Roanoke and Smith Mountain Lake

Roanoke is a great base city for exploring Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains! To make it even better, Smith Mountain Lake is just an hour east of the city. SML is a popular lake getaway with 500+ miles of shoreline. Most folks just visit one or the other, but I found it was a great way to combine a mountain weekend and a chill lake weekend all into one trip together.

McAfee Knob

Roanoke Recommendations:

• Blindhouse Beer: A stellar brewery focused on Belgian and French styles where everything is a slow pour. The beers are fantastic and the vibes are great. You can also get Food Hut RKE delivered to your table.

• Go for a hike! The Appalachian Trail runs on the west side of the city and the Blue Ridge Parkway is on the east side, providing ample trailheads all close to downtown.

  • McAfee Knob via Appalachian Trail: This 8.1 mile long trail with 1,811ft of elevation gain leads to one of the most photographed areas of the Blue Ridge Mountains. It takes just under four hours to complete. The trail is shaded the entire way which is a bonus in the hot summer months. The views are fantastic and the trail is quiet—highly recommend. You can also choose to go up or down the fire road which is flatter and smoother than the AT.

  • Carvin’s Cove Hay Rock via Appalachian Trail: A 7.9 mile/1,423ft of elevation gain hike to an overlook of Carvin’s Cove. You can also shorten the distance to 5 miles (same elevation gain) to the first lookout to save time. A nice view of the water below.

• Take a scenic drive: The Blue Ridge Parkway has some great viewpoints—a lot of them can be overgrown in the summer months but Great Valley is a stellar spot, especially for sunset.

• Big Lick Brewing Company: This brewery has a wide variety of beers on tap, a nice patio, and you can get food delivered to your table from nearby restaurants.

• A Few Old Goats Brewing: A solid brewery with chill vibes and a nice patio space.

• Mill Mountain Park & Star: The famed star overlooking Roanoke lights up at night and there is a great viewpoint over the city and surrounding mountains. Heads up the Google maps location is a little off if you search for the star, search for the park instead.

• Barrel Chest Wine and Beer: A bottle shop with self-pour beer and wine taps. They also have a charcuterie selection.

• Three Notch’d Brewing: An average brewery with a full food menu.

• Olde Salem Brewing: The Roanoke location of this brewery is located in the downtown market and their main taproom is in neighboring Salem. You can get food delivered to your table from nearby restaurants. The beer is mediocre.

• Twin Creeks Brewpub: A brewery off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

Fables & Feathers Winery

Smith Mountain Lake Recommendations:

• Jake’s Place: A restaurant and beer bar on the water with a killer tap list. The food menu is pizza-focused and tasty. Great atmosphere and experience.

• Hickory Hill Vineyards: Very tasty wine in a relaxed atmosphere.

• Smith Mountain Trail: The lake’s namesake mountain provides a unique vantage point! There is a moderate trail that is 5 miles long with 1,000ft of elevation gain out to a cool viewpoint or you can go all the way up for another view. To reach this viewpoint you’ll turn left at the 2.5 mile point and go downhill to a small ledge with beautiful views. This trail takes just over two hours in totality and is very quiet. You will need an access permit which can be bought online ahead of time. 

• Fables & Feathers Winery: A nice winery a bit off the beaten path. Tasty wines, friendly service, nice patio overlooking the vines.

• Smith Mountain Lake State Park: This is a nice state park that has 7 short, mostly flat trails along with some water access and picnic areas. There is a $7 entrance fee.

  • Chestnut Ridge Trail: This trail is 1.5 miles long, is mostly flat, and takes about 40 minutes to complete.

  • Turtle Island Trail: This trail is 1.4 miles long, mostly flat, and takes about 30 minutes to complete.

• West Lake Coffee and Café: A decent spot for coffee and breakfast.

• Ramulose Ridge Vineyards: Another winery 2 minutes from Hickory Hill. They also offer sangria. Unfortunately it seemed like the bottle I ordered from had been open for far too long, wouldn’t really recommend.

• The Bagel & I: Solid bagel sandwich but the bagel itself was stale.

Washington D.C.

Washington D.c. is a historic city full of Distinct neighborhoods to explore

​D.C. Tips: 

• Traffic is truly the worst, avoid driving if you can. Rent bikes through the Capital Bikeshare program, use the Metro, or walk. Parking costs quite a bit nearly everywhere, so having a car is a bit of a nuisance.

