Happy post Memorial Day weekend! How did you celebrate the holiday? Did you get away? My family and I enjoyed a couple days away and up in Virginia's nearby Shenandoah Mountains. Nature is a constant source of inspiration for my designs and the change of scenery was a real treat.
Views from the trail: rich spring greens, fresh blooms and ferns, everywhere.
Along Skyline Drive, the wild azaleas were in full bloom. All around the campsite, every leaf on every tree was bursting in evergreen colors. Sunflowers, wild geraniums and trilliums decorated the grass.
Our camping spot? One of our old time favorites: Big Meadows. This place never ceases to make me pause; its natural beauty is breathtaking. We took my daughter Mira (now 14) here when she was only a few months old. (Back then, she was so tiny she fit inside a little bassinet in the tent, with plenty of room to spare! Time flies). Here is a pic from our twilight family hike on Saturday eve, as the mists were rolling in:
Family time: Twilight hike at Big Meadows in the Shenandoahs
Here are a few other favorite moments from the trip - a great mix of quality family time on the mountain and little gems discovered on the way home:
Hiking among the beautifully wooded trail to Herbert Hoover's former Presidential Retreat at Rapidan Camp. (Side note: this trail is a total hidden gem! And great hike for an active family. It is about a two hour hike, round trip, and the perfect place for a picnic lunch. The main retreat lodge is now staffed (during the summer months) by a National Park Service docent, who will gladly give you a guided tour.
The ferns all along the way: the trails everywhere were bursting with new spring blooms and evergreen colors, a wonderful source of inspiration for my new Fern Collection.
Nature's inspiration: fresh spring green ferns. Above: close up of our new Fern and Mini Black Vines designs from the Fern Collection.
On the way home: Sunday morning latte and croissant at the new Before and After Cafe in Sperryville. (Foodie friends, these croissants are *amazing* - enough to rival my all time favorite local bakery Leonora's in Clarendon, whose former owner, Carolina Garcia, studied baking for two years in France ... a hard act to compete with!).
Vignettes from out back at the Before & After Cafe in Sperryville
How did you spend the time away? As I reflect on the break, I'm so very grateful for our Veterans who have served, and to our leaders who have helped protect our natural treasures. The photo above says it all. With love and much gratitude, xo, Kate