We had one of those amazing, cool summer days here in Virginia. It was Saturday and I needed to get the kids out of the house, so my husband could work. I looked for outings that were 60 miles and even 90 miles away, but finally realized that it would be easier to stay in Charlottesville. So, the kids and I decided to be hometown tourists for the day.
On Route 53, only a few miles off of Interstate 64, you can visit half a dozen great places. We choose three, with Historic Michie Tavern being first on our list. Michie Tavern opened in 1784 to accommodated travelers with food and lodging. We began our tour with the General Store. The store has a working water wheel on its exterior that the kids love and inside you are welcomed by old fashion candy, a barrel of soft drinks, games, and gifts galore for the adults. We bought candy sticks and cold soft drinks. We then walked up and around to The Clothier Shop. Another family with younger children was taking pictures of their little ones dressed up in period clothes borrowed from The Clothier. My two weren’t up for that, but we did have a nice time looking at the assortment of old fashion dresses, hats and swords for sale.
Our next stop was just around the bend, Carter Mountain Orchard. The views from the orchard, which sits atop the ridge of a mountain, are truly amazing. From their viewing decks, you can see the flat landscape extending endlessly to the east and the mountains rising from the Piedmont to the west. It’s peach season now and you can pick peaches from their trees or purchase freshly picked peaches from their country store. We skipped the healthy fruit and indulged in more sweets, peach ice cream, homemade peach donuts and peach slushies. We took our treats out on to the deck and looked out over the mountains while we ate.
We made one last stop at Jefferson Vineyards. Even though I live only a few miles away, I had never driven in and looked at the beautiful vineyard, the welcoming gardens or the tasting room. I didn’t want to drink wine with the kids in tow, but I thought since we were being “tourists” for the day, we should stop by and experience the vineyard. I’m so glad we did.
All in all, being a tourist in my hometown was great. It can be easy to forget the treasures that are right around me, especially those that are the closest.
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