• D.C. is obviously a very political city so expect to see protests, delays due to events, and more. Everything in general here tends to be quite crowded.

• A couple of days is plenty of time to see most of the city but the suburbs of D.C. are extensive, so there is also a lot to explore surrounding the area as well. Baltimore is also just an hour north for another city to adventure in, check out my Baltimore guide here.

Adventures & Ales Top Recommendations: 

• ChurchKey: A great beer bar with chill vibes and a fantastic beer selection. They also have a small food menu. Unfortunately the service we experienced here was truly atrocious, but the beers made it worth it.

• Sovereign: A Belgian restaurant and beer bar with a killer beer selection and cool vibes. It is located down the alley, so don’t miss it!

• Other Half Brewing: The DC taproom for this NYC-based brewery is in an industrial space with fantastic beers. They have a nice outdoor space and chill vibes.

• Pearl’s Bagels: A delicious spot for bagels. They are quite popular so expect a short wait, but it is worth it.

  • Compass Coffee is next door if you’d like something more than the basic coffee menu at Pearl’s to accompany your bagel.

• Bluejacket Brewery: A solid brewery in the Navy Yard area of DC with a nice patio. They are mostly IPA and Lager focused and they also have a full food menu with brunch on the weekends. Parking in this area can be a challenge.

• Aslin Beer Company: A popular brewery with a large outdoor space. Aslin has three taprooms—DC, Alexandria, VA and Henrico, VA.

• Dacha Beer Garden: A cute little beer garden with mainly German and local beers on tap. They also have a small food menu, Happy Hour and frequent events. Visit them at their Shaw or Navy Yard locations.

Pearl’s Bagels

Explore the Metropolitan Beer Trail!

This is DC’s first ale trail and links 7 bars and breweries along the Metropolitan Branch Trail. You can bike along the trail between the various locations or walk between some as well. Download the free digital passport and check in at each location to receive a free t-shirt!

• Wunder Garten: A large beer garden and event space with an extremely nice outdoor area. They have a large draft list, cocktails and wine. They also have a couple of food partners if you are hungry. The Happy Hour specials are great!

• Metrobar: A very unique bar with an old metro car. They have fun vibes, DJs and food trucks. The drink selection includes draft beers, canned beers and cocktails. The team here is also super nice!

  • Metrobar is a great spot to try Urban Garden Brewing—a black, Latin, woman owned brewery that does not have a taproom but makes great beer.

• Right Proper Brewing Company: A neighborhood brewery with board games, frequent live music, and chill vibes. They have two locations, the Brookland Production House and Shaw Brewpub and Kitchen.

• Red Bear Brewing Company: An average brewery with a full food menu that includes brunch. They have a small patio and are located in an artsy area.

• The Eleanor: This is a bar, grill and bowling lounge with a full food menu including brunch, happy hour, a large beer list and an extensive cocktail list. They have pin ball, bowling and a couple other games. The parking here is in a paid garage under the building.

• The Dew Drop Inn: A beer and cocktail dive bar with daily food trucks. They also do beer cocktails combining local beers with liquors into delicious creations.

• City-State Brewing Company: A brewery with a small tap list of below average beers. They have indoor and outdoor seating and some games.

National Museum of American History

Touristy DC things worth doing:

• Explore the National Mall: This area is home to the Lincoln Memorial, the Tidal Basin, Washington Monument, Smithsonian Museums, Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Jefferson Memorial, Korean War Memorial, the White House, the Capitol, World War II Memorial, and more! You can start at one end (the Capitol or Lincoln Memorial) and wander throughout the area. It does get a bit crowded at the popular stops so go early or later in the day for less people around.

• Visit a Smithsonian Museum:

  • National Museum of African American History and Culture: This Smithsonian requires free advance ticket reservations that go very quickly so be sure to plan ahead! The museum is massive and full of history, pop-culture and more.

  • National Museum of American History: This Smithsonian is focused on innovation, democracy and history.

  • National Air and Space Museum: This Smithsonian has been going through renovations for several years to expand their galleries. They are focused on the history and modern inventions around space exploration and flying. Entry requires free advance ticket reservations.

  • National Museum of Natural History: This Smithsonian is focused on the origination of the earth with exhibits around fossils, animals, mummies, gems, geology, and more.

Metrobar

Other Washington DC things to do:

• The Bruery: This California-based brewery has a small taproom and bottle shop in DC. They have limited hours though so be sure to plan ahead if you’d like to visit.

