Day
1 (Friday): We left Norfolk closer to 5 since we had to wait for Leia
to get home from Breakthrough. Traffic wasn't that bad getting out
surprisingly, just your typical back ups (rain didn't help either).
Once we made it over the water we stopped for dinner at Panera and then
went on our way to the resort we would be staying at, Shenandoah
Crossings, just outside of Charlottesville. The drive over was
uneventful, most of us slept since we had just finished a week at Day
Camp. As we got closer to the resort we all took in the beauty of the
country side, we sure don't see anything like that in Norfolk. All the
farmland and the rolling hills and the Blue Ridge Mountains in the
background... absolutely beautiful!! We arrived shortly after 8 and
checked in and went on to our cabin in the woods. I wish I would have
gotten pictures of the cabin, I will just use stock photos to illustrate
where we stayed. That evening we unpacked and rode up to the General
Store to pick up some things for breakfast and some waters. We then
settled in for the night since we would be having early wake ups the
next 3 days!
Day
2 (Saturday): First up on our historical adventure was visiting the
home of our 4th president, James Madison. Montpelier, a 20ish minute
drive from the resort, is just outside of Charlottesville in Orange, VA.
The estate is situated on rolling hills and farm land with beautiful
views of the Blue Ridge Mountains. Our tour was for 9:30 but we got
there a bit early, so we looked around the gift shop and we found a
trivia book on US History, Leia had fun quizzing Chris and me. When the
tour began it started as most tours like this do, with a short film on
the history of the estate. I actually learned quite a bit as I am not
as familiar with James Madison outside of being the Father of the
Constitution. We then proceeded to the mansion and enjoyed a guided tour
through the main level and the second story. After the tour on of the
mansion we were able to wander the grounds as desired. We went to the
archeology lab since I knew the kids, especially our aspiring
archeologist (Leia), would enjoy that. Leia learned about an archeology
camp they do there and is now eager to go! After that we made our way
through the gardens and down to the grave site. After visiting the grave
site we headed back to the visitors center and headed to lunch.
Before our trip, being the excellent planner I am, I did my research and learned of a fantastic BBQ place, BBQ Exchange,
that was a must-do, so we did. When we arrived the line was almost out
the door, I couldn't believe how busy it was. You stand in line and
give your order to the ladies behind the counter and they serve it up
for you, you then proceed down the line to pay. Not all the food is
ready by then so you find a seat and they bring out the rest to you. It
was all very efficient and oh so good!! I decided to order a bit more
than I normally eat because I wanted to try so much. I enjoyed BBQ beef
brisket, coleslaw, hush puppies, and a pumpkin muffin. I was so full
that I didn't even eat dinner that night!
After our yummy BBQ we headed out to our first cidery, Castle Hill Cider.
Chris and I are big cider drinkers, so when I learned there were
cideries close to where we were visiting I knew we had to stop. Boy am I
glad we did. We drove up to the cidery and were excited to see a big
field with corn hole so the kids would be entertained while we enjoyed
our samplings. We went inside first because we weren't 100% sure what
to expect, it was very inviting and had a checker set on the coffee
table (another piece of entertainment for the kids, and my dad). They
told us we could either do the tastings inside or outside. It was such a
beautiful day we chose outside. My mom, Chris and I each enjoyed the
premium tasting. Everything was great but a few really stood out to
us. After we went through the tasting we decided to join their cider
club and we brought a few bottles home with us, plus they comped Chris
and my tastings:) Elise, our "bartender" if that is what she is called,
was amazing!
After cider tasting we drove down the rode to the Keswick vineyards, this time we would be tasting wine. Again, the atmosphere here was so inviting and they had things to keep kids entertained and a bunch of outdoor seating. Again, my mom, Chris and I did the wine tasting and enjoyed about 7 different wines in all... we also left here with a few bottles of wine that we really loved.
At this point in the day it is almost 3:30 and we wanted to get back to the resort so the kids could go swimming and enjoy the amenities at the resort. So we headed back, got in our swim suites and headed to the main pool. It was pretty crowded but we found some chairs and put our stuff down and the kids played in the pool for awhile while I just hung out on the side. Then we visited the hot tub and again, I hung out on the side... it was actually quite HOT! After the pool we went back and got cleaned up and hung out. I had a raging headache so I laid down while everyone else went to get some dinner and watch the fireworks that the resort put on. I was bummed I missed it but things happen.
Day
3 (Sunday): We woke early again so we could begin our hour and a half
trip up to the Luray Caverns. The trip up was uneventful though it did
bring back many memories of my summers when I was in Jr. High when I
would come and stay with my brother back when he lived in this area. It
was very picturesque even if it was dreary. We arrived at the Caverns
around 9:30 if I am not mistaken and the line wasn't too long but it
still took us about 15-20 mins to get through. They snap a photo of your
group with the green screen for you to purchase at the end of the tour,
which we normally don't, but this time we did because it turned out
pretty good (except Elijah's expression). Once we got in to the caverns
the guide gave us the run down on how it was discovered and what we
will see during our hour tour. It was fantastic and the kids LOVED it.
Highly recommend this for any family. When we were done with our tour,
and our shopping at the gift shop, because if you know us, we love to
shop, we headed to eat at the cafe quickly. It was a good thing we got
there when we did because there was no line really, but just after us
the line came. My mom and I enjoyed a fish sandwich, the boys got
chicken tenders, Chris and Leia got cheeseburgers and my dad got a tuna
sandwich... all of which were very good. There were a few other museums
included on our ticket so we went to the carriage and car museum and the
Luray History museum area. As we were going through to these other
museums we noticed the line and I said to the kids... "this is why we
always come early to things". The line was crazy long!! 
Day
4 (Monday, 4th of July): Early wake up was in order for today is the
4th of July, and at Monticello for over 70 people that means they will
be come American Citizens. When we finalized our plans for the 4th of
July and picked Charlottesville I started planning our visit to
Monticello. What I didn't know was every year for over 50 years
Monticello host a Naturalization Ceremony. I was so excited to find
this out and knew immediately what day we would visit. We had to arrive
early so we could get to the Community College next to Monticello where
we would park and take a shuttle to the estate. The rain was steady
all morning but finally let up during the the ceremony and stayed away
for most of it, only towards the very end did it start up again and then
never really let up too much. After the ceremony they served Coke
floats, not sure why but I wasn't complaining:) We then had a little
while to our scheduled tour time for the house. You see, for the 4th of
July they do a Jeffersonian Open House, it is a free self guided
walking tour of the first floor. When walking into the mansion you knew
immediately this was not your typical Founding Father's home... it was
Thomas Jefferson's, he decorated his home in such a way to reflect his
many interests and accomplishments. One of the coolest features in the
home was his bed that was on display, it was the exact bed that he
passed away in on July 4th 1826. The tour was great and we look
forward to returning back one day to do the complete tour, hopefully
minus the rain. Before we headed to the shuttle to return to our car
we visited Thomas Jefferson's grave site, which was kind of fitting
considering it was the anniversary of his death. 
We returned to our van to begin the journey back home, but first, a stop to eat at Michies Tavern, some shopping in the shops and Carters Mountain for some Bold Rock Cider! We arrived home and were pretty exhausted so decided to forgo fireworks.
I am sure I missed some things but this def outlines the highlights of our great weekend. Charlottesville is an amazing area which offers so much to do, we can not wait to go back. Another great adventure was had and wonderful memories made as we live our lives to the fullest!!
