Anonymous wrote:Thanks for all the ideas! Anyone familiar with Staunton, VA?

We found it incredibly boring. Although the Shakespeare Theatre was nice.

Deep Creek and Lake Anna are the big lakes near DC and they are both man made...good for canoeing, nice trees, but no pristine rocky shoreline by Adirondack or New Hampshire standards.

Masanutten might do the trick.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We spent 4 days at Deep Creek with our then 2ish YO a couple years ago and I HATED it. The lake is kind of icky for swimming (I'm more of a pool or ocean person), there are not good places to eat, everything's rather tacky. I don't think DC residents are probably the target vacationers for that area.

Deep Creek Lake is manmade, so that's probably why. There are no natural lakes in Maryland.

I agree. It's gross.

OP, we love Canaan Valley - there are cabins there (both at the Canaan Valley resort itself, and nearby) and the hiking in nearby Blackwater Falls State Park is wonderful.

We spent Valentine's Day at a cabin from VRBO near Wintergreen. I think it was in Roseland, Va. Had a great time and were directly below Wintergreen Mountain.

Anonymous wrote:We spent 4 days at Deep Creek with our then 2ish YO a couple years ago and I HATED it. The lake is kind of icky for swimming (I'm more of a pool or ocean person), there are not good places to eat, everything's rather tacky. I don't think DC residents are probably the target vacationers for that area.

Deep Creek Lake is manmade, so that's probably why. There are no natural lakes in Maryland.

We spent 4 days at Deep Creek with our then 2ish YO a couple years ago and I HATED it. The lake is kind of icky for swimming (I'm more of a pool or ocean person), there are not good places to eat, everything's rather tacky. I don't think DC residents are probably the target vacationers for that area.

Thanks for all the ideas! Anyone familiar with Staunton, VA?

We love The Cabins at Rose River Farm. Their website is http://www.roseriverfarm.com/accommodations.html. Incredible cabins and lots of fun outdoor activities. It's only about 1:45 from DC and close to Charlottesville. You need to book early as they get really booked up.

We had a nice time with a toddler at Wintergreen. We rented a house there and did some short hikes. The toddler was little enough to ride in a carrier on my back. We had access to a pool that was nice and we visited the resort too.

Berkeley Springs, WV

Deep Creek Lake in Western Maryland

I know summer vacations are a popular topic now, but hoping for a bit of advice! Looking to get somewhere cooler (so probably mountains, not beaches) with a young toddler for a few nights this summer. Given the timeframe, we'd prefer something within a 3-4 hour drive max. Open space for the little guy to run around, and a spot in a small town, would be ideal. Not looking for a remote cabin in the woods sort of trip. I've thought maybe harper's ferry or Charlottesville? Any more interesting ideas would be great. Thank you!