Alpine Hideaway Cottages
Innkeeper(s):
Melissa & Ray Alexanders
Brewery Tour continues at Blue Lab Brewery 20 Mar 2012, 4:52 pm
Blue Lab Brewery’s tasting room is located on South Randolph Street in Lexington. We visited their tasting room on St Patty’s Day and sampled many of their beers on tap.
Winter Wheat
Pale Ale
I.P.A.
Irish Red Ale
Amber
Stout
Chocolate Coffee Stout
Their Irish Red Ale was unleashed just in time for St Patty’s Day. Irish Red has a moderate malt aroma, generally caramel-like but occasionally toasty in nature. A combination of base malts and roasted barley created the red color, and crystal malts give it a malty profile with caramel flavors. We gave it our “stamp of approval”!
Blue Line IPA is their newest creation which will be unleashed soon.Exciting news for Blue Lab is local establishments are now carrying their beer. The Southern Inn Restaurant is pouring the Winter Wheat, Irish Red is on tap at the Palm’s Restaurant, and several styles are available at the Red Hen in 1 liter bottles.
Tasting Room Hours: Wed 4:30-7pm, Fri 4:30-7:30pm, Sat 2-5pm
Where did the Blue Lab name come from?Blue is for the Blue Ridge Mountains where the Brewery is located. Lab is in honor of their Labrador Retriever hence the name Blue Lab.
Our final brewery stop this month will be at Blue Mountain Brewery. Stay tuned next week for an update on our tour.
Ray and Melissa
Local Brewery Tour starts in Lexington 15 Mar 2012, 8:17 am
1st stop on the Beer Tour……………Devils Backbone BreweryEstablished in 2008, Devils Backbone Brewing Company is a brewpub located in Roseland, Virginia, close to the Wintergreen Resort. The brewery has won several awards at both the Great American Beer Festival and the World Beer Cup. This past weekend the brewery opened its doors to their newest addition in Lexington: Devils Backbone Brewery Outpost. The 15,000 sq ft custom built brewery is located on Route 11 South about 15 minutes from Alpine Hideaway Cottages. Currently the Outpost is brewing 2 of their flagship beers, Eight Point IPA and Vienna Lager. These 2 beers as well as 2 other beers, Gold Leaf Lager and Reilly’s Red Ale, are available for tastings.
Brittany, Tasting Room Manager, will be happy to pour you samples of the beers. In July, the Outpost may begin selling their beer by the glass. But for now you can enjoy the beer by taking home a Growler with your favorite brew. Growlers are $8 and beer fills are $10.
Tap Room Hours: Tue-Fri 11am-6pm, Sat & Sun 11am-5pm
Tours are conducted Tue-Fri at 5pm.
Where did the Devils Backbone name come from?During the 1740s Thomas Jefferson’s father was given a very large piece of property in the Blue Ridge mountains and was told to explore it. During their rough ride through the Blue Ridge Mountains, one of the mules slipped and fell into the canyon. The mules tied to the “mule train” also fell. Thomas Jefferson wrote in his journal: The mules fell into the “devils backbone”. Since being a local VA brewery located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the owners related to this and hence the name Devils Backbone.
Stay tuned for our brewery tour update on our next stop to Blue Lab Brewery. Looking forward to taste their Irish Red Ale for St Patrick's Day!
Ray and Melissa Alexander
March Hops with our Brewery Tour 2 Mar 2012, 3:24 pm
We have some great places to get great beer right around the corner from Alpine Hideaway! This month we will take you on a tour of our local micro-breweries. We will be visiting Devil's Backbone in their new Lexington location, Blue Lab Brewing Company in downtown Lexington, and Blue Mountain Brewery in Afton. Check the blog each weekend in March to follow our tour. Until then, here is a little preview for you...STOP #1: Devil's Backbone Brewery
Welcome Devil's Backbone to Lexington!
We plan to visit Devils Backbone during their Opening Weekend, and hope you will plan a visit to this great spot while staying at Alpine Hideaway.
STOP #2: Blue Lab Brewing Company
Bill and Tom, brewmasters, are unleashing their Irish Red Ale just in time for St Patricks Day. Blue Lab's "brewhouse", located in Lexington, has growler hours on Wednesday and Friday 4:30-7pm and Saturday afternoons 2-5pm. They also have refillable growlers to take home brew to your cottage to enjoy during your stay at Alpine Hideaway!
