Virginia Trip

We took our first trip without the babe, since she was born, and made a long weekend out of a trip to Virginia for my colleague Katie's wedding. My mom took care of Amelia so we could enjoy some quality time away together, and so much needed sleep!

We spent 4 days in rural Virginia, and had a wonderful time exploring the local wineries, breweries and cideries. Virginia has earned a place in our hearts, and we're hoping to be able to get back there sometime for vacation. The green, rolling hills were absolutely beautiful, and the people were so hospitable and welcoming. We stayed in Bridgewater, Virginia so we explored the Shenandoah Valley American Venticultural Area (AVA), and we also took a day trip to Charlottesville, where we met up with our Denver friend Treece and explored the University of Virginia campus.

Katie and Jeff, the newlyweds! Their wedding was absolutely beautiful and had such a relaxed, intimate feel. The wedding was outdoors and the reception in a rustic barn, decorated with hanging lights that twinkled under the stars. It was magical, and their families were so welcoming. 

We had a delicious breakfast at The Pigeon Hole, located near the University of Virginia in an area called "The Corner." We had breakfast with our friend Treece, who we met in Denver and now lives in Virginia, and his friend Phil, who is the man behind Cutaway cycling gear. Like most college campus areas, there were lots of great places to eat and grab coffee, and we really enjoyed exploring.

And of course, we had to go find the Zeta Tau Alpha house so I could snap a photo!

The beautiful Shenandoah Valley

This is a photo of the winery we went to, Pollak Vineyards

I have to admit, I'm a bit of a cider aficionado. I try to never buy the same brand at the store, and I enjoy tasting different styles from parts of the country and the world. So, when we spotted cideries on the map, naturally we bee-lined to the nearest to check it out. We ended up at Bold Rock cidery and brewpub, a brand we had picked up a 6-pack of the night before (before realizing we would be stopping there the next day!) It was delicious, and possibly my new favorite. Unfortunately they don't distribute beyond the Virginia/DC area. The cider is a partnership between a guy named John, who bought the land in Virginia, and Brian Shanks, a world renown cider maker from New Zealand. The rest is history - they're expanding rapidly and becoming a local (and Denverite) favorite!

Breakfast at The Pigeon Hole

The Rotunda at University of Virginia. Set in the middle of campus, this is the site for their annual graduation ceremony. The path up the middle has to be re-sodded every summer because the thousands of footsteps of graduates destroys the grass every year. The campus was rich with history and stories about the founder Thomas Jefferson. We also drove to Monticello, TJ's homestead. We didn't have enough time to take in everything, and would love to plan a trip back to see more of Virginia's history as well as to tour DC.