Considered "the birthplace of American wine", the Monticello Wine Trail consists of more than 40 beautiful wineries all within easy access of Charlottesville.

Charlottesville was named Wine Enthusiast's 2023 Wine Region of the Year. No visit to Charlottesville is complete without a day spent taking in the lush views and dynamic wine scene in the heart of Virginia.

Monticello was the primary home and plantation of Thomas Jefferson. Monticello is coupled with UVA in its designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Highland was the estate and plantation of James Monroe. Montpelier was the estate and plantation of James Madison.

Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and James Madison were all Founding Fathers, US Presidents, and members of the original governing Board of Visitors of UVA.

Monticello - 15 minutes from The Lawn

Highland - 20 minutes

Montpelier - 45 minutes

Did you know? The nickel features depictions of both Thomas Jefferson and Monticello.

Favorite of John Denver, Shenandoah National Park can be found in the northern section of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Haven to deer, songbirds, and black bears, Shenandoah National Park is a land bursting with cascading waterfalls, spectacular vistas, fields of wildflowers, and quiet wooded hollows.

Skyline Drive is a 105-mile National Parkway that runs the entire length of Shenandoah National Park. Rockfish Gap is the southern entrance to Shenandoah National Park and is a 30-minute drive from The Lawn.

Kristen and Luke's favorite hikes are Humpback Rocks and, for a full-day's trip, Old Rag.

Humpback Rocks - 30 minutes from The Lawn

Old Rag - 1 hour

Charlottesville's Downtown Mall is a vibrant collection of more than 120 shops and 30 restaurants housed in historic buildings along the city's Main Street. A wonderful mix of restored and renovated buildings, visitors can enjoy shopping, dining and entertainment along the brick-paved pedestrian area.

Downtown Mall - 10 minutes from The Lawn

The Corner is a collection of bars, restaurants, bookstores, and night spots on University Avenue, directly across the street from the UVA campus. The Corner was originally a literal corner, where UVA's main entrance intersected with Three Notch'd Road, which is now Main Street.

Most of the businesses on The Corner are still locally owned. Some of Kristen and Luke's favorites include: The Virginian, The Biltmore, Roots, Marco & Luca Dumplings, and Christian's Pizza.

Birdwood is the home course for the UVA golf teams. Birdwood was ranked third in Golf Digest's rankings of America's Best New Courses of 2021 and was recently ranked Golf Digest's 8th best course in the state of Virginia for 2023.

Other local courses include Meadowcreek and Old Trail.

Kristen and Luke's favorite 36-hole (mini golf) course in town is Putt-Putt Fun Center.

Birdwood - 10 minutes from The Lawn

Meadowcreek - 15 minutes

Old Trail - 20 minutes

Putt-Putt Fun Center - 15 minutes

Walnut Creek, Luke's favorite course around, surrounds Walnut Creek Lake on 34 acres of the 527-acre park. The course has a good mix of terrain offering scenic beauty as players shoot across fields, through woods, and over water.

Walnut Creek - 20 minutes from The Lawn

Meadow Creek - 5 minutes

Chris Greene Lake - 20 minutes

Greene County - 30 minutes