Berkeley Springs-Charles Town-Antietam-Frederick
08/18/2013 - United States, Berkley Springs, WV
08/18/2013 – UNITED STATES, BERKELEY SPRINGS, WV
Berkeley Springs-Charles Town-Antietam-Frederick
A Weekend in the Country:
Berkeley Springs – Charlestown – Antietam – Frederick
A couple of weekends ago Stephen and I decided to take a trip to the West Virginia and Maryland countryside. Stephen had just been hired to sell an adorable hotel called The Country Inn at Berkeley Springs in West Virginia. Having only driven through West Virginia on our move out east, I was excited to take a weekend to explore such a beautiful mountainous state.
Berkeley Springs, WV is a quaint little town about an hour and a half from the Washington DC metropolitan area. It is famous for its goldmine of art/antique shops and for having the oldest known natural springs.
Berkeley Springs State Park has a history that dates back to George Washington, who, at 16, visited them as a member of a survey party. For many years afterwards, George Washington visited the springs regularly, and it was largely through his efforts that its fame as a health spa grew throughout the colonies. Borrowing the name of a famous counterpart in England, the General Assembly of Virginia formed the town of Bath on this location in 1776 and created a board of trustees to govern the new town. James Rumsey, who later invented the first successful steamboat, was then contracted to construct five bathhouses and several other public buildings. This officially established the springs as a resort facility.
Today, the spring water flows at a consistent 74 degrees, and people are welcome to fill bottles from the fountains for free. One bathhouse still exists and has 750 gallon Roman Baths that can be booked for half an hour at a time. The spring water is heated to 102 degrees which allows the natural minerals to heat and rejuvenate the body. It is very relaxing and quite an experience! One more super cool thing: George Washington’s personal bath is still featured in the park!
The hotel being sold is The Country Inn at Berkeley Springs. It is a 65 room historic hotel and spa adjacent to the famous rejuvenating waters of Berkeley Springs State Park. For generations, this hotel has been serving the visitors of downtown Berkeley Springs, WV. Tens of thousands of people visit to drink the water, enjoy a bath and benefit from the pure mineral water that continuously flows from these famous springs. This is a one of a kind resort property that has many significant income possibilities with 65 rooms or suites, a full service restaurant, large commercial kitchen, banquet space, bar, lounges and a large welcoming lobby. The property also features a service spa facility with multiple treatment rooms perfect for massages, manicures, pedicures, waxing and more. For rental or use by a new owner, the property boasts two single-family homes. The Treehouse Cottage is a 2 bedroom, 1.75 bathroom home, while the Barker Executive Retreat Center features 6 bedrooms, multiple bathrooms and expansive views of downtown Berkeley Springs. The property will be available for inspection on multiple days in August. Given the size of the property, each inspection will be a guided tour with each tour starting on the hour. Visit Ameribid.com for all the details.
We left Berkeley Springs and drove to Charles Town, West Virginia to go to The Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races, a racetrack and casino located just outside of the eastern city limits of Charles Town, West Virginia. The Inn at Charles Town (the casino hotel) was full for the night so we stayed across the street at the Holiday Inn Express. It was a typical Holiday Inn with a friendly staff, clean rooms, and an affordable rate. They even offered a shuttle to and from the casino.
The major attraction for Charles Town Races is the horse racing. There’s something so fun about watching the beautiful ponies racing in all of their majestic glory! I played my two-dollar bets all night, broke even, and left a happy woman. 🙂
The next morning we drove to Hancock, MD for a breakfast meeting at Weaver’s Restaurant and Bakery. From their website: “Ever since “Gertie” Weaver opened her restaurant at 77 Main Street, Hancock, Maryland in 1948, local residents, and travelers from everywhere find time to stop here to enjoy homemade soups, breads, charbroiled steaks, and a bakery beyond description! When a restaurant has two bakers working 8-hour shifts “full time” you know something must really be good. Try Weaver’s for yourself. You’ll be thinking of the good ol’ days when veggies came right out of the garden, and you could smell your grandma’s pie in the oven.” I had a delicious breakfast sandwich and would happily eat there again.
After the meeting, Stephen suggested we drive up to the Antietam National Battlefield. I had not been to any of the civil war battlefields yet so I jumped at the offer!
“The Battle of Antietam was the culmination of the Maryland Campaign of 1862, the first invasion of the North by Confederate General Robert E. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia. After Lee’s dramatic victory at the Second Battle of Manassas during the last two days of August, he wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis that “we cannot afford to be idle.” Lee wanted to keep the offensive and secure Southern independence through victory in the North; influence the fall mid-term elections; obtain much needed supplies; move the war out of Virginia, possibly into Pennsylvania; and to liberate Maryland, a Union state, but a slave-holding border state divided in its sympathies.
The twelve-hour battle began at dawn on the September 17th, 1862. Despite over 23,000 casualties of the nearly 100,000 engaged, both armies stubbornly held their ground as the sun set on the devastated landscape. The next day, September 18, the opposing armies gathered their wounded and buried their dead. That night Lee’s army withdrew back across the Potomac to Virginia, ending Lee’s first invasion into the North. Lee’s retreat to Virginia provided President Lincoln the opportunity he had been waiting for to issue the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. Now the war had a dual purpose of preserving the Union and ending slavery.” – nps.gov
It was an eerie feeling to see such beautiful land and imagine that it once was strewn with bodies. It’s amazing how many people have died for the freedoms we enjoy today. If you ever get a chance to visit a battlefield, do it. It is truly an eye-opening experience. Thank you to our troops!!!
We left the battlefield and drove to our last stop: Frederick, Maryland. Anyone that’s read my blog knows how much I love the Bravo Top Chefs. Bryan Voltaggio, one of my all-time favorites from Top Chef, has a restaurant in Frederick, MD called Volt.
“Quartered within a spectacular 19th Century brownstone mansion, the restaurant’s distinctive ambience combines Victorian elegance with contemporary, urban sophistication.“ Volt features a menu that will tickle your palate with flavors that you never knew would go together. Everything from the Calamari Bolognese to the French Toast to the Lamb Entrée to the Maple Glazed Bacon Doughnuts was cooked to perfection. My mouth is watering just thinking about it. With white linens and top notch service, Volt is pricey but worth it.
All in all, this weekend in the country was beautiful, educational, and just downright fun! I highly recommend a weekend exploring the countryside wherever you are in the world. You never know upon what you’ll stumble. Go explore, dream, discover!