What a month!

First of all, WHAT A MONTH this has been!

Clearly, we were too busy to get everything done we needed to do...and blogging was (sadly) not on the top of the to-do list!  You can see by the COUNTDOWN clock - we have decided to go ahead with the full 60 day extension...yes, it's kind of disappointing we won't be announcing a winner on Christmas - but from the feedback we received, it seemed better to just take the full time we needed, so we don't get hopes up again - and then need to extend another month. So, this is it! :)

We are well on the way to receiving enough entries to award the inn, and that may well be below the 5,800 we originally had hoped for - but the point is for us to be able to move on to a new project, and leave the inn in the hands of someone who will love her as much as we have.

We opened up reservations for New Year's Eve, and through Valentine's Day, and we will take a month during late February/March for transitioning to new owners. With reading well underway, we anticipate announcing a winner February 15th!

With contests like this one, the single deciding factor for success, is spreading the word! Please share our Facebook page, follow us on Twitter, and I am sure we will be welcoming new owners in 2016.

Enjoy these holidays - So far, December in Virginia has been warm and lovely! We are finally finishing our tree here at High Meadows this week, and will be enjoying Christmas one last time in this great old house!

101 Things We Love...Part 6

November! We are counting down...and hoping to get Ellen's attention, so if you have a cousin that works for her, please tell her we need her help to get the word out about our contest! We have a long way to go, but the pace of entries has picked up in the past week. I realized I had better finish my list, and I was reminded on Halloween of my next great 10 things...

49. Halloween in Scottsville. This year, our little town had well over 1000 trick or treaters - because, thanks to our own Baine's Coffee & Books - Scottsville businesses on Valley Street transformed into the Harry Potter village of Hogsmeade! In the past, we have hosted a pumpkin carving contest too - there are house parties, and an amazing Trunk or Treat downtown set up by one of the local churches. A M A Z I N G.

48. Halloween in Charlottesville at UVA Grounds. IF you decide to venture out the day before the big neighborhood celebration, the Grounds at UVA are host to lots and LOTS of little ghosts and goblins. And they go home with lots of treats!

47. First Night Charlottesville. The Downtown Mall in Charlottesville hosts an incredible family-friendly New Year's Eve party that includes music, magic, food, and tons of fun!

46. 4th of July Naturalization Ceremony at Monticello. Every year, Monticello hosts over 100 people who are sworn in as new citizens of the USA on the morning of the 4th of July, in Thomas Jefferson's front yard. Go for the emotion, the celebration, and the always inspirational speaker.

Dave was there.

45. 4th of July Fireworks in Scottsville over the James River. Fantastic celebration for a small town. Picnic with your family on the banks of the James River, an amazing morning Main Street Parade including every firetruck from every station within 20 miles! Best of all, you can walk down the High Meadows driveway for front row seats.

44. Scottsville Festival of Lights. It can't be overstated, for a small town, there is a lot of community! Each year, for the past 8 years, local school, businesses and clubs decorate a Christmas tree - and for several nights in early December, this magical place is open to the public - for free. Miniature train village, sometimes Santa...gingerbread, and good company - it's beautiful! This photo is by Thomas Greene...just a perfect winter shot...imagine it all lit up at night, soooo pretty!

43. While maybe not specifically a Valentine's Day celebration, Charlottesville hosts an annual Chocolate Festival downtown every fall...decadent and delicious, you can get your chocolate fix in one stop.

42. Gingerbread House display at the Omni. Ok, it's not the Grove Park Inn - but there are some really talented locals and always some professional entries that will blow you away! Early December, downtown Charlottesville.

41. Easter. Charlottesville Parks & Rec holds and annual Easter Egg Hunt in Charlottesville, if of course the natural spring beauty of Albemarle County in April isn't enough of a treat for you!

40. Holly Trolley in Charlottesville. There are some incredible light displays in Charlottesville! If you want a guided tour, hop on the Holly Trolley and travel in style. Every evening for several weeks in December, it's one of our favorite memories of Christmas in Charlottesville!

so...have I convinced you yet to enter!?! You've only got a few weeks left...get writing!

Win the Inn!

So here we go! Our local Charlottesville paper the Daily Progress sent an awesome reporter, Bryan "Mac" McKenzie out to talk to us last week about the Essay Contest. We are starting with our local friends getting the word out, knowing it will spread as others hear about our awesome inn. If you didn't get to see the paper, here's a link to the article on the front page - nice photo of my mother with her sassy new haircut, too! (by the way, the dahlia on the table is from the garden...we have gotten a few survivors even with all this rain!)

