Rachel did my family portraits and I fell in love. She was able to catch each child's personality…read morein her photos. Her live action sports photography is amazing too. She does it all and the value is second to none. Thank you Rachel for memories that will last for many years to come.

This place is a great place to learn music. As an adult I just started taking lessons last year…read more and Tracy has really made me feel comfortable with learning something new. all students, adults and children alike are encouraged to participate in recitals. And I must admit they are really fun even for the grown ups. Tracy is a constant encourager and really believes in the students she teaches. It makes for a wonderful time for learning.

A wonderful dance studio. Very happy with the teachers, it is very apparent that they are here…read morebecause they truly enjoy dance and the arts, not just to collect a paycheck. My daughter has been a student for two years and I will definitely be coming back next year.

This was my first Christmas tree farm experience and it was everything I hoped and dreamed! You go…read moredown a long winding drive that opens up to a seemingly endless farm of all kinds of trees. They've got little chubby trees, tall and skinny trees and everything in between. We spent about an hour here trying to decide which one we loved the most. Hand saws are provided and its fairly easy to cut down the trees. It took us just a minute or two and I didn't notice anyone struggling around us. The people working here were super friendly and they even had a little spread of hot coffee and treats! It's dog friendly so seeing lots of pups made it even better. It's easy to find, behind Powhatan high school on Old Church Rd. *It is cash or check only*

While there were a lot of people and trees to choose from, I noticed when driving in to the farm,…read moreonly 1 out of every 4 cars leaving actually had a Christmas Tree attached to their car. Never a good sign. If you are looking for a tree over 5-6 feet, this farm is not for you. We came the last weekend of November, which I feel is prime time Christmas tree cutting, and most to all of their trees were way to small and needed at least 3-5 more years to mature. We left the farm without a tree, so if you are planning to get a bigger family Christmas tree, I would not waste your time driving out here. For smaller apartment style trees, I would give it a shot. Very pretty small trees, just not for everyone

Caitlin did a family photoshoot session to commemorate our mother's retirement. She did a fantastic…read morejob working with three different generations, including two young kids, to get amazing photos. She is communicative, kind, and professional. I highly recommend.

My husband and I spent 2 nights in one of the cottages. They were very well decorated, clean, and…read morecomfortable. The cafe was amazing, all of the pastries, ice cream, and coffee were delicious. Having a brewery a 1 minute walk away was amazing! Especially since it was a heat wave and being outside was brutal. We had dinner there one night and it was fantastic. Loved this place!

We were blown away by the food and desserts at The Mill at Fine Creek. Our guests are still raving…read moreabout each course, and the cake was stunning (even though our topper was mistakenly eaten, the team quickly provided a replacement, which we greatly appreciated). The venue itself is absolutely gorgeous and created the perfect backdrop for our wedding day. That said, there are some areas where we think the experience could be even better. Communication throughout the planning process was sometimes challenging, even when we reached out with questions. On the day of our wedding, our hope was to follow the timeline we had carefully planned so that we could maximize time with our guests. Although our coordinator reassured us things were on track, the buffet ended up starting later than expected. Because of that delay, our reception ended with much less dancing time than we had envisioned. We had chosen a buffet in part because we were told it would be quicker than a plated dinner, but that unfortunately wasn't the case. We share this not to take away from how beautiful and memorable our day was, but because we believe The Mill has all the ingredients to deliver a truly seamless experience. With improved communication and a little more focus on time management, future couples will be able to enjoy every aspect of what makes this venue so special--the incredible food, stunning setting, and joyful atmosphere.

If you live in Richmond, Gather is a real hike. This combination art gallery, boutique and…read moreboxed-lunch spot is waaaay out in Midlothian. It's housed in an old general store that the owners fixed up for business. The atmosphere here is elegant meets shabby chic. It's one of the stores where the inventory is so cool and well displayed, it makes me want to buy something and take a little piece of the store's feeling home with me. You'll find cool plates and glasses, antiques, designer purses and other fun stuff. The owner also sells her landscape paintings here. It's worth planning the drive for some cool shopping. On one occasion I got my mom some really beautiful hand-blown juice glasses. Each one was different, but they made a lovely set. And I got about 6 glasses for something like $35. Not bad. Along with the store, there's a pretty patio and the owner sells boxed lunches. The menu is online. There's usually some sandwiches for sale, but you can also call and place a specific order by 4 p.m. the day before you want to go for lunch. I've never eaten here, I've only shopped, so I can't comment on the food either way. I can say I do love shopping in the store and will go back for gifts...be they for others or me!

