Last weekend was huge for D.C., and I’ll just assume (and hope) that you know why. So, Will and I took it as an excuse to flee the city for a little weekend away. We stayed at an awesome, old (and super affordable) farmhouse that we found on Airbnb. The farmhouse was located outside of the tiny town of Sheperdstown, which is about 20 minutes from Harper’s Ferry, W.V.

We left Friday evening, stopped at Cerritos Pupuseria, an authentic Mexican restaurant, and ordered way too much delicious food. Then we continued on to the farmhouse. Once we passed Leesburg, Va., the area became more and more rural by the minute, until we were the only ones driving down a dark and windy road. It was just what we needed.

Once we got to the farmhouse, we cozied  up by the fire and had a drink while we chatted up a storm and watched Netflix. The next morning we slept in and had some breakfast before exploring the area. We drove into Maryland, scoped out Antietam and eventually ended up in Harper’s Ferry for lunch at a little cafe.

After we ate, we hiked along the Shenandoah river, across the Potomac and up a steep, foggy cliff side. The hike, which I coined “The Stairmaster 4000,” was more than 5 miles total. The steep part, known as the Maryland Heights trail, was about 2.8 miles and I burned more than 500 calories hiking just that part of the trail alone. Hiking up to 1,600 feet was totally worth the beautiful view at the top. As you can see, it was super foggy, so we were lucky that once we got to the edge of the cliff the fog cleared.

Saturday night we had dinner in Sheperdstown at Blue Moon Cafe and then hit up the local Irish pub for a drink and some live music from a local band. The dinner was pretty good and the restaurant had a fun, hipster vibe. On Sunday we checked out of the farmhouse and explored the Antietam Civil War battlefields. As we headed back to D.C., we stopped at Charles Town for a delicious meal at Alfredos Mediterranean Cafe. Everything we ate was super fresh and authentic. I’d definitely recommend it, if you’re in that area.

After our meal, we made our way back home and relaxed for the evening. I was surprised how much fun we fit into the weekend and how much there was for us to enjoy in northern West Virginia. It was a beautiful and welcomed escape that made what would have normally been a dreary winter weekend, much more fun.

Have any of you been to that area? Or have you recently enjoyed a weekend in the country? I’d love to hear about it. It’s amazing just how helpful it can be for your frame of mind to get out of your normal routine and to a place that is rural and relaxing.

Cheers to a great week!

SC