Tracy Carr, Covington Vacation Advisor, recently visited the graceful Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia. Located in the Allegheny Mountains and known for its Southern hospitality and elegant charm, The Homestead Resort offers a veritable plethora of activities for every age and every season. Tracy enjoyed many of them over the course of a summer weekend.

Activities at The Homestead Resort

A visit to the naturally heated, spring-fed pools of The Homestead is a time-honored tradition. The legendary Jefferson Pools are named for Thomas Jefferson who enjoyed “taking the waters” to alleviate his rheumatism. Two historic bath houses surround the hot mineral springs that bubble up from the ground – one for gentlemen, circa 1761, and one for ladies, circa 1836. Both single sex and family swims are scheduled in one hour increments ($17/hour). The circular pools are about 100 feet in circumference and about five feet deep. The crystal clear waters stay at natural body temperature year round and the high mineral concentration makes you float easily. The water flows constantly at an astonishing rate of 1.7 million gallons per day so you feel bubbles seeping through the river rock floor, gently massaging with their effervescence. Travel Maestro tip: Swimsuits are optional during the adult swims.

 

Allegheny Springs is a year-round, two-acre outdoor pool area. It’s a family fun water park with two 100-foot water slides, a 400-foot lazy river, large spring-fed pool and a sandy beach (complimentary to guests). Private cabanas furnished with sofas, flat screen TV, refrigerator and a personal attendant can be rented for the day.  

Of course, activities at a grand resort don’t stop with pools, even if they are wonderfully warm and perfectly clear. The mountain setting of The Homestead is perfect for outdoor adventure. The Equestrian Center offers private and group trail rides in Western- or English-style (from $50). Enjoy a beautiful two-mile Cascades Gorge Hike with a naturalist guide ($31/$11 child) or find the best fly fishing spot with an Orvis-trained guide (fee). Tour The Homestead’s wooded trails on a Segway ($70), hayride ($20/$15 child) or a romantic carriage ride (from $95).

 

If you’re feeling competitive you can try paintball ($70), archery ($35/hour) and even falconry ($89/$74 child)! The historic Homestead Gun Club offers enthusiasts world-famous sporting clays courses, skeet fields, trap and five-stand courses for sport shooting (fees vary). Two championship golf courses, the Cascades Course and the historic Old Course, are considered to be some of Virginia’s finest. To their credit, the legendary Sam Snead began his career at The Homestead. Golf instruction, schools, packages and equipment are available. Beautiful clay option tennis courts and clinics are available for tennis clubs, social round robins or just individual play for beginners to champion level players.

For inside recreation, there are nightly movies shown in the theater (no charge). A beautiful indoor warm spring pool is adjacent to the newly opened state-of-the-art Canyon Ranch SpaClub® facility. The luxury spa offers signature spa and healing treatments, a fitness area and the sanctuary of the adult-only Spa Garden.

In winter, The Homestead Resort has 45 acres of well-groomed trails for skiing and snowboarding (lift tickets from $35/$25 child). They can make snow when needed and have a ski school. Non-skiers can ice skate ($15), snow-tube ($15) or snow mobile (from $49/$29 passenger). The Homestead covers 3,000 acres so some of the many activities are necessarily spread out, but personable drivers shuttle guests to activities in resort vans (complimentary).

Suffice it to say that you won’t be bored at The Homestead unless you want to be. If you’d like to getaway to the beautiful Virgina Alleghenies, contact Tracy at Covington for reservations and her first-hand recommendations for activities at the quintessential luxury resort inVirginia, The Homestead.