How to Make the Best of a Snowstorm
There’s cabin fever and then there’s CABIN FEVER.
And for nomadic souls like ours, the anxiety, restlessness, and boredom induced by confinement and routine are only amplified by being trapped in the same old city apartment during a snowstorm!
A few winters ago, while news of an imminent snowstorm wormed its way through radio and television speakers in Washington, D.C., I was frantically planning a small road trip to the Massanutten Resort in the mountains of McGaheysville, Virginia. I wasn’t about to stare at four walls all weekend! 😉
Massanutten is well known for its wide offering of snow sports: from bunny hills for skiing novices and, for the more skillful, mammoth slopes manned by dutiful snow cannons; to creative snowboarding ramps for the daredevil; to snow tubing for those – like myself – whose feet and centre of gravity are always at odds.
For the gourmandiser, there are scrumptious offerings at the arcadian Fareways Restaurant and, for those looking for more leisurely fare after a hearty meal, horseback riding in the lush Massanutten Valleys. If you’re really feeling for a very special treat – the starlit ceilings and nimble hands of the highly trained massage therapists at the Massanutten Spa await you!
So, I had a choice: get stuck in my tiny city apartment, or drive just 3 hours to the neighbouring state and make the best of the snowstorm. Mini local adventure it was!
Hours later, I was huddled in my schoolmate’s dark blue Toyota riding against the traffic of those trying to get back into D.C, and home safely, from their respective workplaces in V.A. As the sun set and temperature continued to plummet, we wound our way through the foothills of Virginia arriving at Massanutten just after dark. And what a time we had! 🙂
Some Massanutten “Local Lately” Highlights:
The melt-in-your-mouth-and-marry-your-taste buds peanut butter ice-cream at the Fareways Restaurant. 😀
Layering up and jumping through banks of fresh snow.
Hitching rides on truck beds when it became unsafe to drive our lowly Toyota along the winding roads.
Swedish massages and mani-pedis at the spa.
Riding (more so inching along) on a horse named Red who stopped every few feet to nibble on the shrubbery. 😛
The crew (minus the photographer) suiting up to ride.
Letting my inner 5 year old squeal in delight while snow tubing.
Perusing the interesting merchandise at the mart, not excluding the “Massanutten Deer Poop”. 😀
And last, but not least, having to dig our car out from under a snow dune when the sun peaked out again!
Worth it? Yes, worth it! The entire trip cost 4 folks under $250 for a 3-day stay! 🙂 AND we didn’t have to leave the tri-state area to enjoy a VIVIFYING VOYGAGE!!!
Tell me, what trips have you taken locally lately? I’d love to hear from you!
