The Inn at Little Washington

the Inn at Little Washington - formerly a garage- the large front windows were once the garage doors.



the draped entrance to the inn- a charming touch

entrance lobby

bales of hay, zinnias, and gourds make a festive floral display

the inn is a member of the Relais and Chateaux family of properties. Relais and Chateaux was established in France over 50 years ago and is a collection of excellent inns and restaurants throughout the world. All of the properties in the Relais and Chateaux group were chosen for their superb food and the unique and  distinctive beauty that their property offers its guests. 

main dining room with tables spaced far enough apart to have a private conversation

another dining area facing the patio

a sweet spot for breakfast

the lounge  for after dinner drinks and conversation

crisp potatoes stuffed with a "french onion dip cheese" filling and finished with fresh herbs and caviar
to start the meal

" a touch of autumn " soup and cheese puffs  as the next course.  Soup is made of apples, butternut squash, rutabaga, onions, carrots and cream and finished with a touch of maple syrup- divine!

 

pappardelle with chanterelle mushrooms, blenheim apricots and ribbons of country ham

ice cream sandwich - oh help me- please!
Southern Butter Pecan Ice Cream Sandwich with Bittersweet Chocolate and Hot Caramel Sauce

freshly made breads and pastries for breakfast with  homemade jams

a plastic cow rescued from the county fair and repurposed as a rolling cheese cart!  too cute for words!
When the waiter brings him out , they wave an antique toy that makes the sound of a cow moo-ing!

A recent addition to the inn-  a new state of the art kitchen.

pot rack is fashioned over a huge window that lights the room with sunlight during the day's prep time

notice the grooves at the bottom of the buffet to hold the room service trays upright.

the cute bar - where you are first taken when you arrive at the inn and presented with  a signature cocktail to welcome you.
There is no formal checking in at this establishment - no asking for your credit card,etc.  It is like you are arriving at
your best friends home for the weekend.

the well stocked bar

hand painted monkeys in the bar area

the garden off the dining spaces

koi fish in the patio water feature

patio entrance to the dining room

the cutting garden - there is a florist on premises to keep the exquisite arrangements in the inn perfect.

by the cutting garden

the vegetable garden - still producing this late in the season

eggplant ready for the chef

lots of greens

grazing sheep

fresh eggs everyday

a house available to rent through the inn

another cottage for rent

garden in the back of a cute little cottage

perfection!

Opening in  the seventies in the small little bucolic town of Washington, Virginia - less than 2 hours west of Washington, D.C., the Inn at Little Washington is a true gem.  It has consistently received 5 star ratings and has been said to be one of the top 10 restaurants in the world.  And with all of these accolades and numerous prestigious awards, the chef proprietor, Patrick O'Connell is a self taught chef!  How cool is that!  Once you arrive, your luggage is grabbed from you and immediately taken to your room, while you are given a welcome tour and a cocktail in the bar.  It is like they know who you are - no asking for a credit card - just "it's good to have you here - let us show you around"! The decor is whimsical, a little bit Ralph Lauren, a little bit baroque, but very cool. Antiques abound and are upholstered in rich jewel tone colors.  The gardens in and around the property are inspiring and well cared for.  The gift shop was tasty; full of home accessories and books that you wanted-needed to buy. But the highlight of the stay was the food- oh my my!  When first sitting down, you are presented with a specially prepared menu just for you. Surprised with amuse bouches throughout the dinner service, it was a meal to remember forever.  Purchasing Patrick O'Connell's cookbook was a must as it is filled with unique recipes - most simple enough that a home cook could attempt them. Staying at the Inn at Little Washington was a treat beyond words- the staff so nice and down to earth.

If there was such a thing as a "6 Star" rating, the Inn at Little Washington would receive it! If ever in the area, this is a must do! 

Northern Neck of Virginia- "the rivah"

is this really "somewhere over the rainbow"?

A land where docks are as common as garages around here!

unparalleled natural beauty everywhere you look!

it is like being in a resort- always on vacation- but without the crowds!

tons of "creeks" coming off the large rivers in the area making natural inlets for the many homes

marinas abound

view from the end of a creek into the large river ahead!

private sandy beaches -very few public ones

croquet games are  a major past time

standard breakfast fare- gravy and biscuits, scrambled eggs and fresh from the bay fried oysters!
Oh - and maybe a little OJ to add a tiny touch of healthy vitamins to the meal!

view across the "rivah"

natural flora and fauna on the water

view of the Corrotomin River - still lots of property available here to build on-

Locals with summer places down here call it "going to the rivah".

