VA weekend getaways

cheekywife · April 2011

so DH & i have not had a true "just us" vacation since 2009 and we can't even start planning one until i'm working again but we can swing a weekend away in may or june.

i'm thinking two nights in loudoun county or maybe charlottesville? i'd prefer to spend less time driving, more time relaxing. we definitely want to check out some wineries, have some picnics, etc... i'll be keeping an eye on living social escapes too since this still has to be somewhat budget friendly.

any recommendations for favorite inns, towns, and wineries? at winefest last year, i remember liking chrysalis, veritas, and wintergreen a lot.

TIA

victoria1212 · April 2011

we had a great time in Charlottesville- we stayed at the Clifton Inn (they had some good online booking rates plus we got upgraded). However, we were underwhelmed by our dinner at the Clifton Inn. I think it is a great weekend getaway!

Also, Richmond is fun!

dmuppet7 · April 2011

I've stayed at the Orchard House B&B, both in their 6-person farmhouse for a girlfriend getaway weekend and in the house itself. Deb and Richard are fantastic hosts. The house is in Lovingston, which is about 20 min. southwest of Charlottesville.

Here's my review for the farmhouse: (dmuppet7 March 13, 2009)

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g57914-d573227-r26107097-Orchard_House_Bed_and_Breakfast-Lovingston_Virginia.html#CHECK_RATES_CONT

Here's the page for the Inn: http://www.orchardhousebb.com/

And here's a slew of recommendations:

Spa:

The Corner Spa - They were great and the prices were very reasonable, but the only caveat is it's quite small. What she did for us is two girls at a time would get massages in their "couples room" while the others stayed at the house, taking turns until all were done. It was only a mile away (from the Orchard House B&B) - very convenient.

http://www.thecornerspa.net/

Wineries:

On the way there we stopped at Prince Michel Vineyards (right on the way) and Veritas Vineyards (out of the way but we got there early so had time to kill). Both great.

Afton Mountain - we enjoyed their whites and the nice girl pouring joked with us and answered our tons of questions. They had a nice indoor seating area surrounding their fireplace - very cozy!

Cardinal Point - we were greeted by the largest cat I've ever seen (think "Morris the Cat" as a contestant on "The Biggest Loser"). Here I think we all bought the most wine - we liked just about everything they poured! They have a great Reserve Cabernet Franc I bought for Otto. Again, the two women there had great info and stories for us.

Hilltop Berry Farm and Winery - had a lovely outdoor seating area overlooking the property and hills surrounding. They had an extensive tasting of mostly sweet and fruit wines - 12 wines in all (maybe 14?) - and the man pouring for us was such a great storyteller about the wines and how they're made. We also loved that he had us taste some of them with chocolate chips. We also all bought a lot of wine here because there were so many flavors to choose from.

Mountain Cove Winery - Emily (one of the owners) came down to meet us and pour for us. She also had lived in the DC area when she was our age and had great stories about moving, city vs. country life, advice for our bride, and advice about motherhood. She was a doll to talk to and she let Shanda pick out whatever wine she wanted for free because she wanted us all to share it later that evening together as her gift. That said, none of the wines were that good. : (

Breweries (this is info from a trip we took with our neighbors):

? South Street Brewery, downtown Charlottesville

106 W. South St.

Charlottesville, VA 22902

(434) 293-6550

http://www.southstreetbrewery.com/

o Seems to be "just" a restaurant with in-house brewed beer (no tours)

o Beer sampler: $6 for 7 tastes

? Starr Hill Brewery, Crozet

5391 Three Notched Rd

Crozet, VA 22932

(434) 823-5671

http://www.starrhillbeer.com/

Do a tour and get free samples.

o Open Saturdays (noon - 5 p.m.)

o NO food

o Tasting room - 8 regular and seasonal beers - FREE samples

o Free brewery tour - 1, 2, 3, and 4:00 p.m. (half an hour tour)

? Blue Mountain Brewery, Afton - more experimental beers

9519 Critzers Shop Rd.

Afton, VA 22920

(540) 456-8020

http://www.bluemountainbrewery.com/

o Open noon - 10 p.m.

o Outside porch with mountain views to relax and drink

o Tasting room

o Sampler $5 for 6 tastes

Brewery/Restaurant:

Devil's Backbone Brewing Company

200 Mosbys Run

Roseland, VA 22967

(434) 361-1001

http://dbbrewingcompany.com/

Food, drinks, and atmosphere were great - very lively! Our only caveats for future patrons would be to tell them that it's really loud there ... it was difficult to hear each other talk.

If you decide to go to Charlottesville, lemme know - last time we went to an amazing local food/organic restaurant ... have to ask my friend to remind me what the name of it was.

Mrs.Handy · April 2011

I went to school at UVA and DH and I had a 1st anniversary weekend near Charlottesville (Afton) so I really love it for a weekend getaway.

It has a ton of wineries to choose from. We loved Veritas (you can sit and taste wine), White Hall, and Afton Mountain. We stayed at a lovely B&B near Afton. Night life was limited but we weren't looking for that. We enjoyed sitting on the patio drinking wine or spending time around the house.

During this weekend we also went to Monticello, into Charlottesville (I reminisced at my alma mater).

If you're looking for fun bars, restaurants, then you could stay in Charlottesville, but if you like the country atmosphere then there are lots of B&Bs around. Breakfast was awesome at the place we stayed.

I'm sure Loudoun county has some great getaways as well, we haven't had a chance to take advantage of them, but we love going to wineries in Loudoun.

alliapistor · April 2011

Palladio is the restaurant attached to the Barboursville Winery. It is a little pricey ($100 per person with wine pairings), but in my opinion well worth it especially since the price includes as much wine as you want. It's a 5 course meal with wine pairings. They usually only do the dinner on Saturday nights and you should get a reservation well in advance. You can come early for free wine tastings as well. It's not far out of Charlottesville. We have stayed at a B&B next door and at the Best Western just outside of Charlottesville, but Barboursville has its own B&B as well.

cheekywife · April 2011

thanks everyone! we've started researching so nestie reviews will help us narrow down a lot

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