Just in time for Christmas!
We are proud to present the
Belle Grove Plantation Christmas Ornament!
This Christmas Ornament was created in 2010 by the King George Historical Society is a three dimensional relief depicting Belle Grove Plantation’s River Facade.
Please visit our Online Store at
To purchase this one of kind ornament! Funds raised will benefit the King George Historical Society.
If you have been following us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter, you have already seen these dishes.
But I wanted to share them with everyone else!
We have added two new dishes to our Breakfast Menu!
Raspberry Parfait
Greek Yogurt, Graham Cracker, Raspberry Preserves and Fresh Raspberries
Belle Grove Plantation Eggs Benedict
This is an twist to the traditional Eggs Benedict. It is Cream Cheese and Scallion Scrambled Eggs and Virginia Ham in a Puff Pastry Shell seated on Roasted Asparagus and topped with Fresh Hollandaise Sauce.
To see more of the dishes we prepare, you can check out our Breakfast Menu on our website.
If you would like to see up to the minute dishes, follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!
This morning, I prepared a dish that I found while reading some of the blogs I follow.
(yes… I finally have a moment to read…)
This dish came from urbancamillia and her blog post
http://saigoncinnamon.wordpress.com/2013/09/28/bacon-eggs-make-over/
I started with a Maple Baked Apple and then presented my take on her dish,
Bacon and Cheese Crepe on Asparagus, topped with a Poached Egg and Hollandaise Sauce
It was really good!
I am sorry but I didn’t get a shot of the Maple Baked Apple.
It went to the table before I could get a shot. Next time!
Thank you Urbancamillia for inspiring me today!
To see more of the menus we are making at Belle Grove Plantation
Please visit our Website at
https://www.bellegroveplantation.com/
For tonight’s appetizer we are serving
Mediterranean Bruschetta
Anyone hungry yet?
To see more foods we serve at Belle Grove Plantation
Please visit our Website at
https://www.bellegroveplantation.com/
Belle Grove Plantation would like to thank
The Red Hat Ladies
For coming to see us at the plantation!
It was just wonderful to meet each of you and we look forward to having you back soon!
To see more of what is going on at Belle Grove Plantation
Please visit our Official Website at
https://www.bellegroveplantation.com/
Please share us with your family and friends!
Thank you!
Belle Grove Plantation would like to thank the ladies of
Questers
(International Historic Preservation)
The Victorian Society at Falls Church
(all things Victoriana)
The Madhatters
(a small tea group in Northern VA)
The Vintage Ladies
(a medium group of collectors)
The Royal-tea Club
(large group based out of PA)
The Red Hatters
The Black Hatters
For coming to see us at the plantation!
It was just wonderful to meet each of you and we look forward to having you back soon!
To see more of what is going on at Belle Grove Plantation
Please visit our Official Website at
https://www.bellegroveplantation.com/
Please share us with your family and friends!
Thank you!
Not only do you get an elegant breakfast at Belle Grove Plantation . . .
But you also get a scrumptious appetizer before you head out to one of our outstanding local restaurants!
On tonight’s menu was
Oyster and Virginia Ham in a Puff Pastry Shell
This appetizer recipe came from a “Taste of History” with Chef Walter Staib from PBS.
If you would like to see more food we are cooking at Belle Grove Plantation
Please visit our Official Website at
https://www.bellegroveplantation.com/
Today, I took a break from the tolls of working on my website (sorry Adam) to have an Afternoon Tea with a dear friend at Pinkadilly Tea House in Fredericksburg. I have been there before and written a blog about it, but the first time we only did lunch. Today it was the whole enchilada… okay the whole pot of tea!
http://www.pinkadillytea.com/
I just love that when you come to the Tea House, your tea cup is always different.
That is one thing I will be doing at our house for our teas!
We filled our tea cups today with Earl Grey Tea, one of my favorites!
Our first course was soup and Quiche.
Crab Soup (which is to die for!) and Ham, Asparagus, White Cheddar and Provolone Cheese Quiche!
Our second course arrived stacked beautifully before us!
