Hard to believe, but there is peace and privacy a world apart from the political and business intrigues that define Washington, D.C. Drive west about an hour from Capitol Hill, or 40 minutes from Washington Dulles International Airport, and you enter the fabled Virginia Hunt Country. It is a world of Thoroughbreds, small wineries and blue ribbon wealth inside rolling green hills and pastures.
And near the area’s legendary village, Middleburg, lies the unique 265-acre Goodstone Inn & Estate, dating back to the early 1900s.
Goodstone’s centerpiece is Carriage House, which was originally a 14-stall home for horses. The only traces of the house’s former tenants are an occasional hoof mark here and there in luxuriously appointed bedroom suites. And instead of hay and grain, guests find a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace, comfy sofas, cathedral ceilings, and daily afternoon tea.
Hilltoppers, the estate’s signature restaurant with floor-to-ceiling palladium windows overlooking Goose Creek, is also inside Carriage House. Guests enjoy Chef Cary’s American fare and globally inspired creations, paired with wines from Virginia and around the world. Hilltoppers’ elegant new wine cellar is the perfect choice for small-group private dining and important business dinners.
Manor House, built in the 1940s, is great for a retreat or as a meetings venue. It features four bedrooms—each with a private bathroom—a living room with a log-burning fireplace and a baby grand piano. A private terrace and sun lounge overlook the rolling countryside and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Though Goodstone predates the digital age, guests find it’s equipped with wireless high-speed Internet, and there are some other unexpected amenities as well, such as the staff’s personalized service, farm-fresh eggs for breakfast and warm chocolate chip cookies from the estate kitchen.
Even though it’s off the beaten path, Goodstone offers an array of four-season recreational activities, too. Guests may merely soak up the scenery from beside the pool or their private porch’s rocking chair, or bike, hike, canoe, and ride horses around the estate.
Out and about, there is Middleburg shopping and dining, Civil War history tours or maybe a steeple chase event to experience. Whatever the preference, Goodstone can be a retreat from the rat race and a scenic platform for serious pursuit of objectives—even those that just scream “relax!”
For More Info
Goodstone Inn & Estate www.goodstone.com
