I Need Another Star, 5 isn't enough!

Guest: canuck realtor (+ wife and 4 kids) (Fenwick, Ontario)
Date of Stay: 08/13/11 Review Submitted: 08/21/11

Two brothers own the James River House, and two Canadian brothers decided this would be a nice place to take our families and our mother for a week-long vacation. There were 5 adults and 6 children (ages 8-15), and each of us will declare this our best vacation ever. John & Dan are fabulous hosts, interacting with us before, during and after our stay. The James River House is an absolute joy. One previous reviewer said that each room is furnished with an eye to going above & beyond expectations, and we could not agree more. The 11 of us had plenty of private space, together with roomy common areas. We fell in love with Buchanan - from the antique shops and book store to the glow-in-the-dark mini putt and old style theatre; from the 60's throwback diner to the must-have dollar store... but most of all the friendly Southerners, all interested in who we were, where we were from, and whether we were enjoying our stay. John & Dan's other business, the Twin River Outfitters provided us with some amazing memories of the James River, using canoes, tubes, and kayaks. We visited Monticello in Charlottesville, climbed the Sharp Top Mountain at the Peaks of Otter, enjoyed a great swim at Cave Mountain Park, were in awe of the Blue Ridge Parkway, explored the Natural Bridge and the area surrounding it, ... along with the river outings and some relaxing times at our home base. The Twins (John & Dan) were super hosts, knowledgable guides, and straight up great guys. Everything about this vacation was fabulous, and we will be encouraging more people to explore this area, and enjoy the Mays brothers' hospitality. Thanks again fellas! We will send more Canadian invaders soon!

Owner response:Thanks for the kind words. We are blessed with a great area with lots of fun activities to do. Glad your group had a great stay.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Perfect for our group

Guest: Hank (South Carolina)
Date of Stay: 05/13/11 Review Submitted: 05/28/11

Our group ranging from 56 to 14 years of age stayed at the James River House while in the area for a family reunion. The house exceeded our expectations and was both charming and comfortable. We enjoyed sitting on the porches relaxing in between all our activities. We interacted with the owners on several occasions prior to arriving and found them very helpful. A portion of our group took advantage of the nearby river adventures and had a great time. The local restaurants varied from Italian to German and were memorable in their own rights. Don't miss the local North Star Diner while you are in the area either. This was a great place and a great value for the price with plenty to do and see in the area.

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

Perfect Place to Stay While Enjoying the James River!!!

Guest: Chester (Chesapeake, VA)
Date of Stay: 04/01/11 Review Submitted: 04/18/11

Thank you Twin River Outfitters for a great weekend for my group. The Inn was the perfect fit for my family group. We enjoyed the historic feel of the house and the historic Town of Buchanan. The two floats you put us on the James were perfect. We especially liked the Buchanan to Arcadia float we did in kayaks. The kids enjoyed the Xbox in the stone bunk room too. The kitchen had every thing we needed for making our own meals but we did eat dinner Saturday night down the street at the German resturant which was great. I will highly recommend your inn for my other paddling friends. High regards, Stevens Family

Recommended for:Pet owners, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with teenagers.

Great Long Weekend spot

Guest: Sarah (Cheaspeake, VA)
Date of Stay: 07/22/10 Review Submitted: 12/31/10

My family and my sister's family spent a long weekend at the James River House. We loved the House, it was very nice. All the kids all stayed in the basement "Stone Room" with 6 bunks which was really cool. We spent 5 hours on a great kayak trip on Friday and on Saturday we hiked up to the top Sharp's Top Mountain at the Peaks of Otter on Saturday morning and cooled off with a river tubing trip. The river was awesome. Thanks very much for a great Mountain vacation.

Owner response:Thank You for your comments, One advantage of staying at the James River House are all the fun Canoe/Kayak/Tubing trips right across the street.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, families with teenagers.

Super house in a charming town

Guest: marc (Greenville, NC)
Date of Stay: 06/17/10 Review Submitted: 06/21/10

The perfect spot for a group retreat. Twin brothers John and Dan are excellent hosts; the house is exceptionally well-maintained given its age (it must have been an arduous renovation project!), and every room (including private and public areas) is nicely equipped, with an eye toward exceeding expectations. For example, on our arrival, we found the kitchen stocked not just with basic necessities, but also spices, teas, coffee, an impressive assortment of cooking utensils, and so on; likewise, responding to the town's current "boil advisory" (which will reportedly be lifted in July 2010), they supplied us with many gallons of spring water. The bedrooms are varied, but all are comfy, and all have private baths. The basement bunk room proved to be an excellent hang-out space, especially given the hot weather during our stay. I can imagine some guests might be put off by the lack of a separate "public" washroom (i.e., not in one of the bedrooms), but that was of no concern to us – and if you're only renting one of the rooms, not an issue at all. The house is situated directly on Main Street in Buchanan, and we were warned that we might experience some street noise in rooms on that side. There is a surprising amount of car/motorcycle traffic in this tiny town (or not so surprising, given that it's about 2 miles from I-81); nevertheless, no one in our group reported any problems with external disturbance. The town itself is quite charming, with a sleepy/retro quality that is endearing. Antiquing seems to be the main attraction, and there's a very nice vintage bookshop in addition to several rambling antique stores. Not many restaurant options, though we stopped into the soda-fountain/grill in the pharmacy (yep!) and the German restaurant, and both looked/smelled great. You should plan to cook most meals in (and bring most of your food from somewhere else – DJ's Produce is the only real in-town grocery option, and though they have some great things from local farms, the selection is limited), or to be prepared to drive for dinner out. An excellent perk – John and Dan also own Twin River Outfitters, and a river float is included for folks who stay a minimum number of nights (see the description), plus they offer discounts on further trips if you decide on it. We did, and it was outstanding. All in all, it's hard to imagine finding a better deal, or more thoughtful and competent hosts. Highly recommended!!!

Owner response:Thanks for the kind words. The town put in a new water filtration plant so the water is all straight.

Recommended for:Sightseeing, adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+, families with young children, families with teenagers.

Buchanan visit

Guest: Sue 123 (Chesapeake, VA)
Date of Stay: 02/23/10 Review Submitted: 04/25/10

My group had a wonderful time during our visit. The James River house is very nice and the rooms are charming. The four of us very much enjoyed our get to reunion and plan to come back next year. Thanks Suzanne

Owner response:Hello Sue, Glad your group had a great time staying at the James River House. Kind regards - Twin River Staff

Recommended for:Adventure seekers, girls getaway, age 55+.