Picture this: After a scenic drive along the northern stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Central Virginia, with perhaps a stop to hike the nearby Appalachian Trail to the iconic lookout Humpback Rocks, you roll into Love Ridge Mountain Lodging just off milepost sixteen. You pass the lodge and cabins, follow a narrow dirt lane up to the thickly forested camping area—and find yourself transported back in time to 1776.
Inspired by America’s 250th anniversary, Love Ridge has given its pair of ridgetop glamping tents a Revolutionary War–era makeover that will appeal to history buffs and s’mores fans alike. Thematic elements abound. Duck through the flaps of a spacious, heavy-canvas tent and scan plenty of throwback touches: tin cups and stoneware jugs, lanterns, rustic apple crates, vintage maps, wool blankets, a cowhide rug, an American flag with thirteen stars, and naturally, a tricorn hat.
Don’t worry, Colonial reenactor–level commitment is not required. George Washington himself likely never slept in a bed so large and comfy, and it’s doubtful the Wi-Fi at Valley Forge was nearly as reliable. There’s also no edict that you must stow your phone in the provided lockbox. (After all, you’re going to need it for the Instagram post of you sporting a tricorn hat.)
Embracing the concept goes beyond decorations, though. This glamper can report that wielding the long-handled popcorn popper over a campfire and under the stars is a perfect way to disconnect and decompress from twenty-first century stress. (Popcorn kit and a charcuterie basket are included in the Revolutionary Rest package available now through September 30; $170 per night Monday–Thursday, $230 Friday–Sunday.)
Finally, do take advantage of the tent’s antique desk equipped with all the bygone implements of the equally bygone practice of writing letters. It doesn’t matter what you commit to parchment—a to-do list, a thank-you note to a friend, or, given the milieu, a warning that those pesky British are coming. But the process of dipping a turkey-feather quill into an inkwell to compose a message, melting candle wax onto the envelope, and sealing it with a stamp tool isn’t just a lesson in how far communication methods have come since 1776. It’s a reminder in 2026 to slow down and mull the meaning of your words before pressing “send.”
Steve Russell is a Garden & Gun contributing editor who also has written for Men’s Journal, Life, Rolling Stone, and Playboy. Born in Mississippi and raised in Tennessee, he resided in New Orleans and New York City before settling down in Charlottesville, Virginia, because it’s far enough south that biscuits are an expected component of a good breakfast.
