Really enjoyed it. Had a great guide, Luke. Nice history of a 200-year-old oldest in the country…read more They hold events there still, we can concerts. Large rooms, easy to see all the formations in the walkways are easy to pass through. Quite a few steps for those who are challenged to do physical walking but otherwise it's pretty cool. Been to quite a few caverns and this was one of the better ones and a lot to see.

Such a fun experience! Make sure to wear good tennis shoes or hiking shoes. There are rocks along…read morethe path that can roll your ankle. I made the mistake of forgetting my tennis shoes at home.

What a great place!…read more April, who operates the mill, knows her craft and is happy to share it. Our tour of the mill was brief, but April was more than willing to answer our questions and go into any level of detail about the building, milling grain, etc. We purchased several items while there and would gladly go back.

I really love this spot. The grounds are beautiful and the mill is very charming. I've purchased…read moremany of their mixes and they are truly delicious! The owner kindly showed us around and her hospitality was appreciated.

My partner and I are trying to visit all of the Presidential Museums/Libraries, and were here this…read moremorning. The Museum is a relatively small building on the street (with exhibits primarily on one floor), with Wilson's birthplace in a home a few doors down. Despite the small size, the exhibits did a decent job of highlighting some of the positives (League of Nations, less dependence on tariffs for government income, workmen's compensation, among others) and negatives (the guy was, shall we say, not supportive of integration when it came to African Americans). We spent about an hour in the Museum, including a few minutes in the WWI trench exhibit in the basement. All very interesting, well presented, and easy to understand. The highlight of our time was the docent-led tour of the Wilson home. Although Wilson lived in the home only for his first 18 months, the docent told a number of stories about Wilson's parents, Wilson's life there and later and it was a fascinating almost-hour time touring the building, asking questions and hearing the history.

Since I'm a history buff, I have been meaning to visit this Presidential Library. It's not a large…read moremuseum but very informative. I recommend taking the guided tour of Wilson's boyhood home and then visiting the museum. It's located in a residential neighborhood next to Mary Baldwin college. The staff was very friendly and they have a well stocked gift shop. Plenty of parking. I really enjoyed the WWI exhibit down stairs and the President's automobile. I did learn quite a bit about post WWI and the woman's suffrage movement. If you enjoy Presidential history this is a good museum.

Girls trip -we did the Crozet tour and went to King , Hazy Mtn, Veritas and Flying fox wineries…read more We enjoyed the first 3 stop especially the Stunning view at Hazy but had a hard time choosing the 4th stop as we felt that none of the choices were great. We had an hour at each stop which was ok but would have liked a little more time. Probably would have been better to have more time at the first 3 and eliminate the 4th one. We did the 151 tour previously and the choices were better imo but the drive to get there was longer. they do not assist with reservations at the wineries so you are on your own with that and there is no estimated time frame provided as to when you may be at each stop so making a reservation is pretty difficult. Wineries super busy in the fall so reservations are helpful but not necessary. Bus was super bumpy and curvy winding roads so if you are prone to car sickness you may wish to reconsider. Other than that we had a good time. Snacks (chips) and water provided. No live music at any of the wineries which was suprising.

We had a great time with Cville Hop on Tours! It was so nice that they picked us up at our hotel…read morefor round trip service. The wineries were about a 30 min drive from the downtown area so I'm thankful we had a DD! You get to plan your own itinerary. You can choose between wineries or breweries so there is something for everyone. Service was great and the bus was fun. I'd def book again!

If you've toured the Grand Caverns walking tour and find yourself peering into the dark recesses of…read morethe cavern, the Fountain Cave adventure tour is a must on your next visit. Visiting on a day when temperatures were only forecast to reach a high of 42F, it was pleasantly warm inside Fountain Cave and did not require bundling up for most people. Long sleeves, long pants, and boots, are required due to the terrain you "may" cover in addition to keeping the [damaging] oils from your skin off the cave features. Helmets, mounted lighting, gloves and knee pads are provided and were all in good condition. The floor of the 1800s walkway is mostly dry but moist areas are present throughout the tour and can be very slippery; following the instructions provided by the tour guides (three points of contact) will ensure everyone stays upright in these areas. Dana and Ashelynn were our guides for a group of 7 and always took point and rear to ensure everyone was safe and accounted for. Dana took the prominent role in discussing the history, and geology, of Fountain Cave and was a very engaging guide. While Fountain Cave is not as large as Grand Caverns, getting to tour this cave by headlamp and put yourself INTO the exhibit is truly an awesome experience. The bonus comes in the form of the Adventure "opportunities" that run near or parallel to the original 1800s pathway; for those not able or interested in taking the Adventure routes, you simply stay on the 1800s walkway and meet up with the rest of the group a small distance down the path. There are a few instances on the tour where a break is taken in total darkness. The first is a short ways into the tour and is designed to show you the amount of light that can be picked up from the entrance way after your eyes are given time to adjust. The second sets the stage to show how the cave would have been illuminated by a small candle. Note: please be respectful of the other guests if taking photos in these black-out moments; lowering your camera to the lowest brightness setting and staying back from the group prevents ruining the experience for others. IMO, the only way to make the Fountain Cave tour better is to increase the length of time spent within. Just like the Grand Caverns tour, I still found myself peering into the areas off the guided tour path wondering...is there more to this cave that hasn't been discovered yet.

