Vic and I just returned from several days at the Savage River Lodge in the mountains of Western Maryland. We had read about this place in the Washingtonian (September 2000 issue, "Fall Weekends"), but had no idea how thoroughly relaxing and enjoyable our stay there would be. The accommodations are private cabins with overstuffed, exceedingly comfy furniture and no TV to bother yourself, or your neighbors, with. Every morning, fresh muffins and juice magically appear on your front porch. Our thing is hiking, but there are plenty of other outdoor activities available. The lodge restaurant serves delicious food ("gourmet country," they call it), and the lodge itself is a friendly, welcoming place with a huge fireplace and view of the mountains. It is only about two-and-a-half hours away by car (http://www.savageriverlodge.com).

I thought I'd post this, so that others might also share their tips for great, nearby places to go to just relax and "get away from it all."

-- Mary N. Macdonald (mnmacd@his.com), October 22, 2000

Answers

A quick, close get away spot that we tried recently was the Hill House Bed and Breakfast in (believe it or not) Fredrick. To see the rooms and find out more check out their web sight at www.itlink.com/hillhouse/1 . We found our room to be richly decorated with wonderful fabrics and victorian antiques. The hostess, Damian was helpful with making dining suggestions and helped us by making reservations. She cooked a fantastic breakfast. Though it was less than an hour away, we felt as it we could've been thousands of miles away. Check it out for a night or weekend.

-- Nannette Horan (nannette_horan@yahoo.com), November 04, 2000.