Where it’s at

As usual I’ve been a little too busy to blog regularly but I had to make an exception to mention an amazing place that I escaped to a few weekends ago.

The Guest House at Lost River is located in Hardy County, WV and is nestled in the mountains between Moorefield, WV to the west and the peaks that make up the western ridge along the Shenandoah to the east.

The Guest House is found mid-way up the mountain, along a winding country road that snakes out of the Lost River Valley to a secluded mini-Eden. This isn’t the Holiday Inn just off the Jersey Turnpike. The Guest House is the secret getaway, weekend retreat, or mid-week escape plan. It’s a secret that you want to tell everyone about. You wan to make them jealous, you want them to know that you’ve found that perfect place that you can sneak away to tucked into the bosom of the West Virginia’s mountains.

A little geology

The Lost River is really the Capon River which is part of the Chesapeake Bay watershed but just north of Lost City the river goes underground and isn’t technically known as the Capon until after it reemerges. The mountains and valleys that pour out around are often called the Blue Ridge though technically they are part of the Ridge and Valley province of the Appalachians. Though the granite base that makes up the Blue Ridge is still hiding under the base of these peaks and to those with only a passing interest in the science behind these mountains it’s generally acceptable to call these the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Natural beauty

The river, the mountains, and all the wildlife that comes along with it make a visit to Lost River worth it. That’s probably why the state established Lost River State Park which is just down the road from the Guest House. The state park is the home to a number of popular trails – some climbing to over 3,200 feet leading you to spectacular vantage-points with breathtaking views.

The park also has horse riding seasonally and of course there is fishing and lots of other things to do. The area is overflowing with natural beauty and the plants and animals that you’ll find here are spectacular. The Oak, Mapple, and Pine trees are wonderful as are a variety of song-birds, wild turkeys, flying squirrels, and a diverse collection of reptiles and snakes.

If you’ve come to Lost River for the outdoor adventures The Guest House is within a short drive from Dolly Sod, Seneca Rocks, Canaan Valley, and a world of adventures in the West Virginia wilderness. If you’re out to explore the wild and wonderful the Guest House makes a great home base.

The Guest House

So now that you know what you can do while away from the luxurious comfort at the Guest House I guess it’d be a good time to talk about what you’ll find back at the Guest House. The Guest House has a full range of luxury extras from the basics like a great swimming pool to everything from an onsite steam room, two hot-tubs (one inside, one out), a game room, workout center, onsite masseuse, and more. I didn’t get to take in nearly enough of these but the next time I will be sure to try as many of them as I can.

The Grounds

Outside the flowers, trees and megalithic stones that litter the grounds and nearby national forest make the setting ideal. Living in the city as I do and seeing what humans are capable of, how we are able to adjust and warp the world around us is fascinating to me but seeing what nature herself is capable of when left to her own is a welcome challenge to the powers of mankind.

Here there is no fighting, no wrestling with nature to contain and direct it. There is only a harmony and a resonance of her mighty beauty in the complimentary landscaping that ties in and blends with the environment.

The air is pure and clean and the sounds, smells, and feel of the natural world here wrapped around me and welcomed me home.

The Interiors

Putting aside the great views at every turn outside at the Guest House and entering the buildings I found the interior furnished with antiques, fine art, big comfy furniture, and the beautiful touches of highly skilled interior designers. The wall colors are calm and inviting, deep blues mix with a blonde wood staircase and richer, slightly darker woods lead to the dining room which is large, full of white linen covered tables, and adorned with opulent touches of fine crystal, china, and silver that you’d expect to find at the Greenbriar. I don’t mean to make it sound overly formal because the rest of the complex can be dressed up or down and come-as-you-are casual is the norm at the lounge’s bar-room and patio area which are just down the hall from the dining room.

I’m dieing to photograph a wedding there to see the whole place dressed up but I love the casual nature of the place that helps to make those flairs and flourishes pop that much more.

If the first floor mixes formal and casual perfectly the second floor sitting rooms and game room bring the feel of a stay at “the lodge” or an upscale cabin into full bloom. As I explored I felt like I was in a private home of a close friend. The furnishings are all inviting and range from comfy tall wing-backs set up for conversing and sharing stories to deep sinking leather sofas that would be the prefect place to curl up with a book for an afternoon nap on a rainy day.

The game room is a great touch too. Too often when I travel I end up in a place that has very little character and almost nothing to do onsite. When I photograph weddings I’m always aware of those groups of gentlemen from both families whether they are uncles, grandfathers, cousins that stay in their own cliques or cling to their wives. These men look bored, and are clearly struggling, wanting to interact with the other family members and members of the new family they’ve just been tied to but staying where they feel comfortable and continuing to look bored.

They struggle because they lack the tools and implements of male bonding – they are without a game room. If given a place to play billiards, cards, or just a place to retreat to to discuss politics, religion, women, and other taboo subjects over a glass of single-malt scotch these men would bond and likely be found still chatting into the early hours of morning.

In my room

My room was furnished with a very comfortable bed – After riding all day from Pittsburgh and traveling throughout the county all day I was beat but the next morning I awoke refreshed and well rested without any sourness that can come with sleeping in an unfamiliar bed.

My room didn’t have a telephone or television in it but has free wifi. The Guest House is a place that you go to get away from outside world, your cell phone won’t work, and you don’t have to take advantage of the wifi to check your email but if you must I found the internet service fast enough that I was able to video chat with my Teresa (the wife) and Iggy (the dog) to let them know how great of a place that I was in. I was also able to upload photos at the same time and didn’t have any lag or audio interruption while chatting.

The Bar & Restaurant (aka the Lounge at the Guest House)

As a vegetarian I get worried when I travel but I found the food to be wonderful, there were not a ton of options for me but they were very accommodating. The staff was top-notch and, even though I didn’t have anything beyond beer, I’m told that the bar-tender makes a great cocktail.

I’m also told that they host a ton of great events at the Guest House – aside from being the perfect setting for a wedding or commitment ceremony the Guest House also has corn-hole tournaments, amazing holiday parties, GLBT friendly and GLBT specific events. They host drag events and even a “bear” weekend which is for gay guys that … well that look a bit like me … larger dudes that tend to be hairier than your average gay man and that like a little bit of meat on their bones. There are a million double-entendres in that paragraph – collect them all!

The location, just a few hours from DC also makes the Guest House a great weekend getaway spot for the gay community in the nation’s capitol. Being GLBT friendly is kind of their thing at the Guest House. Being open-minded, liberal, and having a handful of gay friends and family members I don’t usually bat an eye at visiting a place that caters to the GLBT community, especially one that has been around as long as the Guest House. It will be nice when the day comes that every place is inclusive for GLBT folks but sadly I think that future is still very far away.

The weekend I was there I met several older couples that were nearing or at retirement age. They seemed like they had some fun drinking on Friday night and got a little loud but not too crazy and were a lot of fun to eat breakfast with in the morning. Overall if you’re open-minded you’ll have a whole bunch of fun at the Guest House because that seems to be the biggest focus – having fun.

Wrap up

I had an amazing time at the Guest House, so much so that I struck up a deal with them to do some photography and internet marketing work for them in exchange for a weekend stay with the wife for our anniversary. If you’re looking for a vacation spot this summer or are looking for a destination for a wedding or commitment ceremony do yourself a favor and check out the Guest House at Lost River. If you want to see more photos of the Guest House check out my flickr set here.