Showing posts with label culpeper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label culpeper. Show all posts

Friday, June 15, 2012

weekend getaway part 4: eating

One of the best aspects of getting away sans kids is the ability to enjoy a meal (or in this case, many meals) without rushing, without food being thrown on the ground, without cleaning up, without bargaining, and best of all, with uninterrupted conversation.

Our first morning we found a lovely cafe down the street where we shared a delicious breakfast quiche and croissant on the patio (with nobody else around). We had to save room for the local bakery next door, which had apple donuts (yes, we had apple donuts twice in one day) and pastries.





We had lunch in Charlottesville at the famous Bodo's Bagels near the campus. I love a good bagel sandwich, and these bagels are freshly baked and fantastic.


When I made dinner reservations at Foti's in Culpeper they had asked if we were celebrating anything special. When we showed up they gave us the best table in the house (secluded and by the big front window) and our desserts arrived with a special message.



The food was delicious. We had a pasta appetizer and then I had the pan seared salmon on roasted potatoes with a fennel and watercress salad drizzled with a lemon, ginger and vanilla sauce. Ben had grilled pork served on a caramelized banana sweet potato mash with sautéed brussels sprouts and an onion and bacon vinaigrette.



Dessert was our favorite. We tried the apple bread and butter pudding with Créme Anglaise and caramel sauce, which I wanted to lick right off the plate. We also had the buttermilk panna cotta which had a ruby red grapefruit sauce and a strawberry and mint salsa. Creamiest thing I've ever put in my mouth. We were ridiculously full when we left, but it was worth it.




Yummy breakfast at the local diner, the Frost Cafe.



Honestly, I could have handled a few more days away. We've been so lucky to have such wonderful friends here who have always been up for weekend swaps. We've had so many fun getaways and are already looking forward to the next.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

weekend getaway part 2: charlottesville + scenic views

After spending a relaxing morning exploring the shops and food of Culpeper, we drove to Charlottesville (about an hour away) to wander around the University of Virginia campus and have a late lunch. The campus is really beautiful (founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson). Lots of red brick and white columns. It happened to be alumni weekend so it was extra crowded and the lovely grounds were covered with tents and banquet tables. But it was still nice to enjoy the beautiful weather and a leisurely stroll.






As we were driving to our next adventure, we came across a sign for "The Apple Barn" so we decided to stop. We were rewarded with amazing views, freshly picked peaches, and apple cider donuts.

 Can't you tell how relaxed we are?








weekend getaway part 1: culpeper

Ben and I celebrated our 9th wedding anniversary on June 3 with an amazing weekend getaway. Our wonderful friends the Nielsons watched our kids for two nights so we could get away. (We'll get a chance to watch their kids later this summer.) We decided to stay in Culpeper, Virginia, about 1 1/2 hours away. A small town in the Virginia countryside sounded perfect. Plus, I've always liked the name Culpeper. It has a quaint little downtown area with antique shops and unique stores. It was so enjoyable to take our time walking around town, eating meals leisurely, and browsing without kids at antique shops. The weather was absolutely beautiful.

We stayed at a fantastic boutique hotel, the Suites at 249. It was right on one of the historic main streets. Our room the first night was on the second floor and had huge windows with so much natural light and a nice view of the street. We loved the modern decor, exposed brick, and gorgeous bathroom. When we woke up in the morning we noticed a farmer's market across the street.






(Our own little balcony.)



(The second story windows were our room.)







We came across this fun oil and vinegar shop called Taste. They had tons of different flavors of olive oil and balsamic to sample (Mormon wine tasting?). It was fun to try different combinations and exotic flavors. We settled on a pretty tame Tuscan herb olive oil. In case you were wondering, tasting straight oil and vinegar leaves you feeling kind of gross after a while.




The awesome room we stayed in the first night wasn't available the second night so we had to switch rooms. Still lovely but not quite as awesome.

More weekend getaway photos to come, including a post dedicated to food. Of course.

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