Six of us stayed at Lightwood House for Christmas 2019 and it was beyond our wildest expectations!…read moreThe details were incredible; from themed bedrooms with charming decor and books, to a fully decorated Christmas tree and Christmas stockings. The historic aspects inside and out, are fascinating and well documented. Yet we had modern amenities and emergency supplies if needed. Three working gas fireplaces added to the ambience. Jamestown and Colonial Williamsburg were a delightful ferry ride away. (Allow extra time on holidays.) Our hosts gave us space but we met as we were packing up to leave and had a lovely conversation. We highly recommend Lightwood House!

The PERFECT venue for our wedding!…read more We got married at Lightwood House October 2019, and everything could not have gone better. I had met Cliff while he was working as a balladeer at Colonial Williamsburg and when he mentioned having an 18th century home, I knew I needed to visit. We made the choice to book Lightwood for our special day without my wife even seeing the place in person and my single visit. Upon our arrival for the wedding weekend, the magic and wonder of Lightwood House and the property was evident to her immediately and she was enchanted from the first. Guests needed to travel from afar as we have lived and grew up outside of Virginia, and they certainly cursed my name as they navigated the traffic and road construction to make it to the venue. However, each and every person had their questions of "why in the world would he make us drive all this way?" answered soon as they passed the gates and entered the realm of Lightwood. Cliff was an exceptional host! The entire process from initial inquiries, picking our date, welcoming us to Lightwood, and helping before, during, and after the ceremony and reception, Cliff exceeded our already high expectations. The house was tidy and welcoming upon our arrival and the grounds were well cared for. There is a large green next to the house which is a great spot for setting up a large tent for your guests. The trails through the wood is enchanting with exciting landmarks such as the fairy tree. In short, the entire Lightwood experience was outstanding. Cliff was kind enough to lend his musical talents to our ceremony, and played guitar for us. His son Thomas was extremely helpful as well throughout the day of our wedding with various needs. The time we spent there was so refreshing and we felt like we entered a special world where everything else disappeared. We highly recommend staying at Lightwood House, and I even asked Cliff they day of our wedding if we could book the house for our anniversary right then. I made sure to tell all of our guests that Lightwood is for more than just weddings and events, and that it makes a perfect vacation rental everyone needs to experience. Without a doubt we will be returning to Lightwood House multiple times in the future, and we cannot wait for the moment we turn down the scenic drive and see the beautiful house once more.

SME is the kind of place that's so special, you want to keep it all to yourself, but can't help but…read moretell everyone you know about it! It is the coziest little getaway in Luray situated on an absolutely beautiful property. There are five cabins in total that are intended to be a couple's getaway, so the property is always very quiet and peaceful. It feels very connected to nature- we've seen deer very close to each of the structures when we've stayed. We've had the pleasure of staying in the Dragonfly, Bumblebee, and Ladybug cabins and have really enjoyed each one- they all have a similar feel but are built slightly differently. This time around, we were in the Bumblebee cabin, which is quite spacious and shares a structure with the Dragonfly cabin. There was a gas fireplace and a TV downstairs where we spent most of our time reading; there was also a couch upstairs in the hallway outside of the bedroom, and a cute balcony we probably would have spent time on if it was warmer! It is absolutely the kind of place where you can just stay in your cabin the entire time you're there, but it's also located pretty close to Sperryville and downtown Luray if you're looking to venture out. To fully take advantage of SME, I'd recommend bringing your own food or groceries to cook- there's not a whole lot close by (which is part of the charm!), but the kitchen is well-equipped with a microwave, oven, and stovetop. There's a pizza place that delivers right to the cabins, which is nice- honestly, the pizza isn't very good, but it's nice to have the option. There are also bottles of wine available for purchase in your cabin, which is nice to have available. You won't meet two nicer people than the owners of SME, Karen and Ralph. It is so clear how much they love SME and sharing their love of the property, which reflects their travels through Europe, with those who stay there. There will always be a delicious baked treat from Karen waiting in your cabin when you arrive, and if you're lucky, she or Ralph will show you around the property and tell you about the structures, all of which were built by Ralph and designed by them both. They are so friendly and kindhearted and make it such a special place to stay. As just one example- it snowed one of the nights we stayed, and Ralph cleared off our car without us even asking. SME feels so calm and peaceful- it's a true VA oasis. We're already planning our next trip back!

Shadow Mountain Escape is a hidden Gem, as is Karen Riddle. Every detail, from the moment we…read morearrived, until the moment we left, was absolutely perfect. There are certain people that find their calling in life, and believe me, Karen has found hers providing a beautiful one stop destination/ultimate private elopement venue along with handling every aspect of our wedding (flowers, wedding cake, vows, officiant, venue, and beautiful photos). We were blown away and are so happy we chose Shadow Mountain Escape, and Karen Riddle for our special day!! We will be back.

