I was lucky enough to get away to the mountains this weekend with some friends.  My friend Diana is moving to Germany for work later this summer, and we are trying to spend as much time with her as we can before she leaves.

The house we stayed in was just outside the small town of Nellysford, and came with a wicked surprise:

A driveway we couldn’t drive up, even with a four-wheel-drive vehicle.  It was steep and slippery with loose gravel, and it became a character in our getaway, but it also made for some fun memories.  The fact that wild blackberries were in bloom all alongside it were also a bonus! The only way to walk up (and worse, down) the hill was by doing switchbacks. It was like skiing on foot. The picture does zero justice to the angle of steepness.

It also forced us to earn those toasted marshmallows!

Nellysford is a beautiful town nestled below the mountains and full of lovely hiking trails.

I loved this trail we took; I may have to head back there with the kids and spend some time splashing in the stream.

The trail followed the stream and the edges of both a lovely farm and Bold Rock Cidery. If it wasn’t so far out I would love a farm here.  Of course, the lack of cell service and reliable internet would make me crazy!

It was amazing how clear the water was; of course I am used to the stream on our property which is lazy and meandering.  It doesn’t have enough volume or speed to keep itself free of algae and mud.

After our hike we toured Bold Rock Cidery.

They are building up their bottling facility, and their new tasting room is gorgeous.  I hadn’t realized just how local this brand is, having seen it in most of our grocery stores. All of their apples are grown close to home at several local orchards.

To round off our day we had dinner at another local gem:

This weekend I had several moments of absolute gratefulness to live where we do.  This is a real breakthrough for me; I’ve spent the better part of our time here missing New England. But taking the time to explore what is right here in our own backyard (figuratively) has helped me see just how lucky I am to not only have the friends I have here but to be in such an eclectic and interesting place. We’ve been here a long time, and it really is finally feeling good to be home.

It’s amazing what a great weekend away with some of your best friends can do.