I wouldn’t say that you’d ever describe either of us ramblers as “country folk”. Our preferred vacation destinations normally include big city staples like sky scrapers, anonymity, and lots of variety. Every once in a while though, it’s good to go outside of your typical comfort zone and give a different kind of destination a try. When we (Zoe included of course) were invited to spend a weekend on a romantic getaway in Abingdon, Virginia. We jumped at the shot to try something new to us, and discovered that sometimes a little country is just what the doctor ordered.
While it’s considered part of the tri-cities area of Tennessee, Abingdon is actually located just north of the Virginia border tucked into the Blue Ridge Mountains. It’s a pretty small town, but it’s location on the Appalachian Trail and the former “Great Road“, has kept it a relatively busy town filled with history, arts, culture, and most importantly fun!
Our couples romantic getaway began when we arrived in Abingdon and checked into a lovely little B&B called The Inn On Town Creek. Now anyone that knows Lauren and I can tell you that we’re not exactly what you’d call the B&B types, we like our privacy and one of us (me) isn’t really a morning person. The Inn on Town Creek though turned out to be great for us. Their pet friendly room is actually located downstairs from the rest of the rooms in a finished basement that even comes with it’s own kitchen. That meant I got to have my cup huge vat of coffee, before having to go upstairs for breakfast and seeing other people. On top of that, the breakfasts served each day were fantastically prepared, and were changed each morning so we never had the same thing twice. The best part of the B&B though, was the decor. The owner is an avid collector of antiques, and the home has a huge collection on display. I wandered through the house each of the 3 days we were there, and I think I still missed some.
After getting settled into our B&B we decided to see what there was to do on a Thursday Night. After a little searching we found what turned out to be a perfect spot. Wolf Hills Brewing is Abingdon’s only craft brewery, which also turned out to be doggy friendly! The brewery is located in an old restoration ice house and featured a surprisingly deep selection of brews. Their seasonal Stonewall Stout was really well crafted and satisfying and the Honey Cream Ale was an easy all day drinker. On top of great beer there was live music and a large outdoor space where doggies and their humans could just hang out and unwind. Once we parked our rumps at the brewery there was no reason to head anywhere else.
The next morning we decided to continue our romantic getaway with a hike along one of the regions’s many trails. We made our way to Mt. Rogers Outfitters in Damascus and asked around for some tips on some great trails that wouldn’t be too crowded. We were pointed to a lovely trail in the Beartree Gap. The hiking was great, and despite a few light rain showers it made for a great way to spend a morning together free from technology and just enjoying each other’s company.
Hiking is a great way to work up a fantastic appetite, so we made our way back into downtown Abingdon, and asked around for a place to grab a bite of something “Southern” (we were in Virginia after all). We were directed to Bonefire Smokehouse and were surely not disappointed. Featuring an array of succulent barbecued meats, it was just the thing to satisfy a hiker’s appetite. Their smoked chicken wings were fall off the bone tender and tasty, but the real stand outs were the fried grit cake (more like a tower of cheese filled gooeyness) and the collard greens were literally the best greens Lauren or I have ever tasted.