Let me start off with saying that the cabin I stayed in (The Weekend Getaway) was extremely nice…read moreand very cozy. This one bedroom cabin looks and feels a lot bigger than it actually is with its high vaulted ceilings and wide open floor plan. If you have a family of four it would be more than enough room. I wouldn't suggest it for 2 couples unless you are ok with sleeping on a pullout sofa, but a girls/guys weekend or longer should workout fine. If I am in the area again I will stay in one of the cabins on the property and I definitely don't have a problem recommending this place to anyone. So a few things I wasn't aware of previous to arrival and didn't see it in the listing either (maybe I over looked it ‍). Guests are responsible for stripping the bed(s) and putting sheets in hamper along with towels (ok no big deal). Also, empty trash and take it out. Load and turn on dishwasher before leaving. This is all on a note on the fridge. If you read the binder it also mentions wiping the counters and something with the hot tub(I decided not to use). I wondered why I payed a cleaning fee if I was to leave the cabin nearly clean before leaving? The hot tub looked enticing however when I lifted the cover my eyes nearly burned out the socket from the amount of chemicals used.

Super nice people own this lodge and cabin! We reserved the cabin for a weekend stay while our son…read morewas interviewing at a local college. The property is beautiful and immaculately clean! The owners live nearby and are available for any need or request. I had to change our dates several times and Wilmer was incredibly helpful in coordinating our visit. We enjoyed Farmville so much that we moved up here. It is a wonderful little town and the people here are so incredibly friendly and welcoming. This lodge and cabin are perfect for a weekend getaway or tailgate get together or a family reunion! Everything that you would need is provided! Make a trip to Farmville and stay here! You'll be glad you did!:)

This was our first time at the resort for Mother's Day weekend and we loved it. The amenities were…read moreamazing from the basketball courts, tennis courts, shuffle board, mini golf and the pools and spas. Everyone was super friendly and check in was simple. Great weekend get away, the rooms were clean and the beds comfortable.

While trying to modify a July reservation, a Marriott representative accidentally canceled my…read morebooking. I was told it was a system error. My reservation was not restored, and my points and payment were not returned. I then contacted Marriott's Manor Club at Ford's Colony directly. Despite explaining that I had already spent over an hour on the phone with Marriott corporate without a resolution, I was repeatedly told to "call corporate." No one offered to hold my dates, escalate the issue, or assist in any way. This trip was scheduled around my baby's baptism, and I am currently 39 weeks pregnant. The lack of empathy and assistance made an already stressful situation much worse. I am left without $2,800 in Marriott Bonvoy points and the cash I paid (which was only $14 but still, money is money). I am left without a vacation; without the reservation I planned months in advance. Photos of the emails and the 1 hour 13-minute conversation with corporate are below.

We wanted to make a day trip to search for fossils at Calvert Cliffs and this seemed to be one of…read morethe only options so off we went. The road to get to the campsites / office is relatively bumpy and the road is full of ruts and rocks that could actually be challenging for a small car or a car that is low to the ground. We drove slowly and it was fine. The lady in the office was very friendly and we paid in cash which is preferred. This is clearly a family-run operation. The walk down to the beach was via a kind-of steep set of stairs. At the bottom there were a few other groups of people there, many of them apparently semi-professional fossil hunters with specialized digging hand tools. Unfortunately the tide was coming in when we got there (poor planning on our part), but this limited our fossil searching to a sliver of exposed beach itself as the water was covering a significant portion of the ground. I would highly recommend Wellington-style rubber boots or something similar to keep your feet dry while you search (everyone else on the beach was wearing them). Your sneakers will probably get wet. As far as fossils go, we didn't find much. One of us found what appeared to be a very small shark tooth. You are not allowed to dig into the cliffs themselves due to erosion concerns but you could see layers of shells and small fossils in the cliffside which was interesting. All in all it was not the fossil-rich experience I was expecting. I've heard about digging for fossils at Calvert Cliffs for many years and so it was a bit disappointing to come away empty-handed. If we had been better prepared to wade out into the water and brought some sort of implements with us we may have had more success. Not a terrible afternoon at all but not a place I will be chomping at the bit to return to.

This review is for the beach. Perhaps a new owner has taken over, as we had nothing but a pleasant…read moreexperience with the woman who took our money and her husband, who showed us where to park. It was $10 per person (cash only!), but considering that the beach has tons of shells and fossils, and lots of parking, we found it a very fair price. They even give you a permit so you can leave and come back on the same day. I would suggest bringing an umbrella or sun tent, as there isn't much shade (at least before 2 pm est, when we left). The water is a bit murky, but refreshing and sandy once you get out past the shoreline. You may want to bring water shoes.

I visited the Virginia Cliffe Inn for their "Christmas at the Inn" arts and crafts showcase last…read moremonth. It was so much better than I could've anticipated. Parking was a breeze, purchasing tickets was easy, and we were able to shop in every single room of the Inn, which also essentially doubled as a tour. The rooms were all lovely and the Inn was the perfect backdrop for shopping. I even tried a sample of their holiday tea (and subsequently bought some). One of the owners was dolling out the samples and it was nice to chat with him. You could tell he and his wife put a lot of love into their Inn. I wouldn't hesitate to return for other events and will keep this spot in mind for future visitors looking for a B&B experience as well.

Superb stay at a gorgeous home in a peaceful setting in suburban Richmond. Delightful hosts and a…read moredelicious breakfast to boot. Highly recommend!