We recently spent the weekend at Highland Springs Resort.  It was a quick getaway – only about an hour and a half drive.  Our room was big with views of their organic lavender fields.  It also had an old console from circa 1930 with a record player that still worked!  AND it had some old jazz LP’s in it too.

We put on “Surrender” by Woody Herman and his Orchestra and felt inspired to slow dance.  I mean, isn’t that what they did back then?  We also listened to Tommy Dorsey and his Orchestra.  I guess everyone had an orchestra back then too.  One said ‘Recorded on January 29, 1937 Irving Berlin’.  Cool.

We found out that the resort was popular back in the 30’s and 40’s. Albert Einstein would stay there often.  And in the 60’s, the Rat Pack went frequently.

It has around 1,000 acres with some of it used for growing organic lavender, some for organic vegetables they use in their restaurant, hiking trails and a pool.  It also has several old buildings that are no longer being used.  I don’t know why, but give me old or boarded up buildings and I’m happy exploring for hours.  I guess it’s the stories I make up in my head of who used to stay there and all the things that have happened over the years. And I really, really loved the 1,100 year-old oak tree.  Just imagine everything it has seen over the last thousand years.

We also found some things they were getting rid of so we stole… err, i mean asked, if we could take them.  We now have a basket and an old oil lantern for memorabilia from our trip.  I also wanted to take this table and seating with me for my backyard, but couldn’t figure out how to fit it in the car.  This table went on forever.   We could have had dinner parties for 100.

But I did take this gigantic pinecone home with me.  It’s over 13″ tall – about the size of Pixie.  I’d never seen one so big and I just had to add it to my pinecone collection.  Yes, I have one.