What is the best place to celebrate an important anniversary or birthday?
First choice: Keswick Hall near Charlottesville (434/979-3440; www.keswick.com), a luxurious hilltop lodge with the look of a Tuscan villa. It overlooks 600 acres with golf, indoor-outdoor pool and spa. I like the seemingly endless public rooms, nearly a dozen on the first floor: Drawing Room, Great Hall, Morning Room, Card Room. Second choice: L’Auberge Provencale in White Post, Va. (800/638-1702; www.laubergeprovencale.com), the charming country inn you hope to find in the south of France. Decorated in Provencale style, the former farm property is ringed by pastoral views. In front is the herb garden; in the rear, the orchard.
