Hate is a strong word. But it’s the only adjective that accurately describes how I feel about sleeping in a tent. I suppose it has something to do with my first (and last) camping experience, which involved the cold, hard ground of the Grand Canyon and eating Hamburger Helper cooked over an open fire, which wreaked havoc on my innards for the better part of two days.
And so it was with mixed emotions that I signed up for an overnight at The Hope and Glory Inn’s Tents at Vineyard Grove, a community of nineteen compact Carpenter Gothic cottages that replicate the mid-1800s camp communities, or “groves,” used for summertime religious revivals. To my delight, unlike the canvas structures of yore, these tents are anything but primitive. Reminiscent of the gingerbread house on grandma’s Christmas table, each cottage is sweetly accessorized with fanciful trim along dramatically sloped tin rooflines and fitted with arched windows and doors.
Located just north of Irvington’s city limits, the “tents” occupy forty woodland acres and share green space with the six-acre White Fences Vineyard & Winery, both creations of Bill Westbrook, the advertising executive who founded The Hope and Glory Inn and Trick Dog Café, among other local tourism destinations.
The Innkeepers Peggy and Dudley Patteson, owners of The Hope and Glory Inn, manage the seven rentable tents, while the other twelve are privately owned. Tent guests check in at the inn, where the Pattesons (Peggy was director of guest services at The Tides Inn for sixteen years, Dudley an investment banker) provide keys, a tent map, and tourism information about the town. You’ll likely be wooed by their hospitable Southern charm, but you still have the option to hole up in your tent and hide from them—and the rest of the world—until check out.
The Rooms Most of the 1,500-square-foot tents are decorated in the shabby-chic style, each with different color schemes, from electric apple green to soothing neutral tones. We chose Tent No. 16 for its black-and-white color scheme and floral accents. Despite the fact that the temperature during that weekend hovered in the mid-eighties, we camped out in the living room, cranked up the gas fireplace for ambience, and opened the arced front doors to catch the breeze, while Frank Sinatra crooned about “Moonlight in Vermont” and the “Tender Trap” on the CD player. The adjoining kitchen made it easy to grab snacks and chilled white wine, purchased at the vineyard’s quaint tasting room/gift shop, The Wine Stand (just a short walk down the gravel lane), where manager/wine maker Mark Hollingsworth is generous with tastings of White Fences’ signature Meteor red as well as white blends.
The cozy master bedroom, located on the second floor, is adorned with red-and-white gingham linens and au currant coral accessories. Those who prefer to sleep sans AC can switch on the ceiling fan and crack open the patio doors, which overlook the winery’s fields, hemmed by its namesake white fences. His and hers closets ensure agreeable living conditions as do the double sinks in the master bath. Tent No. 16 sleeps up to six people, with the two guest rooms, complete with queen-size beds and private baths, found on the bottom floor.
Special Touches Here in the woods, there’s no innkeeper telling you what time you must eat breakfast or housekeepers wanting in to clean or sounds from other guests walking past your room at indecent hours. This is like a fully outfitted home away from home, with a stacked washer and dryer, flat-screen TV, stereo, and phones (a key amenity as only Verizon works in this neck of the woods, leaving us Cingular subscribers completely out of luck).
What’s For Breakfast Yes, Virginia, there is a downside to a tent vacation: There’s no one to cook for you. So, if your other half is Ina Garten, you’re in luck. But if I’m your other half, undercooked scrambled eggs, rye toast, and mediocre decaf coffee will have to suffice. For those who prefer to cook in, the kitchen is outfitted with refrigerator, stove, microwave, dishwasher, pots, and pans.
Diversions If lounging is a priority, claim an umbrella-shaded chaise at the pool, tucked on a shady knoll on the east side of the property, or wind your way down the woodland trail, which connects most of the tents, to the dock where a collection of kayaks await to take you through the serpentine headwaters of Carters Creek. If you’re looking for a bit more action, make the five-minute walk into town and check out the Steamboat Era Museum, an ode to the elegant vessels that once plied the local waters. A handful of fashionable his and hers boutiques (Avolon, Khakis, and The Dandelion) reside on Irvington Avenue. Casual breakfast and lunch is offered at The Local and fine dining at the Trick Dog Café, The Tides Inn, or the four-course “chef’s table” dinners at The Hope and Glory Inn on Saturday nights. Water babies can sign up for a crab feast cruise on The Hope and Glory’s forty-two-foot deadrise, Faded Glory, or opt for a Gatsby-style sunset spin on The Tides Inn’s 127-foot historic yacht, Miss Anne. The town of Kilmarnock and White Stone are a hop, skip, and a jump away, where a smattering of shopping venues and restaurants are found.
Romance Factor It’s common knowledge that a vacation can reignite sparks extinguished by the responsibilities of everyday life. And when camped out at the tents, all you have to focus on is the sound of the breeze pushing through the canopy of trees, the soft serenade of the birds, and the tidal progress of sleepy Carters Creek below, leaving one’s mind free to settle on the serious business of romance.
What It’s Going to Cost Weekday rates: one bedroom, $310; two bedrooms, $460; three bedrooms, $610. Weekend rates: one bedroom, $385; two bedrooms, $535; three bedrooms, $685. Week-long rates: $1,650-$3,150.
