101. Spring. The state tree and flower are the Dogwood (I actually learned that on 'The American President'...Michael Douglas and Annette Bening) for a really good reason...it's gorgeous in April here.
100. Summer. The beach is about 2.5 hours away. The mountains are less than half an hour. Swimming holes abound. Take your pick and get outside!
99. Autumn. Apple orchards and cideries, gorgeous foliage, the Blue Ridge Parkway, crisp, cool nights and warm days. And unlike Vermont, no snow on Halloween.
98. Winter. Wintergreen ski resort is a 30-minute drive, with slopes open from right after Thanksgiving til early spring - there is snow to be had all winter, if you want it. But even when we get the white stuff down off the mountain, it's usually melted off the roads within days.
97. Location, location, location. You've got DC within 3 hours - free museums, Kennedy Center, big city stuff. Or the beach. Or the back roads in the country. You name it, you've got it within hours of Charlottesville.
96. Amtrak to NYC. People go to NYC for the weekend on the train, then return home to the country on Sunday night. Best of both worlds!
95. Blue Ridge Parkway. Get on the parkway going south, or Skyline Drive going north...the views and hikes are astounding.
94. Monticello. A World Heritage Site, beautifully restored. You'll learn something while you're there, too.
93. Scottsville Farmer's Market. Saturdays from late spring til fall, meet the farmers and local food producers. It's not the biggest in the area, but it's got everything you need...plenty of parking, and it's 1/2 mile down the road.
92. High Bridge State Park. GREAT biking, because it's flat and easy. Got kids? Take them! Pets on a leash, too. 45 minutes south. Free programs, like the recent Bike to the Moon...leaving from the trailhead in Farmville at 8pm on the full moon in August - bike to the bridge, listen to a talk about the moon, then bike back in the moonlight. Talk about a great date night idea!
91. Greenwood Gourmet grocery. An amazing little market store out near the Parkway and wineries in the western part of the county. Fancy sandwiches and great coffee to go, plus gourmet food items...and garden art/pottery, and the best pumpkin selection in the fall.
90. Paramount Theatre. My favorite little restored theatre was the Osolo in Sarasota. This one is really nice too - with performances by everyone from Lewis Black to screenings of 'Chitty-Chitty-Bang-Bang'. Just a 20 minute drive from High Meadows, right downtown Cville. Watch Lewis Black reading the top 25 things to do in town the day he was here...hilarious.
So there ya go...the first few reasons to want to live here. Enter the contest to win High Meadows, and you could be living and working here for just your best essay and $150. And stay tuned in a couple of days for the next best reasons, if you still need more motivation!
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