This is the last day of our Blog Trip, and here are a few things to do before you leave:
Visit Ridgefield Farm for a few hours of flower cutting, corn mazes, pumpkin patches and hayrides. There’s something here for everyone.
Visit the Harpers Ferry National Park, which is a few miles away from Ridgefield Farms. Here you can visit John Brown’s Fort. John Brown worked with Frederick Douglas to abolish slavery. Bring the camera, this park has amazing views and a few bald eagles, red-tailed hawks , white-tailed deer, and southern flying squirrel. If you don’t see any white tailed deer, they’re probably in my back year, lol. This park will take you back in time with the costumes of the earlier years and reenactments. Nice history lesson for the kids.
Not into parks, how about kayaking, tubing, or rafting on the Potomac and Shenandoah Rivers. Check out River Riders while you’re in that area.
Want a taste of the city life before you leave, visit the Smithsonian National Zoo. It’s about 1 1/2 hours away in our Nation’s Capital. Be sure to take the White House tour and visit the Holocaust Museum while you’re there.
Just want to relax and enjoy a movie, visit the Opera House in nearby Shepherdstown, WV. It’s my hometown and about 15 minutes away. They are currently showing Brideshead Revisited. I have not seen this movie, but you can read a review here: http://bridesheadrevisited-themovie.com/images/BridesheadRevisitedElleReview.pdf After the movie, visit the Three Onions restaurant. The food is yummy.
We offer thoroughbred racing and a taste of Las Vegas at the Charles Town Races and Slots. It’s 30 minutes from my house, and they have an excellent buffet. You can watch the races while dining on the upper level. The buffet on the lower level is better).
Want to splurge? You can finish the evening with a 7 course meal and a restful night’s sleep at the beautiful Hillbrook Inn.
I hope you have enjoyed your time in West Virginia. It has been a pleasure being your host while on this Blog Trip. Please subscribe to Giggles & Sugar Kisses’ blog before you leave, I would love for us to remain blog friends. 
I’m On A Blog Trip – Welcome To West Virginia
Welcome To West Virginia
Here’s three of my favorite places to eat, The Bavarian Inn, The Purple Iris, and the Yellow Brick Bank.
The Bavarian Inn (Top) – is known for its German cuisine, but they have wonderful American dishes too. I usually go here for lunch, but the prices are reasonable for both lunch and dinner. I personally love their crab cakes. They are to die for. They are served with whipped potatoes and fresh asparagus. Their bread is wonderful too and the service is great. The Bavarian offers offers chalets if you would like to spend the night. The view is beautiful, they overlook the Potomac River. Nice for a romantic getaway, anniversary or New Years eve.
The Purple Iris (Middle) is absolutely beautiful. It’s an old mansion that is decorated impeccably. The grounds are awesome. To top it off, the food is divine. I can’t decide who has the best crab cakes, The Bavarian Inn or The Purple Iris so I just continue to go to both. I take my employees here for lunch at Christmas. There are Christmas trees and lights everywhere. Awesome place for a wedding too. You can’t go wrong here, but you must have a reservation. It’s the owner’s home. Tiffany and Daniel Harshbarger, adorable couple, are the owners. I love it!
The Yellow Brick Bank (Bottom) was one of Nancy Reagan’s favorite lunch spots. She frequented our area often. We always knew when she was in town, black SUVs would be everywhere. Let me tell you why, the food is finger licking good and the ambiance is superb. This restaurant used to be a bank when I was a kid. It’s in my home town, so is the Bavarian Inn. I may be a little biased about this restaurant, my cousin is a chief there. His fried chicken is gobbled up by Washington, DC dignitaries. There’s nothing funnier than watching a group of men in Brooks Brothers suits and ladies in Vera Wang suits licking their fingers while eating his fried chicken. Their Tortelini Alfredo on the lunch menu and their Rack of Lamb on the dinner menu are highly recommended. You can see Clifford in the photo gallery. Tell him cousin Rhonda sent you.
I’ll be eating at Chima’s on Saturday. My significant other and I share the same birthday, we chose this restaurant to celebrate. I don’t have any pictures to share, but check back next week for a review. I’ll be sure to take a few pictures while we’re there.
I hope that you will find one of the restaurants to your liking. Please stop by tomorrow for a great shopping experience.
I’m On A Blog Trip – Welcome to West Virginia
Here are the gas prices at the Shell and Exxon near my home. I’ve always used Exxon Supreme in my vehicles to avoid the knocks, as you can see it’s a little less than Shell. When I first purchased my car a year ago, I could fill up my tank for $35.00 to $40.00. It now costs $60.00 to $65.00. I try not to complain, I feel blessed that I have a job that allows me to afford such a luxury. Yes, I said gas is a luxury! There will be no booty shaking on these 2 finds. 
