I would like to sincerely thank Firemen Josh and Julius for their help today. I was heading back…read morehome to Northern Virginia from NC this morning when my tire pressure monitoring system light went off. I stopped at the BP next door and the Exxon up the street but neither station had air. Not being from the area, I was nervous and noticed the Firestation next door to the BP. I stopped in and was greeted by Josh and explained my concerns. He too was surprised that neither station had air but did not hesitate to grab a tire pressure checker and check my tires for me. While Josh was checking my tire pressure, Julius joined us and shared with me how his sensors were doing the same thing. Josh assured me that my tire pressures were within range and I could continue my trip but to be sure and stop if needed. I am so grateful for their kindness and putting my worries at ease. Oddly enough, my TPMS light did not come back on and I made it home safely. Thank you!

Every kid in C-ville should come here (to give their parents an excuse to visit). The facility is…read morebeautiful from every angle in every room. It is a first class firehouse and fitting considering the sacrifices these fighters make to do their jobs. That said, I also appreciated that they were very mindful of being able to articulate a return on investment for how money was spent on the station. For instance, they are very green! . . . even the chiefs car is a hybrid. :) It was also sweet to hear our guide (I believe he was the chief) talk about their commitment to the community. They see themselves of members of the community so the firehouse reflects their loyalties to the community. There was Cavalier stuff all over including on the engines. Even the way the chief engaged the preschoolers was so precious. He was enthusiastic, informative and encouraging. Finally, the lobby was amazing. There were several items prominently displayed to pay homage to the fighters who lost their lives on 9/11. It resonated with me that they were all heroes before they died that day, we just became privy to acts of heroism that they had done or were willing to do long before that day. It was very moving. If you are not able to visit, just look at the pictures I posted. We have such rich history of that day in our city.

Love! Yet another precious post office in the back roads of Virginia! It's attached to a…read moreplant/nursery and gift shop! The red wood exterior with the fabled roof brings back memories of times past when post offices had character and charm!! The door has a huge bell welcoming visitors and customers! The lobby has lots of mailing and shipping supplies, and a greeting card kiosk! It's super clean with plenty of parking! The population of Ivy VA is about 750 people, and they are fortunate to have such a unique post office in their town! The service is impressive and the folks here are friendly!! Hours M-F 8-12,1-4 and Sat 8-12

If only the Crozet post office cared this much about customer appreciation! One of the counter…read moreworkers has a big chip on his shoulder. That reason, among others, is why we have had a P.O. Box for several years in nearby Ivy. There is rarely a line at the counter, parking is ideal, and the postmistress and postmaster know me by name. What a welcome reprieve from the other 'care less' post offices around Charlottesville, Virginia.

Home of the University of Virginia and not to be confused with Charlotte, NC, it is a charming…read moreplace and everyone I met was really friendly. I stayed here for 4 days/3 nights and was in town for a conference. Plenty of good food and bad traffic. Additionally, the city is lovingly referred to as C'ville but if I lived here I would absolutely not say that. I really enjoyed the Historic Downtown Mall area too. There are some good food options here and throughout the metro area. Tourism website: https://www.visitcharlottesville.org Local Government Website: https://www.charlottesville.gov

If Chantelles and Charlizes won't make out with you, then Charlottesville. Tryst me I know. Trust*…read more Charlottesville is a beautiful and historic old city that now is the focal point of the University of Virginia, started by Thomas Jefferson. It has a lot of wonderful elements and aspects to it, and is in a gorgeous setting. There are mountains surrounding the region especially in the direction of the Blue Ridge Parkway and Harrisonburg. There are some pretty delicious food treats hidden away in this town as well such as Bodo's Bagels and the amazing Tortas at Al Carbon. Not to mention the delicious burger at Riverside Grill. There's also a KFT location (get the Lemon Black Tea, or try Honey Oolong, or Winter Melon/Very Berry, both with Black Tea if they'll do it). And there's plenty more if you explore. Much like in my bedroom.

James Madison lived at Montpelier his entire life. This is a really interesting historic home that…read morelater belonged to the DuPont family, who eventually donated funds to turn it back into a historic site as Madison's home. That renovation/restoration took a long time, and it's now a lovely place to visit and learn about our 4th President and his wife Dolley Madison. In addition to the house, which acknowledges its part in running a plantation through the work of enslaved people, it has exhibits about slavery at Montpelier and archeological finds. The property also has lovely grounds with a beautiful garden that's filled with many colorful flowers in the spring. The visitor center offers a movie, and the house docents offer hour-long tours on the half hour. They also have picnic tables under shady trees to enjoy lunch. The views from Montpelier are breathtaking. They charge a fee to visit the house and grounds. If you only want to visit the grounds, the fee is lower.