Our Scones with Lemon Curd and Devonshire Cream were:
Vanilla
Cinnamon Raisin
Our Tea Sandwiches were:
Feta and Almond Spread on a Toasted Baguette
Spinach and Feta Puff Pastry
Chicken Salad
Cucumber Salad
Our Desserts were:
Chocolate Truffles
Pindadilly Pieshots
Orange Brownies
Blueberry Cheesecake Cups
Each Course was Heavenly!
If you are ever in Fredericksburg, you must call and get a reservation at this wonderful Tea House!
Also be on the look out for a special announcement coming soon!
If you love Afternoon Tea and you are 8 year old or older
You don’t want to miss this announcement!
Don’t forget to check us our on Facebook!
Please Share us with your Friends!
My grandmother, Nannie, was a Grand Southern Lady. She taught me three things growing up, cooking, entertaining and history. From the time I was just knee high, she had me in the kitchen working with her. She would give me small things to do, while teaching me the important things in cooking. It was through these lessons that she also taught me the family traditions that were passed down for generations.
One of these traditions was the New Year’s Meal. Now there are many traditional family meals for New Years. I found out when I married my Midwest husband, Brett. Their traditional meal was Sausage and Sauerkraut. But in my family the meal was not only traditional, but it had meaning.
Southern New Years Day Meal
If you are from the Southern United States, you know what meal I am talking about. We would have Hoppin’ John, Collard Greens, Cornbread and Ham. If you are from anywhere else, you are more than likely thinking, what is a Hoppin’ John?
Hoppin’ John is a dish consisting of black-eyed peas or field and rice, with chopped onion and ham hock, seasoned with a bit of salt. Smaller than black-eyed peas, field peas are used in the Low Country of South Carolina and Georgia; black-eyed peas are the norm elsewhere.
Eating this meal on New Year’s Day is thought to bring wealth and luck to you in the New Year. Each of the dishes had some meaning to it. The Collard Greens were symbolic of money because of their green color. The Peas were symbolic of coins. The Cornbread was symbolic of gold. Pork is a staple of just about every Southern meal, so it’s usually cooked with the black-eyed peas. The pork seems to be there for flavor as opposed to symbolism. Another thought is that eating these simple legumes demonstrates humility and a lack of vanity. The humble nature of the black-eyed pea is echoed by the old expression, “Eat poor on New Year’s, and eat fat the rest of the year.”
Eating black-eyed peas on New Year’s has been considered good luck for at least 1,500 years. According to a portion of the Talmud written around 500 A.D., it was Jewish custom at the time to eat black-eyed peas in celebration of Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. It’s possible that the tradition arrived in America with Sephardic Jews, who first arrived in Georgia in the 1730s. During the Middle Ages, in France and Spain it was thought to bring good luck to eat beans on New Year’s Day as well.
As for the Southern tradition, it is thought to come from the Civil War time period. As Union soldiers would take over a farm in the south, they would take all but the peas and greens. They thought the peas and greens were more for animals than humans so they wouldn’t take them.
I bet you didn’t know this. If you eat leftover “Hoppin’ John” on the day after New Year’s Day, they aren’t called “Hoppin’ John” any more. They are called “Skippin’ Jenny”. It is thought that it further demonstrates one’s frugality and brings a hope for an even better chance of prosperity in the New Year.
There are other traditions around this meal. One is that each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to ensure that the New Year will be filled with luck, fortune and romance. Another tradition holds that counting the number of peas in a serving predicts the amount of luck or wealth that person will have in the coming year. I think I would take that whole pot with that thought! Some people even throw a dime into the pot and believe whoever winds up with the dime in their serving gets extra good luck for the coming year. But if you don’t like to mix your peas with coins, another tradition is to place a dime under a plate on the table. Whoever ends up at that place gets the extra luck. No peaking!
So whether you have this wonderful meal for your New Year’s Day or not, I hope that you will try one of the best Southern recipes I have. It was passed down to me and we enjoy sharing it with you.
Hoppin’ John Recipe
Ingredients:
Preparation:
Before preparing dried beans, sort through them thoroughly for tiny pebbles or other debris. Soak, rinse, and drain dried black-eyed peas. Place black-eyed peas in a large soup pot over medium-high heat and cover with cold water; bring to a boil. Remove from heat; cover and let stand 1 to 2 hours. Drain and rinse beans.