• Pizzeria Paradiso: A delicious spot for pizza with a solid craft beer selection.

• Matchbox: A restaurant with 3 locations in the DC area offering brunch, lunch, dinner and drinks. The Penn Quarter spot is near the National Mall with well-priced food and drink.

• Gregory’s Coffee: A local chain coffee shop with a small food menu and tasty coffee.  

Richmond, VA

Richmond is a fantastic beer city to visit! They are cranking out some delicious brews and have some awesome places to explore.

RVA Tips: 

• Hang out in Scott’s Addition—there’s a plethora of breweries, cideries, wineries, and distilleries all within walking distance of each other.

• Bop around Carytown and The Fan! These two neighborhoods are overflowing with restaurants, bars and shops to explore.

Adventures & Ales Top Richmond Recommendations: ​

• The Veil Brewing Co.: Their main location in Scott’s Addition has a fantastic outdoor patio to relax on with a variety of beers to choose from. Their Sours and Stouts are my personal favorites that they make! In Scott’s Addition they’ve got Nokoribi inside with a Japanese yakitori inspired menu.

  • The Funkhaust Cafe is their smaller funkier taproom with chill vibes and a small tap list. The hours are limited here so be sure to check ahead of time.

  • Forest Hill is their third, larger location and is across the river in Richmond. Y Tu Mama is located inside this location serving up delicious Mexican eats.

• Triple Crossing Beer: Their Fulton location has chill vibes and is one of my favorites spots in town to hang out. There is a ton of outdoor space, great pizzas, and absolutely phenomenal IPAs! Their downtown location has a great patio as well.

• The Answer Brewpub: Great beers, particularly their ‘Joose’ Fruit Beer series and Stouts. They’ve also got tasty food.

• Nate’s Bagels: A delicious bagel shop downtown. Order online ahead of time to skip the line!

• Mekong: A Vietnamese restaurant and beer bar with a superb tap list. It is connected to The Answer Brewpub and owned by the same folks.

• Roastology: A delicious spot for breakfast and coffee! Their biscuits are massive and delightful.

• Final Gravity Brewing Company: A great brewery just outside of central Richmond specializing in Hazy IPAs. They have a beautiful, dog-friendly taproom as well!

• Corks and Kegs: A killer bottle shop with a few taps and great selection of cans and bottles.

Nate’s Bagels

Other things to do in richmond:

• SB’s Love Shack: A fun dive-bar-esque spot for breakfast, lunch and brunch. They have two locations: Lakeside and Main Street.

• Tabol Brewing: A Lager focused brewery in the northside neighborhood. They have a nice patio and a cute space. They have their own food truck onsite and frequent live music.

• Vasen Brewing Company: A brewery with a wide variety of beers just up the block from The Veil in the Scott’s Addition neighborhood.

• Hardywood Park Craft Brewery: A large brewery with lots of outdoor space and chill vibes. Their Stouts and seasonal releases are what they do best!

• Benchtop Brewing: A Lager focused brewery in the Manchester neighborhood with solid brews. Their main taproom is in Norfolk, VA.

• Zorch Pizza: A delicious spot for ‘za in the Carytown neighborhood. Heads up this is a popular spot!

• Richbrau Brewing: A solid brewery right downtown with a small food menu. Their Sours are particularly good!

• 821 Café: A delicious spot for brunch! They’ve got lots of vegan and vegetarian options as well.

• Bingo Beer Co.: Another brewery in Scott’s Addition with a full arcade and food menu.

• Cupertino’s Bagels: Yummy New York style bagels!

• Social 52 Kitchen and Craft Bar: A restaurant and bar with a solid beer selection and craft cocktails. Right near SB’s so if you have to wait for brunch this is an ideal spot to grab a drink while you wait!

• Starr Hill Beer Hall & Rooftop: A popular brewery in Scott’s Addition with a lovely rooftop patio. They usually have a food truck out front as well. The beer here is average.

• Ardent Craft Ales: One of RVA’s OG breweries with average beers and a nice patio space. Located in Scott’s Addition.

Norfolk, VA

THe Port City of Norfolk is a great spot to spend a weekend!

NFK Tips: 

• Norfolk is a bit spread out so be sure to plan your travels out ahead of time to avoid backtracking across the area.

• Virginia Beach neighbors Norfolk, check out a couple of top recommendations for the city at the bottom of this guide.

• Visit hungry. Everything we ate in Norfolk was extraordinarily good!

