The last winery from our tour was King Family Vineyards. The King Family brought polo to Virginia. We were hoping to see their scheduled polo match while there, but due to the rain, it was cancelled. We still walked around the grounds and to the stables to try to see some of the horses.
They also had a restaurant, but we'd already eaten. They had cute items in their little gift shop area. I didn't try their wine, since they didn't have any sweet wines. :(
Overall, a beautiful place, though I wish we could've seen a polo match there.
My friends suggested us doing a hop on wine tour through Cville Hop on Tours.
It was such an easy way to see several wineries without having to drive. Our driver, Sharon was great!
My friend picked wineries for us to visit from their Instagram profiles. The first was the beautiful Veritas Winery. It was so scenic and offered lunch. The wines weren't sweet enough for me, but the views from the extensive porch were idyllic.
We really enjoyed the variety of home items and outdoor furniture/decor items at Plow & Hearth Country Store. Plan to be there at least 45 minutes between the two buildings. There's something for everyone. My friend and I found matching iridescent purple double walled 20oz water bottles made by Cypress Refresh which is out of Richmond, Virginia.
One of the best meals of my trip was at Two Brothers Southwestern Grill in Ruckersville, VA. That's my friend's go-to place for Mexican food and I can definitely see why. We ordered carry-out and the food looked and tasted terrific. I ordered the burritos with rice, beans, and pico de gallo. Everything was flavored so well! The portions were generous and it reheated very well.
The view from the store:
Also on the trip, we checked out Yoder's Country Market in nearby Madison, VA. We came for a BBQ meal that they were offering. It was really good and a great deal. They also regularly offer sandwiches, ice cream, and fresh baked items. The store has a little bit of everything from kitchen tools to vitamins. I bought some things for myself and the fam; homemade caramels, an adjustable large measuring spoon, folic acid, a straw washing brush, and a tube cleaning brush. They have a really neat petting zoo with goats, turkeys, chickens, pheasant, and more animals.
The next day, my friend and I checked out Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. I'd always wanted to go. The house tour was informative and the grounds were so beautiful and well-kept. The history was eye-opening! The house had a little snack shop and their chocolate ice cream was good stuff!
Cafe at Monticello was also impressive with the variety and quality of food. Mmm, the lemon bars!!!
I was super impressed with the Shops at Monticello. They had everything from sweet potato butter to pottery to flower plants and seeds grown at Monticello. Oh, and the sweet potato butter is so good!
Time at Monticello was well-spent and a step into the past.
This August, I was able to go visit friends in Virginia. I'd never explored this part of Virginia before and I relished the opportunity.
The night I arrived, a friend and I went to meet other friends in downtown Charlottesville, Virginia. I enjoy checking out the downtown areas of the places I visit. After doing some research, my friend found Bebedero. The decor at Bebedero was warm and cute with light yellow and orange lanterns on the ceiling. The food was not my favorite. My tacos were too spicy to enjoy. The margarita was way too strong too. I'd skip this place.
After dinner, we walked to the Draft Taproom for drinks. I've never seen a bar like it. You go in and they give you a card that you can put onto each tap to track how much of each you select. I tried all the ciders and really enjoyed them. I liked that I could try an ounce and see if I liked it before getting more. I wish there were more places like this.
While on my vacation in Virginia, I had my first real experience with Sephora. I've always been intimidated by the store and make up in general. My friend that I was visiting is an eye makeup guru, so I got lots of help. The 15 minute Sephora eye shadow class was overwhelming for a girl who generally just wears concealer and foundation every day. On a good make up day I wore eye liner, curled my lashes, and put on lip glass. I had a lot to learn, but I wanted to get better at eye make up.
First off, I loved the Urban Decay eye shadow primer, Minor Sin. I seldom wore eye shadow because I didn't know what I was doing and I hated the crease in my eye shadow that always appeared before noon and made it looked like you hadn't even tried. Even though I'm cheap, I had to get the primer. I'm happy to report that 98% of the time it doesn't crease! Here's they looked they created for me.
Next time, I'll go lighter on the liner wing.
My friend also helped me build a great palette of 6 eye shadows from Buxom: Posh Purple, Backstage Pass (darkish blue), Schmooze (tealish), Cool Cavier (a rich, medium gray), Pure Platinum (a fun sparkly silver), and Diamond Darling (a shimmer-y white). Every day of my vacation after my Sephora trip, my friend guided my through the world of eye shadow.
I finished off the trip with 2 Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-on Pencils in: Psychedelic Sister (a fun purple) and Sabbath (a medium blue). They are so smooth, I love them!
I'm definitely having a lot of fun experimenting with all my new items!
Last week, I went on a much needed vacation to Virginia. One of my very good friends lives there. Our first stop was Virginia Beach.
We got tickets to Cirque du Soleil, Kooza. I'd always wanted to go to a Cirque du Soleil show, but I thought I'd never be able to afford to see one, so I was really excited!!! The show was everything I'd hoped for and more! I laughed and smiled the whole time! I enjoyed the confetti cannon! I was sad when the show ended. The experience was almost magical. :)
We stayed at a place we found on AirBNB. It was two blocks away from the beach. It was a beautiful oasis. Check it out here. Christine and her sweet dog, Cash were great hosts! We had a private entrance, patio, and bathroom. We'll definitely be back for a longer stay next time!
In Virginia Beach, we ate at Abbey Road for lunch. The place was pet friendly and brought my friend's dog a water dish. I had fish tacos and they were really good!
We walked on the beach and boardwalk. We saw the ocean and I got my feet wet, literally. I love the ocean!
Unknowingly, our trip coincided with the Neptune Festival. We got to hear the Symphony by the Sea. Symphonicity performed right in front of the ocean. We walked to the beautiful sounds of it.
Neptune!!!
We had dinner at Cactus Jack's. The hostess was terrific. Our waiter was a lot of fun. While I didn't like my crab cake salad, my friend loved her brisket sandwich.
We shopped at Seaside Flags & Gifts. It was a fun, little shop. The sales girl was great and helpful. I got a super cute, bird ring holder and an iridescent, fish Christmas ornament.
That next morning, we got up early and headed to the beach.
