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Showing posts with label Washington Weekend Getaways. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Washington Weekend Getaways. Show all posts

Sunday, January 25, 2015

Mid-Atlantic Getaways for Beating the Winter Blues

Let it snow. And when it does, where better to weather a storm than at a cozy resort?

In light of Snowmageddon, WTOP Radio in Washington, DC asked me how to select the perfect mid-winter getaway. Here's  the reporter's write-up of our chat.

WASHINGTON — By now you’ve seen the signs:  frigid air, salty sidewalks, cracked skin. We’re officially smack dab in the middle of winter — a time of year when the sun seems to hibernate and warm weather is a distant memory.

If you’re looking for a way to beat the winter blues but don’t have the time or cash to fly to the Caribbean, plenty of local destinations and activities can take your mind off the seasonal grind.
The D.C. area is home to several famous luxury resorts — from The Inn at Perry Cabin to the Salamander Resort and Spa, but travel expert and blogger Laura Powell says you don’t need to go all-out to escape and recharge.

“I sometimes like to go to some of these resorts that are not necessarily off the beaten track, but they’re certainly not as well-known as [some of the others],” she says.

Regardless of which destination you choose, Powell offers one important tip:  Book a place that has a fireplace, an indoor pool or a spa.

“If you can find one with all three of the above, you’re going to be assured that you’re going to have a nice, relaxing winter weekend,” she says.

One of Powell’s favorite winter destinations is the Omni Bedford Springs in Bedford, Pennsylvania. The destination is only two hours from the Washington area and checks off all three boxes on Powell’s winter wish list.

“It’s a beautiful, historic property, so you’ve got your fireplaces, you’ve got a fabulous spa,. , and it's one of the few spas in the country that utilizes natural spring water for all of their treatments.”
And guests don’t have to worry about getting bored, as the resort offers a variety of amenities and activities to keep them entertained, including an indoor pool and tours of the historic property. When it’s warm enough, guests can cook s’mores over an open fire or take a hike in the surrounding mountains.

Powell also recommends Poplar Springs Inn and Spa, in Warrenton, Virginia, just one hour outside the city. The hotel went through bankruptcy about a year ago, but the property, which sits on about 100 acres, is open for business again. Powell says the hotel’s restaurant, Manor House, is one of the resort’s highlights. And every Thursday night during the winter, Poplar Springs offers free tastings of local beers and wines.

Poplar Springs Inn is also close to several wineries: “If you go into Virginia wine country, a lot of the wineries are still open, even though they’re not necessarily in production, so you could do wine tasting.”

Can’t make it out of town for the weekend, but still want to relax and recharge? The spa at The Four Seasons in Georgetown offers a variety of services, including massages, aromatherapy and facials. And for $50 extra, you can use the spa’s gym, pool, sauna, steam room and more for the entire day. After you’re done being pampered, slip outside the spa to the patio at Bourbon Steak. Grab a seat by one of their fire pits and enjoy a glass of wine and a bite to eat.

Similarly, the spa at the Mandarin Oriental makes its heat and water facilities (showers, a steam room and a vitality pool) and its relaxation room available to spa guests for the whole day, with a service appointment.   ---By Rachel Nania

Follow @WTOP and @WTOPliving on Twitter and WTOP on Facebook.

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Falling for Maryland: Part III

Who knew that the Western Shore of Maryland had all this?  For information about what else is on deck here, check out www.choosecalvert.com

Chesapeake Beach

The sandy cliffs at Calvert Cliffs State Park


Psychedelic sea life at the Calvert Marine Museum

Drum Lighthouse at the
Calvert Marine Museum
Out for a ride on the
Patuxent River



Ahoy, Matey!











Wednesday, September 25, 2013

Falling for Maryland: Part II

This post covering august ideas for autumn getaways in Maryland is excerpted from my article in the September 22 edition of the Washington Post Magazine.   See Part I here.


Eastern Shore Escapes


On the Eastern Shore, St. Michaels is a beloved mecca for Washingtonians looking to escape the hustle and bustle of metropolitan life. Boat aficionados will fall for the first Annual Mid-Atlantic Small Craft Festival taking place at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum October 4-6. On November 2, the same facility celebrates the oyster with cooking demonstrations, harvesting displays, boat rides, and an oyster stew competition.

The Oxford-Bellevue Ferry 
While in the neighborhood, don’t miss the opportunity to ride the Oxford-Bellevue Ferry The historic craft is the oldest privately-operated ferry in the country, celebrating its 330th birthday this year.  You can walk on, drive on, or bring along a bicycle.
Elsewhere in Talbot County, Tilghman Day on October 19 explores the island’s heritage with  oyster shucking and crab picking contests, and boat races.  In Easton, the big event of the fall is The Waterfowl Festival, held at the Academy Art Museum. Taking wing between November 7-10, the time-honored Eastern Shore tradition pays homage to the annual migration of geese through wildlife-themed art and decoy auctions.



Kent County's Historical Society hosts the Chestertown House Tour and Art Walk on October 5.  It’s not your average house tour. Installation and performance art created by students from Washington College await  ticket holders in the homes of gardens of the historic district.  Art lovers can also enjoy the RiverArts Studio Tour. Running October 26-27 and November 2-3, 60 artists around the county open up their workplaces and sell art at studio prices.

Rock Hall has back-to-back weekend festivals featuring the world of shellfish. The Waterman’s Crab Feast is October 5 and the town’s annual Fall Fest celebrates the mighty oyster on October 12. Sea life of another kind is explored during Sultana Projects Downrigging Weekend, taking place in Chestertown from November 1-4. The Tall Ship and Wooden Boat Festival is the Mid-Atlantic’s largest annual gathering of ships, schooners and historic wooden boats.



