OP here - thank you for the great suggestions! I initially booked dinner at Inn at Little Washington with a stay at White Moose Inn (which looks very cool), but then after the PP suggested Hillbrook Inn, we decided to stay there and dine at their Redbook Restaurant - still festive, but not as pricey, and we can putter around Harper's Ferry beforehand. Maybe for the 10th anniversary we'll do Inn at Little Washington.

If you go to the Inn I wouldn't stay overnight there. I'm sure it's lovely but it's just so expensive! There are a couple of excellent B&Bs within walking distance of the Inn that cater to people dining at the Inn, and I think that would be a nice trip.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Staunton VA is a cool little town with some B&Bs and a great Shakespeare theater.

Staunton is so cute but more than 1.5 hours from DC. When DH and I went, we stayed at the Iris Inn and it was lovely.

Near Harper's Ferry, we stayed at the Hillbrook Inn in Charles Town. They have a great restaurant on site.
In Alexandria, I'd recommend the Lorien Hotel in Old Town. We got married there so we like to go back occasionally to stay the night, eat dinner at Brabo restaurant and get a couple's massage at the hotel spa.

Ooo ... this is very intriguing! Which rooms / buildings at Hillbrook do you recommend?

Washington, VA is close to trailheads for a number of great hikes in SNP. Look for info on Little Devil's Stairs

Annapolis?

Inn at Little Washington is so worth it. The town is cute but tiny. We went to Shenandoah to hike.

Anonymous wrote:Salamander resort. there are several nearby wineries and they have a fleet of audi's and drivers to take you around them, super easy. look on groupon or living social, they have deals all the time, otherwise its about $500 night. Great spa too.

OP here - thanks! I looked here but there is a 2-night minimum!

Salamander resort. there are several nearby wineries and they have a fleet of audi's and drivers to take you around them, super easy. look on groupon or living social, they have deals all the time, otherwise its about $500 night. Great spa too.

Anonymous wrote:Staunton VA is a cool little town with some B&Bs and a great Shakespeare theater.

Staunton is so cute but more than 1.5 hours from DC. When DH and I went, we stayed at the Iris Inn and it was lovely.

Near Harper's Ferry, we stayed at the Hillbrook Inn in Charles Town. They have a great restaurant on site.
In Alexandria, I'd recommend the Lorien Hotel in Old Town. We got married there so we like to go back occasionally to stay the night, eat dinner at Brabo restaurant and get a couple's massage at the hotel spa.

Staunton VA is a cool little town with some B&Bs and a great Shakespeare theater.

Middleburg has good restaurants, shops, and outdoor stuff too.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I went to Inn at Little Washington for an anniversary and we really liked it. We did a walking tour of the outside grounds, but we did not do any hikes, so I can't speak to that.

Thanks! You stayed at the Inn as well as dined? What were the shops in Town like?

Yes, we did stay at the Inn. If you do that you get an afternoon tea the day you check in and breakfast the day you check out, as well.
It's a very small town, so only a few shops. I believe the shops were nice, but expensive.

Anonymous wrote:I went to Inn at Little Washington for an anniversary and we really liked it. We did a walking tour of the outside grounds, but we did not do any hikes, so I can't speak to that.

Thanks! You stayed at the Inn as well as dined? What were the shops in Town like?

I went to Inn at Little Washington for an anniversary and we really liked it. We did a walking tour of the outside grounds, but we did not do any hikes, so I can't speak to that.

Our in-laws will watch the kids for the night, and we want to maximize alone time, and minimize driving time during the 20-24 hours we have to enjoy ourselves!

We'd love a great meal, a nice place to stay, and outdoor time - either nature hikes or urban hikes. We'd love something festive but not stuffy. Think northern California resort-type.

Some initial thoughts we've had:

* Inn at Little Washington (is the incredible expense worth it? Would there be outdoor hikes?
* Harper's Ferry (great setting, but are there really any great restaurants there?)
* Alexandria

I would love some feedback - thank you!