Congratulations to Dana, who won my Big DINK Summer Giveaway! I loved her answer about her ultimate summer vacation: “A perfect vacation for me is relaxing on the beaches of Tel Aviv, eating the gorgeous Mediterranean produce from the shuk (watermelon and salty white cheese!), drinking wine and watching the sunset on the sand, then heading out for the night. Day trips to go hiking, exploring the different villages and cities, eating all of the middle eastern foods, and soaking up the different cultures–ideal!”
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When you live in a big city, there’s something freeing about jumping in the car & driving out to the wide open spaces. Luckily, there are lots of wide open spaces to choose from not far from DC.
Last weekend we headed out toward the Shenandoah region, popping in & out of small towns, gulping down Cheerwine at roadside farmers stands & even brushing up on our Civil War history. We headed down Route 39 to Route 211 & zig-zagged our way through the Shenandoah Valley in the shadow of the Blue Ridge Mountains. As B commented at one point, “I like the roads with three numbers.” Indeed, those seemed to be the most rural, leading us through the littlest towns. Thanks to my friend Chris, over at Packed Suitcase, for the inspiration for our little country jaunt.
After stopping by the Buckland Farmers Market & grabbing an ice cold bottle of Cheerwine…
In Washington we gawked at the world famous Inn at Little Washington…
Then we stopped for a little wine tasting with an amazing view…
After some up & down & all around, we ended up in Purcellville for ice cream & dinner…
The drive home? It looked like this:
I’d love to explore in all directions from D.C. That must be a fantastic place to live for weekend getaways.