This is a hidden treat for those who have an adventurous side, are athletic, and want to stay away…read morefrom the crowds at Luray. As avid rock climbers and athletes, this was perfect for us - crawling around in hidden passages, scrambling over formations, and challenging our comfort zone. Our guides - Karen and Abby - were incredible! The amount of knowledge, stories, and personality is what made this tour not just great, but amazing! Highly recommended. Be wary, it is physically strenuous.

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.

Recently visited here for a girls weekend. We had about 13…read morein our party. The grounds were beautiful. I can only imagine what they look like in the spring and summer. The wine tasting was nice. With large parties you are given a flight to try. No need to stand in the tasting room. I liked several of the flavors. After the tasting we took a walk around the grounds taking in all the animals. Because it was winter, we didn't spend a lot of time in the lavender fields. We did however visit the lavender shop. I purchased a lavender honey spot and some delightful lemon crunch lavender ice cream. Overall staff were friendly. I would recommend this business for anyone in the area or visiting massanutten.

Stopped past while on a recent birthday trip to Massanutten. And this place is really beautiful…read more White Oak is a family-owned lavender farm that is located in Shenandoah Valley. You really get to enjoy an immersive, interactive experience on the farm. There is something for everyone, from interactive gardens and live animals. The best for a cute little DIY wine tasting. You can bring your own charcuterie platters, which is what we did to go along with our tastings. They have tasting room called the Purple Wolf Vineyard where you can purchase your portable tastings, wine, beer and slushy flights . I would definitely return again, great place to host a cute birthday event, with your friends. They also have a really nice gift shop as well.

This is not only a great place of American History but also a beautiful setting with gorgeous…read moreviews. It is pretty neat to be able to walk the same rooms that the third president walked and see where he spent his time. It is also very sobering to see the ugly side of American history that made this location what is was. The estate is very well preserved and has tons of artifacts and items that make the tour so valuable. The tour guides were very knowledgeable and accommodating as well.

Having been wanting to visit Monticello for years and finally got the opportunity. You can purchase…read moretickets on line however we got them the morning of at the visitor center. First we watched an informative movie then took the shuttle up the hill to the house. Had a 10:40 tour time which was on time. Pretty large group. Many reviews stated that the visit through the home was fast and crowded. Totally agree. Maybe they could have the tour last one hour instead of 45 min giving guests a few minutes in each room to take pictures. Cut out a few tours which could help with timing. We also got in the slave tour, garden tour and the talk with Thomas Jefferson. All tours were very educational and well done. Took the shuttle to Jefferson's grave ands walked back to visitor center. Ended in the gift shop which had an array of items.

What a great way to explore downtown Lexington. Trotting down the street, hearing the clip-clop of…read morehorse hooves on the cobblestone, seeing important buildings and monuments, hearing the tour guide talk about the history of this Virginia town -- it's all very romantic. The horses are well-taken-care of and seem happy. No beefaroni in these horses' diets. But the horses who pulled out carriage did like getting apple Pop Tarts as treats, which was cute. The carriage tour goes all around downtown Lexington, and we saw the old hospital, cemetery, two universities, historic houses and lots more. The pace of travel is slow, so you have lots of time to look around and ask questions. Our tour guide was very knowledgeable about the history of Lexington, and answered all of our questions. Afterward, you get to pet the horses and take pictures with them. I would definitely recommend this carriage tour to someone visiting Lexington for the first time.

Plan Ahead - Beautiful Town, But Limited Carriage Availability…read more I was really looking forward to exploring the downtown area by carriage--it looked like such a charming way to see this quaint and lovely town. Unfortunately, I didn't realize the carriage service closes early and requires advance tickets. They only have one carriage, so it's not like other cities where multiple carriages run in rotation and you can wait for the next one. It was disappointing to miss out, especially since the experience seemed fantastic. I'm sure it would've been a 5-star ride had I been able to go. Just a heads-up to future visitors: book ahead if you're hoping for a carriage ride--don't count on just walking up.

The poet Edgar Allan Poe's former room is across from Shannon Library and well marked once your in…read morefront of the door. It's not accessible, however plexiglass lets you view Poe's room. If it's the afternoon the glare makes viewing a challenging. A door bell button activates a history of Poe's life and time at UVA. There is more than one history, so push the button again for more short audios. None of the furnishings are original. It's cool, but not a must see in my opinion.

This room is a must-see for fans of Edgar Allan Poe! The room is located on the Grounds of the…read moreUniversity of Virginia in the historic Academical Village. Room 13 West is Poe's, and it is surrounded by rooms of active graduate students at the University. The room has a glass panel in the door so you can look through and see what it would have looked like in Poe's day -- including a bed, hat, and coat that were all owned by Poe himself! The recording by the door gives you a brief history of Poe's time at UVa, providing insight both into his life and the life of University students at the time. Make this room a stop on your trip through C'ville if your a fan of all things spooky, or stop by if you're touring the University. Be sure to say hello to any graduate students you catch outside or with the door open, we're always looking to invite people inside and show off our rooms as well!