Putting Paint Bank on the Map
Stop what you’re doing right now. Seriously. Why are you still reading this? STOP WHAT YOU ARE DOING. If you live within 5 hours of Paint Bank, VA, you must make a reservation to stay at Creekside Camp at the Depot Lodge. What a treat.
treat yourself 2018
I came across Creekside Camp when I was searching “winter camping” for a holiday gift for Michael. Somehow, glamping came up. I guess I’m a selfish gift giver, because the pictures looked exactly like something I wanted to do. The Depot Lodge in Paint Bank, VA has two different glamp sites that are open from April 1 - November 30. So I picked the first weekend that I knew we were free in April (first weekend was a 10-miler, second weekend was a game day -- work for me). I’m so pissed that I only booked one night!
Pictures do not do it justice, and I’m not just saying that because I didn’t take pictures of the tent or the interior. I was too busy enjoying myself, I’m sorry! I’m not sorry. (I did take a funny “walk thru” video after a few beers and a bottle of wine as I was quietly singing along with Grateful Dead on the satellite radio and Michael was in the shower. TBD if I’m going to share that here…)
So, we arrived in Paint Bank and no one was there to check us in. We hung out in the parking lot for a little and a sweet woman with a pixie cut and a North Carolinian accent ran down the road to show us to our glamp site. Creekside Camp is right behind the main hotel and just a short walk to The Swinging Bridge Restaurant. We got to our tent right after our hike and I was starving - surprise!
doing a happy dance
There are no words for the perfection of this tent. Climate-controlled, satellite radio, king size bed, prosecco in an ice bucket ready for us when we got there (yeah, duh, please, now), “fire starter,” s’mores ingredients, a wood burning fireplace, shower with a rainfall shower head, toilet, DISH network, and a wrap-around porch. Then there was my favorite part - the outdoor shower. I LOVE OUTDOOR SHOWERS. [Hopefully more on outdoor showers later this summer]
We tried out the hammock, we drank our bubbles, we ate the cheese and crackers I brought from Trader Joe’s, and it was so gorgeous out that I begged Michael to let me take an outdoor shower before we lost sunlight. It was around 5:30pm by the time we walked over to the restaurant. We were quoted with an hour wait. AN HOUR??? REMEMBER HOW HANGRY I WAS ON THAT G-D HIKE?! And so was Michael. Not a great combination.
beers fierce, man
The General Store is the front part of the restaurant. Once we figured out that The Swinging Bridge Restaurant DOES NOT SERVE ALCOHOL, we asked the girls working in the General Store if we could grab some beers and play cornhole in the back. We were not allowed to drink on the premises, even though they tried to help us (they said we could just pour our beers into solo cups and play, no one would mind, but I’m a nerdy rule follower). We walked across the road and cracked open our Vienna Lagers with our brand new blue plastic cups. Less than 20 minutes later, our buzzer went off. We “hid” our beers and went to the restaurant.
Within our quoted hour, we had drank some beers, ate our dinner, and paid our check. I got a Bison BBQ sandwich that was [thankfully] Carolina style (more vinegar than sweet, my favorite) and Michael had rainbow trout.
It was a perfect night, capped off with a fire in the firepit, star gazing, two bottles of wine, a private dance party in sweats, and watching Deadpool - LIKE ADULTS.
I didn’t want to leave Sunday morning, especially after our fresh pastries and coffee were delivered to our tent in a picnic basket. I mean. Who would expect that level of hospitality in Paint Bank, VA? What a fucking treat.
