Bath County in western Virginia covers 540 bumpy square miles inhabited by just 5,000 souls and nary a stoplight. Warm Springs, the county seat, boasts a post office, courthouse, and inn—and that’s about all. Still, the Inn at Gristmill Square, occupying several 19th-century buildings—ablacksmith’s barn, restored mill, miller’s house, and hardware store—is reason enough to visit this quint essentially peaceful spot. One of the area’s best places to sup is its Waterwheel Restaurant, where one thrill is wandering down to the cool subterranean wine cellar to select a bottle. The Steel House, across the lane, has a small swimming pool, sauna, and three tennis courts. The Silo has a round living room, and the large, rustic Board Room, a favorite, is paneled with barn siding and features a claw-foot tub. Janice Mc-Williams and her son, Bruce, are the able proprietors, former owners of an inn in Vermont. They serve a simple breakfast and the Richmond Times Dispatch in a picnic basket at guests’ doors.
|