Tired of the Beach Scene, a DC Couple Finds Respite in the West Virginia Mountains

For years, Tim Fink and Joe Vealencis had gone in with friends on summer rentals in Rehoboth Beach. But by 2014, they felt they’d outgrown that scene.

“We wanted something that was a little slower,” says Vealencis, who works in government relations. “There’s almost like a battle rhythm associated with having a house in Rehoboth.”

In search of a more tranquil road-trip destination, the couple booked a weekend in Lost River, West Virginia—a getaway near the George Washington National Forest in the Appalachians that’s especially popular with Washington’s LGBTQ community.

“We found the pace and the community to be charming and welcoming,” says Fink, who sells commercial furniture. So just for fun, he and Vealencis spent a day house-hunting. “We were really surprised at how affordable it was.”

The couple had talked casually about buying a second home at some point in the future. Then a local developer showed them a house he was building that had breathtaking views of the mountains. “It was one of those things: In your gut, you just knew,” says Fink.

He was taken by the place’s aesthetic—“a good mix of comfortable and cabin that also feels appropriately modern”—while Vealencis, who loves to cook and entertain, was drawn to its big kitchen and open floor plan. Though they initially worried about spending so many weekends away from their DC social life, they host friends frequently. “We like to share it,” says Vealencis.

The brand-new house didn’t need any work, but they’ve made small improvements—such as adding a downstairs wet bar made by a local craftsman and installing a patio with a fire pit. “Sometimes Tim and I just sit out there and count shooting stars,” says Vealencis.

“Our lives are kind of a marathon in DC,” says Fink. “Lost River feels like a totally stress-free place.”