Rinse and drain your peas
Cook your peas
Using the same large soup pot, over medium-high heat, sauté your onions then add soaked black-eyed peas, ham hock, and red pepper. Add chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook for 1 1/2 to 2 hours or until the peas are tender (do not boil as the beans will burst). I like to cook my peas in a crock pot to allow them to slow cook. It also makes the house smell really good!
Dice one onion
I like to saute my onions in bacon dippings that I have saved from cooking bacon. It gives them a really nice smokey flavor.
Add peas and seasonings. Note – This year we didn’t use a ham hock so the bacon flavor took the place of the ham hock.
Remove ham hock and cut into bite-size pieces. Return meat to pot. Stir in rice, cover, and cook 20 to 25 minutes or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt and pepper.
Makes 8 servings
Hoppin’ John
How to cook your Collard Greens
Break apart your collard leaves and rinse them really well. They generally have sand and dirt on them like leeks.
Remove the center stem from each leaf
Stack Leaves
Roll Leaves into a small bundle
Small bundle
Slice the bundle into small sections.
This is called Chiffonade
Add to Crock Pot, Remember they will cook down so you will need what looks like a lot at first.
One thing I add to my Collards is bacon dippiings. When I cook bacon, I reserve the dippings in the refrigerator to use in cooking. If I get too much saved, I just trash some of it.
I add about two tablespoons of bacon dippings. It gives it a wonderful smokey flavor. I also add salt, pepper and crushed red pepper for a little heat. It’s not spicy hot.
Add water to cover just half way up. Don’t completely cover the collards. Slow cook for a few hours, stir once in awhile.
Serve with a touch of pepper vinegar (best way to eat them!)
See more of the foods that we will be cooking at Belle Grove Plantation on our Facebook Page!
Also don’t forget to submit your Cookie Recipe for our Annual Cookie Contest!
Just Click on James Madison to see how to enter!
View through the main hallway to the Riverside side door
Belle Grove Plantation
Wow! What a weekend! By the time we got home late Sunday night, we just crashed! Monday found us both just dragging along so we hit the bed early again Monday night. But what a fun time we had over the weekend!
We were greeted by a family of wild turkeys
We arrived at the plantation on Saturday to see the caretaker working on the grounds after a storm had moved through earlier in the week. We had not heard about it, but apparently there had been a storm with high winds that swept up the Rappahannock River. We ended up losing another part of a tree that was damaged earlier this summer. Now this pretty old tree is lopsided and Brett and I both know one more good wind and it will be all down. We talked with the caretaker and he is going to get with the owner about going ahead and removing it. How sad it is to see it go! It is located along what would have been the road from the fields to Emmanuel Church before nature took over the road. You have to wonder how many people walked by this tree over the years.
Plantation side porch
We also lost a branch for two more trees along the field side of the circular drive way. One wasn’t too bad, just a small branch. But the other was from a Red Oak that had lost a small branch earlier in the summer. This tree, we have been told, was there before the Civil War. The branch we lost this time wasn’t too bad and the tree still looks strong so we hope it will continue to be that way.
Belle Grove Plantation
After assessing the damage and walking around in the house a bit, we sat outside on the front steps for awhile and chatted with the caretaker and his friend that had stopped by. His friend gave us more insight into the area. He currently lives just across the highway at the Walsingham plantation. He had worked on the Woodlawn plantation for a while, but as his family grew, he had to move to a larger place. We also took note that the “Babies” were gone. Dolley and James, our osprey are still around, but they are now “empty nesters”.
Late in the afternoon, we pulled ourselves away from the plantation and headed to Historic Fredericksburg. We have never been there, so we thought it would be good to go for the weekend to get to know the place. It only took us 25 minutes to get there! I didn’t realize how close it really was! As we drove into town, my mouth dropped open! Historic homes and buildings everywhere! We drove to Caroline Street which is kind of like the main street downtown. As we drove down Caroline Street, I was making notes of where the antique stores were. I had to stop counting because there are so many of them!
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Fredericksburg Virginia
As we pulled up to the Schooler House Bed and Breakfast, I knew I had picked the right one! What curb appeal this house has! It is a Victorian home with a wrought iron fence and small garden in front. Directly across the street is the Rising Sun Tavern that was built by George Washington’s younger brother, Charles Washington. It was built in 1760 and became a tavern in 1792. During the American Revolutionary War, this was a popular stop. Thomas Jefferson and James Madison stopped many times here.
