Jewel Vinsota Artist's Guesthouse

Less than a mile from the Appalachian Trail, the dog-friendly Jewel Vinsota guesthouse is the perfect get away to explore nature or your artistic leanings. The house is full of original artwork, hand-crafted details, and books on art and architecture. Wander the grounds and find sculpture, ponds, and trails through the woods. Want to hike the entire 40-mile length of Maryland on the Appalachian Trail? Start and end at the Jewel Vinsota and we can drop you off and pick you up. High ceilings, open floor plan and unique decorative painting will wow you when you step in the door. The house was designed and built by an artist/craftsman and it shows. The house feature one full-sized bed, an IKEA sofa that transforms to another full-size bed, and, if needed, a queen size air mattress. All bedding is provided. We'll make sure you have coffee, tea, sodas, and a few cooking staples, like oil, vinegar, and seasonings. The kitchen has a nice set of Calphalon pots, pyrex bakeware, and knives we actually sharpen on occasion. Cook your dinner on the charcoal grill and dine outside on the front porch. Roast marshmallows in the firepit next to the creek. You have the upper floor of the guest house and the front porch to yourself. David's workshop is below. Come and go as you please. We hope you use the house and grounds as creative inspiration. Books, basic art supplies and several instruments are all available to you. We provide an acoustic and an electric guitar with amp, Yamaha keyboard, and steel tongue drum. If you're interested in expanding your creativity through lessons in blacksmithing or assemblage art, let us know via chat and we'll coordinate. If you're looking for more practical skills, David and Sarah have decades of experience in historic preservation trades. You could learn how to preserve a wood window or repoint a stone wall. Sarah and David like to dine on their veranda, which overlooks the guest house. They may also be found in their workshop below your space, in their basement art studio or working in the yard. Feel free to start a conversation or keep to yourself. For the art and architecture buff, we're happy to give you a tour of the main house and art collection, featuring works by your host, David, and several of his friends and colleagues. We are conveniently located to everything and nothing. --0.7 mile from the Appalachian Trail, --a couple miles from the heart of Smithsburg MD where you'll find a bar, a diner and a couple restaurants. --30 miles from either Ski Liberty or White Tail ski areas --Waynesboro, PA is 9 miles (note- many Waynesboro restaurants are BYOB), --downtown Hagerstown, MD is a 20 minute drive. Hagerstown is the county seat and features the Blues Fest in early June; the Washington County Museum of Fine Art is a gem and located in City Park, also worth visiting. --I-70 is less than 10 minutes away. --easy and pleasant drives to Antietam and Gettysburg National Battlefields, Catoctin Mountain National Park and Greenbriar State Park. I've created a couple (SENSITIVE CONTENTS HIDDEN) maps with specific spots I like in the area and will gladly share with you via messaging. The Washington County Transit has a route that goes into Smithsburg MD from Hagerstown. If you're a hiker, we may be able to coordinate picking you up. We're in a bit of a cell-phone dead zone. Just down the road it works fine. If you need to have actual phone conversations, this may be a problem. But the wifi will give you email and teleconference access.