Looking for a blend of classic and modern for your road trip to Getaway? On her recent Artist Fellowship at Getaway Blake Brook, Claire Gohst of indie rock project Paper Citizen put together her ideal escape playlist.
With a mix of classic hits and new indie rock tracks, Claire’s playlist is a great listen for a pleasant, upbeat drive to our Outposts. Listen along for some tunes from the Beatles, George Ezra, and Paper Citizen herself.
With the hustle and bustle of city life, we know it can be hard for artists to find uninterrupted time to create. That’s why we created our Artist Fellowship Program, to give creatives a space in nature to work on their projects. We love seeing what our artists come up with and we’re excited to share some of our recent fellows.
Illustrator and New Yorker Cartoonist Jeremy Nguyen has been drawing since he was a kid, but he didn’t start working his humor into his art until he was a teenager.
“I really try to look at everything and anything,” Jeremy notes. “Something can strike me about a current event, or a new exercise fad, or seeing someone mad for getting too much ice in their iced coffee. I love finding jokes in the minutiae, but I also love taking on broader ideas and contextualizing them in ridiculous situations.”
Jeremy, who recently escaped to Getaway Catskills, believes in taking frequent breaks and enjoys taking naps, grabbing coffee, or grocery shopping for restful moments. His dream projects include drawing a graphic novel, illustrating a board game, and collaborating with his favorite brands for global campaigns.
Zai Divecha has been a full-time sculpture artist for four years and in the beginning of her career, she worked primarily with metal. After feeling frustrated by the heavy machinery and toxic chemicals in her work, she decided to move to another medium.
“At the beginning of 2018, I made the switch to working with paper, and it changed everything,” Zai reflects. “I felt more engaged with my creative process, more playful and happy in my day-to-day life, and way more proud of the finished pieces.”
“Lately I’ve been making these white, monochromatic, textural sculptures and installations out of paper,” Zai said. “The process itself is meditative and calming, and my hope is that the finished pieces make the viewer feel quiet and peaceful inside.”
Zai, who recently escaped to our New York Outpost to create, said her dream is to create a large paper installation for a wedding.
“I love being able to subtly affect people’s moods with my work. It’s the best compliment when someone says, ‘I saw your work the other day, and it made me feel so calm,'” Zai says. “The idea of making something that could serve as the backdrop for an emotional life milestone appeals to me.”
Looking for a creative break of your own? Book your escape now.
If you’re looking for a gentle singer/songwriter playlist for your escape into nature, then we’ve found the perfect playlist for you.
Evelyn Frances, who’s escaping to our New York Outpost this August, put together her favorite tunes to listen to while she’s relaxing. Featuring Bjork, Maggie Rogers, Mountain Man, and more, her playlist is great for your mornings at Getaway.
One of our favorite things to do is read all of our guest feedback after Getaway trips—there are so many different folks who get away for different reasons, but all with the same goal of spending time with loved ones or alone out in nature.
Stacie Galiger is a math teacher at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia who wrote in about the challenges of being a single mom, and so we reached out to chat education, travel and single parenting. She’s been a teacher for sixteen years, and when her husband died her kids were two, five and eight years old.
“One of the things that terrified me the most about being a Single Mom was the fear that I wouldn’t be able to raise my daughters the way I had always envisioned—with lots of adventures, wild time and travel!
I didn’t want them to grow up feeling like their childhood had been compromised by our circumstances so I vowed to do whatever I could to raise them hiking, camping, paddling, climbing and exploring,”
Outdoor activities are natural de-stressors. The combined benefits of being in the outdoors with physical exercise is a double win; Stacie runs as a stress reliever and has done half marathons and other races in the past. She lives minimally and intentionally—her and her girls don’t have a TV and the three of them share a room and often have dance parties:
“Music is really important to me and helps me with everything from running faster, to calm down, to having dance parties with my kids! So Spotify premium is a splurge I love. The Discover Weekly playlists feel like a gift I get every week and I create playlists for pretty much everything,”
Note: we’re big fans of playlists for drives, too. While technology has made life simpler in ways we don’t even think about anymore (imagine life before the iPod or without the ease of creating playlists) it has profoundly changed the way we live, and the way we educate:
“We have so many resources and are literally connected to the world from anywhere. It’s exciting, but I think it’s also changed the role of the teacher from one who disseminates information to a mentor who helps students find and discern the facts themselves. Our role to teach students to think critically has never been more important.”
