught the shuttle back. The tour through the house was brief, due to Covid access to the upstairs wasn’t allowed, but we enjoyed it all the same. The experience definitely left an impact on Abbie. If you were to ask her what she learned you may get some of the following replies: first, he sure did have a lot of land, second, did you know they had to build a new tomb because someone stole a skull thinking it was Washington’s but it was his cousins?!?!, and thirdly, he only had one living tooth by the time of his second term because he ate too much sugar and didn’t take care of them and they all fell out {this last one would be said all in one breath}.

On Monday we planned one last adventure. Both girls have loved rocks almost from the moment they could walk. The region where we were at has many caverns and I found one about forty-five minutes from the resort, The Shenandoah Caverns. This was a fun little trip. I wasn’t sure how big it was but it was actually about a mile and quarter round trip. Each area was different from the next and was truly awe inspiring. The girls loved looking at and trying to touch the rocks. It is hard to put into words all that we saw so here are some of our favorite pictures.

We were so thankful we could escape to the mountains for some much need rest and relaxation. This area is so peaceful and truly worth the visit. Be careful though you may fall in love and find yourself returning over and over again.