This is a great place to visit if you are interested in America's founding, American style of…read moredemocracy, or to celebrate the upcoming Sestercentennial of the United States. (Having experienced the bicentennial as a kid on a summer-long vacation, I am looking forward to it.) The guided tour of the house is well done. The out-buildings and grounds are self-guided. There are many and spread out, and the whole property is on a gentle slope. Could be an issue if it is a hot and humid day. Be sure to visit the garden! Think twice about buying the Looking Through the Landscape book for $10.00. I thought it would be something I could put on my bookshelf but no. Hardly a pamphlet, it contains QR code links to YouTube videos they created. It was snuck in during the checkout process and frankly left me feeling duped. I chalked it up as a donation.

Good size library with a decent selection of books, DVDs, and magazines. Friendly staff! The…read moreparking lot is too small though and so it can be hard to find a spot.

It's nice and has a large selection the people are all very helpful. Yes I do recommend going…read morethere and I live in Clifton

Really beautiful set of trails all very well maintained with a variety of distance/challenge loops…read more Easy and ample parking and Was able to manage with baby in carrier + dog and got some great views!

I had been to Monticello a few years ago but had no idea this trail even existed and better yet…read moreit's free and you don't have to pay Monticello admission to check it out. I believe it's about 4 miles there and back and much of it is on boardwalks but parts could get muddy if it rained. Luckily, it was sunny when we checked it out. It's not too strenuous and very well marked as long as you stay on the main trail. Parking was tough but we found a spot at the overflow lot just down the road from the trail lot and this way you get a little bit of bonus hiking to get your step count up. The trail itself wasn't too crowded and I assume 99% of Monticello tourists don't even know about it. It's worth checking out though if you're in the area.

This peeling marker is on a big spot of grass in front of the Albemarle County offices. It's seen…read morebetter days, but maybe because it's a "local" marker and not one installed by the State of Virginia. It reads: Triumph of 'The Charlottesville Twelve' Lane High School - French Jackson, Donald Martin, John Martin Venable Elementary School - Charles E. Alexander, Raymond Dixon, Regina Dixon, Maurice Henry, Marvin Townsend, William Townsend, Sandra Wicks, Roland T. Woodfolk, Ronald E. Woodfolk On September 8, 1959, three African American children bravely entered Lane High School by order of US District Court Judge John Paul. With the assistance of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, the children's parents sued the Charlottesville City School Board for equal access. Their fight began in 1955, following the US Supreme Court decision of the 1954 case, Brown v Board of Education. Parents to action to fulfill their civil rights by petitioning the Charlottesville School Board to transfer their children from the segregated Jefferson Elementary School and Jackson P. Burley High School. The School Board chose to take no action on the petition request. In 1956, Judge Paul ruled that Charlottesville must integrate Lane High School and Venable Elementary School. The School Board filed several appeals contesting the decision to comply with integration. Using the strategy of "massive resistance", Governor James Lindsey Almond, Jr. ordered the closure of Lane and Venable on September 19, 1958 to prevent the integration of the Charlottesville City Schools. When schools in Charlottesville reopened in February 1959, the School Board provided space in the Board office for students to take classes while they determined how to proceed with a plan for integration. On September 5, 1959, Judge Paul ordered the immediate transfer of twelve student who became known as 'The Charlottesville Twelve.'

We chose to park in the West Trailhead side and walked in from that direction of the tunnel. We…read morestarted out with our flashlights on but wanted to walk the tunnel without the flashlights. The Experience was fantastic. We did turn on our flashlights when we saw people approaching so we would not startle them. It is dark, damp, and cold in the tunnel. You hear the little water falling inside. We had pocket warmers and I think they were needed. We were both happy we had our pocket warmers. The hike to the tunnel has wonderful forest views and an excellently maintained trail. They also have some plaques with historical information on them. We really thought that was a nice additions to our hike. Both sides of the tunnel has picnic tables. The picnic tables are brand new this year. We stopped and had lunch. There are 2 parking areas. East Trailhead Blue Ridge Tunnel and West Trailhead Blue Ridge Tunnel. Both have a porta potty but no running water. So you will want to take some hand sanitizer. Easy hike, 4.6 miles. Out and back. 370ft elevation gain. The best maintained trail I have ever seen. Hiker friendly, kid friendly. Dogs on leash, Forest view, tucked away on the side of a mountain, Historical tunnel view. Some of the trail is paved, then gravel, and then dirt with gravel mix. Make sure you leave no trash behind

We had a group of eight for the hike. We started on the east side. The walk through the tunnel…read morewas great. I was thankful that started on the east side because it was a pretty steep and long climb after the tunnel. It was 4.5 miles total for the walk. To have the steepest part at the middle was perfect rather than having it at the end. Highly recommend. The tunnel is not claustrophobic at all as it is large inside and you can see the end the entire time. It was a perfect fall hike with the leaves changing. We stopped at Blue Mountain Brewery afterward (only 6 minutes away) for lunch.