Thursday, February 11, 2016

Oakland, Dora And Oliver

My birthday gift from Kepi was a massage and a weekend retreat.  

So this recent weekend, we packed our bags and drove to Oakland. Oakland is located at a high elevation and considered to be among the snowiest and coldest locales in Maryland. Our drive took us three hours. From the window of our car, we passed through forests, mountains, small towns, lonely bridges and log cabin homes with thick smoke bellowing from their chimneys. It must have been really cold that day.

We got to our inn late - about 10 PM. According to the owner, who patiently waited and brewed cups of tea for us once we arrived, the original part of the house is 100 years old; it was expanded to create more rooms for guests.  The house is no longer a residence but a place for retreat and wellness.

The house looks rustic outside. The inside is decorated nicely with antique chairs, wall clocks, old photographs, wooden chests and vintage books. The older part of the house is newly renovated, but I know that it has survived many cold winters.

I felt like we stepped into the pages of a hundred year old book.

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One of the drives we took was to visit Deep Creek Lake. It was and probably is still frozen. My massage therapist told me that there's a town buried in the middle of the lake. I still have to do research on this story, but it's a fascinating one.

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Meet Dora guarding the garage door. She's making sure no one blocks her owner's car.

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Every morning, you can find Oliver basking in the sun in front of the kitchen door. I guess he loves it there because of the delicious and warm aroma of blueberry pancakes, smoked bacon, apple bread and fried sausage and potatoes wafting through the kitchen door.

During our weekend stay, Dora and Oliver made us feel welcomed and at home. They were there every morning and they met us in the evening when we came home from our hikes or drives.

I will be posting more photos from Oakland soon, as I've only managed to download and edit three photos this week.

Linking today with Wordless Wednesday and Skywatch.

16 comments:

  1. That was an interesting drive. I love long drives that passed by so many things that I don't get to see the usual, most of all I love seeing nature. The story about the lake is interesting as well. Have a great day Kayni!

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  2. Love Dora and Oliver and awesome sky/lake shot!

    Happy Weekend to you ~ ^_^

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  3. Looking forward to more photos. :) Such a sweet and interesting treat.

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  4. Such pretty cats!
    Hope you had a wonderful retreat.
    Thanks for sharing at http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2016/02/potted.html

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  5. Sounds like a great gift! Lovely shots.

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  6. Lovely cats, and a pretty view of the lake, too!

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  7. Hello, sounds like a lovely getaway. We have been to Deep Creek Lake many times, it is a great place for hiking. Cute kitties and wonderful photos. Happy Friday, enjoy your weekend!

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  8. if there was a town in that lake, well I was curious was happened to that town, by the way, photo is beautiful

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  9. These getaways are what sustains the soul for the long year. Oh what cute little kitties.

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  10. It was a charming little place for sure. It was rather rustic but that is why I picked the placed and it was well rated. It was quiet and away from the hustle and bustle of life. Exactly what we needed!

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  11. Hi. Thanks for dropping by in my blog.

    I've been to Deep Creek Lake, but never on winter. We love going there in the summer with the kids. ...and hey, happy birthday!

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  12. Pretty cats and it looks like the place was really beautiful too.

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  13. Dora and Oliver are so cute, but I love that shot of the frozen lake. Beautiful!

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  14. The idea of a town under the lake blows my mind, Maybe it's good to check it out in the summer time. Beautiful images and happy belated birthday :)

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