Sunday, September 22, 2013

Falling for Maryland: Part 1

This post covering august ideas for autumn getaways in Maryland is excerpted from my article in the September 22 edition of the Washington Post Magazine.  


Think fall travel and leaf peeping springs to mind. But around Maryland,  there’s a lot more to do come autumn than simply watch trees change color.


It is said that Maryland has more shoreline than any other state in the Lower 48. Thus, centering a trip around water is an easy seasonal optional. In fact, fall is the perfect time to head to the Eastern and Western Shores of the Chesapeake, or to Maryland’s Atlantic coast. Skies are sunny, waters are warm, fishing’s fine, and traffic is trivial.


Ocean City’s 10 miles of white-sand Atlantic beaches beckon throughout the fall. The resort’s boardwalk bustles with activity, as do the waters within its sight. This is the time to go boating or try out paddle boarding. It’s also a prime time for fishing in The White Marlin Capital of the World.  


Golfers will be quite happy teeing off as temperatures cool off. There are numerous championship courses in the area, surrounded by scenery ranging from preserved wetland to pristine woods..  


Special events during October involve family fun and food. Gourmands can indulge during Ocean City’s Fall Restaurant Weeks. Yes, that’s weeks, as in two  The table is set this year from October 13-27. OCtoberfest, held the weekends of October 19-20 and 26-27, is a combination celebration of Halloween and the hallowed beach.


Although Ocean City may be the best known city in Worcester County, the area offers an intriguing collection of smaller burgs.  Located only seven miles from the Atlantic Ocean, Berlin’s downtown is a National Register Historic District. But don’t let its historic nature fool you. It’s a trendy hot spot, with cool shops, outdoor eateries, and art galleries featuring modern and classic works.


On October 19, the streets of downtown go, appropriately, German-style. Berlin’s Octoberfest features a beer garden blooming with beer, bratwurst, strudel, and live music. No lederhosen required.The county’s European heritage is also on show in Snow Hall. On October 5 and 6, Furnace Town hosts the Chesapeake Celtic Festival, complete with bagpipes and Celtic grub and grog.


See Part II here.

Thursday, August 15, 2013

9 Things to Know about St. Michaels, Maryland

1. It has nice scenery.
.


Celebrating St. Michaels Day 
2. Locals take history seriously. But, as seen below, they aren't too uptight about it.



3. Dog-friendly doesn't even begin to describe the scene. The dogs are so happy here, they never bark. If you hear a dog vocalizing, he's likely a visitor.



4. The people are friendly, too. How friendly are they? They even cheer the lady who scoops up horse manure as a parade goes by.
Oxford-Belluvue Ferry

5. Old-time ice cream parlors, ferry boats and skipjack rides are throwbacks to simpler times.






6. Police don't give out tickets for parking illegally on a festival day.

7.  The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum is a treasure trove of see-worthy history.

8. Charming neighboring communities of Easton and Oxford are easy to access by car, bicycle, or boat.

Crab at the Peacock Restaurant at
the Inn at 202 Dover
9.  Crab.

For more information on St. Michaels and its surroundings, visit www.tourtalbot.org.

Tuesday, June 11, 2013


My take on Long Island, the Great Gatsby and Grapes. This appeared in The Washington Post Magazine on May 19. 


Tuesday, February 12, 2013


Happy Valentine's Day and Presidents Day Weekend! Here are some travel ideas that I shared on NewsChannel 8's Let's Talk Live this week.




For information on the travel destinations described, please see my February 11 post. The websites for the two gifts are www.shavetech.com and www.luggageamerica.com.



Monday, October 15, 2012

Laura on TV

My most recent appearance on NewsChannel 8 features fall getaways and odd election travel tie-ins.

Monday, September 17, 2012

Meandering Around Maryland

Here's a copy of my most recent weekend travel supplement for The Washington Post. It appeared in The Washington Post Magazine yesterday. Enjoy.




Thursday, July 26, 2012

Of Country, Crabs and Cars

Details for those of you who watched my appearance on NewsChannel 8 about nearby getaways.



Country
Goodstone Inn, Middleburg, Virginia:  This luxurious country inn in the heart of Virginia's wine and hunt country is pricey (rooms range from $300'ish to $800 a night). Still, it's the perfect place (if your pocketbook acquiesces) to eat up Farm-to-Fork, a Loudoun County celebration of locally-sourced food and fine wine.
Goodstone Celebrates Farm-to-Fork Loudoun   July 25-August 5
10% off rack rates/one night; 15% off rack/two nights, plus full country breakfast each morning, $25 gift card for the restaurant, and other value-added goodies.

The Inn at Perry Cabin, St. Michaels, Maryland: This Eastern Shore favorite offers 40% off a third night through August 30.

Crabs
Feeling crabby? The Hyatt Regency Chesapeake Bay Resort can cure what ails you. During the luxury property's Third Annual Crab Week, running from August 17-31, guests can learn how to catch and prep crabs; how to eat crab; and how to race a crab. Additional activities include local craft beer tastings, crab-inspired cookie decorating, and the crab de grace--a crab cake eating contest.

What's more, with the Hyatt Free Time package, guests who stay two nights get a third night free. Just mention offer code FRTIME when reserving a room. So, don't be a hermit and come to Cambridge to celebrate Maryland's state crustacean.

Cars
If you prefer car racing to crab racing, wait until Labor Day weekend and drive yourself to Baltimore. The Second Annual Grand Prix of Baltimore zooms through the streets of the city and the Inner Harbor from August 31-September 2. Hotels on the Inner Harbor have the inside track for auto aficionados. The Hyatt Regency Baltimore; The Marriott Inner Harbor at Camden Yards, and the Sheraton Inner Harbor (the official hotel of the Baltimore Grand Prix) are all offering packages including tickets for the race and rooms with a view.