The pictures came out great, she handled the kids well. Loved several of the shots. Greatread more

Incredible place to have a wedding or event! Highly recommend to anyone! The views are…read moreincredible, the venue is beautiful down to every last detail. You cannot go wrong here! Even if the weather turns bad, the owners have it all planned out! Also if you ask about Glamping, they have a beautiful set up!

We went to the wine and oyster festival On Sunny Slope Farm this weekend and it was a great time!…read moreThere were about 10 or so wineries to try and the space was beautiful. We enjoyed the food trucks and some of the vendors. My only suggestions would be to add a few additional vendors if possible and try to put more tables in the shade - it was a hot day which made everyone crowd under the tent.

This palace is absolutely STUNNING. It's such a shame it's fallen into such disrepair. Each room…read morehad its own unique feel, and the artwork and detail was breathtaking. The best part by far was the stained glass window. The gardens were probably once beautiful but it's been decaying so much over the years that all you see are just sad remnants. WARNING: if you have severe asthma, do NOT visit. My father has moderate asthma and was only able to stay inside for about fifteen minutes before his throat started to close up due to the must. The place itself smells musty- not a BAD or rotten smell but just old. There's a feeling of immense love and sadness in the house and it's imperative that you learn the rich history of the house to truly appreciate it. The inside of the palace is only only open to the public on certain days of the year and not all the rooms are open. I was very satisfied with what rooms were open.

Taking a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway or Skyline Drive? I suggested taking a slight detour on…read moreAfton Mountain to travel back in time to 1912 with a visit to Swannanoa Palace, a white marble mansion that was a bit of an albatross for James and Sally May Dooley. While the Maymont Estate in Richmond is a much more expansive visitor experience today, this hidden gem, modeled after the Villa de Medici in Rome, is certainly worth a stop, either on one of their open house weekends ($6 fee) or just to see in person from the outside. The real belle of the ball is inside - the 4,000 piece Tiffany stained glass window of Mrs. Dooley, which is a backdrop to the grand central staircase and artistic domed ceiling. There are plenty of interesting fireplaces, doorways and tower views. You will certainly notice the musty presence of mold throughout the building with various walls and ceilings falling apart. The grounds include some terraced gardens and somewhat restricted views of the surrounding area. It is a shame the interior of the building is in such a state of disrepair and the property hasn't been kept up, as it could be an amazing special event space. Still, people apparently elect to have weddings there, even though there is no running water and everything would have to be brought in. There is a no trespassing sign on the front door, so the inside is only accessible on one of the special open house days. The grounds are easy to walk around and being on top of the mountain it has a nice temperature, at least 5-10 degrees below of Charlottesville. Visiting should certainly be a part of any UVA student's bucket list, much like watching the sunrise/sunset from the peak of the quick Humpback Rocks hike.

My mom and I spent four nights at Glass House Winery & Brewery for a mother-daughter trip around…read moreCharlottesville, and it ended up being one of the highlights of our entire trip. Glass House is in Free Union, about 20 minutes outside downtown Charlottesville. The location was perfect because it felt peaceful and tucked away in the country, while still being close enough to explore Charlottesville, Crozet, wineries, orchards and hiking. The hospitality was what really made the stay special. Kristin, the chef at the B&B, is incredibly warm and welcoming, and breakfast at 9 AM each morning was something we genuinely looked forward to. She personalized meals around our likes and dislikes and used fresh, local ingredients. During our stay we had blueberry ricotta pancakes, peach and Brie cinnamon bread pudding, latkes with breakfast meats, and an egg quiche with sausage and vegetables. There was also yogurt, fresh fruit, smoothies and coffee available throughout the day. The B&B has a very personal feel, with cookbooks throughout the house, unique Nicaraguan tropical decor and themed rooms such as the Chocolate Room, Wine Room and Under the Stars Suite. The bedding was comfortable, with both communal spaces and areas where you could have some privacy. The attention to detail was wonderful. We had a chocolate surprise, and a complimentary glass at the winery for being guests. I'm not much of a sweets person, but the chocolates were somehow exactly what I wanted all weekend, especially with a glass of wine. You can also purchase bottles and chocolates after hours, and they recently launched a wine club. I also really liked that the owner is actually around the property and winery. He was happy to answer questions, talk about the area and share the history of the vineyard, which made the experience feel much more personal. The winery is about a five-minute walk from the B&B and is open Wednesday through Sunday. The glass house itself is beautiful, almost like a greenhouse, with water elements, accent lighting through the greenhouse plants and vineyards located directly behind it. There are places to sit and watch the sunset with a glass of wine or enjoy coffee in the morning. The sunsets were incredible. On a clear night, the colors over the vineyards seemed to change every few minutes, and it was incredibly peaceful. We also saw wildlife around the property. The winery offers chocolate and wine pairings, reasonably priced wine, live music and food trucks. The live music was especially good and covered different genres throughout the weekend. We even had a seafood boil from one of the food trucks. The staff was friendly and knowledgeable. The brewery is another three-minute walk from the B&B and is currently open Saturdays. Having both a winery and brewery on the same property is something I didn't see anywhere else during our trip. We tried the pineapple sour and coconut stout, and they have a light beer coming soon. The brewery itself is also really unique because it was made using leftover wine bottles. There is plenty to do without leaving the property, including a saltwater pool, jacuzzi, live music, food trucks and plenty of places to relax. We also used Glass House as our home base for exploring the area. Carter Mountain Orchard was fun for apple cider donuts, cider and other treats. We visited Pippin Hill, Hark Vineyards, Eastwood Estate and Knights Gambit, each with a completely different atmosphere. We also hiked Humpback Rocks and Crabtree Falls. Humpback is definitely strenuous, while Crabtree was more manageable and had beautiful views. We spent some time in Crozet and downtown Charlottesville as well. We had a delicious meal at Smokehouse BBQ at Piedmont, and downtown Charlottesville's Downtown Mall was fun to explore. Vita Pizza was delicious and very accommodating with our food variations. One thing future guests should know is that most restaurants outside of Glass House are about 20-30 minutes away, so keep some snacks on hand and make dinner plans earlier. Most wineries also close around 5-6 PM, which actually worked well for us because we could enjoy the wineries during the day and get back to Glass House in time for the sunset. Our four-night mother-daughter trip was exactly what we wanted, and Glass House was the perfect home base. What made it even more memorable was the people we met and how genuinely welcomed we felt. There are plenty of beautiful wineries in the Charlottesville area, but Glass House felt different. You get wine, beer, live music, food, hiking, a pool, a jacuzzi, beautiful sunsets and a truly personal B&B experience all in one place. I genuinely think it would be a missed opportunity to visit the Charlottesville area and not experience Glass House. We will absolutely stay here again and recommend it to anyone visiting. You get the peaceful small-town feel along with beautiful, friendly amenities, and we truly can't say enough good things about our experience.

Probably the most unique vineyard we've ever visited. Unique indoor greenhouse--beware of…read moremosquitos! Disappointed to be eaten alive while seated inside. We did not love the wines but the Pineapple gose was delicious!