• Norfolk is just 1.5 hours from both The Outer Banks and Richmond—check out my guide to OBX here and RVA here.

Adventures & Ales Top Norfolk Recommendations:

• Codex: A wildly delicious restaurant in the heart of downtown Norfolk. I cannot emphasize enough how great everything was—the food was superb and portions were large, the cocktails were fantastic, and the team was super nice. Highly recommend!

• The Veil Brewing Company: The Norfolk taproom of Richmond’s hype brewery The Veil has great beers and a ton of space. Lil Za Pizza is inside making delicious ‘za and they have a small patio out front that is dog-friendly. Stouts, Barleywines and Sours are what they do best here.

• Explore the Chelsea District:

  • Benchtop Brewing: A nice spot with a wide variety of beers. They have indoor and outdoor seating at this taproom and a location in Richmond.

  • Smartmouth Brewing Company: A popular brewery with solid beers and frequent events. Ghost Kitchen food truck lives onsite for eats and they also have a taproom in Virginia Beach.

  • The Birch: A great spot for craft beer, cider, mead, grilled cheese and charcuterie. They have a beautiful space and a small front patio.

  • Grandiflora Wine Garden: A wine bar at an inn with a vegetarian food menu. The use of the word “garden” feels a bit strong here and the wine is very pricey.

• Commune: A great spot for breakfast, lunch, coffee, or happy hour. The food here is fantastic and the team is very nice. They have indoor seating with coffee shop vibes and a small front patio. Commune also has a location in Virginia Beach right next to Esoteric.

  • This is located in Norfolk’s NEON District, an area with street art and shops.

• Handsome Biscuit: A fun old school style spot for sweet potato biscuits that are delicious.

• Cure Coffeehouse: A cute spot downtown for coffee with a small food menu.

• Reaver Beach Brewing: A solid brewery with a nice team. They have frequent food trucks and events and are dog-friendly inside and out. IPAs are what they do best here! They’re Norfolk taproom is a 3 minute drive from The Veil and they also have a space in Virginia Beach.

The Veil Brewing

norfolk Tourist Spots Actually Worth Visiting:

• Norfolk Botanical Gardens: Beautiful gardens to explore! Tickets are $16 and on Sundays they are dog friendly! They have a massive layout and it is fun to explore.

• Check out the Elizabeth River Trail: This is a 10.5 mile long trail along the waterfront that is great for walking, running and biking.

• American Rover Sunset Cruise: These daily sunset river cruises offer a relaxing journey down the Elizabeth River. The schooner operates via wind on the way out of the harbor and motor on the way back. There is a bar and a bathroom onboard plus a musician. Tickets are $40 Sunday-Thursday and $45 on Fridays and Saturdays. There are a few other companies offering various versions of river cruises as well.

• Town Point Park: A waterfront park with frequent live music and events.

Norfolk Botanical Gardens

recommendations for Virginia Beach & The Surrounding ARea:

• Esoteric: A delightful beer bar and restaurant located in the Vibe Creative District. They have a great tap list, cocktails, and wine along with delicious food. This is a very cute spot with a great back patio as well.

• Commonwealth Brewing Company: A fantastic brewery specializing in IPAs and Sours. They are just north of the airport and worth detouring for. Commonwealth also has coffee and tea in the morning and a pizza kitchen. Their taproom is a popular spot and they have a nice large outdoor space too.

• Oozlefinch Beers and Blending: A Sour-focused brewery in Fort Monroe. Their taproom is right off Fort Monroe National Monument and the outside seating has some water views.

• Coastal Fermentory: A great brewery in The Yard District of Newport News. Their Hazy IPAs are delicious and they have a nice taproom and small patio. A second taproom will be opening in Newport News soon.

Kentucky and Tennessee Road Trip

Kentucky and Tennessee are home to a lot of beautiful nature, some great breweries, and some fun adventures! For Thanksgiving I decided to go for a road trip across these two states and with a smidge of Virginia and Georgia as well.

I designed this as a loop road trip starting and ending in Charlotte, NC. It was 11 days of adventure with 60 miles hiked, 1,628 miles driven, 30 breweries visited, 1 National Park, 7 State Parks, 1 National Recreation Area and 2 National Forests. Do what works best for you, your style, and your schedule!

A disclaimer—I had been to all of these cities besides Louisville before, so if this is your first time in each place you should add more time to get to see more of the city! For me it was just revisiting some of my favorites and exploring a few new spots in each city.

