Moon Author's Review
Belcour Lodge (10 minutes from Papine in Maryland, reservation required) is a beautiful private, colonial-era home set in a lovely river valley amid expansive gardens. Robin and Michael Lumsden offer Culinary Tours that include a stroll around the yard. Visitors will find an apiary with 50 colonies, a citrus orchard, and an abundance of other fruit trees. Robin and Mike markets Belcour Blue Mountain Honey, as well as Belcour fruit preserves, chutneys and spicy pepper sauces, produced on a cottage-industry scale from all natural, local ingredients. The garden tour is accompanied by a gourmet brunch, lunch, or high tea (US$35 per person). Orchids and a host of other flowers attract a wide variety of birds, most notably beautiful hummingbirds. You’ll want to take home some preserves, pepper sauces (US$5) and a cookbook (US$75) -- they’re outstanding. A swimming hole in the river is ideal for a refreshing dip.