The Rising Sun Tavern
Built by Charles Washington, brother of George Washington
We were warmly greeted at the door by the innkeeper, Andi. She invited us in and gave us a quick tour of the house. What a place she has! You can tell that she has given thought to each item there and how it brings this Victorian gem alive! When we shared with her that we were getting ready to start our own bed and breakfast, she expressed excitement and wanted to make time later that evening to sit down and talk. That is one thing I have to say about most innkeepers. They are so helpful to other innkeepers and aspiring innkeepers. It’s almost like becoming part of the club. I just love that part of about being in this industry.
Parlor
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Dining Room
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Dining Room
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Front Hall
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Front Hall
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
She walked us into the kitchen, the true heart of this house and introduced us to the new Inn dog, Enzo. At just nine weeks old, he would melt your heart with just one look! He was in the back yard and walked along with us as we toured her back porch area and garden sitting room.
Back Yard
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Back Yard
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Back Yard
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Side Yard
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
As we headed back to the staircase, I turned and looked at a pile of historic books sitting in the hallway for visitors to use. I almost fainted! There on top of all these books on the Civil War and history of Fredericksburg was a book about the diaries and letter of Helen Bernard Stuan and her sisters! Yes, the daughters of John Hipkins Bernard of Rose Hill Plantation (also known as Gaymont)! I knew then that we were supposed to be there! When I expressed my surprise and excitement, I explained to Andi that I had just posted a picture of Helen on our blog the night before. It was the first time I had seen her picture. And then to see her again was just magic! Andi also was excited for me and gave me the book to keep! I knew then that Andi and I would become fast friends.
Staircase and Front Hallway
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
War at Our Doors
The Civil War Diaries and Letters of the Bernard Sisters of Virginia
Rebecca Campbell Light
Andi walked us up the staircase and pointed out the artifacts that she and her late husband found when they had worked on the garden and in the house. She had them mounted in shadow boxes and frames just like what we want to do with Belle Grove! There was also art work everywhere! I didn’t get a chance to ask who they were by, but the style remained me of a Monet. They were bright colors and just gave the room a warm feeling.
Top of Staircase
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Then she showed us our room. Schooler house has just two rooms. Ours was Willie’s Room at the front of the house. I have to say, I think we got the best room! It has a white cast iron queen bed with wonder pillows! The room was filled with antiques and pictures of times past. There was a nice bathroom and just off the bathroom was a small sitting room. The room was warm and comfortable and I was so glad I had found it!
Willie’s Room
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Annie’s Room
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
After we got our things settled, we asked Andi where she would recommend us to go for dinner. She quickly told us of a place called “Foode”. So after we got directions, off we went back downtown. We were going to walk, but decided to drive back, even though it was just about four or five blocks away. I am so glad we did! We got to drive back up Princess Anne Street that runs parell to Caroline Street. What beautiful homes we saw! But because Princess Anne Street is a little busier, we decide to come back later to take pictures.
Historic Fredericksburg
We parked close to the place where we came in on Caroline Street when we first drove in. As we started down the street, I started looking for an antique store to pop into. It was late in the day, around 5:30 so I was afraid we had stayed too long at the plantation and I had missed the antique stories in Fredericksburg. And I had so wanted to take home just one antique from here! We did find about three of them that were open. I quickly walked through them, mostly looking for teapots and plates and stopping to ask each one if they had anything “James Madison”. I struck out on all accounts.
Historic Fredericksburg
Historic Fredericksburg
Just before we got to our place to eat, we came across a wine store that sold Virginia Wines. Of course we had to stop there. I wanted to see if they carried Ingleside Wine, which they did. We found one of our favorites, “Sweet Virginia Rose”, which is kind of a sweeter red dessert wine. So I asked what time they closed and told Brett we would stop on the way back to the car. I thought it would be nice to share a bottle of “Sweet Virginia Rose” with Andi as we shared our experiences.
Historic Fredericksburg
We arrived at “Foode” just a block later. When I first saw it, it reminded me of some of the restaurants in New Orleans that are tucked away in small alleys. Our favorite one, “Courtyard of Two Sisters” in New Orleans French Quarters is that way. Sadly though, “Foode” was quite busy, a good sign that it must be great. So instead of waiting for a table, we headed back towards the car to another place we had seen.
