Jan/Feb 2007
A Higher Love
Take Romance to the mountains for a real weekend getaway at Wintergreen Resort.
By Melissa Morgan
Very few “getaways” actually make you feel like you are getting away. But as my car first crept up the winding roads of Wintergreen Resort, I immediately felt sheltered between my own private mountains. The popping in my ears as the elevation steadily increased was a constant reminder that I was now high above all of my nagging realities. At least for a day or two, my normal worries were down there, somewhere, where I couldn’t see them. The trees, you see, were blocking my view.
The seclusion guests feel at this full-service retreat makes a stay at Wintergreen the perfect romantic winter weekend jaunt for Valentine’s Day—or any day, considering it’s no more than a three-hour drive from Hampton Roads. If you’d rather not, you never have to leave the mountain ... or your room.
Wintergreen is situated on 11,000 acres in the Blue Ridge Mountains southwest of Charlottesville. Accommodations include 300 villa-style condos and rental homes, from studio suites to seven-bedroom homes. My beau and I stayed in a comfortable, two-bedroom, two-bath High Ridge condo unit with a fully stocked kitchen and living area. It was too chilly to enjoy the balcony, but we didn’t miss much—we marveled at the amazing view of the mountains from inside, thanks to the floor-to-ceiling windows. The sunrise over the tall peaks on Sunday morning made getting up a 6 a.m. worth it, and a Jacuzzi and fireplace added to the romance.
If you do decide to leave the cozy quarters of your temporary home, there’s plenty to experience. Anyone who’s heard of Wintergreen Resort before knows it goes hand in hand with seasonal snow sports. With 24 slopes and trails for skiing, snowboarding and snow tubing, hitting the slopes is an obvious draw. But there are also plenty of other ways for couples to spend time.
After picking up a map of the hiking trails at the Wintergreen Nature Foundation at the Trillium House (color-coded according to difficulty), we found ourselves alone in the woods, helping each other across a small creek and ending up at a scenic overlook. We were once again in awe of the view—not only of the mountains this time, but also of the rolling valley below. We are usually not nature people, but we both agreed that this was the highlight of our weekend. Our post-hike indulging, however, came in a close second.
We treated ourselves to three of the four resort restaurants throughout the weekend—casual fare at The Edge for lunch, signature frittatas at Stoney Creek Bar & Grill for brunch and a romantic Saturday-night dinner at the upscale Devils Grill Restaurant and Lounge (our best meal). Devils Grill presented a varied menu and creative specials, and we weren’t disappointed in either the Tuna Oscar—fresh lump crabmeat, horseradish béarnaise, crisp asparagus and Vermont cheddar smashed potatoes—or the Filet Mignon—Vermont cheddar smashed potatoes, balsamic marinated portobello and sautéed spinach. We ended light and sweet with the Lemon Steamed Pudding, complete with two spoons.
After our Sunday morning sunset, it was time for some much-needed pampering at the newly expanded Wintergreen Spa and Aquatics & Fitness Center. After changing into robes and slippers, we started with a one-hour couples’ massage and then relaxed in the lounge before being whisked away to a couples’ pedicure. I tried the traditional pedicure; he had the “sport,” which took some gentle convincing. But once he felt the tingling sensation of the tension relief gel, first-time hesitations quickly disappeared.
At the end of the weekend, my ears popped again while traveling back down the mountain. They had gotten used to the carefree air up there. Even true “getaways” must come to an end, but I wished this one could have lasted just a little longer. Sure, things are OK on lower ground ... but maybe I’ll build a tree house.
For more information on a weekend at Wintergreen, including available romance packages and tips for taking a side trip to some local wineries, see the January/February issue of Hampton Roads Magazine, currently available on newsstands.
