Shepherdstown

Last weekend, DH and I traveled to Shepherdstown, WV for a mini-vacation. We had an absolutely fabulous time! When we left, the skies were a bit threatening and it looked like we were in for a good storm, but thankfully, that never happened. I did get some pretty shots of the clouds and countryside along the way. (Double click on the photos for a closer look.)



We stayed at the Bavarian Inn in one of the rooms in the Chalets (not in the huge main building) that overlooks the Potomac River - it was gorgeous! The rooms in the chalets are huge and have great views as well as a fireplace and whirlpool bath. Definitely a great environment to kick back and relax!



This was the view from our room - to the left and to the right. It was wonderful! I loved seeing the mountains off in the distance! The river just beneath our room is the Potomac and separates West Virginia from Maryland.

The food at the Bavarian Inn is always absolutely wonderful! On Friday night, DH had the antelope and I had the duck. Of course, I had to try a taste of the antelope since I'd never had it before. It was very good and had a rather subtle and delicate flavor. The appetizer I chose was fabulous - "Seafood Tasting “Three Ways”: Smoked Salmon with Citrus Crème Fraiche, Smoked Trout over Corn and Truffle Pudding, & Seared Scallop with Melon and Mint Salsa". It was out of this world! The blend of flavors was absolutely divine! Of course, you have to like fish to like this appetizer! On Saturday, I had the pheasant wrapped in applewood smoked bacon. It too was absolutely delicious!

The town is very cute - lots of restaurants and interesting little shops. There's a nice variety of shops for a small town, though I was a bit disappointed that one of my favorites is no longer around. Originally, there was a pharmacy in town with a classic soda fountain - it was a favorite pit stop of ours. However, it went out of business several years ago and a restaurant moved in....preserving the soda fountain and offering some of the same fare. Sadly, it too was gone. We had to do without the handmade malteds and egg creams - sigh.

Thankfully, one of my other favorites was still there - O'Hurley's General Store. It has everything you would need....from food prep through hardware. I spent quite a bit of time in there - there was so much to see! I even managed to pick up a book on Aran Knitting!


Don't you just love all the packed shelves and the fancy cash register? Check out all the kitchen needs on the right....everything you'd need to set up your modern kitchen! I'm a particular fan of speckle ware and cast iron pans...and they had quite a variety to choose from!

I loved the big red coffee grinder....definitely sized for the "serious coffee drinker"! The fireplace in the back room was fabulous. The proprietor (Captain Hurley) said it's really spectacular in the winter with a roaring fire and hot apple cider being served.

I love the architecture or many of the buildings around the town as well. It's definitely a great place to go for a break from the normal hustle and bustle of the DC area! The church is the "New" St. Peter's Lutheran Church - it was built in 1906. The church itself originated in 1765 and was a log church! On the right is a typical view of German St. - its a wonderful mix of shops and homes. The only thing missing is a yarn shop!










The Register Building (left) was built in 1894 and originally housed a shop that sold foreign and domestic goods. I had originally assumed that the building had housed a newspaper - perhaps the "The Shepherdstown Register"? I did find some mention of a newspaper by that name, but nothing connected to the building. Oh, there's a business opportunity in town- if anyone wants to buy an Opera House, it's for sale! (It's the thin blue building in the picture on the right.)




These are a couple of views of the Shepherd University Clock Tower - I love the architecture!




The little white building in the middle of the photo is the Shepherdstown Public Library. The library has been housed in the "Old Market House" since 1922. It's a little building with lots of character. Just behind the library, they have a farmer's market on Sundays. Somehow this seems appropriate since the building was originally built in 1800 as the market. The second floor was added on in 1845.

I did find some interesting "modern" additions to the town. The bathroom wall in the coffee shop was full of opinions and advice and made an interesting read. Many of the writings seemed to focus on religious beliefs - the existence or non-existence of God. Others simply expressed their opinions about their many and varied experiences in life. It was definitely an eclectic collection of opinions and ideas.

I did manage to get a bit of spinning in while I was there - after all, you have to relax after a hard day of shopping! I finally finished the Corriedale I got in one of the "Monthly Adventures" swaps. It was hand-dyed by Naomi from the UK. She does beautiful dyeing! I decided to Navajo ply singles so I could best preserve the lovely colors.









The weather was absolutely perfect the entire weekend - low humidity with the mid 80's for the temp - definitely not the typical hot/humid weather we've come to expect this time of year. It was absolutely perfect! The sky was a vibrant blue filled with fluffy white clouds that provided a spectacular view throughout the entire drive home! (double click on the photos for a closer view).









As with all good things, the weekend had to come to an end. Sigh....