romantic wash dc or nearby
 

hi all-
i'm thinking of popping the question and looking for a nice, romantic place to getaway near dc. i'm from here so i know the area but cant think of anywhere to go. the inn at little washington is just too expensive...we're budget travelers. any ideas? heading as far north as new york or south of dc are options as well...

Best wishes on your proposal. What time of year are you planning to go?

There are many lovely inns and romantic getaways west of DC that are not as pricey as Inn at Little Washington.

It depends how far you want to travel.
There are things in the Middleburg area for the weekend. Also, consider Ashby Inn in Paris, VA or L'Auberge Provencal in White Post, VA. Both have very good food and lovely inns along a similar line as I at LW, but not nearly so pricey. There are wineries and hiking trails in the area along with antiquing stuff, but it would be a mostly quiet, romantic weekend.

Other areas to consider: Williamsburg, VA or maybe the Brandywine Valley, DE (Longwood Gardens and Winterthur are there along with wineries and shops and restaurants).

If you give a little more info on budget and interests, I'm sure you will get lots of great suggestions.

Good luck.

Here is great budget destination - lots to do and quite charming. Perfect for weekend. If you want a massage, reserve ASAP. It's about 2-1/2 hours from DC.


http://www.berkeleysprings.com/

Do you prefer urban (which some do find romantic)or rural, mountains or coast?

A couple of additional options besides the good ones given by previous posters:
The Tides www.tidesinn.com/

The Greenbriar www.greenbrier.com

The Homestead www.thehomestead.com

One of the Historic Inns of Annapolis
http://www.annapolisinns.com/index.php (we like the Calvert House)

How about someplace in St.Michaels? The Inn at Perry Cabin, while expensive/upscale tends to have good specials this time of year and is very quiet/romantic...there are other inn's in St.Michaels that get good reviews too...the ride would be just over an hour from DC...another place we love to go is the Antrim 1844 in Taneytown (about an hour the other direction from DC) www.antrim1844.com/ Again, very romantic - fabulous restaurant on premisis...they also have great winter specials (rooms w/fireplaces, etc.)

I LOVE the Greenbrier, but can't think of a less appropriate suggestion for a "budget traveller"!

St. Michaels is nice, but I get bored staying more than one night. Start with a one nighter there and see how you like it before comitting to a longer stay.

I agree with the Berkeley Springs,WV suggestion. If you go there, eat at Tari's.

thanks for all the suggestions. sorry if i was vague in my original post. we will be going in early feb, just a couple weeks from now. generally i prefer either a kind of funky town with interesting food and shops or just somewhere very luxurious and relaxing, which i know is hard to do on a budget. i saw some cabins online which sounded good (jacuzzis, fireplaces) but didnt look very nice in the photos. i will look into all of these suggestions. right off the bat, berkeley springs sounds kind of nice...can anyone give me a better idea of the place...what its like?

What about somewhere in Charlottesville? That was the first thing that popped into my mind when you said "funky town with interesting shops and restaurants." The second town that popped into my mind was Shepherdstown, WV.

For Charlottesville, see if the Boars Head Inn has any rooms in your price range. Also, this link is helpful for lodging ideas in Charlottesville:

http://www.charlottesvilletourism.org/lodgingIndex.php

For Shepherdstown, check out the Bavarian Inn. Many rooms have fireplaces and views over the river. "Downtown" is nearby and Yellow Brick Bank has excellent food.

www.bavarianinnwv.com

Congratulations!

Although I like St. Michael's and Annapolis, I don't think February is the best time to go there.

The Homestead and the Greenbrier are pricey.

Berkeley Springs is sort of a funky, artsy place, but a little small, and I don't know of that many great accommodations (although it is a good budget idea and there are some nice vacation homes for rent there - but, the reviews on places there on tripadvisor.com are not always the greatest).

Shepardstown is nice. Yellow Brick Bank is good and everyone I know likes it, but we have found it only average to good for meals. It is a great place for a drink or dessert. Maybe we were there on an off night or two. It is a cool area.

I think the Charlottesville idea is GREAT...a bit more happening there so you have a few more choices. You can stay in Charlottesville proper and walk to stuff and have a more "city, funky" experience in a college town. Or, you can stay in the countryside around Charlottesville for a more tranquil getaway. Again, I'm not sure of the prices in February, but there are many nice B&B's. We liked our stay at The Inn at Prospect Hill which is "away from it all" amd fairly luxurious and romantic.

a budget traveller might like the Hilltop Hotel in Harpers Ferry, which is close to other towns like Sheperdstown or Charlstown.

The place has great views and fading carpet.

Tari's in Berkely Springs has four rooms at very inexpensive rates:

http://www.tariscafe.com/inn.html

The "sleep and dine" package is an especailly great deal.

We had my son's wedding in Berkeley Springs and it was a lot of fun. It is a Spa town so it is nice to take advantage of the spa treatments available. The Old Factory Antique and Craft Mall is worth visiting. They have wonderful fresh fudge.

How about the O Street Mansion in DC? Great funky rooms, great brunch on Sundays...

http://www.omansion.com/about/

8-)