Capital Ale House
Historic Fredericksburg
We ended up at “Capital Ale House” on Caroline Street. When we walked into the door, my first thought was that it looked like an upscale Irish Pub. There is a long bar that extends down most of the front room with a refrigerator cases of almost every beer and ale you can think of. The store front has two open windows with high top tables for people to sit and watch the world go by. We were greeted and seated within minutes.
Captial Ale House
Historic Fredericksburg
Captial Ale House
Historic Fredericksburg
Our waiter warmly greeted us and explained that he was training someone as well. He took our drink order and allowed us time to read the menu. Brett decided to order one of the hard apple ciders and I stuck to iced tea. As we glanced over the menu, the first thing that caught our eye was an appetizer of deviled eggs. I don’t think I have even seen devil eggs on a restaurant menu before so we were intrigued. These deviled eggs offered not only the delicious taste we all have come to enjoy at Thanksgiving dinner and picnics, but included a topping of crab meat. We had to try them! When they arrived, I have to say that the presentation didn’t jump out at me, but the taste more than made up for it! They also had a sprinkling of Old Bay seasoning. It was a delight!
Captial Ale House
Historic Fredericksburg
Devil Eggs with Crab
Captial Ale House
Historic Fredericksburg
Brett ordered an entrée of Bratwurst and Knockwurst with white and purple sauerkraut and potatoes. I am not a fan of sauerkraut so I don’t make it often for Brett. He grew up enjoying it in Ohio so this was a treat for him. But I have say, the purple sauerkraut was surprising delicious. It lacked the sour pickled favor I have come to expect from the white sauerkraut. It had more of a sweet pickled favor and I think I could enjoy a plate of it.
Captial Ale House
Historic Fredericksburg
I ordered classic macaroni and cheese with Jamestown ham added. This macaroni and cheese was made with rigatoni and topped with bread crumbs. The sauce was a white cheese sauce that was hard to put down. It was a very enjoyable dish.
Captial Ale House
Historic Fredericksburg
As we finished, our “training” waiter came to take our dishes and offer us dessert. After he brought us the check, we got a chance to talk with him for a minute. Come to find out, he is a new assistant manager for “Capital Ale House”. Turns out when they hire a new manager, they train them in every aspect of the restaurant. So not only can he manage, but he can cook your meal! I was so impressed! We shared that we were working on “research” for our new bed and breakfast and that we wanted to find places that we could recommend nearby. After our visit here, this is going to be one of them!
We headed back to Schooler House to drop off the car and take an afternoon walk. As we walked, we saw historic houses as far as the eye could see! We walked down one side street and came upon the Rappahannock River that flows through Fredericksburg. It was so peaceful and beautiful, just as it is when it passes our plantation just down river from there. In the distance we could hear a call of a bird that wasn’t as familiar as the osprey at the plantation, so we were left guessing what it was.
The Rappahannock River
Fredericksburg
The Rappahannock River
Fredericksburg
We made our way back up to Princess Anne Street and started heading back downtown. The historic houses started out as small, simple Victorian homes. There wasn’t much in the way of architectural detail to them, but you could clearly see that they were from the late 1800s. As we started up a small hill, we suddenly were surrounded by larger historic homes. The front step on the first one caught our eye. Though it was white, it looks very similar to the Riverside step on Belle Grove. Each house we saw just took our breath away. Before long we found ourselves walking block after block looking forward to the next surprise.
Historic Fredericksburg
Historic Fredericksburg
Historic Fredericksburg
Historic Fredericksburg
When we arrived at Lewis Street, we got another wonderful surprise. It was the home of Mary Washington, mother of George Washington! This is the home that Mary Washington stayed in towards the end of her life. George Washington purchased this home for her in 1772 for $275. It was located close to her daughter’s home at Kenmore Plantation and her son’s tavern. It was here that George came to receive his mother’s blessings before he took the oath of office. She lived here until her death in 1789. We were not able to tour it or the Rising Sun Tavern because we got to Fredericksburg too late, but I am sure we will be returning soon.
