"We had a lovely visit. We hiked all the tails, looked at the night sky,
toasted marshmallows and went to the NRAO in Greenbank. We saw lots of wildlife;
bluebirds, Indigo buntings, turkeys, red-spotted newts, a pair of barred owls,
hummingbirds, a chestnut-sided warbler, a chipping sparrow, goldfinches and
a rotifer. The five-year old found a deer vertebra. And of course, the many
wildflowers - love your giant stands of milkweed! And as many different kinds
of butterflies as I've ever seen in one place. Tom and Patti and their dog
Haiku are very nice."
Family from Woodbridge, VA June 25-27, 2007
"Bear Mountain Wilderness and Retreat has been our family's serene weekend
getaway for over three years. We eagerly look forward to our family time
with nature, two times a year. It is a most relaxing and peaceful experience!!!"
The Nichaus Family, Charlottesville, VA
"We came to celebrate our 12th year together. We were here last
year around the same time for the same reason. We had an amazing time
again. We had gorgeous warm weather - enough to get a sunburn! We hiked,
recorded birds, took a bunch of photos --Haiku came with us too. What a great
dog! We ate good food, played ping pong, played music, hot tubbed under the
stars and reconnected. It's so wonderful to have a remote place like this
to help us remember what is most important in life. THANK YOU!"
Couple from Charlottesville, VA April 20-22, 2007
"We have had a nice and relaxing time here at Bear Mountain. We hiked all
the trails and saw many beautiful birds, including Ruffed Grouse, Killdeer,
Indigo Bunting...butterflies and insects. We also explored West Virginia,
Highland and Bath counties - and I saw my first black bear in the wild. My
husband and I loved the quietness and peacefulness of Bear Mountain. We plan
to visit in the future."
A couple from Amherst County, VA June 2007
"Now that I've found you, I will return for the beauty, solitude, hospitality,
tranquility. You are a class act. The flowers in my room, the beautiful kitchen
area...I've never been anywhere like this before. I've only been here eight
hours and I feel recharged. I love it here. Thank you for making it possible
for me to visit such a wonderful place. Oh, forgot to mention the hummingbirds,
owls, nature sounds. It's 100 degrees in Staunton and here it is 70 - pretty
cool. Lots to paint and no cell phone. Thanks for the tea. It's the one thing
I forgot and there it was in my frig. You guys are amazing."
An artist from Staunton, VA