Day 1: Grayson Highlands State Park & Abingdon, Virginia

Kick things off at Grayson Highlands State Park where the Appalachian and Rhododendron Gap Trail has nice views and wild horses.

After hiking, head over to the small charming town of Abingdon. Here I highly recommend Abingdon Vineyards for wine on the river and The Girl and The Raven for breakfast and coffee.

Day 2: Breaks Interstate Park State Park & Red River Gorge

Breaks Interstate Park, the “Grand Canyon of the South”, is 1 hour and 40 minutes northwest of Abingdon. This was a short detour on my route so it was worth it for the nice overlooks, but in general I wouldn’t recommend going out of your way for this park.

In Red River Gorge I loved glamping with Dappled Light, eats and drinks at Hop’s, and hiking to Double Arch. Check out my full Red River Gorge blog here!

Day 3: Red River Gorge and Lexington

Lexington is 1 hour west of Red River Gorge. In Lexington my favorites were Mirror Twin Brewing, Ethereal Brewing, and staying at The Manchester. Check out my full Lexington guide here!

Day 4: Louisville 

Louisville is just over an hour west of Lexington and an easy choice for your next stop. In Derby City I recommend Atrium Brewing, Butchertown Brewing, and checking out the famed Big Four Bridge. Check out my full Louisville guide here!

Day 5: Mammoth Cave National Park & Nashville

Mammoth Cave is perfectly halfway between Louisville and Nashville, at 1.5 hours from each city. Here I would focus your time on a cave tour and ditch the hikes, they are all quite boring. The Historic Tour is a nice way to see the cave and get an understanding of the park.

Day 6: Nashville

In Music City I highly recommend Southern Grist Brewing, Barrique Brewing and Blending, Ladybird Taco, and exploring the 12 South neighborhood. Check out my full Nashville guide here!

Day 7: Cloudland Canyon State Park & Chattanooga

Cloudland Canyon State Park is 2 hours and 15 minutes from Nashville and 30 mins south of Chattanooga. This is a beautiful park and worth the slight detour! There are some waterfalls and sweeping views here.

Day 8: Chattanooga

During your Chattanooga exploration I would recommend Oddstory Brewing, Pax Breu Ruim, and Ruby Falls. Check out my full Chattanooga guide here!

Day 9: Burgess Falls State Park, Cummins Falls State Park and Big South Fork National Recreation Area

Burgess Falls State Park is 1.5 hours north of Chattanooga and here the Burgess Falls Trail is a great, easy trail with multiple waterfalls. Cummins Falls State Park is just 30 minutes from Burgess Falls and another large waterfall. Further north, Big South Fork National Recreation Area is home to Twin Arches Short Loop Trail. This is a very cool hike and I would highly recommend.

Burgess Falls State Park, Cummins Falls State Park, Big South Fork National Recreation Area, and Cumberland Falls State Park are all nestled right along the Kentucky/Tennessee border, so you could choose to do these in a different order if it works better for you!

Day 10: Cumberland Falls State Park & Knoxville

Cumberland Falls State Park has several observation decks to see this large waterfall and is a quick stop. Buzzard Rock Trail is nearby and provides great panoramic views off of a short trail. Knoxville is 1 hour and 20 minutes from Cumberland Falls State Park.

Day 11: Knoxville & Travel HOme

In Knoxville I highly recommend Xul Brewing Company, staying at The Tennessean Hotel, and exploring World’s Fair Park. Check out my full Knoxville guide here!

From here you’ve wrapped up the loop trip and it’s time to head home! Asheville, NC is also 2 hours from Knoxville if you’re looking to extend your trip!

Have you explored Kentucky and tennessee? What are your favorite spots? Let me know in the comments! Cheers —Alexis

Shenandoah National Park Guide

Shenandoah National Park is nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. The park itself is long and narrow while the surrounding area is full of small towns. I enjoyed the views at the park and the various trails, but wouldn’t want to spend too much time in the nearby towns.

Planning a road trip? Check out my guide to nearby Washington D.C. here, Baltimore here, and Richmond here!

Hawksbill Mountain

Shenandoah National Park Recommendations:

Shenandoah National Park is relatively small and mostly based around one main road: Skyline Drive. You can easily tackle a good chunk of this park in a couple of days! I would recommend trying to visit on weekdays instead of weekends as much as possible just because it is quite popular and there are many large cities within quick driving distance that people visit from. You will need a National Park Pass or to pay to enter the park. One note—at this park most of the trailheads do not have bathrooms so keep that in mind when starting your adventures!

