Thursday, September 24, 2015

Other places to see photos and get information...

I thought I should probably mention here - if you haven't already, PLEASE go to Facebook and give us a 'Like'!

I've been posting some historic photos, and lots of other fun info over there - you can search for High Meadows Vineyard Inn on Facebook, we are pretty easy to find. Share with your friends too - the more the merrier.

https://www.facebook.com/HighMeadowsVineyardInn

Things we love...Part 3

And the countdown continues...

79. The WEATHER. I really can not emphasize this enough, this week's weather is absolute perfection, and it's like this quite often. It's cool enough to have the windows open, a slight breeze, the sun is out and the sky is blue. Sleeping when the temps drop at night is awesome, snuggled under one of the cozy comforters we have at High Meadows. For MOST of the year, it's a wonderful climate! It was one of the top three reasons we moved to Charlottesville, actually.

78. The SCHOOLS. This was another of the top 3 reasons we chose Charlottesville. No matter what you are looking for in a school for your children, you'll find it here. Private schools run the gamut and serve so many different needs...the Autism Institute, Little Keswick School, Peabody, and the Discover School help with special needs. Covenant School, Charlottesville Catholic School and a few others serve religious needs. Tandem Friends School, Renaissance School, The Charlottesville Waldorf School, several Montessorri schools, the Field School, Free Union School, St. Anne's, The Miller School...all have their individual take on education, some offering boarding. The public schools are awesome too - our little Scottsville Elementary is like a family. UVA and Piedmont Community College round out the timeline. And that's just a sampling...if you've got a family to raise - you can find the school that's right for you. Or not - the local homeschooling network is the one of the strongest I have seen anywhere!

77. Crabtree Falls. It's a great hike. People die here because they think it's Disney World, and of course it's actually nature...so be careful. But it's beautiful, peaceful, and only an hour away from the inn.

76. The Downtown Pavilion. So our Downtown is a "mall", as in a big public pedestrian place, along the lines of the National Mall in DC, but brick and smaller. It's about 10 blocks, and has tons of fun stuff to do. The eastern end is the Ntelos Pavilion, and is a covered area, that is home to free concerts as well as hosting everyone from Barack Obama when he came to town, the Dalai Llama when he came to speak, The Flaming Lips, Jack White, Alison Krauss...you get the picture. It holds several thousand people - but you always have a good view whether you are in the front row, or on the grass in the back. So lucky to have such a place in our little city!

75. Van Clief Nature Area. About 200 yards behind the Maytag store in downtown Scottsville...there is a fairly unknown treasure, a beautiful recreation lake. Recently, the Town has built some nice trails on the 60ish acres surrounding the lake, which is also stocked with trout by the state fishery several times each year. It's amazing. And its literally feet away from the bustling activity of Valley Street. So lucky to have it!

74. The James River. If the serenity of a lake isn't your thing, no worries - the wide and wonderful James River is also mere feet away. Canoe, kayak or tube - summer activities on the river are endlessly fun. And it runs right through the heart of Scottsville, and is the backdrop for the awesome annual 4th of July Fireworks.

73. WEGMANS. Technically, we don't have this yet...but it's almost ready to open, and even better it's on the South side of Charlottesville...so EASY access from Scottsville! Can't wait.

72. Splendora's. Terrific gelato. I don't know why it came to me just now, but it's definitely one of the highlights of living here, and I don't want to forget it on my list. If your kids want gelato and you need coffee, no worries - they also have one of the best lattes in town.

71. Apple Cider from Carter Mountain. I'm going to separate this out from everything else wonderful at Carter Mountain. It's not pasteurized, sold cold, and it's worth the drive up the mountain to pick up a gallon. The flavor is unmatched. It's not organic, but it is DELICIOUS. The family business up there is run with lots of love - and that's worth quite a bit in my book.

70. The overlook on the eastern side of Afton Mountain. I live here, and I still pull over regularly to just sit for a few minutes and take in the view. So so lucky to live here!

Thursday, September 3, 2015

101 Things we love about Charlottesville & Scottsville...Part 2

As luck would have it, today I saw several little news bits about a few of my favorite shops, so since food was on my mind - this is just going be about some of our favorite food around here...remember these aren't in order of our favorites because really, they are all just awesome.

