Hotel: Henry Clay Inn, $208 total for 2 nights, http://www.henryclayinn.com/
Dinners: Iron Horse Restaurant: $50.33 before tip. http://www.ironhorserestaurant.com/
Trackside Grill: $28.77 before tip. http://www.tracksidegrill.org/
My late husband and I usually got away on Thanksgiving. Until we got a little older and less adventurous, we didn’t even make reservations! Although I did pack turkey sandwiches just in case. I now make reservations and have adjusted where I stay as a single woman.
The destination this year is Ashland, VA. I spied the college from the Amtrak train once and thought it looked charming. Now that I’m here, I ponder the efficacy of a railroad track running down the middle of the main street!
On the Tuesday before Turkey day, I left my Annapolis-area home at 11 to drive to this town about 15 miles north of Richmond. It takes about 2.5 hours via the main Route 95, about 3 hours via the old main Route 301. I took the older route and was only slowed down by local traffic in Waldorf and La Plata. Otherwise, traffic was very light. At about 20 miles before Richmond, GPS (“Keith”) guided me onto route 54 and Ashland. A right onto Railroad and voila, the Henry Clay Inn. It is on the west side of tracks which run down the main street and is located directly behind the Amtrak station (also the Ashland welcome center).
The Henry Clay Inn was first called the Ashland Hotel when it was built in 1858. Two fires later (1905 and 1946) it was re-built as Henry Clay Inn in 1991 by the present owners.
Parking is in back and there is a ramp to the entrance making this a good place for handicapped. There are also first floor handicapped-accessible rooms. This is unusual in an old inn but this inn isn’t really old. The original 1868 building has burned to the ground twice and was re-built as an in in the 1990’s.
Check-in was smooth (I’d reserved ahead by phone). The entry area is nicely-decorated in antique-y looking furniture and a nice Oriental rug. From a rather puny-looking desk area, one spies a meeting room, gift shop and breakfast room. Holiday decorations in the process of going up. Innkeeper, Susan, carried my suitcase up the stairs to my room on the second floor rear. I requested this location to avoid hearing the trains.
My room (213-a classic not premier room) has a queen bed, wing back chair, desk and armoire with ample room for storage, TV and iron/ironing board. Furniture appears to be reproductions. Private bath has typical hair dryer, ample floor space but no extra space on the sink. All of the rooms along the back of the inn have French doors to a porch spanning the back of the inn. I’d give mine a B/B+.
By 2:30, I stow my case and head out to explore. There is a second floor lounge with nice couch, lovely secretary (how old?) and French doors to a porch. Very nice.
It took 1 minute or less to get to the Amtrak station/welcome center. I picked up a brochure and map of the town and headed for Ashland Coffee and Tea. This looked like a funky coffee/beer shop with cast-off furniture. It is also a music venue and there’s a large room with tables for that. Sandwiches, snacks also served. Good coffee break and I read the brochure and plotted my activities.
The town in which I grew up, Chestertown Md., is similar to Ashland. An old college, colonial history are the same. The major highway (Route 95) near Ashland make it more a bedroom community than my town seems though.
I walked along the west wide of the tracks and found a consignment shop for horse things called Changing Reigns (front door sign reads “Trot on in!”—very cute.) New antique shop not open but Iron Horse Inn is so I stopped and made a reservation for 6 p.m.
Crossed the tracks and visited a little grocery store still run by the same family and then strolled back to the inn and unpacked and checked email. Wifi works wonderfully here.
Iron Horse was a department store. Resto is on the left and a nice-sized bar is on the right of the entry way.
Here’s dinner:
Roasted beet beignets with goat cheese-dill crème fraiche
Rainbow trout lightly stuffed with spinach, arugula, shitakes and Taggiasca olives. Served with sweet potato hash with garlic-fennel vinaigrette.
Glass of merlot
Panna cotta for dessert.
It was very good except the beignets were shaped more like hushpuppies and were crusty on the outside and a little gooey inside. The trout was perfect and butchered so it looked like a boat of a fish with the stuffing where the bones had been removed. Panna cotta was fine—dark cookie crumbs and 3 dots of raspberry sauce were cute.
I chatted a fair amount with the waitperson and she told me there are 52 scheduled trains per day. She also invited me to have Thanksgiving dinner at her house. Wasn’t that sweet?
Back to the inn to crash.
Mini-Trip to Ashland VA ("Center of the Universe”!)
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Keep it up Tdudette. I love these more local trip reports.
Thanks, jubi!
Here's day 2:
Wednesday, November 21, 2012
Continental breakfast is self-serve. Four tables and artwork around as this room opens to the gift shop. I had a cup of sliced honeydew, English muffin (jam on one side, cinnamon/sugar on the other), coffee, banana and water. There was also hot and cold cereal and cut-up coffee cake. No one in the room but there is a used paper in the trash so I guess someone beat me to breakfast.
