After a fun drive down a curvy forest flanked road, you emerge into the sunlight with expansive fields on either side of you. You turn left down a dirt path that takes you by an old farmhouse. You dogleg around another field and enter the woods on a gravel road. When you get to the gate you step out. Through the trees, you can vaguely see the vastness of the James River and you hear the sound of a light breeze as it tumbles amid the leaves. Back in your vehicle you steer right, around the driveway loop and notice that you are at the peak of a hill that drops deeply into a great wooded ravine on either side.
Straight in front of you is the cottage which sits at the tip of the peninsula surrounded by views of the River. You shut off the vehicle and step outside. There is not another home or person in sight. NOW....You are officially on vacation. You stroll down the brown pebble path and past the shed that was built by boy scouts in the early 1900's. The breeze from the river feels stronger now and you can see the detail of the water and the white sandy beach below.
Just as you step onto the entry deck you notice two adult bald eagles soaring above the beach looking for prey. You didn't have to look up to see them they were at eye level with you. You are 70' above the river and the surrounding forest floor. The experience is like being in a treehouse; Albeit, a treehouse with a 4 acre yard, and parking for 20. The breeze is loud in the trees now and gives you the feeling of being blanketed by nature.
You jiggle the knob and are inside. Looking around there's nothing fancy, yet everything is special and somehow comforting. Hand made arts and crafts, Americana, books and furnishings you could only find in a cottage that's been a family heirloom for generations. You want to settle in but looking out the window you see an inviting path that winds down the hill and dissipates into the woods. You think, “I bet that leads to the river” and with that you are out the door on your first of many adventures.
Keywords: Cottage