Two Inns, One Weekend -- at the Very Minimum

Across the border and along country lanes to Slade's Inn we traveled, pulling up at 4 in the afternoon to a brilliant blue, green-turreted house.

The Slade family built the tavern in 1746 for locals and travelers on the road between Baltimore and Philadelphia. George Washington and the Marquis de Lafayette were guests at least once, and soldiers caroused on the lawn during the Civil War. The Slades sold the tavern in 1876, and the new owners tore down the original building, erecting the 1901 Victorian structure that's there today. Phillip Tagliaferri and Nancy Wallis bought the 29-acre estate in 2004 and transformed the mansion into an inn.

Slade's Inn sits back from the road amid woods-bordered, fence-enclosed green fields, where horses graze. Guests can board their own horses in Slade's stables at the rear of the property. Innkeeper Barbara Eveland pointed out what's original (the south turret), what's a replica (the north turret), luxury features (soundproofing throughout, a gas fireplace and individual thermostats in each of the 10 bedrooms) and the overall theme (horses and hounds).

The property's bedrooms have unique color palettes and decor, and each bears a hunt-country name. We stayed in the View, a pretty sea green and white room with white wicker furniture and a floral chandelier. But my favorite room was the Full Cry, which came with walls the color of toasted almonds, a chaise longue in the turret and a marble double shower.

Before dinner, we stopped at Boordy Vineyards, Maryland's oldest family-run winery, and tasted a 2006 chardonnay. "We close the winery at 5 p.m. and reopen at 5:45 for our concert," I overheard the wine-shop clerk inform another visitor.

We considered this news for future reference: Saturday evenings in the summer, Boordy presents music groups, such as the one scheduled for that night, Mood Swings ("more than big band"). A $17 per-person admission covers the music and dance instruction; crab cakes and barbecue are for sale, but locals often prefer to pack a picnic.

Before leaving Monkton, we explored its tiny town center. It was once a stop on the Northern Central Railroad, and the old train station is home to a visitor center for Gunpowder Falls State Park, whose 16,000 acres extend north and south of Monkton. You can slurp a peaches-and-cream ice cream cone at Monkton Station, browse paintings and jewelry at the Diddywopps & Keefers Art Gallery and rent an inner tube to float down the nearby Gunpowder River.

You can also rent a bike or stroll along the old Northern Central Railroad track, which has been converted into a trail. That's when we realized that the 20-mile Northern Central Railroad trail continues to the Pennsylvania border, where it connects with the Heritage Trail, which in turn continues for 21 miles to downtown York.

So we could have pedaled between the two inns.

Jim and I settled for a five-mile stroll along the lovely wooded trail, but next time we're itching for a getaway, it'll be this: one weekend, one bike ride and two inns.