Studio Tours and Crafts for the Holidays near Shepherdstown

The 20th annual Over the Mountain Studio Tour has its final day today and it's a beautiful day for a Sunday drive to visit one of the many artisans on the tour at their home studios. With prospects for another nice weekend on Nov. 21st and 22nd, we like to also recommend the Valley Craft Network Holiday Open House & Studio Tour, next Saturday and Sunday. A half dozen of the stops are just across the Potomac River in Maryland in nearby Keedsyville, Boonsboro and Rohrersville. Shepherdstown's own Debbie Dickinson (of Dickinson & Wait Craft Gallery on German St.) will have her Keedysville pottery studio open for the tour with guest Linda Minnick of Mid Valley Fibers. One of her Raku-fired ceramics is pictured to the right - a gray cat, my favorite!

Take advantage of the last weekend before the holiday rush to peruse some true artisan work and think about buying a truly unique present for your family and friends for the holidays. Art, pottery, paintings, jewelry, handcrafted wood pieces and fabric arts are all featured on this tour. To make it easier for you, we've lifted our two-night minimum stay for Saturday, so you can book either Friday or Saturday night to explore all of the studios on tour with an early start on Saturday or Sunday.

Jeanne & Jim at the
Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Halloween Happenings in Shepherdstown

There's not a better place to spend Halloween than Shepherdstown - check out the Pumpkinfest and international House of Panic at Ridgefield Farms, shop German Street during trick-or-treating and delight in the costumed mayhem of children going store-to-store for goodies, and then relax with the 'zesty river hobo style bluegrass' stylings of the Speakeasy Boys both Friday and Saturday nights. We have just a few rooms left and we've lifted our two-night minimum stay, but stay that second night and we'll take a total of $50 off your room rate. Enjoy the last bit of great fall weather this weekend - take a leaf-peeping drive to Shepherdstown.

Jeanne & Jim at the
Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Fall Arrives at the Inn with Farmstand Apple Soup

It is officially nippy in the morning when we get up, so I made my first batch of hot farmstand apple soup to serve at breakfast tomorrow. You may remember a blog post about that last year when the recipe was featured on InnCuisine. Here's the link, if you'd like to revisit the recipe. A great blend of sweet and tart apples from your local orchard or farmers market makes the most delicious blend - no sugar needed.

Jeanne & Jim at the
Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Pumpkins, Hayrides and the International House of Panic

Fall is such a great time of the year to visit Shepherdstown - the leaves are changing, the air is crisp and clear in the morning, and harvest time is here! Nowhere is that more obvious than at Ridgefield Farm and Orchard just a few miles outside of town on Route 230 between here and Harpers Ferry. October is Pumpkin Fest month, with the Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch open every day and lots of fun stuff scheduled for Saturdays and Sundays - bluegrass music, hayrides, magic shows, the pirate ship and the world-renowned scary International House of Panic (iHoP).
Their farm stand will have apples, cider, jams and fresh baked goods available to take home as a sweet memory. Be sure to check out the Inn for availability during October - we still have rooms for Halloween weekend!

Jeanne & Jim at the
Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV

Events in Shepherdstown October 3rd

This weekend, October 3rd, brings a lot of events to Shepherdstown, WV. The first ever Freedom's Run - 26 miles through 4 national parks - to promote healthy living and to encourage the discovery of the abundant natural beauty and history of the area - will take place on Saturday. Saturday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. the autumn social at the Historic Shepherdstown Museum will be held - open to the public - with a pig roast and square dancing in the garden. It'll be a great day to be in West Virginia!

Jeanne & Jim at the
Thomas Shepherd Inn B&B in Shepherdstown, WV