Attempted Camping

 

This past weekend, my husband and I tried to spend the weekend at Post Card Cabins in Shenandoah for our anniversary.  I say tried, because I got sick halfway through our trip, and we had to go home early.    But the first part was nice.

Post Card Cabins are owned by Marriott and located about 2 hours from D.C. in the Shenandoah region of Virginia, off I-81.   There is also another set of cabins located off I-15, but we stayed at the ones off I-81.  The property features several of these, in what I call a cabin development, which are spaced a decent distance apart, creating the illusion of privacy.  The cabins are essentially tiny homes featuring a large picture window at one end, a small bathroom, a mini-fridge, a compact kitchenette with plates, silverware, a pot, and a pan, and a queen bed.  They also come with two Adirondack chairs, a picnic table, a fire pit with wood, and a s'mores kit minus the sticks.     The cabins also have electricity, running water, heat, air conditioning, and Wi-Fi.  So, you really aren’t camping, just pretending with all the creature comforts of home.  Finally, all the cabins are dog-friendly and come with a dog run and a place to put poop bags.  Though if I still had my dog Teddy (he passed in July), I’m not sure where he and his bed would fit in the cabin.

We got to our cabin, “Nana,” right around 4:00 PM and unlocked it with a texted code.  There is no check-in desk; everything is done via text messages.  About an hour before check-in, you receive a text with the name of your cabin and the unlock code from there you are on your own.  You check out the same way, via text.   We unpacked the Subaru, put food on the mini-fridge, and got settled.  Though Jim noted the cabin smelled a little funny, we tried to air it out to no avail.  Jim made a campfire with the logs they provided and some of the logs we brought.  We were glad we brought some of our own firewood because the wood provided wasn’t fully cured.  For dinner that night, we had MREs.  

The next day, we made breakfast: eggs and sausage on the mini cooktop in the kitchenette.  I had to hand-wash the dishes afterward, in a very tiny sink.  Afterward, we set out to the Virginia Museum of the Civil War and battlefield, which was about 30 minutes away.  It is a nice little museum and worth the $12 fee.  After touring the museum and battlefield, we stopped for lunch at a local Hardie's and then visited a Walmart to purchase cooking spray, which we had forgotten, a can of soup (as it was a bit cooler than expected), and sticks for the s'mores.   From there, we headed to Showalter’s Orchard to go to their hard cider tasting room.  We tried a few ciders and bought a sweet sparkling cider and fresh apple cider donuts to take back to the cabin.     

I was glad we went back to the cabin when we did, because that was when my digestive system decided it didn’t like me too much.  I thought maybe it was my normal stomach issues, and it would pass.  So, Jim built up another fire, we had s’mores and just lazed around till dinner.   For dinner, Jim made a charcuterie board and soup.  After dinner, I started to feel nauseous and get a headache.  I decided we should back up and head home because I wasn’t feeling well.  I’m glad Sheetz has nice bathrooms, because we had to stop because I was feeling worse.  After the stop, I felt better, and we made it home without incident.  We unpacked and went to bed.  I slept in late the next day and still didn’t feel better till Monday.    I’m not sure what got me sick, but it ruined a nice weekend away. 

Overall, if I hadn’t gotten sick, it would have been a nice weekend.  The cabin was nice, though the shower could have drained better, and it would have been nice if it didn’t have an odd smell.   And while we were in a “cabin development,” I didn’t feel like the cabins were stacked up on each other.    

Finally, Jim commented I just can’t go 'camping’ for our anniversary. The last time we spent a weekend in a cabin in Shenandoah, I rolled my ankle, making it hard for me to hike, and this time I got sick.  I just can’t win.