Enjoy the multitude of vineyards around the greater Charlottesville area! Some of our personal favorites to check out:

King Family Vineyard (horse polo matches on Sunday)

Pollak Vineyards

Hark Vineyards

Mount Ida Farm & Vineyard (great selection of beer too!)

Blenheim Vineyards (owned by Dave Matthews)

Barboursville Vineyards

Hazy Mountain (spectacular views and beer too!)

Charlottesville Breweries:

Devils Backbone Backyard

Rockfish Brewing Company

Three Notch'd Brewing Company

Starr Hill Brewery

South Street Brewery

Kardinal Hall (lots of VA beers, awesome food, and amazing Bavarian style pretzels)

Breweries Close to Charlottesville :

Blue Mountain Brewery (Afton, VA)

Devils Backbone Basecamp Brewpub (Roseland, VA)

Enjoy a scenic drive through the Shenandoah Mountains with lots of spots for great photos! There are several hiking trails ranging from easy to very challenging. Our favorite is Humpback Rocks (there are easy and hard trail options!).

This is one of our all time favorite hikes in Virginia! If you love to rock scramble, this hike is for you. The mountain is made of giant marbled boulders that you climb to the top (no gear other than sneakers or hiking boots is needed).

After the hike, we love to stop at Devils Backbone Brewing Company for a drink and some lunch (200 Mosbys Run, Roseland, VA). Great beer, food, and fantastic views!

The first hike we completed when we moved to Virginia! It is a 10-mile loop that involves boulder scrambling towards the top of the mountain. Pack plenty of water and snacks! We enjoy having lunch on top of the mountain.

Washington D.C. is only 2 hours away by car from Charlottesville. There are also Amtrak and Greyhound stations in Charlottesville that can take you to D.C. We love walking around the Arlington Cemetery, National Mall, and visiting the multitude of Smithsonian Museums.

Virginia Beach and Sandbridge Beach are located 3 hours from Charlottesville by car. The waves are great for surfing and boogie boarding. There are several family fun stops along the way:

Richmond (lots of Civil War history)

Busch Gardens amusement park

Colonial Williamsburg

Visit Thomas Jefferson's estate, Monticello, located right in Charlottesville!

Thomas Jefferson also founded the University of Virginia. UVA has a beautiful campus with much of its architecture inspired by Jefferson.