Virginia Is for Mothers

I know, I know. It's been quite a while since my last post. That's partly because when I have a few minutes I'm either trying to hustle to get stuff done around the house, or whipped out.

Since this blog was originally started as a travel blog, I figured I should rally today to write about the trip that we took over the weekend. It was the first trip we've taken since the baby was born that wasn't to the home of someone in our family. (My in-laws came with us, so there was plenty of baby visiting going on.)

We spent the weekend at Smith Mountain Lake in Virginia.

Known at the "Jewel of the Blue Ridge Mountains," the lake is located between Roanoke and Lynchburg. In 1966, damming the Blackwater and Roanoke Rivers formed it. The purpose was to generate power and mange the water flow.

Today the lake covers more than 32 miles and has over 500 miles of coast. We stayed at Mariners Landing, a hotel/condo right on the lake. I spent a fair amount of time simply sitting on the balcony, reading and enjoying views of the lake and mountains. The on-site restaurant, The Pointe, was better then I expected. One night there was a seafood buffet, one night I enjoyed a very decent burger, and we had a lovely Mother's Day brunch.

I was also treated a massage at the hotel's sap. The spa itself was no more then a hotel suite. This meant that there really wasn't a deluxe pre-massage shower or a quite relaxation spa to sit afterward. (In fact, a wedding party getting their hair done occupied the living room of the “spa”.) Yet, despite this, the treatment room was quite and soothing and the massage therapist was excellent.

The hotel also had a heated outdoor pool and hot tub. For the first time in my life, though, I skipped the hot tub and headed right for the kiddy pool. It featured a mushroom-shaped umbrella that provided a shady spot for the baby to enjoy his first trip in the water. I'm happy to report that, like his parent's, I think he is going to be a water bug.