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September 25, 2017

Birthday/Babymoon Weekend: Part 1

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Hi guys – Matt and I are back in town after a really nice weekend away for a combination birthday celebration for me and last trip away for the two of us solo before the baby arrives! Only 2 months until the due date now… wow.

I’m splitting this into 2 posts because I took a billion photos and we packed a lot into our short weekend away! It’s hard to come back today… feeling pretty bummed our last trip for quite awhile is over. It went by so quickly… take me backkkk!!

glen gordon manor va

We decided to splurge and stay at a lovely boutique B&B about an hour and a half outside DC called Glen Gordon Manor. My friend Gretchen and her husband went there for their babymoon and it looked like the perfect spot – a beautiful place with great food and easy access to our favorite place to hike, Shenandoah National Park. It’s also right by a bunch of wineries – we want to come back for those when I can drink again!

glen gordon manor

We hit a ton of traffic getting out of DC on Friday (right at rush hour… fail timing), so when we arrived we basically dropped our bags in our room and headed right back out to find dinner. (They have a lovely fancy dinner at Glen Gordon Manor, but we booked it for Saturday night – couldn’t afford to do it both nights!) They recommended we check out the Griffin Tavern which was only a 5 minute drive away.

griffin tavern

This ended up being an awesome recommendation – the place was super cute with a huge porch, and they had a fun (non-smoking) back tavern area with live music. All the tables were taken so we set up shop at the bar and ate there. It ended up being a really fun night – the bartender was friendly and the music was fun! We shared a salad to start and then I had the burger for my main course – soooo good.

griffin tavern dinner virginia

Getting a nice long sleep without dogs waking us up was pretty amazing. We took a little stroll before breakfast on Saturday to explore the grounds – such a lovely spot with views of the mountains.

glen gordon manor

Breakfast was really good – they served it in multiple mini-courses. The portion sizes were perfect – you didn’t leave stuffed at all and I liked having tastes of different things. We had blueberry muffins, a mini yogurt and fruit parfait with granola, and then a sort of huevos rancheros-inspired dish that was fabulous.

glen gordon manor breakfast

After breakfast, we got ready for our big adventure of the day: a hike, of course! After consulting our Hiking Shenandoah National Park book we decided on Compton Gap trail in the northern district of the park. To get to the peak it’s a 2.4 mile round trip hike along the Appalachian Trail. Uphill, but not crazy. Sounded good!

compton gap trailhead

Some fall colors are starting to show in the park – but it felt like summer out there! Sunny and in the mid-80’s.

hiking compton gap

We broke about halfway through for part 1 of lunch – we were hungry! We picked up food from a cute place near our inn called Skyward Café and packed it up for the adventure. I got their hummus and veggie sandwich and added gouda cheese. It was really good!

skyward cafe sandwiches

When you reach the intersection in the trail where you can turn right for the final hike up to the viewpoint, there’s also an option to go down to the left to see some cool rock formations. We went left first! It was really steep – definitely took it slow on this part with some help from Matt at parts, too! Also, fun fact: hiking on steep downhill while 7 months pregnant makes you REALLY need to pee. Hello, bladder pounding. You’re welcome for that information.

hiking while pregnant

Peek-a-boo!

IMG_2508

Made it! Cool – these rocks remind me a bit of the ones we saw on the black sand beach in Iceland.

compton peak hike rocks

Then it was off back up the steep rocks to make it to the overlook! Oof – I’m definitely slow hiking uphill nowadays. Thanks for being patient, Matt! 🙂

Getting close…

compton peak

Gorgeous!

compton peak views

It was such a clear day – perfect for an overlook.

compton peak overlook

We had part 2 of lunch while hanging out on the peak – some really good fruit salad (also from Skyward Café) and the rest of my sandwich!

IMG_3471

Our baby is already becoming quite the experienced hiker – let’s hope she likes hiking once she’s out of my belly, too. 🙂

IMG_2541

When we got back to Glen Gordon Manor, we hopped in the pool! There is nothing more amazing than a cool pool after a hot outdoor adventure. It felt soooo good. Also, how gorgeous is this pool?! We originally thought it was just a decorative reflecting pool – what a nice surprise that it was actually a real swimming pool!

glen gordon manor pool

I wasn’t expecting to need a swimsuit on this trip and didn’t pack one, so I went in in running shorts and a pool-appropriate sports bra. Matt rocked running shorts, too. Classy, I know, but it did the job. 🙂 Thankfully we had the pool to ourselves!