Thinking critically is increasingly important in an era where we’re constantly moving, scrolling and always checking for the next notification or update. It’s also good to just pay attention, and Stacie’s tip for keeping balance in her own life is true to this spirit: “I try to get outside and really pay attention to everything as much as possible. Even if it’s just walking to dog around the block, I take the time to look at the moon or listen to birds while I do”.
“I try to get outside and really pay attention to everything as much as possible. Even if it’s just walking to dog around the block, I take the time to look at the moon or listen to birds while I do”.
Here are her top tips for single parents who want to travel with their kids and get outside:
A big thank you to Stacie for all of her insight—you can follow her and her adventures on her blog here.
If you’re interested in contributing or being featured in our Journal, reach out to us at [email protected].
Those of us immersed in the buying, selling, growing and making of wine are often called on to answer the all-important question of what to drink in every given situation. So, we at Early Mountain winery in central Virginia are thrilled to share our recommendations for the campfire. Some reflections:
You are an expert
Every wine drinker is an expert in their own tastebuds so speak with confidence at your favorite wine shop- sharing what flavors you generally like (feel free to use beer, cocktails, or wines you currently love as a reference) and don’t apologize for your preferences. If you like sweet and
fruit driven flavors, citrus, spice, or a bit of edgy bitterness a knowledgeable wine salesperson can guide you appropriately. We promise it will work better than grabbing the prettiest label.
Consider the food
Don’t get hung up with “rules” but some basic reference points can help guide you – sweet flavors (s’mores, anyone?) do best with fruit driven or sweet wines (Lambrusco, fresh young reds such as the Early Mountain Soif blend). Grilled pineapple shines with a demi-sec sparkling or Chenin Blanc. Grilled flavors sing with wines touched by smoky oak (Cabernet Franc, barrel aged Chardonnays). Mild flavors of seafood and veggies benefit from a zip of acidity (Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng).
Drink Local
We encourage you to skip the supermarket mass brands and instead pop into a local wine shop or local winery to see what is happening close to your Getaway. Whether central Virginia, upstate NY, or Texas hill country, the last 10 years have brought an incredible surge in passionate quality winemaking in lesser known regions. And many of these wines don’t make it beyond their state borders, so make your Getaway a chance to discover something new.
And we’ll let you in on a secret – any wine tastes better when you’re relaxed, tuned out, and surrounded by friends. So pretty much any choice will be a win.
Find out more about Early Mountain here, or book an escape to Getaway Shenandoah and be sure to check them out on the way there or back.
Early Mountain Vineyards is just a short drive from Getaway Shenandoah, and home to an award-winning tasting room and sprawling vineyards. We asked them for tips on how to pair wine for your next campfire cooking session.
“Are we there yet?! Are we there yet?!”
Only 15 mins into our estimated 2-hour drive and we were already hearing the chants and giggles get louder from our 2 kids in the backseat.
The kids were so excited. We were on our way to Postcard Cabins.
My husband and I try our best to catch up and talk to our kids at dinner each night and then pick up the conversation as part of their bedtime routine. We listen to them talk about their day, read them a book, and pray for them. But that time is never enough—there are always more stories from what happened at school and more jokes they want to share.
Especially during certain seasons of busyness, we find that we can lose ourselves crossing off to-do lists, following a strict schedule, and living by our Google Calendar all while making sure that the kids are fed, clean, and generally doing well.
It was one winter, during a particularly busy time, that my husband suggested we go away for a few days as a family. A getaway to the Postcard cabins, to retreat as a family of four.
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Our very first trip actually took us close to 4 hours to get there. We stopped multiple times for bathroom breaks, for coffee, for gas, to change a diaper, and eventually got stuck in traffic because of the rain.
It was horrible. It’s not what I had planned or imagined. I wanted the two days away to be the best—about us, disconnecting from our busy lives and reconnecting as a family. But here we were, in traffic, spending the majority of it in a parked car on the highway.
The last stretch of traffic made our kids really antsy so we decided to take just one more stop before heading to our cabin. We stumbled upon a shopping center with a Target, about 35 minutes from the cabins.
