I know it’s not summer yet but that doesn’t stop me for dreaming about it! It’s the beginning of February which means the cold is starting to make me crazy and I’m dreaming about getting away!
In doing so, I remembered that I took a fun little vacation with the family last summer and never shared it! Because of COVID, it was a tough decision to finally figure out what to do but I think it ended up being pretty memorable for us all.
Looking up vacation rentals all over the world is a fun hobby of mine (see list towards the end of the post for ideas in MD/VA) and so far I have only had good experiences. I found this particular one on a whim and totally last minute. As you will see in the photos, the rental had everything we needed and more! We didn’t need to leave the premises for anything. This was the big selling factor for me since our visit was 2 nights and like 2.5 days total so we wanted to make the most of our time.
It was a very well decorated and clean farm house located right on the Ware River in Virginia. There were a total of three properties on the land. One was the owner’s and two were their rental properties.
The house came equiped with all the essentials like pots, pans, salt, pepper, sheets, towels etc. However, the BEST thing was that it also came with kayaks, a canoe and some floaties. There were even a few life jackets available but I did purchase some cheap ones off of amazon in case we needed more.
We used all of the water crafts to the fullest!
The Rental
Queen Bee Haven Water-View & Access to Ware River
As you can see, the land was huge for the kids to run around on. There was plenty of indoor and outdoor seating, including a firepit.
There were seats and even a swing by the river and a dock where we enjoyed beautiful sunset views from. There is a tiny beach that the kiddos also enjoyed playing on. The only thing with that was, because of the tide height, the beach isn’t always visible. You’ll have to monitor the tide levels from a local website which the host will provide.
Food Preparation
If you are looking to do a similar type of quick weekend getaway in the summer (where you may not necessarily want to leave the rental), I have some food packing ideas for you.
I know once you see the menu, you may think that is a lot of stuff to bring! Butttt since there were three households coming to this vacation, we all divided the foods between us so it wasn’t too much on just one person.
Breakfast
- Eggs
- Bread
- Milk
- Tea bags
- Croissants
- Muffins
- Avocados
- Any extra seasonings
- Sugar
Having all these things enabled everyone to choose what they wanted to eat in the mornings. Some had avocado toast, others omelet (using some ingredients from the lunch and dinner preps), French toast, etc.
Lunch:
- Chili (premade from home)
- Toppings
- Onions
- Cheddar cheese
- Sour cream/Greek yogurt
- Cilantro
- Tortilla chips
- Pizza
- Pre-made dough (from your local grocery store, or your own if you’d like to put in the work)
- Shredded mozzarella cheese
- Pizza Sauce
- Extras: onion, bell peppers, any other toppings you like
The kitchen was well equipped with pizza pans so it was perfect!
Dinner:
- Chicken biryani (premade from home)
- Goat pulao (premade from home)
- Salad and raita
- Lettuce
- Cucumbers
- Yogurt
- Onion
The raita can be made from combining chopped onion, cucumbers, cilantro, salt and pepper. Super simple!
Desserts:
- Ice cream (this was a questionable decision because of the fear of it melting on our 4 hour drive. Surprisingly it held up in the cooler!)
- Cookies
- Brownies
Packing all of this food may seem like a lot of effort for some but it was worth it for us. We ALL love food (including most of the kids) and we like to eat homemade whenever we can. Everyone was happy! For those that aren’t keen on taking all these items with them, they can just bring the breakfast items. There are a couple of stores in town you could order takeout from. The host does a good job in explaining what local restaurants are around.
Other Easy Ideas
- Egg salad
- Chicken salad
- Pasta salad
- Tortilla rolls
- Quesadillas (packing cheese, tortillas and veggies to make fresh)
Similar Airbnb Rentals
If you like this idea of a vacation, then I’ve compiled a small list of some similar Airbnb’s in the Maryland/Virginia area:
Waterfront w/Private Dock & Stunning Sunset Views
Waterfront Scotland Beach Retreat w/Private Beach!
Chesapeake Bay Beachfront Estate
OLD BAY beach-front classic on the Chesapeake Bay
Millionaire $ Views No Xtra Charge! Hot Tub! POOL!
“Bee-Z Haven” Waterfront Cottage on the Ware River
This one is on the same property as the one we stayed in but was smaller and more on the water.
Ware’s the Beach – Private Beachfront Home
These may be a bit pricey, but if you plan to go with a few families and split the cost, it’s totally worth it!
If you don’t have an Airbnb account already, you can get up to $65 off your first qualifying Airbnb rental by registering here!
If you stay at any of these rentals, I’d love to hear about your experience in the comment section below!
Follow and message me on Instagram and I’d be happy to help you plan in any way!
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