Decided to drive around the town and through the Randolph-Macon campus. R-MC is the oldest Methodist college in the U.S. Lots of building going on. Nice campus but I didn’t walk around. I also backtracked to the intersection of Routes 301 and 54 to a funky-looking place I’d spied yesterday. It’s an antique store called Two Frogs on a Bike. It wasn’t open but it was funny quirky.
Went ahead and topped off the gas ($3.19 for regular) and took Route 1 to Richmond with the idea of seeing the fine arts museum. Keith had trouble finding it without an address so 2 students and one policeman later I found this wonderful place.
http://www.vmfa.state.va.us/Default.aspx
Good parking garage ($5 for nonmembers) and there is a Chihuly exhibit going on (through Feburary 10, fyi)! At this point I’m wheezing a bit so stop and get lunch (food helps for some reason). A glass of Museum Red ($7) and a hotdog and chips ($3.89) are the perfect combination—perfectly paired LOL!
After lunch, I buy special ticket ($16 for senior) and I get right into the Chihuly exhibit. It is stunning, albeit only a few rooms. I am also impressed with VMFA’s Art Deco/Nouveau/French wing and walk until I get tired. A stop by the gift shop (do you hear DH turning over?!) and I pick up a couple of books about the artist.
Keith is able to find my address in Ashland via Route 95. Unfortunately, traffic is snarly. Good map person that I am, I get off first exit and slip over to Route 1 and am able to get home easily. Well, except for the part where I miss the Route 54 turn. When I quit recognizing things, I plugged Keith back in and indeed I had overshot Ashland by 6 miles! Because of the earlier campus tour, I am able to get back to the inn more quickly via College Ave.
Thought I’d nap but started working on this TR and listening to Dr. Oz about early warning signs of aging. Did anyone see this? I hope someone makes a separate thread about this show.
There was no phone number on the web site so I walked the 3 blocks and crossed the railroad tracks to Trackside Grill. I was warmly welcomed and given a big booth rather than one of the tiny tables for 2. Many photos of horse racing adorn this restaurant. I could see 5 TVs and a second room filled with video games. Had an excellent rib steak and an adequate Caesar salad—the dressing had a little bite and “home made” croutons were tiny.
The grocery store and the 2 restaurants were the only things open on the street so I strolled back to the inn. The doors were locked so I used my key. Lights were low and the entire place had the feel of emptiness. Very strange. I started listening for Jack Nicholson!
Watched a little television and then zonked. Before zonking, I realized how soothing the sound of the train had become.
Glad you got to go to the VMFA....it's a real local treasure.
It's a gorgeous place.
Here's the last day and link for just a few shots. I do know that my reports are snooze-worthy but if any of the info helps even one person, then I'm validated!
Thursday 11/22/12 Happy T Day to all
Same breakfast as yesterday. Spoke to mother of the Innkeeper and it turns out she is the owner. We appear to be in the same age bracket so we chatted a good bit. They had lived in Reston VA in their other life. She with 2 babies and he an engineer. The babies are now the Innkeepers with their own babies and the owner is still scratching her head about how they managed to build and run an inn with no experience!
I packed up, checked emails, watched a bit of the Macy’s parade then headed on to Fredericksburg via Route 1 for lunch at Brock’s. Keith loves main roads and had to continually ‘recalculate’ as I ignored signs for Route 95. Once I got there, I saw signs for Route 301 and decided to skip lunch and go home. I called Brock’s to cancel and headed back.
Took back roads all the way back and enjoyed it. Would I live in Ashland? I don’t think so. It’s so similar to the town of my Maryland youth that I’m wondering if I shouldn’t just go back there! On the other hand, it is nice to have Richmond Va so convenient.
If you are a Civil War buff, I saw many signs in the area for venues (Hermitage for one) and "trails". It would be a great place to use as a base for exploration.
To VA Fodorites, if it hadn’t been Thanksgiving, I would have suggested a GTG. Next time, OK? I can take the train to Ashland and meet you there.
Try this for pix: http://www.flickr.com/photos/32219995@N07/
Sorry, I wrote Iron Horse Inn and it should have been Restaurant.
Am also wondering if Hermitage is the correct name? Any natives to help? I'm thinking there's a Hermitage in Tennessee. Senior moment, sorry.
TDudette, it sounds like a lovely way to spend the holiday. I'm glad you enjoyed your visit. I have also admired Ashland from an Amtrak window. You've given me more incentive to visit.
Please plan another time to visit the area. I would love to attend a gtg and meet you.
BTW you can also get to Williamsburg via Amtrak.
Thanks Birdie! Happy holidays.
Rec'd an email that Henry Clay Inn will be closing. FYI only as I don't know further details. It surely is a lovely place.