I want to live here. The owner is an artist and her paintings are a focal point, but she has that…read morecreative eye that can combine traditional pieces, kitschy finds, shabby chic, and modern crafts and it all flows colorfully and seamlessly. When I try this at home, it looks like I'm having a yard sale in my living room. It's not really that far if you hop on the Powhite...I don't know why Richmonders think going to Midlothian is like traveling to another country. Of course, I spend a lot of time in that part of the city since I have family there. It's a great place for gifts, especially for somebody who already has everthing, because there are a lot of one-of-a-kind things to wear or home accessories. I love the colorful cowboy hats and always see dishes or glasses I would like to have, but I've put a moratorium on buying stuff like that until I can afford a big hutch or china cabinet. I haven't ever had lunch there, but there's a really cute patio area so it looks like it would be a fun place to take a break from a hard day of shopping (or hunter-gathering as I like to think of it). I wouldn't call this an inexpensive place...more mid-range or pricing like you would expect in a Carytown boutique.

Everything thing! Food, the place and most of all the service. So professional and friendly!read more

I recently visited Dover Hall for the first time for a company party and I was blown away both by…read morethe opulence of the interior and the professionalism of the staff. For a 32,000+ square foot mansion (that was originally built as a single family private home) the space is immaculately and meticulously clean and maintained to the highest standard. I did not see a single speck of dust, no cobwebs on the soaring ceilings, or stain on any upholstery. The mansion also did not feel austere or cavernous despite its size; on the contrary, it is absolutely bursting with some of the most beautiful, unique, and at times strange but wonderful decor. For example, the game room has both billiards as well as an extensive and exotic big game taxidermy collection, whereas the adjacent two-story library boasts a hand carved fireplace and a spiral wrought iron staircase. I spent most of my evening exploring every room and trying to take in as much as possible. The multitude of staff who serviced our event were both warm in their interactions as well as discreet when necessary. The in-house catering was also very good. We had a tortellini station, a raw bar, breads and spreads, as well as passed hors d'oeuvres and a dessert station, and I enjoyed everything I tried. My only regret is that Dover Hall doesn't seem to do open house hours or guided tours, because I would love to be able to return and see more of this remarkable building.

We absolutely loved our one night stay at Albermarle Estate. Everything wasn't perfect of course,…read morebut we would definitely stay there again. When we finally decided on this hotel, mainly because it was halfway to our final destination of Pennsylvania, and it looked quite interesting, I had trouble booking through their webpage. Maybe you can blame it on me? I just couldn't quite get the system to accept the "check in--checkout" dates. So I gave them a call and booked through a representative located in Las Vegas Vegas. Everything went smoothly. She was very friendly and accommodating. We actually loved the curvy roads leading up to the winery and hotel. That portion of the trip would've been better in our roadster for sure! We were checked in by a friendly gentleman named Thomas. He gave us a room next to the outdoor pool. Finishings kind of reminded us a little bit of the accommodations. It was peacefully decorated, and mostly comfortable except for the couch. We were only using it to lounge in and something more comfortable would have been desirable. I took advantage of the dry sauna and hot tub, which was a short walk across the parking lot. We tried to take advantage of the grounds by walking around the small lake and through the fields. If they were in a dedicated walking trails, we didn't find them! We took a tour of the main house and enjoyed our French inspired continental breakfast, though croissants would've been a nice touch! The vistas from the winery and the hotel are quite spectacular! If you're looking for boutique or personalized lodging with beautiful surroundings, this may work for you!

Very interesting place. At first, I thought about staying in a hotel, not too far away, just to…read morevisit the Trump winery. Yes, that would have worked, but I also would have missed the experience here. Being off season one cannot take in all the amenities like the pool, some of the outdoor activities, and just the ability to lounge or otherwise enjoy the surrounds while staying here. However, it still turned out to be a great experience. You need to pass through a double gate to get to the lobby. The first one would take you to the Trump Winery and the second one to the Estate itself. Yes, it is still a hotel, but it feels like a country club from start to finish. The place is small enough where they, for the most part, go off your name. Dinner reservation? Okay, here is your table. Done? There is no tab (or tip for that matter). Yes, you still need to pay for it, but it just goes on your room bill seamlessly. Want something? Just ask. From the tiny two-seat bar to anything else, service is pretty personal here. For dinner the ESTATE SALAD - Arcadian green mix topped with tomato, watermelon radish, goat cheese and golden beets dressed with Trump Blanc de Blanc vinaigrette, was amazing. My main of DUCK - Pan roasted medium-rare duck breast with cherry port wine sauce, honey glazed rainbow carrots, wild rice pilaf with estate grown herbs, was the best duck I have had in a very long time. Plus, having a flight of Trump wine (white in this case) gave me a preview of the winery I would get to tomorrow. The Viognier I found to be the surprise interest out of the four I tried.