IMG_2546

This post is getting really long, so I’ll stop here. Stay tuned for part 2 tomorrow!

- anne
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20 comments
  • Amber @ Bloom Nutrition Therapy
    September 25, 2017 · 11:23AM:
    What a beautiful little place! Seeing everyone take trips is getting me excited for ours. We go to Vegas in just a month!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 25, 2017 · 11:39AM:
      Nice! Enjoy!!
      Reply
  • Kori
    September 25, 2017 · 12:10PM:
    What an amazing trip! You look beautiful, and I love how much you're able to do at only two months out from having your little one! :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 25, 2017 · 12:12PM:
      Thanks Kori!
      Reply
  • Emily @ Pizza & Pull-ups
    September 25, 2017 · 12:24PM:
    Looks like a beautiful little place, glad you guys were able to get in a little getaway pre-baby.
    Reply
  • Nicole
    September 25, 2017 · 1:55PM:
    you are amazing. also so is that sandwich.
    Reply
  • Alaina
    September 25, 2017 · 2:01PM:
    How lovely! My husband and I didn't take advantage of going on a baby-moon, but hopefully we'll do something for our 9 year anniversary next month. I know some grandparents who would like to babysit their granddaughter! :-) 2 months to go! Very exciting!
    Reply
  • Megan B. September 25, 2017 · 2:17PM:
    Hey! This is probably already on your radar since you all love hiking so much, but have you looked into baby hiking backpacks? There are a lot of good ones out there. We have a Dueter (Deuter? - not quite sure of the spelling) that we got on craigslist for about half the price of a new one! And we could not be happier with it. Our girls both tolerate it well. We used it until our oldest was almost 3! And now the 1-year-old is loving it too. Definitely makes doing some of those hikes before they can walk easier.
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 25, 2017 · 4:05PM:
      Yes! I just got a hand-me-down one from a friend... I think hers is made more for an older baby/toddler, but I figure we can go hiking with the Ergo at first when the baby is smaller, too. :) I'll check out Dueter and see how it compares!
      Reply
  • Mel
    September 25, 2017 · 3:10PM:
    This B&B looks like a really lovely place! And yeay, hiking! I would have LOVED to join you! This view is amazing! And yes, the rocks totally look like the ones in Iceland!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 26, 2017 · 9:42AM:
      You guys would LOVE Shenandoah National Park!
      Reply
  • Christina @ montessoriishmom.com
    September 25, 2017 · 3:48PM:
    How fun! That pool looks amazing, I wish I could jump in right now :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 26, 2017 · 9:42AM:
      Me too!!
      Reply
  • Jodea September 26, 2017 · 2:18AM:
    Yay for Babymoons! It looks amazing! Sadly the temperatures have dropped much more quickly here in the UK this Fall - luckily the place where we're celebrating my birthday/Babymoon in a couple of weeks has an indoor heated pool :D Also, we're staying in my in-laws' motorhome so the dog is joining us! But we have a very similar plan - good food and some long walks. We visited Shenandoah a couple of years ago - I would love to go back and have more time to explore. Such a beautiful part of the US.
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 26, 2017 · 9:41AM:
      Your trip sounds lovely, too - enjoy it!
      Reply
  • Nicole @ Laughing My Abs Off
    September 26, 2017 · 8:56AM:
    Aww I love this! Awesome of you guys soaking up the last few weeks of "freedom" hehe; so close now! You're literally glowing in all these photos, and I definitely want to check out the place you guys stayed at; might be a cool place to go over a break with college friends hehe :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 26, 2017 · 9:41AM:
      It's definitely more of a "special occasion" type place vs. a girl's weekend place, depending how much you want to spend - sooo expensive! But it was worth it. :)
      Reply
  • Nina
    October 3, 2017 · 4:39AM:
    OMG this looks just heavenly! I need a baby moon stat! :)
    Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

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