89. Gearhart's Chocolates.  The newsy tidbit about this shop is that they are moving into bigger digs - with a much wider array of chocolate decadence to choose from in the new shop PLUS I understand you may have a view of the chocolatier in action. www.gearhartschocolates.com if you want a taste before you move here. Pure, delicious, and gorgeous. THIS is how chocolate was meant to be enjoyed!

88. Caromont Farm goat cheese. Gail Hobbs-Page is a delightful friend, and amazing woman, and a loving farmer. I don't know many who don't admire her work for access to good, clean FOOD. Her goat cheese is extraordinary - the first batch in spring is heaven. The first farm dinner is this October 3rd - and I would have been first in line for tickets, but I'll be in NYC...so I am just going to be jealous of all those who get to enjoy!

87. Albemarle Baking Company. I have NEVER had to live in a town that didn't have great bread. Even in Fort Myers, Florida - which still leaves a lot to be desired as far as food goes - had Andre's French Bakery. Asheville was Blue Moon bakery, Norwich Vermont - King Arthur Bakery...and Charlottesville - well, an ABC baguette and some cheese was the meal I picked up to eat in the rental car as I drove home to Vermont on my scouting trip down here in January of 2006, and it's what pushed me over the edge to choose Charlottesville as our home. 

86. MarieBette. Their instagram page will make you drool. It's crazy that in such a relatively small city, we have such great choices for just bread. I've never been to France, but when I go in here, and I focus in on a few items in the case (ok, maybe just the canele) I IMAGINE that's what it will be like someday. I LOVE THIS PLACE. It's not fast, it's not huge portions - it's perfect. Oh, the multi-grain bread, I forget what they call it - $10 for large loaf, so not exactly cheap - but OMG, it is delicious - I think it's fine to charge a little extra for the love they obviously put into everything on the menu.

86.  Brazos Tacos. This place started as a pop-up last fall, and now has a permanent home in what is number 85 on my list, the IX Art Park, which also houses number 84 on the list, Shark Mountain Coffee. Just go. I am not sure there is anything like IX Art Park anywhere, so I won't bother trying to describe it. Brazos tacos serves (vegetarian, breakfast and the best carnitas tacos in town). And watermelon juice. As a bonus, the guys behind Brazos also call the southern part of the county home, so they will be sort-of neighbors if you are the next owner of High Meadows... Esmont is a few miles from Scottsville.

83. Hudson Henry Baking Company Granola.  The. Best. Granola. EVER. I don't care if you think you make your own really great granola. Yours isn't anywhere as good as this, it's just not. It's good right out of the bag, or for breakfast with milk, or as a topping on baked fruit - but mostly just right out of the bag. Anyway - the founder lives about 15 miles away from us, is always at the farmer's markets, and you can get it the stuff in bulk at the local Whole Foods in Charlottesville, and even though pretty soon you'll probably be seeing it everywhere, for now, it's here - and just one more reason to like it in Charlottesville.

82. James River Brewery.  This place is literally 1/2 mile from our front door. Great beer, great atmosphere, and because it's Scottsville, it's not ever really crowded...plenty of space to kick back and enjoy your drink and the company- around the firepit, out back, on the creek, in the fall, is the best place, in my opinion. Got it? 

81. Dr. Ho's Humble Pie. Some seriously good pizza, that's probably good for you. Local ingredients, whole wheat crust, and lots of love in that kitchen - it's way south of Charlottesville, but not too far from Scottsville. It's definitely worth the curvy backroad drive to get there.

80. Farmstead Ferments. I happen to love sauerkraut and pickles (if you saw the photo of the kitchen at High Meadows, I SPECIFICALLY mentioned that I was not leaving my pickling crock...no way), and I enjoy making my own. But this stuff, specifically the Garlicky Greens, is addictive - 
and I am happy to pay whatever price it is in whatever store I find it in, when the mood hits and I have to have some. It's great that we have such wonderful food choices here - from the farmers to the chefs, there is just a lot of care that goes into the food chain in this area. It's one of the reasons we are not moving too, too far down the road!

Come back in a couple of days - for Part 3. And please share our blog, our story, and the contest! We are so sure the right person is out there, and we can't imagine that at least 5,800 people won't want to give it a try - we just need to make sure they hear about it and enter, so share away please! Now I've made myself hungry...heading to the kitchen...