Mary Washington’s Home
Historic Fredericksburg
As we walked over another block, we came up on the Fredericksburg Baptist Church. This church was used during the Battle of Fredericksburg as a Union Hospital. It was badly damaged, but through the efforts of the church congregation, it was repaired and saved.
Fredericksburg Baptist Church
Historic Fredericksburg
Fredericksburg Baptist Church
During the Civil War
Historic Fredericksburg
On this same street, we came across a colonial home built in 1817 called the “Dogget House”. As we were walking by the owner had just stepped out of the door. Being nosy as I am about historic homes, I peeked past him into the front hall. I introduced myself and told him about our love of historic homes and our plantation. He told us about the history of this wonderful home. One of the things he shared with us was that Doris Buffett had purchased this home in 1988. She is the sister of Warren Buffett. He also told us that the small dependency on the corner, which is currently being used as an office by a local judge, has Civil War graffiti on the side where soldiers scratched their names into the brick.
Doggett House
Historic Fredericksburg
Doggett House Door Knocker
Historic Fredericksburg
Doggett House Dependency
Historic Fredericksburg
Names Civil War Soldiers scratched into the wall
Doggett House
Historic Fredericksburg
We headed back to Schooler House and met up with Andi for the evening. Andi shared her experiences with running her bed and breakfast and knowledge of the area. I wasn’t aware of all the events that Historic Fredericksburg has! She told us a story about how during one of these events, she was on the phone with someone and there was lots of gunfire going on. The person on the line asked what was going on. Andi said she laughed and just said, “They are fighting the civil war…, again.”
I was also able to share some of our experiences as well as some of our food with her. I told her about our blog and about the fun we had sharing our experiences. She was so intrigued by the blog that she decided right then to start one for her house! So you will have to check out her house blog soon! I decided not to cover her history in this post so she has something to share with all of you!
After a wonderful night’s sleep, we woke to the smell of a delicious breakfast. Sorry, no night time visitors this time! We hurried to dress and came down to a beautiful table. We started with berries and yogurt. She also had a hot pot of tea waiting for me. I want to know how she knew I liked Earl Grey! It was so good! Then it was Spinach Quiche and a side of bacon. I am so sorry; it looked so good that I didn’t stop to take a picture! But believe me, it was to die for!
Breakfast
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
After some wonderful conversation with the other guests and with Andi, it was time for us to head back to the plantation. But we couldn’t leave until I had a chance to just a couple of photos of Enzo. What a ham! He seemed to really enjoy his “photo shoot”.
Enzo
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Enzo
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
Enzo
Schooler House Bed and Breakfast
If you find yourself in Fredericksburg, I would highly recommend a stay at Schooler House, if they aren’t booked! This bed and breakfast and its innkeeper will truly remind you what sets bed and breakfasts apart from staying in a hotel!
Once we got back to the plantation, we walked around and enjoyed our time as we waited for our appointment to arrive. We had set up an appointment to meet with a local couple who will be getting married soon. I had received a request through our Facebook from her asking if they might be able to do their wedding photos there. What was even more special about this couple is that the young lady has a relative that once worked for the Turner Family during the 1800s on Belle Grove! What a wonderful surprise!
When Jenn and Nick arrived, it was so wonderful to see the excitement in their eyes! It was just like Brett and I when we first saw Belle Grove. They had also brought along her “Nana”. I think Nana was more thrilled than all of us. We walked around the house and I talked about the history of Belle Grove Plantation. For me, it is just so much fun to share this history with people that really love this plantation. It makes all the historic research worth it.
Jenn, Nick and Nana
Belle Grove Plantation
Once our daughter and her boyfriend arrived, Brett took Hurley for a run around the plantation. We tried to get some video of him, but he was just too excited to be there. It is so funny how Hurley seems to get all worked up when he arrives. I took Alexa and her boyfriend on a short tour of the house and grounds. By the time we finished, I think Hurley was finally tuckered out.
Hurley
Plantation Dog
Belle Grove Plantation
We loaded up the cars with Hurley and Alexa in the backseat and we headed back to Chesapeake. It really was a great weekend. We met so many new people in Fredericksburg and had a chance to spend some time at the plantation we love so much. As we drove over the bridge, I looked back towards the banks of Belle Grove trying hard to see it through the trees. One day, I won’t have to look back for it. I will be there.
