Anna & Alexis
Our favorite places in C'ville!
Downtown Mall
If you have some time to kill and have an itch for shopping or great food, mosey around the downtown mall! A lovely pedestrian area, this picturesque outdoor mall features shopping boutiques, restaurants, movie theaters, and the Virginia Discovery Museum for the little ones! There's also a great farmer's market on Saturday mornings. The address above will take you to a parking garage on the mall.
Carter Mountain Orchard
If you want a gorgeous orchard with incredible views, skip the hike and drive straight up the mountain to visit one of our favorites. Drink Bold Rock cider, eat apple cider donuts, buy or pick whatever's in season, or grab some grub and sit on the porch overlooking the mountains. You can't miss this view, seriously.
Shenandoah National Park
Hit up the southern entrance of Shenandoah for a visit to our favorite national park. Chances are, if you've seen mountains in the background of my Facebook pictures, they were taken here. One of our favorite hikes closest to Charlottesville is Turk Mountain-it's pretty steep, so be ready for a workout! If you're down for a bit more of a drive, Black Rock is a great shorter hike with a beautiful view, Big Meadows has a restaurant with a view, and Bearfence Mountain (requires some pretty legit rock climbing) is where we got engaged!!! You can even horseback ride. Let us know if you have any other questions about hiking recommendations or directions :) The southern entrance is in Afton and from there you use the mile markers of Skyline Drive to navigate to your hike of choice.
University of Virginia
Check out our alma mater! Wahoowa! Thomas Jefferson's university has gorgeous grounds with historical buildings. Hop across the street directly from the Rotunda to visit our favorite eateries on "The Corner" like Bodo's Bagels, Mellow Mushroom Pizza, and several other bars and restaurants.
Blue Mountain Brewery
If you're a beer lover, hit up Blue Mountain Brewery! It's a bit west of Charlottesville, but boy, are the views worth it. It's a family friendly place with great food and a few lawn games strewn about. Pour one back for us!
Rivanna River Company
Rent kayaks, paddleboards, or canoes to paddle down the Rivanna River. Check out their website for availability and prices. Who knew Charlottesville had class 2-3 rapids!
Monticello
The home of Thomas Jefferson! Take a tour of his historic home and beautiful gardens. There are several tours available and a lovely cafe and gift shop.
Charlottesville Parks and Playgrounds
There are many parks and playgrounds in the area for picnics, playing, or swimming! Here are some of our favorites and what they offer. Azalea Park-Dog Park, Playground, fields, picnic area, small river for swimming Meade Park- Epic sprinkle park, playground Washington Park-Pool, Sprinkle park, playground, picnic Area Greenleaf Park-Sprinkle park, playground, picnic area Riverview Park-Trails, kayaking, playground, swimming in the river, picnic Area Chris Greene Lake - Beach, dog park, trails, picnic area