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The Blue Ridge Mountains via Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park. The views were breathtaking – it took us an hour longer to get to our destination because we kept stopping to take photos.  Or maybe because there was no cell reception or WiFi up there in the mountains (which was really quite disorienting for gadget-geeks like ourselves).

We stumbled upon the awesome Shadow Mountain Escape.  I called, and owner Karen Riddle told me that not only could she have a cabin ready for us within the hour, but she’d also put a batch of cookies in the oven for us.  When we got there, Karen and her husband, Ralph, built a campfire so that we could roast marshmallows and drink champagne al fresco.  The timber-frame cabin was unbelievable – two floors filled with antiques from Germany and Italy.

We had lunch here at Brookside Restaurant, and it was exactly what you’d expect for a mountain-town venue.  We enjoyed simple southern cooking and sweet-iced tea while we mapped out our winery/whisky distillery route.
Country decor meets Danish-modern booths.  Hello, strawberry pie.