Getting Away

March 12, 2024

We headed to Syria. NOT the far away and troubled country of Syria in the Middle East. I didn’t even know there was a nearby town with that name (well, about an hour and a half away), but my husband and I took a one-day getaway last week to celebrate a big birthday (for him). We traveled to Syria and a town called Madison in Madison County, on the edge of the Blue Ridge Mountains/Shenandoah National Park here in Virginia.

It was beautiful. Restoring. And romantic. When we get to a certain age, romance kind of sits by on the side. Or even goes out the window.

When I sent a photo of our getaway location to our daughters, one wrote back: “Very nice! And you are lucky to have a comparable view off the porch/deck of your own home.”

Bingo, yes! A great reminder. Why do we see things differently when we’re somewhere new? One mountain is called “Graves Mountain” and behind that, “Old Rag” which is rather famous (hikers must get tickets ahead of time, just $2 but you also need a Shenandoah Park entrance pass, much more expensive.). My daughters and I got to hike it a number of years ago (sorry my husband had to work).

So our getaway location was an 1800 acre farm with the family name “Graves Mountain Farm” in operation since 1850s, (families settled there earlier in the 1740s, an interesting history!). In addition to raising cows, chickens, horses, sheep, apples, and peaches, it offers cabins and lodges, a swimming pool, volleyball court, horseshoe pit, a babbling brook with fishing, hiking, biking, local bands and singalongs, fireplaces….and plenty of great food options in season. Numerous family members work right there on the farm. The Graves Market and Deli is ready to fix fresh breakfast sandwiches and other items for lunch etc. Most of the year, meals are served in a large restaurant there, but not in the winter, which reopens later in March. So for supper that night we drove to the town of Madison, about 15 minutes away, where we enjoyed a delicious supper at Miranda’s Restaurant.

Our dog had a getaway too, we took her along since they offered some rooms where pets were welcome. (Our room cost would have been less if we had hired a neighbor to take care of the dog!) But ever since we got our cat about 2 years ago, dog Velvet has had to play second fiddle—or equal fiddle—in the attention department as the cat. So I think that although it makes the dog nervous and a bit stressed to travel (she’s almost 10 years old), she didn’t have to share our attention with the cat. The cat stayed home and was a good girl all by herself for 24 hours.  

When we got back home, I realized that yes, our views of mountains and valleys and greening grass and spectacular sunrises is very special. I have lived in four states (Indiana, Florida, Kentucky, and Virginia) and two countries (U.S. and Spain) and the scenery right here in the Shenandoah Valley is hard to beat. Besides mountains, Virginia offers an ocean and numerous beaches, the Potomac River, the Appalachian Trail, splendid schools, colleges, and diversifying restaurants. And plenty of farmland, although that is shrinking.

Back at home, the sun is shining now, the grass is greening superbly, the local rivers and creeks are beautifully bubbling along, even though the wind is sharp and random snow flakes fly past my “office” window (a spare bedroom). It is March afterall. We’re keeping the woodstove going and happy to be so very very fortunate to live where we do.

Do take time to love the ones you’re with, and restore the precious and fond relationships that you may have. If we can put food on the table each day and have a warm place to sleep, we and you are rich.

There is so much beauty in God’s creation. Let us be thankful.

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Tell us about one of your favorite spots, or when you were surprised by a new town or nature spot!

Ever had a birthday getaway? Where and when?