For our birthdays (which are 2 days apart), we have a tradition to drive somewhere for the weekend rather than buy one another gifts. This year we chose Charlottesville - we had been there for a basketball game with the Raleigh gang a few years ago and Keith had been there in '85 for the National Scout Jamboree, but we had not been there just the two of us.
Accommodation:
We stayed at the Boars Head Inn, which is a lot larger than the name suggests. It is more of a resort with a massive tennis and fitness center as well as a conference center. The place looks nice, though the rooms could use a bit of an upgrade - the interior design seems circa '80s at best.
Activities:
This was a weekend for the convertible - though it was HOT! We drove up topless on the Thursday night with the thermometer hitting 100 degrees - but we persevered and made it the whole drive without giving up on the suntan.
On Friday, in order to get a bit of culture, we first hit Monticello, Jefferson's house. We walked around the grounds, with the gardens and views being quite impressive. We then had the 30 minute tour of the house before heading out for a more fun activity: drinking wine! We hit four vineyards in the area: Blenheim, First Colony, Veritas, and King.
On Saturday, we hiked Old Rag Mountain in Shenandoah National Park. It is an 8 mile circuit hike that is quite grueling as it requires some strenuous rock scrambling and squeezing between tight spaces in the rocks. It has spectacular panoramic views and is one of the most popular hikes in the Park (therefore very little solitude).
On Sunday, we relaxed in the morning at the hotel and took our time driving topless back home, soaking in some more of the HOT sun!
Restaurants:
Zocalo
Zocalo is located in downtown Charlotte on the pedestrian mall. It is a casual restaurant serving Mexican food. We were not terribly impressed with the meal and would likely not go back.
Old Mill Room at Boars Head
The Old Mill Room is a nice restaurant at the Boars Head Inn. The decor is warm, country style with large wooden beams throughout. For starters, we had the Heirloom Tomato Terrine and the Crab and Corn Chowder - both very tasty. We do not recall what we have for an entree but remember that is was quite tasty. Definitely worth going to!
Fossett's at Keswick Hall
Fossett's is a very nice restaurant at Keswick Hall, a resort hotel located north of the city. We started with a drink on the balcony, overlooking the grounds of the resort. For dinner, we had the tasting menu which was amazing! At the end of dinner, we found out that Graham, Keith's brother, had paid for our dinner for our birthday gift - we were quite surprised and elated!
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