I will be posting later this week some answers to the most frequently asked questions, some guidelines for where to find information (everything is in the Official Rules) people are looking for, etc. Pretty much, everything you'll need to know to enter or to follow the contest will be on our blog, some fun stuff on our Facebook page...but mostly in the Official Rules. Updates will be sent via email to anyone who has entered, for anything an entrant might need to know.

And we'll be getting press - which is nice! Just remember, if you are planning on entering, make sure you always refer back to the Official Rules...ever play that childhood game of 'operator'? Where one person whispers something in another person's ear, and then it goes around the room, and by the time it gets back to the first person, it's a totally different statement? Yeah, that can happen. The rules won't change, they will always be found here on our website, and so will any other pertinent, accurate information. Facebook will be fun to interact, but since comments can be made by ANYONE, the best place to have your questions answered is here on our blog and website. We're keeping this anonymous, so don't jeapordize your entry by not reading the rules.

One last comment on who can enter - obviously not our family, but you'll notice we did not exclude friends. That is such a vague word sometimes, and we have met so many people through the years passing through the doors of the B&B, who we would consider friends, yet who are not connected in such a way that they should be excluded from the contest...so that's the reasoning there. And it's also the reason that it's so important that those of us selecting finalists and ultimately the winner, read essays anonymously. The integrity of the contest is the most important thing to all of us!

So - what's your dream? Might it include this happy house on a hill? Someone out there is perfect for High Meadows, and it is perfect for them...do they even know it yet? Spread the word, if you know of someone who should enter! We have loved being here - and I can't wait to meet the next owner of High Meadows.

Making lemonade out of lemons!

First of all, let me start by saying I LOVE LEMONS. A slice of lemon with salt makes my lips pucker just thinking about it, and plain water with a squeeze of juice is so refreshing! Baked, preserved, sweet or sour, lemon curd, lemon pie, lemon pickles...and yes, even lemonade - truly I love lemons, so this silly saying always makes me laugh, because if you start  with something you like, then of course the outcome of any effort to improve on it is probably going to be great!  It's appropriate then to describe the past few months here at High Meadows, and the decisions we have made regarding our stewardship here. It's been emotional, to say the least.

 The support and love from friends, guests, family and pretty much everyone has been unending, eyeopening, and truly life changing. I am going to try to bring everyone up to date without too much backstory or digression...

One of the first things that most of our friends and family have been wondering is 'What is the status of the inn?' Many of you donated and pledged support towards a rather large balloon payment on the property mortgage that was looming, and potentially going to stand in the way of our future here. I was humbled by the support of so many people! We love what we have been doing here at High Meadows, and were grateful when things worked out for us to continue living and working at the Inn. However, despite what seemed to be the answer to our prayers only months prior, we were faced with other, more personal challenges...and after several weeks of discussion, the decision was made to pass on High Meadows to her next owner.

I won't lie - it was an incredibly difficult decision to make, and there are small moments when I question it...like a few weeks ago, when 4 sisters staying with us hugged us goodbye and thanked us so sincerely for making their getaway so special, and I wondered if this is exactly what I am supposed to be doing - making people happy, because it makes up happy in return!  Those moments of questioning have been welcome - because it is with a very clear heart that I look forward to whatever is next in my family's journey. They are also welcome, because it's clear that we have made something wonderful happen here, built on the love of those who lived here before us - and it is time to pass it to another someone to love the inn, the property, the house - and to make it their own.

