Alex’s birthday gift to me this year was a little family weekend getaway in the Shenandoah Valley. Since February is so cold we waited until warmer months to plan our trip. We stayed in a quaint, secluded cabin just a quarter mile from the Shenandoah River. Although we weren’t completely off the grid, it was nice to be mostly unplugged enjoying each other’s company — just the three of us.
With sunlight streaming into the cabin with each morning’s sunrise, it was impossible not to snap a few quick pics of baby Dakota as she played before we left for each day’s excursions. We spent our evenings by the river (Dakota absolutely loves to play outdoors!) and dined alfresco from our balcony as we watched the sun go down at the end of each day.
We spent a day in Luray, Virginia exploring all the town has to offer. First up was Luray Caverns. It was too dark inside the caverns for photos and Dakota slept through most of it anyway. She did wake up in time to visit the Car and Carriage Caravan Museum and practically fell out of the Solly wrap as she examined all the old automobiles. One thing is for certain – this wiggly monster cannot sit still when she’s excited. We popped into the Heartpine Cafe for lunch and a tasting of wines from Luray Caverns Vineyard. In truth the wines weren’t great but the view from our little table was lovely.
Next up we stopped by Hawksbill Brewing Company to sample their regular rotation of beers and both Alex and I were impressed. We couldn’t leave Luray without giving Alex a chance to tour River Hill Distillery, part of a family-run farm, and get his hands on some of their aged bourbon and corn whiskey.
We also spent a day hiking in Shenandoah National Park. After a failed attempt at Deep Creek Lake, we finally saw Dakota enjoy traveling the trails in our Deuter hiking child carrier. She loved to pop her little head out and take in all the sights and sounds around her.
On the drive home, we stopped off in Marshall, Virginia to check out Red Truck Rural Bakery and discovered a charming gourmet grocery store called Gentle Harvest right next door. We’ll definitely come back to this little town the next time we are in the area.
