Everyone Should Stay in a Yurt at Least Once

I put a post on Facebook a while back asking for travel ideas. I wanted a place I could drive to, three hours or less, no big scary bridges (sorry, Eastern Shore) and a relaxing environment. A friend of mine messaged me about the Savage River Lodge. She said they have yurts and cabins and it’s way, way out in Western Maryland.

So, I called and spoke with the nicest person who told me about all of the amenities and gave me a really good mental picture of what it would be like. I booked it even though it was a little more than I was prepared to spend. I am a firm believer in staying away for a least two nights, that way when you wake up on your first morning you’re not already thinking about when you have to start packing. But two nights can be cost-prohibitive for single people like me. But it had been a long time since I’d been away and I was itching for a change of scenery. I made a plan to stay in Frederick one night, since I hadn’t been there in so long. I booked a budget hotel and then made some plans to check out breweries, distilleries, restaurants, shops and more. I love Frederick.

I covered at lot of ground that Saturday. I had a list. I like lists — both on my phone and on paper. I think most of the Langrehrs are list people. But okay, okay…here’s the list.

Volt
McClintock Distilling
Relish Décor
Cafe Nola
Lazy Fish
Tenth Ward Distilling
Attaboy Brewing
White Rabbit Gastropub

The next day, I got up an had a quick brunch and headed west for about an hour and a half to Frostburg. Let me just tell you, driving in to the property, my jaw dropped.

I checked in at the main lodge and took a little look around before heading to my yurt. I had packed some snacks but was excited to see what kinds of food and other treats you could order. What I liked about Savage River Lodge was that you could have complete privacy and stay in your yurt (or cabin) if you wanted. They dropped things off outside your door. One morning, I got a banana and a muffin. There’s a coffee maker in each unit. You can request things as you need them (like, they brought me almond milk at no charge) but if you know you will need super specific things, you should ask before you go and bring things that they might not have readily available.

One night I walked down to the lodge for dinner. I had heard good things about the food, so I thought I’d give it a go. was pleasantly surprised! I started with a martini (shocker), had freshly baked focaccia and soft butter. Soft butter is a particular love of mine. Then, seared scallops with a glass of Chenin Blanc, followed by a blood orange granita. It was really lovely. And because I stayed on a Sunday night, there were very few other guests. I’m not a huge fan of crowds, to that was extra nice. I walked back up to my yurt, hit the sack (a bed much larger than mine) and slept so well. I woke up to a light dusting of snow, had a family of deer visit me and lounged until I was ready to go. Oddly, I am always ready to get home.

Since my stay, ownership of Savage River Lodge has changed hands, but I’m sure it’s just as nice. Go, get outta town.