The Northern Neck of Virginia is the north east section that is surrounded  by the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers and the Chesapeake Bay.  Known world wide for Chesapeake Bay oysters, the area  is home to many  commercial fishing venues.  As we drove in to a cute little town called Urbana to try to find my husbands Uncle William's place ( a place where he spent many days in his youth fishing the day away!), we drove down a street that looked familiar to him.  We got out of the car and walked down to the water to try to find a pier that he remembered from years ago and a rainbow appeared over the water!  Now I am not a particularly superstitious person, but that did seem like a "sign " to me.  While we never found his uncle's cabin, we did find an adorable cute town.  It seems that the old cabins from the 50's and 60's have been replaced with gorgeous new homes and the little town now has "bistros", gourmet food shops and the original drug store from long ago!  There are very few national chains in this part of Virginia - the first Walmart just arrived a few months ago and was fought by the locals for over 10 years!    Driving on down Va.3,  we went to Kilmarnock and Irvington. We stayed at the Tides Inn, an old hotel that was built in the forties.  We had one of the best dinners of our lives at "Trick Dog", a bistro in Irvington- where the chef really knows how to cook oysters and crab!   Getting to "real shopping" is an hour and fifteen minute drive to Richmond or Williamsburg,  but maybe its worth it to live in an area where you are "on vacation" all the time.  Lots of decisions to make about where we will  retire!  Mountains or Rivah?

 

Virginia Trip- Alexandria and Georgetown

get there by sea -  Old Town Alexandria harbor on the Potomac River

get there by air- Reagon Airport less than 5 minutes from town

Have your bourbon on the "Rock" - a single large ice cube to keep the toddy cold allowing  miminal water  to
dilute the elixir!



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Southern Hospitality at its best - coffee in the morning  for after drinking that Virginia toddy!

dog friendly is an understatement - dog bowls of water on the side walks for thirsty pets
after they check in to the Hotel Monaco in Old Town Alexandria

Or they can join a major dog walk with their owners, raising money for a charity.

Quaint tree lined streets with history from the 1700's- full of stores that are unique and independently owned - very few national chain retailers - loved it - an exciting change of pace for shopping opportunities

 a foodie town with unique restaurants

Right down the "rivah" from the national mall

view of the Washington Monument from Alexandria

Lincoln Memorial View from the Potomac

Watergate!

The White House

Washington Monument from the National Mall

Jefferson Memorial located on the tidal pool.



entrance to Mt. Vernon

Mount Vernon- home of George and Martha Washington

George and Martha's view from their porch of the Potomac

George loved it here - loved farming and refused his third term as President of the United States to return to Mt. Vernon and his beloved Martha and farm his estate!

Lobby of the Hotel Monaco in Old Town Alexandria

cool reception desk

faux finished mantel in lobby

Georgetown Harbor

Georgetown shopping district - unfortunately full of  national chains who can afford the high rent - could not find a single unique retail store, although cupcake shops are hot here!

Very international flavor in Georgetown - loved this little French Salon

beautiful pastries for sale

French Baguettes filled with cheeses and charcuterie

Macarons-  the size of hamburger buns

tarts galore

Upstairs dining room of Paul

decorated with plum velvet upholstery on black French chairs- grey blue walls and rustic wide plank floors as contrast- adorable dining room!  Loved having lunch at Paul

And of course, a trip to Alexandria is only completed by spending time with our own grand-dog,  Addison!
Addy on Mr. RTH's lap while watching the ball game at Julie's apartment!! 

My daugher recently moved to Alexandria, Virginia for her career.  We couldn't be happier - it is an awesome place to live. While very congested and busy, it is young and happening place. It's full of deep rooted history, five minutes from Washington and the Georgetown scene, yet Old Town Alexandria keeps it's own personality.  Independent retailers abound here. There are lots of great home  shops, cute dress shops and lots of art galleries.  Restaurants are quaint and the food is good! We went  back to the late 1700's and visited George Washington's estate and learned so much that we never knew about the first president - (He was 6 ft. 3 inches tall and Martha was only 4"11.)   We took a stoll down the National Mall and saw the famous monuments of our country. Staying at the Hotel Monaco, in Old Town, you are in the perfect location to walk to the harbor, shops and restaurants.  For history buffs, foodies and shoppers - this is a perfect American vacation! Because of the ever changing  political landscape, the young population, the deep rooted history of America and the diversity of the area, Alexandria is a unique town.  It's great location allows you to be in the Shenendoah Valley  in an hour and a half and at the beach in under 2!  How perfect!