By Bob Tagert

This past month while pondering where we should go for the August “Road Trip”, our friend Kevin Brooks of Eastport Oyster Boys fame in Annapolis, sent us information about Lydia Mountain Lodge and Cabins in the Shenandoah Mountains. He and his wife, Jan, had recently visited and he felt it worthy of a write up. Never one to doubt Kevin’s suggestions, we decided to check it out, and besides, we thought it would be cooler in the mountains. And…it was.

We were pleased to find out that Lydia Mountain Lodge and Log Cabins is near some of our other favorite destinations. The drive is straight forward… take the beltway to Route 66 West to Gainesville and then head South on Route 29. After you pass through Warrenton, the traffic will ease and the day will become easier. Stay south on 29 until you come to the turn off to Stanardsville and Lydia Mountain Lodge will be a few miles on the other side of town. All of this can be found on your phone GPS.

The Lodge sits at the very top of the mountain with spectacular views of the valley below. As you drive up the mountain you will notice log cabins along the way. These were the first dwellings built and the Lodge was added in 2019. The cabins have fun themes as well and there are ones that are perfect for couples or groups or families. The cabins are nestled in the woods surrounding the Lodge and a few have hot tubs and most all have fire pits. They don’t have the views that the Lodge rooms have but they have the charm of the woods and privacy.

The two-story lodge is beautiful with themed guest rooms ranging from “The Old Wash House” to the “Southern Belle”. After checking all those that were available for our two-night stay, Lani chose the “Hollywood Suite”. It was on the second floor which gave us a beautiful view of the valley from our deck. I can’t tell you enough about the detail in this suite. Lots of Marilyn Monroe (reason Lani chose it) paraphernalia – check out the photos. There wasn’t a place in the suite that wasn’t staged with every detail. The room was very nice and have everything you need including one of the most comfortable beds I have ever slept in but the real attraction is the view. I was lucky enough to capture a partial rainbow that appeared out of nowhere – it hadn’t been raining.

On the backside of the lodge there is a hand-built fire place sourced from boulders/stone found on the property and a wood burning pizza oven. There is seating for several people and it overlooks the same valley the rooms do. This is probably a very popular place to gather in the fall.

There are hiking trails through the mountain and also golf carts that you can rent for the day. There is disc golf and corn hole to keep you active. They even have a corn hole tournament on August 3^rd. I bet they will be hosting more of these – be sure to check out their Facebook page for updates on events and other activities including live music. You can also arrange for spa services at the Lodge – who doesn’t like a good massage?

We always look for resident animals when we stay in places like this and Lydia Mountain didn’t disappoint. We saw several skittish kitties and Jumper, the resident beagle mix who patrols the grounds nightly, joined us for breakfast the morning we were leaving. General Manager, Tina Deane, told us that animals appear out of nowhere and they take care of them. In addition to the dog and cats, we saw two goats and three very chubby Pot-bellied pigs and some chickens including a very animated rooster who will crow for attention no matter what time of day it is.

There is also a very nice restaurant – the Bearr Apetit! – on the basement floor that opens on to a deck and seating overlooking the valley. They serve breakfast, lunch and dinner. Unfortunately, we weren’t able to have dinner since they close at 4 pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. We can vouch for the breakfast lineup! The French toast, ham and cheese omelet and the low-cal, heart healthy biscuits and gravy were all very tasty. And they serve a mean cup of coffee. Not sure how much those mugs hold but you really don’t need a refill.

Since the dining room was closed, we took Tina’s suggestion and drove a few miles into Ruckersville and dined at the Blue Ridge Café. This is a top-notch restaurant right on Route 29. The food is great and plentiful.

After a late breakfast on our second day, we decided to drive around the property and then continue on the side roads to check out the countryside and ended up at Barboursville Winery. If you go directly to the winery from the Lodge it is about a half hour away. We have been friends with Luca Paschina, the wine maker and general manager, so it was nice to catch up with him. Barboursville Winery is one of Virginia’s best and most beautiful wineries. We stopped at the Lafayette Inn and Restaurant for a late afternoon cocktail and to say hello to Alan the Innkeeper. I met him years ago when we featured them in this space.

We muddled over what to do for dinner but eventually opted to put the left overs from the night before to good use. We cranked up the microwave and dined on the deck outside of our suite and enjoyed the sounds of the night.

On our return drive to Alexandria, we decided to take some of the back roads that we have come to know over the years. We picked up Route 231, which is a beautiful country drive that took us by the entrance to Old Rag Mountain, a few other wineries and eventually to Sperryville, one of our favorite stops. From Sperryville we took Route 211 to Warrenton and stopped in at another favorite winery…Pearmund Cellars. We had been driving for over an hour so this made a nice stop on a beautiful afternoon and enjoyed a bottle of their Viognier wine. Excellent idea.

A drive to Lydia Mountain Lodge should be on your bucket list. In addition to being a very inviting destination, the people we met were exceptional. We truly were made to feel that we could make ourselves at home. In fact, in addition to borrowing some cranberry juice out of the staff fridge in the vending room on the first night ($5 was left for replacement), Lani went down to the waitress station in the restaurant after hours and borrowed a spoon and got some ice the next – with permission.

We are making reservations now for the fall. Maybe check out one of the cabins. Either a room in the Lodge or a cabin make for a good base of operation to spend a few nights and see that part of Greene County and the Shenandoah’s. And…if you go this summer, the temperature while we were there was ten degrees cooler.

Publishers Note: Lydia Mountain has a vast array of venues for weddings, reunions or gatherings of any kind. Be sure to check out all of the possibilities on their website at lydiamountainlodge.com or on Facebook and Instagram.

Lydia Mountain Lodge & Cabins

426 Mountain Laurel Pass

Stanardsville, VA

434-985-6343

stayatlydia@gmail.com

Lydiamountainlodge.com