Family picture before leaving Breath of Heaven.

Since making the move to Virginia, I’ve been looking forward to going on trips and vacations together again with my family. When my siblings and I were kids, our parents would always take us to the Shenandoah Valley a few times a year, so much that we grew sick of going in our teenage years. But after spending a decade away from home, I actually came to miss going there with my parents and that time that we could spend together as a family. As I’ve grown older, I have a new appreciation for family trips (especially now that I have my own child), and it’s also probably due to the realization that such opportunities will become more and more rare as we all get older, have our own families, get busy with more of our own obligations, and our parents eventually won’t be as able-bodied anymore. It’s important to take these opportunities while we can, as well as appreciate and treasure these moments that we’ll eventually look back on as fond memories.

That’s why Dan and I were totally on board when my father suggested we take a family trip to West Virginia during the week of July 4th. We booked rooms at Breath of Heaven Bed & Breakfast in Petersburg, nestled along the Monongahela National Forest and Appalachian Mountains. My brother Ted and Elisa couldn’t come because they were on their honeymoon trip, but it was nice that most of our family could join in this peaceful getaway up in the mountains.

We spent a lot of Wednesday, July 3 traveling to our destination, and upon arriving were greeted by incredibly warm and sweet hosts Geri and Ed, and the quiet, beautiful landscape of mountains and valleys rich with trees. The bed & breakfast was lovely, and there were always homemade cookies and tea on hand and available for guests to eat.
 

Breath of Heaven Bed & Breakfast
Breath of Heaven Bed & Breakfast, the main lodge area where my parents and siblings stayed.

 

Here’s a video of the view of the countryside from the balcony of the main building.


 

Breath of Heaven Bed & Breakfast
Mio spent much of the evening on the porch swing and exploring the premises.

 

Dan, Mio, and I got our own little cabin/cottage (the owners called it a”cabbage” as a combination of the two) away from the main house. It was so cozy and nice!

 

Breakfast crepes with sausage. I usually don't like crepes but these were delicious!!!
Breakfast crepes with sausage made by owner Geri the following morning. I usually don’t like crepes because of how egg-y they taste, but these were delicious!!!

 

We spent a lot of July 4th hiking in nearby Dolly Sods. My family did a total of three hikes. I had to sit out on the longest one and rest in the car because I’m still pretty queasy and don’t have a lot of energy due to pregnancy.

Hiking at Dolly Sods
Dan carried Mio for a lot of the hikes. Thank you Daddy!

 

Hiking at Dolly Sods
Lush green forests and mountains at Dolly Sods.

 

Mio about to give Daddy a peck.
Mio about to give Daddy a peck.

 

My dad was in heaven!
My dad was in heaven! He loves hiking in the great outdoors.

 

Mio and I taking a rest together.
Mio and I taking a rest together.

 

Perched on a rock.
Perched on a rock.

 

Giant rock formations at Dolly Sods.
Giant rock formations at Dolly Sods.

 

"On top of the world!"
“On top of the world!”

 

Hiking at Dolly Sods

 

At the bog at Dolly Sods.
At the bog at Dolly Sods.

 

Seneca Rock
Seneca Rock

 

In the afternoon, we headed back to the bed & breakfast to rest and freshen up a little bit, and then in the evening went out for dinner and to watch the fireworks show in Petersburg. It was actually a pretty impressive 30-minute long show of fireworks! I think this is Mio’s first time seeing such large fireworks, but she wasn’t scared at all and kept saying “pika pika” (the Japanese word for “sparkly” or “shiny”) and “Wow!” Here’s an Instagram video I took!

 

The following morning, we were treated to another delicious breakfast by Geri. I think the breakfasts at Breath of Heaven are definitely one of the biggest highlights of the place. Geri is such a great cook!

Mio chowing down at breakfast.
Mio chowing down at breakfast.

 

French toast casserole, cheesy potatoes with bacon and onions, and orange slices
French toast casserole, cheesy potatoes with bacon and onions, and orange slices. The best part is that we can always ask for seconds!

 

The family enjoying breakfast on the patio.
The family enjoying breakfast on the patio.

 

Mio and I spent a lot of our stay on this porch swing overlooking the countryside. So relaxing!
Mio and I spent a lot of our stay on this porch swing overlooking the countryside. So relaxing!

 

A family picture before leaving Breath of Heaven.
A family picture before leaving Breath of Heaven.

 

The Allens with the wonderful owners Geri and Ed. They made our stay so comfortable and enjoyable!
The Allens with the wonderful owners Geri and Ed. They made our stay so comfortable and enjoyable!

 

Before heading home, we stopped by a couple more scenic spots in West Virginia. The first was Blackwater Falls, which I’d been to before back in the summer of 2007, right before I moved to California.

Blackwater Falls
Who knew that the next time I’d be back here, I’d have my own family?

 

The Yokoyama ladies at the falls.
The Yokoyama ladies at the falls.

 

Allen family picture ♥
Allen family picture ♥

 

Yokoyama family picture!
Yokoyama family picture!

 

Blackwater Falls
The Blackwater Falls

 

There were so many beautiful wildflowers everywhere we went, and Dan got some nice photos of them.
There were so many beautiful wildflowers everywhere we went, and Dan got some nice photos of them.

 

Mio getting pretty tired...
Mio getting pretty tired…

 

...but she perked up again when she got to share a popsicle with Auntie.
…but she perked up again when she got to share a popsicle with Auntie.

 

Our final stop was Lindy Point, which was a bit of a tiring trek for my pregnant self, but presented some beautiful views.

The view from Lindy Point.
The view from Lindy Point.

 

I think we all felt refreshed from spending a few days in the tranquil countryside of West Virginia, getting away from the busy-ness of Northern Virginia and cutting off from technology — we didn’t have phone reception nor WiFi for most of our trip, so it forced us to power down and enjoy our surroundings, which was a good thing. While the scenery there is different from the grandiose spectacles of Yosemite and Big Sur back on the West Coast, it definitely has its own beauty. (No wonder John Denver goes on and on about it in “Country Roads,” his ode to the state!) West Virginia tends to get a bad rap, and while I confess to on occasion having poked fun at the neighbor state myself, I think there’s much to be appreciated in this wonderland of mountains, rivers and trees. We’ll definitely be back!