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