With its balmy temperatures, natural beauty, gracious spirit and affordable accommodations, the South has long attracted vacationing families. But as popular a destination as the region is, there are still vacation getaways known to none but a lucky few. If you're looking for country charm and a home away from home, the Acorn Inn, located in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a true gem.

VIRGINIA
ACORN INN
Virginia's Blue Ridge Mountain foothills bloom pink with apple blossoms, or "fairy petals" as my daughter, Alissa, dubbed them years ago. We roll down the car windows and let that sweet scent welcome us to Nelson County, a happy mix of woods, pastures and mountains about 35 miles southwest of Charlottesville. On winding roads, we pass orchards, weathered barns, paddocks and silhouettes of the Blue Ridge Mountains--but not one stoplight.

The Acorn Inn, set on 34 acres in Nellysford, Virginia, is as laid-back as the scenery. Its centerpiece is a big red stable, now a ten-room bed-and-breakfast owned by Martin and Kathy Versluys. Even with the tack and swishing tails gone, the building retains its equine allure. Guest rooms are actually converted stalls--a treat for kids who relish the thought of bedding down where horses once slept.

Rooms are sweetly and serviceably furnished; shared bathrooms are down the hall. Guests gather in the "Uncommon Room," a skylit A-frame heated by a Finnish soapstone stove and decorated with Latin American figurines and quilts. After a day of roaming the countryside, you're welcome to bring back a pizza for dinner.

Klaas, the Versluys's 11-year-old son, is also a charmer of a host. He shares his father's enthusiasm for bicycling: Martin has mapped the region's hilly country roads, and--if you've brought your own bikes--he can direct you to challenging routes or tell you where the road follows a creek for an easy five-mile ride.

Our favorite area day-trips include Crabtree Falls, accessible from state highway 56. Its cascading waters shimmer in many of our family photos. After a short walk (although the rugged trail continues on through the cool and feathery forest), you're rewarded with a five-tier, 1,200-foot falls, reputedly the highest east of the Mississippi River.

A country holler away, Wintergreen Resort operates a nature center whose family and kids' programs are open to nonresort guests, as are the resort's ski slopes and programs in winter. (Both Alissa and my son, Matthew, learned to ski there.)

In fall, we pick apples by the bushel at Nelson County orchards. And in any season, Thomas Jefferson's Monticello, 35 miles northeast of the Acorn Inn, provides a fascinating excursion into 18th-century plantation life.

THE DETAILS: Rates are $57 for two adults Friday and Saturday; $52 weekdays (continental-plus breakfast included). Kids under 13 stay free; older kids are charged $15. Rooms sleep only three, with a rollaway bed ($5 extra). A cabin rents for $115 per night for a family of four. For more information and updated rates, click here or call 434-361-9357.

Candyce H. Stapen's books include FUN WITH THE FAMILY IN VIRGINIA and GREAT FAMILY VACATIONS SOUTH (Globe Pequot).

Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.