STOP #3: Blue Mountain Brewery
Blue Mountain Brewery sits in the Blue Ridge Mountains in Afton, Virginia. They are a farm brewery, growing their own hops, and crafting about 20 seasonal beers.
We can't wait for our tour to begin.
Stay tuned!
Ray and Melissa Alexander
Valentine’s Day Romance 2012 14 Feb 2012, 1:25 pm
“At the touch of love, everyone becomes a poet.” --Plato
There really is no place like a romantic place to kindle (or re-kindle) the romance between you and your sweetheart. The cabins at our lovely Alpine Hideaway are nestled in quiet nature and sheltered by the protection of the mountains. Who says you can only celebrate romance on February 14? Choose your own day to celebrate your love, and let us embellish such poignancy by providing the ideal setting for your getaway.
As an incentive, we offer a couple romantic getaway packages to accommodate your schedule and make certain that your vacation is as full of love and luxury as it should be:
Romantic Couples Massage- Are your days too busy to enjoy time together? We can help with that. A relaxing and rejuventating massage is the answer. Schedule a couple's massage in your own cottage. When done, relax in your outdoor hot tub and enjoy your time together.
Celebration Package- Whether it be Valentine’s Day, your honeymoon, your anniversary, or any other momentous occasion that you are celebrating, do so in forested luxury! This package includes a bottle of wine, cheese and crackers, Godiva chocolates, and a pair of coffee mugs, all included in a gift basket. Also included is a continental breakfast for you and your loved one.
Besides your stay at our cabins, there are many events and activities around the area to foster your personal love story:
-The Blackfriar Playhouse- Enjoy an evening at the theatre with the American Shakespeare Center’s productions of Much Ado About Nothing and Philaster, or Love Lies A-Bleeding.
-Lexington Valley Vineyard- Sample the rich wines of Lexington, VA. Enjoy a large pitcher of red and white Sangria for $18, a Snack Basket for $15, and a glass of wine for $5.
-Café Michele- This Lexington restaurant features fine American and French cuisine as well as a vast wine list.
Happy Valentine’s Day, and remember that Virginia is for Lovers!
Ray and Melissa Alexander
Sunny Days at Alpine Hideaway 31 Jan 2012, 8:28 pm
Holy cow! The temperature reached 66 degrees on this last day in January in Steeles Tavern. These guys are thinking the same thing as they relax on our property in the sunshine.
You can be kicking back and enjoying the weather too by staying in one of our cottages. The mountain views from the Ivy and Sunset cottages are awesome on a sunny day. You can sit and relax on the front porch having your favorite beverage while enjoying the views.
At night enjoy the outdoor hot tub under the stars. We are located in the Shenandoah Valley on the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia where the stars are so very bright and clear. We have never experienced seeing so many stars shining in the clear sky.
From the Pond View cottage you can take a walk along the edge of the water or sit in the Adirondack chairs facing the water. This past weekend our Pond View guests celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary enjoyed a little fishing. At night you can relax in your hot tub on the private back deck facing the water.
The Blue Heron arrives just before sunset to catch his dinner.
On this last day of January the sun retires for the evening for a well deserving rest.
If Alpine Hideaway is this beautiful on the last day of January, then we cannot wait to see what is in store for us in the months ahead. And you shouldn’t either! Book your getaway today.
Ray and Melissa Alexander
Innkeepers - Alpine Hideaway Cottages and Steeles Tavern Manor B&B
LEE JACKSON DAY in Lexington 12 Jan 2012, 8:58 pm
Today is Lee Jackson Day, a Virginia state holiday which honors 2 Virginian Confederate leaders Robert E. Lee and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson.Both were born near this date and both spent their final years of life as Lexington residents. Jackson taught at Virginia Military Institute before the Civil War and Lee was president of what is now Washington and Lee University .
So what do people do to celebrate this day?
