Here was the plan- leave home 9 ish in the morning. Do some hiking off the Blue Ridge Parkway in Shenandoah National Park. Arrive at the Farmhouse at Veritas after check in time but before pre-dinner Wine time at 5. Priorities folks. Veritas is a winery not far off the Blue Ridge Parkway about 40 minutes west of Charlottesville. The winery and its B&B is a favorite of some friends, who have stayed there a number of times. “Make sure you have dinner there one night,” was their advice along with a list of other activities, wineries, breweries and hiking spots. Seemed like a good plan.
It would take us about 4 1/2 hours to drive straight to Veritas so we had a good amount of time to take in the scenery and do some hiking. I had spots picked out and trail maps ready. Problem 1- this winter has been, well, actually, winter. Especially in the mountainous areas of Virginia which by February 1 had experienced several big snow and/or ice storms. The park information said that The Blue Ridge Parkway might close briefly following bad weather events but would re-open as soon as possible. Surely, weeks after the last such event it would be open? Glad I checked because it was closed.
Okay, moving on to Plan B- go to Charlottesville, walk around, check out the cute shops, historical stuff, whatever the internet says is worth some time. We found parking near the Historic Downtown Mall and proceeded to explore.
Problem 2- most things were closed. I am sure the area would be teeming with life on a summer weekend, but on a chilly Tuesday in early February, not so much. Time to pivot again search nearby wineries/breweries/ historic homes? Most closed or not where we were or were heading. But we found Three Notch’d Brewery nearby and wandered over for sustenance. Turned out to be a good choice, a great selection of IPA’s (our favorite) which spouse got to add to his total on the Untappd app. He’s gotten pretty competitive about it, trying to catch up with friends who are into this. First thing he does when looking at a beer menu is check which ones he has had, since of course he wants to try something new. At Three Notch’d, mission accomplished.
On the the Farmhouse at Veritas. What proved to be a lovely B&B in a beautiful setting. We checked in and had time to relax before Wine social hour and our reservation for dinner. Next up- dinner.
Explorer Barb 