The kids ran down the aisles, getting out all their wiggles, following us as we looked around for diapers and milk. Moving through the aisles, our kids got a hold of different snacks and toys and continued to ask me if we could buy it. Annoyed from the rain and the cold, I didn’t even hear what they were asking, just responded with, “No. We have to go.”
Our daughter grabbed a box of cereal, tugged on my jacket and asked, “Can we get this for breakfast? I’ve always wanted to try unicorn marshmallows!” I quickly snapped back, “No! I planned to make pancakes so we’re having pancakes for breakfast.”
I saw her put it back on the shelf and she hopped back onto the cart as my husband pushed it. He turned around and smiled at me. I walked towards him and he put his arm around me and said to our kids, “Hey guys, let’s hurry up here so we can go!”
As we were checking out, our son started to cry. He was hungry. We were all hungry and we needed to eat dinner. In the same shopping center was Panera. We made our way over and sat down in the booth. Our daughter at this point was tired and started to wind down, putting her head on the table. Trying to revive her excitement and also to remind myself of why we came, I kept telling her, “Just wait! As soon as we get there, we are going to have so much fun!” She looked up at me and said, “Mama, but this is already fun!” Her face brightened up as she looked at me and continued to tell me stories of what happened at school—right where we left off the other night before bed.
I tried to hold back my tears as I was trying to eat my broccoli cheddar soup. The idea of wanting rest and connecting with my family looked effortless in my perfect schedule. I wanted to cross off my to-do list of our trip to find rest when really that would never give me peace.
Obviously, not following it made me unhappy—living like this would never make me happy. I needed to lay down my selfish and unreasonable expectations for myself, as a mom, as a wife, and for our family. There will always be a to-do list but only one moment in time when our kids are little. I just needed to be present for my daughter, for my family.
I apologized to my daughter for my crabby attitude. And my very keen daughter responded, “It’s ok mom. I forgive you. I get like that when I’m hungry too!” We left Panera with full stomachs and a new sense of excitement. Our last 30 minutes in the car were filled with singing, guessing games, and laughter. We were enjoying each others company and even decided to make one more stop at Sheetz to grab ice-cream for dessert!
We pulled up to our cabin and unloaded our bags. The kids had so much fun holding up flashlights for us to see the path from the car to the door. We were all wet and cold, but our cabin was warm inside and greeted us with a pleasant smell of wood and fresh bedsheets. We washed up, put the kids in their pajamas, and talked some more in bed. Right before falling asleep, our two-year-old son said, “this is the best ever.” And it was. It was the best ever.
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Since then, our family has gone two more times. We book our trips when we know we’ll have a busier season coming up for us. It’s become our new tradition. On the way to our cabin, we’ll all take turns sharing knock-knock jokes that we’ve been saving up, talk about school and work, share our hopes and dreams. We stop by that same Target from our first trip where our kids will each pick out a snack of their choice along with a box of cereal to eat for breakfast the next day. Then we make our way over to Panera to grab a bite to eat while talking about what we want to do during our stay.
Here are a few places we’ve stumbled upon either by accident, because of a bathroom break, or because one of our kids yelled, “Can we go there?!” We hope you and your family enjoy them as much as we do during your escape. We can’t wait to go back again but this time with our new baby!
Culpeper Colonnade (15295 Montanus Dr, Culpeper, VA 22701)
The shopping center we always stop by on the way. About 35 mins from the cabins; has stores from Target, Dicks Sporting Goods to Panera, and Chik-fil-a.
Yoder’s Country Market (2105 S Seminole Trl. Madison, VA 22727)
It’s a market, deli, petting zoo, and also has a playground! For lunch, we drive 12 mins from our cabin to Yoder’s Country Market. The deli has great food and we’ll take some time to shop around for some snacks. The kids love the free petting zoo behind the market and when they’re done watching the goats and peacocks, they’ll make their way over to the playground. We’ll also grab Trickling Springs ice cream to enjoy on the rocking chairs in front of the market.
Moo-Thru (11402 James Madison Hwy. Remington, VA 22734)
Our family loves ice cream! We try to stop by Moo-Thru either on the way to the cabins or on the way home from our trip because of the distance- about 45 minutes from the Outposts. If the weather is nice, the kids will run around outside or we will take a break under the pavilion to eat a packed meal and
enjoy our ice cream.
