Girls' Weekend in Charlottesville

The weekend before last, my childhood best friend, Elizabeth,  flew in from the Windy City to spend a girls' weekend in VA with me. I absolutely love Charlottesville and wanted to share my love of the city by sharing some of my favorite gems while discovering a few new ones with my friend.  After picking her up from DCA (and making a mandatory road trip dinner stop at Chik-fil-a), we celebrated making it to Charlottesville with a late night stop to MAS Tapas. We toasted to the weekend with a glass of prosecco and some delicious desserts. Then, it was onward to check into our cozy AirBnB.

The next morning we awoke to warm cinnamon sugar doughnuts, fruit, and coffee on the porch area of our AirBnB. Aside from being the coziest little suite, it was that much better that the owners also owned an organic doughnut shop.

After breakfast, we headed into town for a self guided tour of UVA. Sadly, the historic Rotunda was closed for renovation but I did get to show Elizabeth the rest of the picturesque and historic campus.

The Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Museum was next on the list. It wasn't my first trip to the museum and it most definitely won't be my last. The Aboriginal style of art is one of my favorites because of the colors and strong symbolism that each stroke represents.

Lunchtime was spent at Feast! for some one-of-a-kind scrumptious soups and sandwiches. The restaurant is housed in a quaint grocery filled with local produce and wines. After shopping around there and picking up a cookie to go from the neighboring Albemarle Baking Company, we walked a few blocks up to explore the historic pedestrian mall.

It was then onward (and upward) to the tip top of Carter Mountain for a trip to the Carter Mountain Orchard and Bold Rock cidery. The rain was just letting up when we arrived and the view from atop the mountain was stunning, especially when coupled with apple cider doughnuts, apple cider, and a shared flight of Bold Rock apple cider. Did I mention that we had a lot of apples?

Blenheim Vineyards was next on the agenda. I had been before, but you can never go to Dave Matthew's vineyard too many times- am I right? 

Later in the evening, we treated ourselves to a fancy dinner at Ivy Inn Restaurant. The restaurant is housed in a delightful old Southern home and the menu is filled with home cooked and seasonal fare such as the blackberry marinated grilled quail that I chose to eat .

The next day we awoke bright and early, packed our bags, and drove to Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. The home has been well preserved over the years and is full of American artifacts and handiwork.

After walking around the Monticello home and grounds for a few hours, we worked up an appetite. So, we drove to the nearby Salt Artisan Market for some gourmet sandwiches. The restaurant is actually housed in an old fashioned gas station which made for quite the unique ambiance.

For our final stop, we went to Pippin Hill Vineyards. The winery is in a barn-like structure that's perched atop a hill, offering amazing views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Then, sadly- it was time to say our goodbyes and drive back to DCA so that Elizabeth could head back to Chicago. Cheers to long friendships, the Virginia countryside and a fabulous weekend NOT in the District!