The Swallow's Nest Suite at the Fenton Inn

From the front of the Fenton Inn, the building looks much smaller.  At the check in desk, one gets a view onto the Main Street and realizes that they are on the second floor.  Entering the Swallow’s Nest, one suddenly sees that they are on the third floor, looking out at the tops of the trees and the mountain views beyond.

 

 Wide glass windows give the room a modern feel, like a skyscraper or New York apartment perched on a mountain top. 

 

Blonde maple flooring stretching out to the woods beyond.  A perfect window to watch a snow fall or thunderstorm or to count the stars from your bed.

 

 

Laying in the king sized bed, it can feel like you are floating above the trees.

 

 

A cedar deck gives you the top of the trees view toward Wintergreen and Three Ridges Mountain.    

The bathroom has a very large shower for two.  The glass window looks out over the bed and to the mountains beyond.  Curtains can be closed for privacy to the bathroom.  The possibilities are endless in this room.

Another view from the bathroom.

Local European Cuisine.

Local European inspired cuisine at Basic Necessities  in Nellysford, just ten minutes from the Fenton Inn.

This little quaint cottage is easy to drive by, but a must stop for foodies interested in a light and healthy menu.  Seating is casual, with only a half dozen or so tables, but everything is made fresh and sourced as local as possible.

Wines from around the world fill the front room.  You can get a bottle and local bread to go for a hike or scenic tour, or get a table for a full service gourmet meal.

The "antipasta" appetizer.

A fresh garden salad.

The menu varies, but I ordered the trout.  They also have a variety of vegetarian dishes.  If you are looking for a rare rib-eye steak, you will probably not find it on the menu ever, but if you are looking for fresh and creatively cooked lighter fare cuisine, this is a nice spot to enjoy and very much the opposite of the chain food menus that can be common in vacation areas.

I will admit to a long evening out and not sure the name of this cake, but it was quite good.

This was a blackberry cheesecake.  Also good, but if you note the two forks, there was some fencing battles over the last piece.  Probably best to order two on that one. All in all a good night.  They had a blues guitarist play, but he played rather subtle in the small room that we were able to have several hours of conversations and be the last ones out the door.  Truly that made it much more like a European meal, that we were treated as friends by the staff and just relaxed and ate and talked and for a little while anyway, forgot about the things we had to get done the next day.

Stoney Creek Golf

Stoney Creek Golf is just a few minutes of drive from Fenton Inn and is one of 50 Best Golf Courses in the world by Conde Nast Traveler magazine! It is located in Rockfish Valley and has restaurant and pro shops.

Far in the distance on a mountain top you can see condominiums of Wintergreen . Stoney Creek Golf is open year round and is $ 39-79 for 18 holes / $29-54 for 9 holes. This prices will include golf cart, range balls and pre game practice.

                                With 27 holes total you will find golf cart very handy.

If you want to learn golf, you came to the right place. At Stoney Creek they offer private lessons, clinics and much more. Each day at 11 a.m you can join the golf clinic for only $30.

After a round of golf surrounded by vistas of Blue Ridge Mountains you should treat yourself to some great food at Stoney Creek Bar and Grill. After day full of adventures head back to the comfort of Fenton Inn and enjoy couples massage or soak at the hot tub.

Wildlife in the woods near the Fenton Inn

                                      

This opossum is pretending to be invisible as it holds to a small tree about four feet up.  We were not fooled, but undeterred the possum kept up the pose for a while until we finally walked away.  I guess he will think it worked and we never found him.  The opossum is a very ancient animal, unchanged for millions of years.  Despite being one of the oldest species of mammals, they usually live only a few years.  They grow fast and mature quickly, having up to a dozen babies in a litter that they carry around in their pouch.

A baby box turtle in its first weeks of life.  Like the opossum, turtles have been around unchanged for a long and move at the same slow pace.  But unlike the opossum, the box turtle can live for a century.

                                                   Another picture of the baby box turtle.

We have a resident male turtle that we have seen in the same area of the woods for years.  Sometimes he  takes a stroll down the Fenton Inn Main Street.  No sign of the rabbit, so we declared him the winner when he went through the arch in the clock tower.

A close up of the adult male box turtle.  Note the red eyes, which indicate his gender or a late night down at the brewery.  Perhaps that is where he lost the rabbit.

Winter adventures on Wintergreen Mountain

After a tasty breakfast at Fenton Inn, head up for some fun winter adventures on Wintergreen Mountain.

One of our favorite activities is snow tubing at the Plunge. Depending on weather conditions you can reach speeds up to 30 miles per hour, so be ready to hear a lot of screaming from happy families around you.  You can connect several tubes together and enjoy this thrill ride as a group. 

At the bottom of the hill you will enter the conveyor lift that will effortlessly bring you back to the  beginning of the ride.  Snow tubing sessions are 90 minutes long and designed for ages 6 and up.

On the right side of the Plunge you can see Eagles Swoop run.

            Night skiing goes till 9 pm and it can be a lot of fun having the slopes all to yourself .

If you still have some energy left after snow tubing and skiing,  you can test your balance at Shamokin Ice .  Sessions are also 90 minutes long and you can bring your own skates.