Recently, we were blessed to host a wonderful “cast of characters” from our former neighborhood in the Pittsburgh, PA area.  We’ve now been the Orchard House Bed and Breakfast owners for five years, and every single one of these friends have had this trip on their bucket list during that timeframe.   One of our favorite people, Darlene, organized the trip and this was actually her third visit to our adventure.  Darlene made it even more fun for us by refusing to disclose who was coming…..it was all arranged in “code”.  So as each couple arrived, we felt like we were on an episode of “Bachelor In Paradise”:  who was coming down the stairs/around the sidewalk NEXT???!!

We had a blast sharing our new stomping grounds with this group.  We had dinner at Mount Ida Taproom in nearby Charlottesville, visited the newest winery in our area, Hazy Mountain, had wood-fired pizzas and craft beers at local Wood Ridge Farm Brewery, and a super fun dinner at our local Mexican restaurant, El Mariachi.  We managed to insert a stop at Silverback Distillery and Brewing Tree, as well.  Our friends were in awe of the beautiful mountain views at every turn, the endless array of wineries/breweries/distilleries/cideries, the hiking options, and of course, the history.  Each and every one of them sat on our front porch and confirmed that now they “get it”….why we made the jump from corporate America to this crazy adventure in Virginia Wine Country.  We had a couple nights sitting around the fire pit, solving all the world’s challenges, and sipping Virginia wines.  We also had time around our salt water pool to soak up the last rays of summer and watch the hummingbirds fly from feeder to feeder.

It meant the world to us to share this all with former neighbor friends, and when we were together, it felt like we’d never left the old ‘hood.  We said our goodbyes with promises of their return visits, and we thank each and every one of them for their support of our small business and their kind words.  We’d love to share this memorable property and area with NEW friends, too, so call us to secure your getaway spot.  It doesn’t matter what time of year you can get away, Virginia Wine Country is beautiful every single season.