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.

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.

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

My Top Beers in December 2020

December was a month of a lot of beers. We took a beer trip to Richmond, Virginia, we checked out some new local breweries, college basketball and football heated up, and of course the holidays meant less work and more celebrating!

In no particular order, here are the best beers I drank in December 2020:

Squeeze Play by Slowplay Brewing in Rock Hill, SC

We visited Slow Play just south of Charlotte for the first time in December thanks to a collaboration I did with Discover South Carolina. I was absolutely blown away with how delicious the beers were, how friendly the staff was, how great the spacious patio was, and how delicious the food was from the onsite food truck Cibi! Cibi! My favorite beer I had was Squeeze Play, a Hazy IPA with Amarillo, Citra, and Mosaic hops.

Starve Exhibit D from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA

We were incredibly lucky that Rebecca and Daniel from @WanderingHops shared this amazing Stout with us when we stayed with them on our beer trip to Richmond! Starve Exhibit D is an Imperial Stout aged 18 months in Bourbon and Brandy barrels with honey, vanilla, and marshmallows. It was thicc, Bourbon-y, and packed with flavor! If you’re not already following @wanderinghops on Instagram get on it! They drink delicious beers and take incredible trips!

Blackberry, Banana, Cream Cheese, French Toast JREAM from Burley Oak Brewing Company in Berlin, MD

This is a Fruited Sour with lactose conditioned on blackberry, banana, cream cheese, maple syrup, cinnamon, vanilla, and brown sugar—it is absolutely phenomenal! This is by far the best JREAM I have had from Burley Oak and one of my top Sours I have had in a long time! I can’t wait to make it to their brewery someday, hopefully in 2021!

Everything at The Answer Brewpub in Richmond, VA

Okay okay this is cheating I know, but honestly everything I had at The Answer was SO good! My flight included the following beers, from left to right in the photo: Hoptone Galaxy Anniversary edition of the Hoptone IPA series featuring CY 2020 Galaxy Hops; Quadrupole Mother of Berries Joose with Boysenberries, Loganberries, Blackberries, and Raspberries; Quadruple Mother Pulka Joose with Red Raspberries, Redcurrant, Strawberries, toasted Marshmallow, and vanilla; Sleep Paralysis @smoothambler Barrel Imperial Stout with Peanut Butter and Oreos. Check out my Richmond recommendations here, but if you can only make one stop in RVA I would highly recommend The Answer!

Grandma’s Apple Pie Gose from Westbrook Brewing in Mt. Pleasant, SC

This is a Gose with apple puree, vanilla, cinnamon, sea salt, coriander, and lactose. At just 4% ABV, it is the perfect dessert beer without being too heavy. It tastes just like apple pie and is super yummy!

Heavy Mettle Collab brew from The Veil Brewing in Richmond, VA and Trillium Brewing in Boston, MA

Heavy Mettle is an Imperial IPA with Galaxy and Amarillo hops from Trillium Brewing, but thanks to the Freaky Friday beer collab initiative going around The Veil brewed this version! It was super juicy and I absolutely loved it, which is no surprise given my love for Galaxy hops. We paired this brew with pretzels from Eastern Standard Provisions—I definitely recommend checking them out! I got a box at my doorstep courtesy of my mom filled with pretzels and mustards accompanied by easy to follow directions on how to heat them in the oven and they were super good!

Tune in next month to see what my first favorites of 2021 will be! Cheers! -Alexis

Project Watt-Ahh-Melon from Hardywood Park Brewery and Sheetz

A gas station beer you say? That’s right! Sheetz is releasing a brand new limited edition craft beer!

Project Watt-Ahh-Melon is a Watermelon Wheat Ale brewed in partnership with Hardywood Park Craft Brewery in Richmond, Virginia. This beer is only available for a limited time in Sheetz stores across Virginia and North Carolina. Check out the link here to find a store near you! 4-packs of 16oz beers are just $7.99!

Project Watt-Ahh-Melon is brewed with over 100 pounds of Sheetz watermelon gummy rings and comes in at 5.3% ABV. It is the perfect end of of summer beer! The watermelon rings were added during the whirlpool to ensure they melted and smoothly combined with the other ingredients. Project Watt-Ahh-Melon is light and refreshing but still packs a tart punch.

Hardywood Park Craft Brewing based in Richmond, Virginia. Hardywood opened in 2011 and now have two locations in downtown Richmond and West Creek. Hardywood’s motto is “brew with purpose” which they embody by using local ingredients and operating on 100% renewable energy.

Sheetz first beer release was named Project Coffee Hopz, a limited edition coffee bean IPA. They partnered with Rusty Rail Brewing in Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania. This one released in May 2019 and was available in Sheetz stores across Pennsylvania.

Their second beer release was Project Brewberry Muffinz, a limited edition Blonde Ale with Sheetz blueberry muffins. This collaboration was brewed with Evil Genius Beer Company based in Philadelphia and it was released in August 2019.

Sheetz released Project Hop Dog in May 2020, a collaboration with Nashaminy Creek Brewing Co. out of Pennsylvania. Project Hop Dog was a Dry Hopped IPA brewed with Sheetz hot dogs. What a wild idea!

What ingredient should Sheetz add to their next special release beer?! Let us know in the comments!