Stevenson Ridge in The Washington Post

Stevenson Ridge got a nice surprise over the weekend: Washington Post reporter Andrea Sachs stayed "undercover" at the Ridge last week and then wrote up a wonderful piece about her stay for Sunday's Travel section. The Post devoted almost a full page to us!

Andrea's piece, "At Stevenson Ridge in Virginia, historic buildings come back from oblivion," chronicles her stay in the Servants Quarters, her explorations of our other cabins, and her hike along our trail. Chris and I both make cameo appearances, in her piece, too!

Most gratifying, though, was the attention she lavished on all the hard work Dan has put into restoring our cabins. It's been a lifelong labor of love, and it was so exciting to see him get recognized for it.

"Thanks for much for a special experience," Andrea told us today via e-mail. "Hope to see you again soon (next time, I want to try out the Post Office or the Log Cabin)."

Keeping time at the Ridge

We had an interesting question come our way the other day: Do you have any unique or interesting timepieces at Stevenson Ridge?

In fact, we do!

Our favorite timepiece is a clock that has been passed down through our family to my mother, Debbie. It’s an old electric clock manufactured by the Revere Clock Co. of Cincinnati, Ohio, which my great-grandfather, Olaf Peterson, purchased as an anniversary present for my great-grandmother, Margarete.

“Revere chimes are Telechron motored insuring absolutely accurate time always without the irksome winding each week,” says a little sales card still tucked inside the back of the clock. “Chimes are beautifully resonant, of true pitch and notes of the famous Westminster Abbey.”

The card outlines many of the clock’s other features, including the “rare woods” used to make the casings and the durability of the clock that means it “need not sit level and can be moved around for dusting, etc.”

“Revere clocks are made in a factory that specializes on chime clocks alone and are made of the finest materials and by skilled mechanics and should not be confused with the unreliable clocks that have been put on the market the last few years,” the card concludes. “Revere chime clocks are as serviceable as they are beautiful and a friend and companion through the years to come.”

Olaf bought the clock for $64.80 from Harry O. Einsohn’s store in Huntington, N.Y. The sales slip, also tucked in the back, lists a purchase date of Dec. 7, 1950. “This clock is guaranteed to give perfect satisfaction,” the salesperson wrote on the slip.

Olaf’s anniversary present now sits on a fireplace mantel in The Civil War House, one of our historic homes original to the property. The clock has been a “friend and companion,” indeed—to four generations of our family.

Stevenson Ridge featured on Visit Fred blog.

Stevenson Ridge was featured on the Visit Fred blog today!  Check it out here.

Spring is Winging Our Way

Chris, who’s from up north, says robins are welcome early sign of spring. We’ve seen a lot of robins around the Ridge lately, so hopefully that means spring is winging its way in our direction.

Just last week, I noticed one of the bluest bluebirds I’d ever seen. It was flitting about near the front gate as Chris and I pulled into work. Bluebirds represent happiness, or so I’ve always been told—a pretty good symbol for a place that specializes in weddings!

Yesterday as Chris and I pulled in, we had a flock of Canadian geese waddle across Meeting Street on the way to our pond. We stopped to let them cross. They craned their necks self-importantly, strutting a little as they walked. Chris and I laughed. We had a lot of geese here into January, then even they seemed to fly south—although, for them, this IS south—so it was nice to see that they’ve returned.

We have birds all around us, of course, and even on the coldest days of this unusually cold winter, we’ve watched blue jays and black birds. I don’t pretend to be an expert. I just know the cedars and evergreens are always a-chirp. I’ve recently learned to slow down and appreciate the sounds and songs I hear from the bare trees and bushes and hedges.

But with the leading edge of spring on its way—heralded by the robins—we’ll have even more to enjoy.

New signage for our cottages

“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare asked. With our cottages here at the Ridge, we hope the answer is “coziness.”

Thanks to a quiet new touch we’ve added, the names of our cottages are on display in a new, if small, way: all our cabins have new signage.

With eight cottages currently available and the Tobacco Barn nearly ready to come online in the spring, we have a lot of people visiting a lot of places on the property. Each cottage has its own personality, but we want each one to feel a little like home, too. It’s like having someone standing outside saying, “Welcome!”

Of course, with so much natural beauty surrounding us, we didn’t want our signs to detract from that. We settled on relatively small wooden signs, hand-crafted with carved letters, that sit at the ends of the driveways (or, in the case of the Civil War House, attached to the front deck).

After a long day of driving, a weary traveler appreciates every little touch of coziness to greet them—and we’re glad to offer it.

Valentine's Day Weekend a Success!

Executive Chef David Knapp's
flourless chocolate cake.

What a wonderful Valentine’s Day weekend we had at Stevenson Ridge!

Despite the snow last week, all our cabins were booked for Friday night, with many couples making a full weekend out of it. We did have a few one-night bookings on Friday, though, which gave us the chance to meet some friendly new faces who checked in for Saturday.

Chef David made a special treat for everyone who stayed with us over the weekend: heart-shaped cakes made of rich dark chocolate drizzled with white-chocolate.

Of course we had lot of romance packages to fulfill, so Debbie, Dan, and Chris were all on “Cupid Duty,” firing up the fireplaces, delivering chocolates, and scattering rose petals. One couple came home from dinner a little early, so Dan literally had to slip out the back door as they were coming in the front—like Santa nearly getting caught while making a delivery! “Don’t want to spoil the mood of a nice romantic evening by having the innkeeper unexpectedly standing in the living room with the fire-starting kit,” he chuckled later.

As for us? Dan and Debbie spent a quiet evening at home, on call for any of our guests who might’ve needed anything. Chris and I mixed it up a little: I asked to handle arrangements this year. I sent him on a fun little scavenger hunt to some of our favorite places; the last clue brought him home to a candlelit dinner in front of the fireplace and a bottle of wine from one of our favorite Virginia wineries.

We hope you had a Valentine’s Day that was just as wonderful.

"The Big Day" Bridal Show Today!

Don't forget to stop by and visit us today at the "The Big Day" Bridal Show at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center. We've got a nice spot right across from our friends with the Fredericksburg Trolley company, right at the end of one of the rows.

"The Big Day" runs from 11:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. More than 100 exhibitors will be on hand--not to mention our own Head Wedding Coordinator, Elizabeth, and her trusty assistant, Erin. Tickets at the door are $12. We hope to see you there!

And don't forget about our own Bridal Open House coming up next Sunday, February 23, from 1:00-4:00 p.m. Our event is free, and will showcase our premier venues, historical cottages, and preferred vendors. Register today here!