Hunting Ridge
It’s been six months since Josh started living in Winchester, Virginia and working at Hunting Ridge Retreat, and only 5 for me. Many of our family and friends have asked questions of where we lived and worked so here are a few details & pictures.
Pretend with me that you were coming to visit (which we would love because we live out in the boondocks).
You are finally arriving and starting the drive down our mile driveway.
half way down the driveway
At first you would drive through woods, but after a hundred yards,
the retreat property opens up to vast fields, complete with two fishing ponds
and the main buildings.
As you continue to drive, on the right you’ll see the pavilion complete with a fireplace inside. Basketball and sand volleyball courts are next in line before our wonderful pool. During the summer neighbors, church members, and Winchester residents use our pool in addition to our camp guests. Surprisingly, the pool stays rather calm, nothing compared to the city pools, which makes it a nice getaway.
Church groups and company picnics occupy this during warm weather
complete with a snack shack!
The next part includes a very nice outdoor gazebo, screened in so no bees attack. Finally you part in one of our twenty parking spaces, get out of your car and walk towards the best part: the lodge. The lodge is where I work, most of the time. The kitchen, break room, restrooms, lodge dining area and fireplace make up the lodge. During the summer, I usually serve seventy people a day and during the off season I serve smaller groups on the weekends. I’ve learned a ton about food safety, prep and service which I really enjoy now.
Where all the food is served, and other stuff too!
Next on the list would be the cabins. Each cabin holds up to 10 people, bunk bed style. Josh and I clean them during the off season, so we love the summer when other help cleans. There are 8 of these cabins, so feel free to call us up to book your next family
8 cabins that hold ten people each. Do the math, thats how many can stay.
vacation, ha, just kidding, but you could…
Our house sits to the side of the lodge. We have three bedrooms, a kitchen, and living room. Its way more than enough space for us and have taken some time to paint it this fall.
This is to the right of the house, everything is in a big circle.
The chapel building sits adjacent to our house and includes an organ and piano. Groups sometimes use this building during their stay.
the living quarters
Now that you’ve scene all these wonderful buildings, you must be wondering who takes care of the maintenance, lawn care, and countless other unexpected projects. Answer: Josh, and he’s awesome at it. He works almost everyday on retreat stuff, not to mention his tech work on the website. He’s awesome, what can I say.
Alright, lastly, we have an awesome amount of woods area behind the cabins which we use all the time for hunting, off-roading and trail hiking.
On a hike ...down by the river
Well, there it is, our life in a nutshell. Besides the retreat we are currently serving as Young Life leaders in the area, are apart of a community group at our church, and starting to make friends. Jesus has greatly blessed our lives!
One more pic..
We are so blessed to be here
I”ve always hated bugs, anything that buzzed really. Living out in the woods and near water has brought a whole slue of new creatures into my vocab. Huge spiders, some poison, others carrying hundred of babies on their backs. Rattlesnakes make their home here in this close-to-redneck area of the country. Most terrifying to me would be the huge hornets who can create new homes overnight in their plot of choice. It would be nice to see a futuristic version of myself being a brave, bee torturer, but unfortunately I’m stuck with running and ducking at a buzz.
