2020 Cabin Trip

My family recently took a much needed and somewhat last minute vacation. Early in the summer it seemed that work was too busy, and traveling too unsafe, for us to plan any vacations for the foreseeable future. But my coworkers and I came to the agreement that we all needed a break. We agreed that the extra work from being short staffed was worth it for the ability to de-stress and recharge our batteries.

My husband and I decided to find a cabin a couple hours away in Shenandoah to rent. We really did not want to stay in our house where we would be tempted to work or do house projects. We also didn’t want to go anywhere crowded or that would require a plane ride so knew this would be a Covid safe vacation.

This trip ended up being one of the most relaxing trips we’ve taken in years. It’s been a long time since we’ve traveled without a baby or toddler, and it seems like age 3 is the year when traveling with kids starts to become more fun then work. We could monitor and supervise, but no longer needed to hover.

We found an adorable one bedroom cabin to rent and loaded up our minivan with food, wine, dogs, kids and everything else we would need to have a fantastic trip. The old dog settled in for the short 2 hour drive.

The first day we explored the cabin, played some old maid and walked down to explore the river. Our oldest has been so excited to go fishing. Her Papa came up for a visit prior to our trip and gave tips and taught her how to cast. She was so excited to practice for the first time. Unfortunately the river was high from the recent storms so her first few trips she didn’t catch anything. But then her dad found a nearby pond and she was able to catch several!

Some other highlights of the trip were coming across a turkey buzzard on an overlook and watching some paragliders take off from the side of the mountain. We found some hiking trails that are safe for kids and for the first time in years I could hang back a little bit without constantly holding someone hand. The part of the trip I was most Covid concerned was going to Luray Caverns. We had gone years ago in the summer and it was packed. Even with masks I didn’t think that would be safe. But thanks to our kids being early risers we arrived at 9 am on a Wednesday and literally had at least 30 feet between us and the groups around us. It was a great way to explore the caverns! Here are some of my favorite moments from the trip.

The past several months have been hectic and stressful. My husband and I have both continued working full time without summer camps or school for our kids. We have no family nearby so it’s been a struggle. This week was a chance to spend quality time together without tv or computers. I taught the girls how to play Old Maid and Go Fish, and kept the TV off the whole trip.

We’re home now, back to work and gearing up to start virtual kindergarten for Ellie and a new preschool for Anna. But we’re already planning a weekend trip back out to the mountains this fall. Because this trip was good for the soul.