Sheetz (7020 Seminole Trl. Ruckersville, VA 22968)
I know its just a gas station and convenience store but its open 24 hours! It’s inevitable that you’ll forget to bring something, especially if you have children. We’ve made so many runs to Sheetz for all sorts of things, even in the middle of the night, just 15 minutes drive from the Outposts.
Shenandoah National Park, Skyline Drive (Swift Run Gap Entrance Station at Rt. 33)
The kids love to explore around our cabin and take pictures of interesting finds. We also run into other people staying at the cabins walking their dogs and the kids love greeting them. But if we need to get out, we drive 15 minutes to enjoy the beautiful view at Shenandoah National Park.
S’mores and campfire (at the cabin)
One thing we look forward to is the campfire to make s’mores! Postcard Cabins is so kind and gifts you a s’mores kit, however, make sure to pack extra graham crackers, chocolate, and marshmallows because if you’re anything like our family, we can always eat more s’mores!
With the hustle and bustle of city life, we know it can be hard for artists to find uninterrupted time to create. That’s why we created our Artist Fellowship Program, to give creatives a space in nature to work on their projects. We love seeing what our artists come up with and we’re excited to share some of our recent fellows.
Painter Amanda Nolan Booker has been painting and drawing ever since she was young. However, it wasn’t until 2016 when she decided to go back to school and pursue painting full time.
“My work deals with memory, perception, and experience,” Amanda said. “I’m inspired by the everyday, in the mundane, but I’m equally inspired by mythology and storytelling. I want to account for the things that make up a life which are not easily defined or depicted.”
Amanda prefers to escape anywhere that’s quiet, so our Atlanta Outpost was the perfect spot for her to take some time to create.
“I work best when I’m alone and can listen to music and/or have conversations with myself out loud,” Amanda says. “Even if I’m not actively painting and just need to brainstorm, it’s important that I find a place for uninterrupted reflection.”
Six years ago, Richard Bonasoro turned his backyard into a small farm in the hope of growing his own food and living a healthier lifestyle. During this project, he started thinking about what he was putting on his skin as well.
“I started looking into soap making and finally made my first batch of soap right in the backyard in my garden,” Richard said. “I wanted a bar of soap with ingredients you could recognize without Google: organic olive oil, organic coconut oil, essential oils, and herbs and sometimes even vegetables from my garden.”
As part of his fellowship, Richard picked up his work station and moved it to Getaway Blake Brook. The soap he made there, inspired by his stay, combined pine, fir, needle, cedarwood, and cypress together with a lemony scent.
Richard, who owns and operates the Backyard Soap Company, says his dream creative project is to build a backyard garden utopia that’s inspired by The Secret Garden.
Interested in tapping into your own creativity in nature? Escape today.
We believe your Getaway should be about relaxing, not about stressing over meal planning. That’s why we’ve put together three easy recipes you can create in our cabins.
Don’t worry about bringing cooking tools. Our cabins are stocked with everything you might need, including a pot, pan, cutting board, and knives. You just need to bring the ingredients.
If this sounds like a hassle, then bring nothing at all. In the spirit of giving you everything you need and nothing you don’t, our cabins come with several provisions for purchase, including pasta, sauce, jerky, and more. But if cooking a meal solo or with loved ones sounds appealing, here are a few quick recipes so you can pick up the ingredients before your Getaway.
Chicken and Cheese Quesadillas (Makes 2)
What you’ll need:
8 oz chicken, grilled and sliced
4 tortillas
1 cup shredded cheese
1/2 cup mushrooms, chopped
1/2 cup bell peppers, chopped
1 jar salsa
What to do:
One Skillet Veggie Chili (Serves 4)
What you’ll need:
Olive oil (free in cabin)
1 onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp oregano
2 pinches salt (free in cabin)
1 can diced tomatoes
1 cup corn
1 can black beans, drained
What to do:
Easy Pasta Salad (Serves 4)
What you’ll need:
1 package pasta (purchase in cabin or bring your own)
1 bottle Italian salad dressing
1 cucumber, chopped
3 tomatoes, chopped
1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
What to do:
Looking for some cocktails or mocktails to add to your meal? Check out our campfire cocktail favorites here.