As anyone who knows me, or who has been to High Meadows will tell you, I don't do ANYTHING the 'right' way. If it's quirky or strange, or wildly wonderful - I will try it! So why then just put the inn 'on the market' up for sale? Purchasing an inn like High Meadows would be expensive - well out of the financial reach of lots of people who might really love her, and be really good at this innkeeping thing. Frankly, it was financially out of our reach when we came here...but we were lucky to start with a lease, and then lots of creative financing. Yet practically, we have a mortgage on the property to pay off, and family expenses - there is certainly a 'number' that we need to achieve if we sold the inn in the traditional way. So imagine my joy at reading about an ESSAY CONTEST being run in Maine to pass on another historic inn, the Center Lovell Inn! The current owner actually won the inn 22 years ago in an essay contest, and was passing it along again the same way.The new owners will be opening soon, and the previous is happily retiring...what a joy for all involved! I loved reading about it several months ago, and now, presented with my opportunity to find someone to love High Meadows - I find this solution to be ABSOLUTELY PERFECT.
So an essay of 300 words or less, on a topic such as 'Why I'd love to own High Meadows Inn' or 'The Future of High Meadows with Me', a potential innkeeper/farmer/homesteader (let's face it - we have over 13 acres here plus the house...the property can be almost anything!) will send in an entry fee of somewhere around $125-200 (we haven't ironed out all of the details yet) and their essay...and to the best/most creative essay - the prize will be High Meadows! With enough entries (we are hoping for around 5,800)our family will be able to turn over the property and the business free and clear to the winner...who takes over as the next owner for the price of their entry and a few hours' writing time. What better way to set the next future innkeeper up for success! In addition, I get to put High Meadows into the hands and heart of someone who will love her. Obviously, there will be some tax,training, and transfer issues for those of us involved - but we believe it's nothing that a successful, growing business and gorgeous property like High Meadows can't handle for the next owner!

We are so excited! Details will follow soon...we are building an online entry form, and working out the official rules. We are working on a marketing calendar to get the word out - this can only work if we get enough people who want to try their hand at a creative essay! The contest is slated to begin around August 17th, and run through November 30. I will need time to read all of the essays, narrow them down, then send the finalists to the judges - 3 people not connected to the inn, but whose opinions I value - who will make the final decision of the winner. We will call the winner on Christmas morning - what a gift this will be to the future innkeepers of High Meadows! So...wish us well, and keep an eye out for contest updates. The next few weeks will be somewhat quiet as we work behind the scenes to get the website in good working order, (though we'll be able to accept entries through the mail as well) then we are looking forward to a busy fall of blogging, press releases, community support, and finally of reading about the hopes and dreams of those wanting to be the future of High Meadows Inn!

Be happy for us, be excited for the future owners of High Meadows, and if you think you know someone who would be a perfect fit for our little bit of heaven up here, pass this along! Follow us on Facebook, and check back around August 17th at www.highmeadows.com for online entry information.

We have truly loved every minute of our time here - and can't wait to meet the next owner!
Cynthia, Nancy, Francis & Sophia

Ahhhh....summer!  It's hot in Virginia, but swimming holes abound...how many have you been to?  At High Meadows last month, we hosted a lovely group of bicyclists, and they were hoping for a secret place nearby to swim.  While none on this list are within biking of us - there are a couple within an hour's drive!  And if you don't want to go quite that far...we have the incredible James River just 1/2 mile away -we are happy to arrange for a picnic and a canoe with our friends at James River Reeling and Rafting.


We also have some really nice neighboring inns and B&B's with their own swimming pools...if the river isn't for you, try Afton Mountain Bed & Breakfast over near Nellysford...that's our favorite farmer's market location, too!

If swimming isn't your thing...at least you can beat the heat with some cold beer or cider...and for something unique - we'll send you over to Thistle Gate Vineyard for their AMAZING sangria...available in their tasting room!

So come see us - it's hot, but we've got lots of cool things to do.

A Romantic Reservation at High Meadows Vineyard Inn

"Oh, if it be to choose and call thee mine, love, thou art every day my Valentine!"  --Thomas Hood

If you hadn’t guessed from the vast amount of pink and red store displays, Valentine’s Day is on its way. We, however, believe that romance can and should be celebrated any time of the year, and a bed and breakfast is the perfect setting for a getaway with your significant other. And you’re in luck, because High Meadows Vineyard Inn just so happens to be a bed and breakfast!

Spa Services: High Meadows offers an onsite spa room, where your loved one can rest, relax, and rejuvenate with a number of spa service selections. Unwind with an hour-long massage, under the gentle, caring hands of trained massage therapist, Tarja Rauber.  Ease your worries with a cleansing facial using bioenergetic skincare products from Anakiri. Or, if your hands and feet are tired from everyday life, treat your sweetheart to our Reflexology special.

Want to surprise the love of your life with an in-room extra? How about a dozen roses, a classic symbol of passion and devotion? Or, if you’d like a snack upon arrival, why not try a cheese tray, including and an array of fruit, crackers, charcuterie, and, of course, cheese.

Perhaps you and your love are wine enthusiasts, and in that case, you may enjoy venturing on a tour of some of our nearby vineyards—Thistle Gate Vineyard, Jefferson Vineyard, Trump Winery, and Blenheim Vineyards, just to name a few.

Click here to book a romantic reservation at High Meadows Vineyard Inn.