Big Meadows Lodge where my parents honeymooned in the 1940s. Located at mile 51.2 on Skyline Drive, it is named for a large grassy meadow near the lodge where deer often graze. The main lodge was built with stones cut from the Massanutten Mountain in 1939 by the CCC and mountain laborers. The interior structure of the lodge, including the paneling, is made from native chestnut trees, which are now virtually extinct. The absence of in-room phones and WiFi enhances the historical quietness of the surroundings. WiFi is available free of charge in the Great Room of the main building for lodge guests. (From the website.)
Looking out from the Great Room onto the terrace.
The terrace is a beautiful place to look out over the Shenandoah Valley, sit with friends and talk, or stretch out for a quick nap in the warm afternoon sun. On an October afternoon many years ago, we returned from a hike and, five months pregnant at the time with our first child, I kicked back for a nap before heading up to our room in the main lodge.
The Great Room with its wall of windows overlooking the Valley.
Guest rooms ...
... the dining room ...
... and the cabins.
Much of the wildlife stayed away over the busy weekend with so many people around but this guy came on out to the roadway and caused a traffic jam of rubberneckers.
Every parking space in every area was full as well as grassy areas where visitor parked to take in the ambiance of the fall leaves. The lodge closes for the season on November 6, 2011.
Photos by Lynn R. Mitchell
22 October 2011
22 October 2011
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