• Mary’s Rock via Appalachian Trail: This trail is 4.4 miles long with 1,210ft of elevation gain and takes about 2 hours to complete. The trailhead is just after the park entrance so there is ample parking here and a bathroom. It is a steep, steady and rocky climb up, and this trail is rated hard. It leads to a beautiful viewpoint of the surrounding area. Dogs are allowed on this trail!

• Berry Hollow to Old Rag Mountain Trail: This trail is 6.5 miles long with 1,751ft of elevation gain and takes about 2.5 hours to complete. Permits are required to hike Old Rag, so be sure to snag one before heading out. It is rated hard. Heads up this is one of the only trails in the park that is not off the main road, Skyline Drive. Parking is quite limited so try to arrive early. The traditional route for Old Rag is much more popular and more difficult at 9.3 miles long with 2595ft of elevation gain and many scrambles. Choose your own adventure!

• Stony Man via Appalachian Trail: This trail is 1.5 miles long with 321ft of elevation gain and takes about 35 minutes to complete. It takes you through the woods to a pop out with a nice view of the surrounding area. It is rated moderate but was a pretty quick, steady climb up.

• Dark Hollow Falls Trail: This trail is 2.1 miles long with 583ft of elevation gain and takes about 1 hour. It is a popular trail but not overcrowded and leads to a nice waterfall. There is also one more viewpoint at the bottom on a wooden bridge. It is a relatively steep climb back up to the parking area, and this trail is rated moderate.

• Hawksbill Summit Trail: This trail is 1.9 miles long with 672ft of elevation gain and takes about 50 minutes to complete. It is the highest peak in the park and a short trail so it is quite popular. It is a very steep hike up but since it is so short it is rated moderate. Dogs are allowed on this trail! An alternative option is the Hawksbill Loop Trail which is just a bit longer and takes you around the summit instead of straight back down.

• Take the scenic drive down Skyline Drive: There are overlooks throughout the straight shot drive from one end to the other. Boldface Mountain is a nice overlook on the south end of the park. If you have driven the Blue Ridge Parkway this has very similar vibes.

• Bearfence Mountain Trail: This trail is 1.4 miles long with 242ft of elevation gain and takes about 40 minutes to complete. This trail is full of rock scrambles so it is definitely not for kids or folks afraid of heights. Keep your eyes peeled for rattlesnakes as well. It is rated moderate. I did not love this trail because there was not a view at the actual summit, just some views with the rock scrambles along the way.

Broadporch Coffee

Shenandoah Valley Recommendations:

• Broad Porch Coffee: A fantastic spot in downtown Luray for breakfast and coffee. They have a cute spot with indoor seating and a back porch with river views. I went two days in a row because I enjoyed it so much!

• Elkton Brewing Company: A solid brewery in Elkton with a nice outdoor space. They have food trucks on the weekend, they are dog friendly and they are housed in a nice historic building.

• Quièvremont Vineyard & Winery: A nice winery with great views in Washington, VA. They also have food options. Heads up it gets quiet popular on weekends!

• Vibrissa Beer: Vibrissa has two locations in Front Royal and Winchester. They both have full food menus and outdoor seating as well.

• Gathering Grounds: A solid spot for breakfast in downtown Luray.

• I stayed at this Airbnb which was nice, but I would probably stay somewhere with a better view if I visited the area again. The outdoor space and screened-in porch were lovely.

• Wisteria Farm and Vineyard: An average winery in Stanley. The wine is fine but there are no views and the food is very overpriced and prepackaged. They are dog-friendly and you can bring your own food as well. It is a very casual spot and people loved it, I just wanted a bit more out of it.

• Pen Druid Brewing: A brewery with nice views in Sperryville. It was not my personal favorite but it’s worth checking out. They have an onsite food truck, Sumac.

Harrisonburg

• Jack Brown’s Beer and Burger Joint: A simple spot for burgers and drinks in downtown with absolutely delicious eats. Highly recommend!

• Brothers Craft Brewing: A nice brewery just outside of downtown Harrisonburg. They have indoor and outdoor seating with chill vibes.

• Restless Moons Brewing: An average brewery with interesting vibes. I definitely watched multiple drug deals happen here. Their tap list is Sour heavy and they have pinball machines for entertainment.

Dark Hollow Falls