"What’s to love: Food lovers and true romantics should check into this 23-key Relais & Chateaux property by Chef and owner Patrick O’ Connell, where design and service excellence match the gastronomic greatness of the Inn’s three-star Michelin restaurant. Over the last 45+ years, O’ Connell, who was bestowed a James Beard Lifetime Achievement Award and National Humanities Medal in 2019, has nurtured his passion project into an entire campus of restored historic buildings, including a main inn, an 1850s Victorian house, a circa 1740s cottage, the informal Patty O’s Café & Bakery and a three-star Michelin restaurant that’s quite possibly the country’s best. Standouts from a recent meal included a henhouse egg of garlic custard with sunchoke puree and parmesan cream; a pasta “rose” with local silver queen corn, chanterelles, and sungold tomatoes; and a chartreuse of savoy cabbage and Maine lobster with caviar beurre blanc. Romance factor: Wow your loved one by booking an in-kitchen experience with O’Connell, during which he’ll guide you through his creative process and showpiece gilded kitchen over truffle-rich popcorn, caviar-laced bites, and fine wine before enjoying an epic, multi-course dinner. (Reservations must be made in advance.) Allow ample time to linger in your suite or cottage—the Americana-meets-Victorian floral fairytale rooms are idyllic backdrops for romance under the sheets. Map out hikes, short and long, through nearby Shenandoah National Park to help work off decadent breakfasts, afternoon tea, and the never-ending snacks found around the Inn. Get there: About two hours from Washington, D.C. by car; four hours from Philadelphia" - Paul Rubio
