Trip to Virginia - A Week of Contrasts and Stunning Beauty

From this exquisite chandelier at the Greenbrier

To the sheep grazing at The Inn at Little Washington

From Old Town Alexandria where our country's history is abundant

To the monuments in Washington DC

From Mount Vernon , George Washington's home

To the beauty of the Northern Neck of Virginia (should we retire here?)

To the walled gardens at the Inn at Little Washington

Inn at Little Washington

From country decor and iconic fall displays

to pastoral rivers in Lexington, Virginia  ( should we retire here?)

To views of the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains overlooking the Maury River ( should we retire here?)

To being inspired by glorious fall displays at the Inn at Little Washington

From healthy flights of freshly made juices in the morning

To not so healthy Blackberry  French Toast

From healthy lobster and grapefruit salad

to herb crusted lamb loin entree

From the majestic iconic American resort - the Greenbrier- just over the Virginia State line in White Sulphur Springs, WV

To the chicken coop at the Inn at Little Washington

From one of many lobbies at the Greenbrier

To the indoor pool at the Greenbrier



While retirement is still a few years away, we are trying to decide where we want to retire-
we think its definitely the southern part of the country.

Mr RTH and I  have just returned from a road trip to Virginia - first to visit my daughter and secondly to look for retirement possibilities.   We both grew up in Virginia, but I don't think we really appreciated all the state's deep history and  diverse beauty during those years. You can be in the mountains, and several hours later at the beach.   It's funny how one heads back to their roots when all is said and done.  This was a week of exploration for us- do we like the river and Chesapeake Bay area where we spent summers or are we mountain people - craving the fresh air and spectacular views?  Such hard decisions are not easily made. Mr. RTH's main priority is the fishing scene- fly fishing or do we get another boat for the bay?  I am not sure if I am a country girl or city girl - I love my chandeliers and shopping opportunities, but I love small town America too. So this was a week of checking out a lot of areas .We stayed in awesome hotels, saw some precious small towns, checked out the local grocery stores, and ate in local bistros.  I just have to share some of the amazing decor and food from each of them in my next several blogs.   This next part of life brings new challenges and new learning opportunities and I am excited.  We did make one decision this week- to build our retirement home .  So I spent many hours dreaming about the perfect floor plan and had time to sketch some ideas . This is going to be fun!