Last June, Timmy and I decided to venture to Virginia Beach for a little getaway for our 2nd anniversary. We didn’t want to stay at a hotel so we decided to look into some local Bed & Breakfasts in the area. The one that immediately caught our eye was the Barclay Cottage Bed & Breakfast.
The Barclay Cottage is an Old-Victorian style house with a beautiful wrap around porch. The sidewalks in this area are the original brick which gives the little historical town so much character. The inside is just as beautiful as the outside. Upon arriving we were greeted by Rich (he helped run the cottage). He gave a wonderful first impression and had a ton of information to share with us. We instantly felt like we were visiting family. As we sat in the fireplace room, beautifully decorated by Sharon (the owner), and all of her Pinterest-inspired ideas, Rich talked to us about everything we needed to know about the Cottage before showing us to our room.
“Cape Henry” was written by the doorknob of the room we were staying in. On the bed sat a message in a bottle that wished us a Happy Anniversary and had other little bits of useful information. The room was painted light blue and decorated in lighthouses, a radio played relaxing sounds of the ocean, and our little bathroom was accented in starfish! You can tell that Sharon had a knack for detail.
My absolute favorite part of our entire stay at the cottage… the breakfast. Rich was a phenomenal cook and Sharon plated each dish with perfection (literally looked like something straight out of a magazine). I was so amazed at what was served that I tried things that I usually turned my nose up to. Instead of describing the food, I wanted to show you because well… a picture says a thousand words and the only word I can come up with right now is “Mmmmm.” Timmy and I would finish eating and I would look at him and say, “I wonder what they are serving tomorrow?!” I just couldn’t wait! Rich and Sharon also took into consideration eating preferences and food allergies too, so they could create breakfasts for other guests staying there based on their needs. They would always start with fresh fruit and then serve the main course with fresh juices, coffee, and tea.
In the evenings, they would have fresh chocolate chip cookies in a jar with coffee and tea. Timmy and I would take them back to our room and had a late night snack while we played a couple rounds of Uno (and yes, I won.) 😉 They had a hutch full of different games; we had a couple storms while we were there, so it was nice to have something to do!
The Cottage was nestled a few streets back from the beach, which was only about a 3-minute walk. We loved being a little farther from all of the commotion of the boardwalk. We could have borrowed bikes from the cottage, but we decided to walk everywhere because I needed to get all my steps in on my Fitbit! Basically everything we did was in walking distance– like miniature golf, all the exciting things on the boardwalk, and my ultimate favorite place to have dinner — Big Sam’s Raw Bar. They have the BEST Jumbo Lump Crab Cake– it’s their specialty. We went later in the evening so it was a bit crowded, but we didn’t have to wait too long!
These were taken on our actual anniversary! We both got a little too much sun that day!
Sharon went above and beyond for us while we stayed there. I had even emailed her asking for help finding a photographer because I was having trouble finding someone to do a quick photo shoot at a reasonable price. Each year we get anniversary pictures done, and this year I wanted them done on the beach so she contacted Brett Phelps to do our shoot (we have become friends since then). He did a wonderful job and captured the nicest pictures of us! He is a part-time photographer, so he met us after he got off work, and took us down to the beach for beautiful golden hour photos. Not only did he charge a very reasonable amount, he also stayed longer to make sure he got as many perfect shots as he could.
Rich and Sharon with the Barclay Cottage Bed and Breakfast!
It was hard saying good-bye to new friends and a wonderful anniversary weekend, but we will definitely be going back! Until then, we will be dreaming of sandy toes and seashells.
xo,
Er
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