Let it snow!

The mere mention of snow around these parts of Virginia sends people flocking to the grocery stores, where everyone stocks up on bottled water and batteries and, if they’re really smart, chocolate of some kind. But this week, we’re getting warnings for more than the usual dusting. It looks like Old Man Winter means business: the National Weather Service is calling for up to 12 inches between Wednesday evening and Thursday afternoon.

The Log Home with a beautiful blanket of snow.

While everyone scrambles for milk and bread, I’m stacking firewood on the porches of all the houses here at the Ridge. After all, what better opportunity is there for cozying up in a rustic cabin, cuddled up by the fireplace with the orange glow of the fire flickering through the room?

I can envision an uncorked bottle of wine sitting on a coffee table and a pair of wine glasses catching the glint of the firelight...a vase of velvet-red roses...a warm hand-sewn quilt pulled close to a snuggling couple...a view outside of soft, quiet snow falling in fat, lazy flakes. Mmmmm..... Not a care in the world, right?

Though the weather might be daunting, our driveway will be plowed, our walkways shoveled, and our cottages stocked with plenty of firewood to keep those snowy evenings romantic and cozy.

With Valentine’s Day coming up Friday, we’re booked solid for Friday, and we have only two houses open on Saturday(the Civil War House and the Riddick House). Of course, the weather may frighten some people away, so feel free to check for availabilities if you’re looking for a last-minute getaway.

Speaking of Valentine’s Day, I told Chris that *I* was making our plans this year. I’d better get to the grocery store to pick up a few things—before everyone snatches up all the chocolate!

Six more weeks of winter?

Post Office Living Room

The groundhog said six more weeks of winter. That's good news for us at Stevenson Ridge: this has been a very busy winter for us. Many last minute guests are taking advantage of the wood-burning fireplaces and cozy cabins- rushing in for a romantic winter getaway. Maybe the groundhogs prediction means business will keep blooming!

Aside from all the Inn guests and weddings we have had, it has been bridal show season, so we have taken Stevenson Ridge on the road a bit.

Regardless of what Punxsutawney Phil says, though, things should quiet down for us a little over the next month and a half. Frankly, we could use a little breather--especially since spring, when it gets here, will be jam-packed with stuff. We also have a very special event of our own coming up in April. I'll share details soon!

Investigating our earthworks

Historian Kris White came to Stevenson Ridge lately to help investigate a mystery behind our earthworks.






One of the things that makes Stevenson Ridge such a historic property are the Civil War earthworks that wind through our woods. The National Park Service has called them the best-preserved privately owned earthworks in the region.

But there’s a mystery behind them: They face in the wrong direction!

For most people, it might be hard to tell. After all, most earthworks look like nothing more than humps of dirt bulging up from the ground in a long line. But most earthworks also have a ditch on one side or the other. The soldiers stood in those ditches, behind their big mounds of dirt, for protection.

Based on the location of the two armies in May of 1864, the Union army should have been facing toward the west and south. However, our trenches face toward the northeast—whoops!

Our historian, Chris, has been wondering about that lately. He has started to map the earthworks and our trails using a GPS system. But because the earthworks are facing the wrong direction, he’s trying to figure out why.

For help, he called in his friend and co-author, Kris White. They’ve written a book about the battle of Spotsylvania Court House called A Season of Slaughter. According to Chris, “No one I know knows how to figure out a piece of ground better than Kris.”

So Chris and Kris went pounding through the woods the other day on a mission to solve the mystery. “It’ll take some research,” says Kris.

I’ll keep you posted!

Engagement Season...

It seems like the phone on Elizabeth’s desk has been ringing off the hook these days. As our head wedding coordinator, she’s been getting a lot of calls from excited brides-to-be this season. December, it turns out, is a popular month to get engaged.

Yes, a lot of lucky ladies found a ring wrapped up under the Christmas tree this year. But even before Old St. Nick made his midnight call, a lot of guys popped the question. The period between Thanksgiving and New Years offers a lot of opportunities for families to get together, and that, of course, means plenty of opportunities for newly engaged couples to share the big news with their loved ones and show off the ring!

Once the dust settles and the couple starts talking about logistics and dates, Elizabeth’s phone starts ringing. She’s been talking about venue availability, setting up initial meetings, and letting people know about our new catering services.  She’s been having a blast—so keep those calls coming.

Congratulations to all our newly engaged couples!

A Misty Day

The wicked cold snap earlier this week has given way to warmer but grayer weather. A heavy mist sits over the property today.

Some people might see that as gloomy, but it’s so peaceful here today. One of the things I love most about Stevenson Ridge is that it finds new ways to show me how beautiful it is, no matter the season, no matter the weather.

A thin wafer of ice, left over from this week’s cold spell, still covers part of the pond. The mist is evaporating it, conjuring a thin fog that now hangs over the surface and creeps up the hillside into the woods around the log home. Otherwise, all is still.

But then a long, deep rumble of thunder comes through the forest. It sounds like the ghost of artillery fire from the battlefield. It’s dark. Foreboding. Another crack comes, less ghostly, more angry. The thunder this time of year, I realize, is exhilarating.

With guests touring the property today, Chris has gone over to the Riddick House to turn on the lights. Suddenly, there’s a glimmer of hominess in the gloom. There’s a light in the storm.

But the woods look beautiful, too. I’m so glad to be here today.

First bridal show of the season!

What a wonderful time Elizabeth, Erin and I had last weekend at the Fredericksburg/Greater Virginia Bridal Show!

The show was held at the Hospitality House in Fredericksburg’s Central Park and, like most shows, it had electricity in the air. After all, any room with that many brides in it, all of them excited about their weddings, is bound to crackle.

The idea behind a bridal show is to get a lot of wedding and event professionals under one roof and then invite a whole bunch of brides-to-be, allowing for a brief meet and greet and presentation of services offered. DJs, photographers, caterers, cake bakers, florists, make-up artists, dress shops, and stationary printers are among the vendors who set up displays, offer samples, and make their pitches. Venues like Stevenson Ridge (well, to be honest, there are no venues "like" Stevenson Ridge!) also have the chance to show off their facilities and introduce our professional coordinators.

Typically, though, a couple tries to secure their venue of choice as one of the very first things they do, and then they go shopping for the other services they need. So, as brides come to the bridal show to shop for those services, it’s a chance for our coordinators to re-connect with brides who’ve already reserved Stevenson Ridge and meet those still in the hunt for the prefect venue!

Stevenson Ridge will be having our own Bridal Open House coming up next month—something like the Bridal Show but on a more intimate scale. On Sunday, February 23, 2014 from 1:00-4:00 p.m., we’ll showcase the venues at Stevenson Ridge, the cottages we have available for lodging, and our preferred vendors. If you'd like to join us, just register at happilyeverafteropenhouse.eventbrite.com. The event is free. More details to come!

New Years Eve

We have a full house here at Stevenson Ridge for the New Year. Our cottages are booked up—as they have been on New Years Eve for the past couple of years—so we have a lot of company to usher in 2014.

But that’s not all. We have a wedding in the lodge on New Year’s Eve. I can’t think of a better way to wrap up one year and usher in another. December 31 is certainly a popular evening for parties, and few parties are more fun than a wedding, so this promises to be a great night for everyone.

Once the lights dim and the sparklers stop fizzing and the bride and groom have begun their happily ever after, I’ll have just enough time to settle in with my family and my dog to watch the ball drop in New York City. With a champagne toast, I’ll welcome the New Year with the people in the world I love the most, happy that I’ve been able to play hostess to so many other people, too. Without our guests, we couldn’t do what we do.

Here’s to a happy New Year to everyone!