Back in February we had hoped to spend a week in the Smoky Mountains and tack on a visit to my bestfriend Melissa to meet her son, Levi. By April it became pretty clear I was not going to feel comfortable traveling so far from home, nor would it be a great idea to visit a friend with an infant since I’m still working at the office. For awhile it seemed hopeless to plan a vacation, but I”m glad a few weeks ago we decide to figure out our “Plan B babymoon.”
We settled on Bedford after I fell in love with a listing for a beautiful farmhouse– “The Sanctuary.” It sounded exactly like the getaway we needed– 17 acres perfect for social distancing with beautiful views of the mountains from the backyard. The appeal of the Smokies had been a chance to “unplug” from technology, hike, and just relax. Turns out the Blue Ridge mountains offer most of the same benefits 😉
We had an awesome weekend of hiking. My favorite hike was “Sharp Top” at Peaks of Otter which we did on Saturday. The view from the summit was amazing! We were warned that it’s a popular hike, so we started at 8:00 and made it to the summit by 9:00 and were able to enjoy the views for a solid ten minutes before anyone else arrived. It was magical. It’s a hike I definitely want to do again!
We hiked around Natural Bridge on Sunday– first in Natural Bridge State Park and in the Jefferson Forest at the “Trail of Trees” (such a creative name!). Natural Bridge was pretty, but compared to the large park system at Peaks of Otter it felt a bit anticlimactic. My impression may also be influenced by the fact that I managed to fall in the parking lot, creating a lot of drama with a search for band-aids. Of course any fall is scary as a pregnant lady, and I’m glad I simply scraped my elbow and knee. Once my adrenaline rush subsided and I was able to feel baby kick, it was all good but for a few minutes Daniel and I felt a bit panicked. I guess it’s good preparation– certainly this child will give us many scares in life!
On our last morning we tacked on a small hike along the Blue Ridge Parkway, “Fallingwater Cascades.” We had considered another hike, but I’m glad our hostess steered us in this direction. The hike was fairly short, but for at least half the time we walked along the waterfall. It was so peaceful listening to the falling water. Daniel really enjoyed playing with his tri-pod along the hike as well.
In addition to hiking, I really enjoyed the peace and quiet offered by the farmhouse. Most days we finished our hikes around lunchtime and went back to the farmhouse to shower and read/ nap for the rest of the afternoon. One afternoon we stopped to pick peaches at a local orchard and get ice cream. The best part of a weekend of hiking is ordering the larger size of ice cream without any guilt!
Most nights, we ended the day by watching the sunset around the firepit. I don’t think I would ever get sick of those mountain views! Each day our hosts set up the firepit, so we simply had to light a match and relax. Those little touches were amazing!
Turns out our “Plan B” weekend was just what we needed. We certainly look forward to visiting that part of Virginia again– I’m sure it’s especially beautiful with fall foliage.
Thanks for reading!
XOXO,
Kari
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