A Lee-Jackson Day Symposium will be held on Friday from 1-5pm at the Holiday Inn Express. On Saturday, events begin at 10:00am in the Stonewall Jackson Memorial Cemetery with a wreath laying ceremony and military honors at the Jackson monument. Followed at 11am by a Civil War themed parade through downtown ending at VMI. Then a Noon service will be held in Lee Chapel to honor Robert E. Lee featuring guest speaker Stephen Lee Ritchie, a noted historian of the Kernstown Battlefield Association. A Luncheon will follow at the Virginia Horse Center. Services are free and open to the public. Also some people visit Robert E. Lee’s and Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson’s final home and resting places on this day.
Alpine Hideaway is a short 20 minutes from Lexington. If you are visiting this weekend check out the Lee-Jackson Day commemoration in Lexington, Va. for more details.
Our future guests can visit Downtown Lexington, Virginia to see the historic sites throughout the year.
Ray and Melissa Alexander
IT'S A NEW YEAR at ALPINE HIDEAWAY! 2 Jan 2012, 1:37 pm
2012 will be a year of New News and Good News.The New Year arrives with new owners, Ray and Melissa Alexander.
To learn more about us go to "About Me" on our Blog.
And it wouldn’t be a New Year without resolutions. So here are ours……..
Our first New Years resolution is to continue to provide cottages that are first class with attention to detail. We will provide you with everything you need to make your romantic getaway stay memorable. And, yes, Eileen has passed along her homemade granola recipe so Melissa will continue to include it in the Breakfast Baskets.
| View from Sunset Cottage |
And finally our third resolution (I like to group things in threes) is to create a new website for the Inn and enhance our current Alpine Hideaway website to link the two “sister” properties. The Inn website, www.steelestavern.com, will be up and running soon and will provide continued updates of our progress in opening the Inn.
Happy New Year and we will see you soon!
Ray and Melissa
A Farewell and a New Beginning 6 Dec 2011, 3:55 pm
Alpine Hideaway Cottages has officially changed ownership as of December 6, 2011, but not to worry! There are lots of exciting things in store for our valued guests...We want to thank you all for your loyalty, your kindness and your friendship over the 18 years that we have been running Alpine Hideaway. Our guests made this experience so special and rewarding for us. We will certainly miss our time here, but are confident the new owners, Melissa and Ray Alexander, will take our beloved Inn and cottages to the next level.
We wish you all the very best.
For the final time--
Your Hosts,
Bill and Eileen Hoernlein
Wrap Up 2011 with These Great Virginia Gifts 1 Dec 2011, 7:18 pm
The holidays have arrived, and there are plenty of ways to celebrate here in the Shenandoah Valley. From breakfasts with Santa to parades and unique shopping, we have the perfect gifts of the season for you and your loved ones. Click here for some great (nearby!) December events, courtesy of Virginia Tourism.Have a glass of wine today and imagine enjoying it at one of our cozy cabins after partaking in a full day of Virginia holiday events. Pair your wine with a soothing Jacuzzi soak and a roaring fire, and you will have imagined the perfect seasonal getaway. We hope to see you this season!
Your Hosts,
Bill and Eileen Hoernlein
Sneak Up on the Holidays! 22 Nov 2011, 12:39 pm
While you're enjoying Thanksgiving dinner on Thursday, shops and businesses will be busy making plans for an exciting holiday season!We have two special nearby recommendations for you to consider if you're in the area this weekend and want to start your holiday season off with a bang!
#1: Sunspots Studios in Staunton is kicking off a new tradition this year with "Blow Your Own Ornament" on the following dates:
Wednesdays through Sundays from 1-5pm
Fridays, Nov. 18, 23; Dec. 2, 9, & 16 from 5-8pm
Dec. 26-30 from 1-5pm
Dec. 31 from 1-3pm
#2: Milmont Greenhouses in Waynesboro's Holiday Poinsettia Open House
November 25 & 26, 8am-5:30pm
- apple butter boiling and sale
- Brunswick Stew sale
- Jerry Young art demo and drawing for original painting
- FREE poinsettias
(first 50 customers) - FREE homemade donuts and coffee
- drawings for $50 Milmont shopping spree
- $5 off any purchase of $50 or more
(with coupon) - Huge selection of poinsettias to choose from
- baked items and fudge sale
Happy Thanksgiving!
Your hosts,
Bill and Eileen Hoernlein
