Family travel Charlottesville, Virginia

FAMILY TRAVEL FUN IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA

Load up the family and head to Charlottesville, Virginia, as you seek some fantastic family travel fun!

Imagine being surrounded by the incredible Blue Ridge Mountains, history, and majestic beauty that is just what Charlottesville brings to the table.

The little tikes will love letting their curiosity run wild inside the Virginia Discovery Museum. Six-thousand square feet of space is on a single level, free-flows, and offers two galleries that house 15 exceptional hands-on play area of fun.

One of the cool interactive fun things that your little family members can enjoy is sorting letters at the Post Office. Match the mail in the bins that are numbered and colored, then head out for delivery.

With no route to follow, let the kiddos explore, however they want and as slow or fast as their heart’s desire. Cognitive, physical, and social skills will be unleashed in this extraordinarily little rule problem-solving museum of adventure.

It is never to soon to think about college. While in Charlottesville, head over to the University of Virginia. See what the buzz is all about at the Rotunda. See how students and faculty come together to interact and learn.

As we continue the learning vibe, take a trip to Darden Towe Path and the Lewis & Clark Exploratory Center. Explore, create, and discover as you and the family engage in the exhibits. Lewis was from Albermarle County, and next to the center is where Clark’s family resided.

Take the dirt path down to the river overlooks or enjoy the short hiking trail. The center is an excellent place to explore and learn about history.

A shoppers paradise awaits the family at the Historic Downtown Pedestrian Mall, one of the largest in the United States, at 8-blocks long. Shop as much as you like or find a seat and people watch as the children ride on the carousel.

Visit the galleries, catch a concert at a small venue, or even catch a performance at the Paramount Theater. Free tours behind the scenes are available, so do not forget to ask.

Even a complimentary trolley operated by Charlottesville will make stops at the University of Virginia, the pedestrian mall, and many other downtown areas.

Pack the families hiking boots and hit the Rivanna Trail that circles the city. For 20 miles, your family can explore streets, greenways, and parkland. To keep the walk simple, hit Riverview Park, a segment down along the river.

Crabtree Falls trail is extremely popular, as Crabtree is the Eastern United States longest vertical cascade. Add in a series of other waterfall cascades, and you have a total of 1,200 feet of pure enjoyment!

You will encounter an uphill walk that is steady when you leave the lower parking lot. Do not worry; it is not that challenging. The hike is especially gorgeous when the leaves are changing in the fall.

After a fun-filled adventure of exploring Charlottesville, head to your room at Boar’s Head Resort for a great night of sleep before starting your fantastic outdoor excursion again.

Downtown Mall Charlottesville

3 UNIQUE SHOPS IN DOWNTOWN CHARLOTTESVILLE

When you seek out a unique and unusual shopping experiences, Charlottesville is the place to be. Whether it is a birthday, birth of a baby, anniversary, or another special event, these 3 unique shops are ready to offer you some spectacular gifts.

DAEDALUS BOOKSHOP

Book lovers will rejoice in three floors and 100,000 books! The bookshop is so large that they even provide you with a map. This unique booklover paradise does not even have a computer, so you will need to do it via telephone if you need to reach them.

The shop is open five days a week, so call ahead for operational hours, so you are not disappointed.

ROCKBRIDGE GUITAR COMPANY

Should you or a member of your traveling party be a hard-core musician, then you, are at the perfect spot. With only 60 guitars produced each year, there is serious attention to detail in each one.

Since 2002, Rockbridge Guitar Company has been operated by a four-man crew that is serious about the things they create. Named for Rockbridge County, the shop is proud to call downtown Charlottesville home.

When you are seeking a guitar with versatility, consider the SJ. If a remnant of a 1930’s model Gibson thrills you, then the Smeck is your best bet. While originally designed originally for slide playing, fingerstyle and flatpickers will love it as well.

CVILLE SMOKE SHOP

What a great gift a cigar, pipe tobacco, or one of more than 125 tins would make.

Fine Cigars from hard to find and major brands are offered at Cville Smoke Shop. Located here is central Virginia’s largest walk-in humidor. Purchase your cigar here and enjoy some time in the smoking lounge for free. While relaxing and talking with friends, you can utilize the free Wi-Fi and premium satellite TV.

There are more than 75 types of bulk pipe tobacco, with an excess of 150 tins. Pipe tobacco lovers will be in awe of the aromatics that include Virginia, Latakia, and a lot more.

One cannot indulge in pipe tobacco without a proper pipe, and Cville Smoke Shop has just that. There is something for everyone here, from new and estate sale pipes to accessories such as filters, pipe tools, and stands.

Those of you that prefer cigarettes will find American Spirit, Al Capones, and other Premium cigarettes. Should you like to roll-your-own, Cville Smoke Shop provides those as well.

Whether you choose to relax in the front lounge or back lounge, there is lots of space to relax and enjoy.

Art Glass Tours in Charlottesville VA

THE GLASS PALETTE-An Art Glass Adventure in Charlottesville VA

The art lovers that visit Charlottesville, Virginia, will be delighted to come across The Glass Palette. This mother-daughter co-owned studio is a unique and mesmerizing nod to the world of art glass.

Come and let your creative juices flow when you stop by The Glass Palette. Whether you decide on attending a class or walking in, you will enjoy fusing and slumping. Design your creative piece, and they will fire it at 1,450 degrees to get your glass to melt together. Shapes are formed when refired at lower temperatures and slumped into molds.

Bring two layers and design elements to life in dimensions that range from 1 inch to 12 inches. Due to the process, you will need to return in a few days to pick up the finished piece.

Do you love the stained glass or mosaic look? Excellent! With new techniques and growing interest over the last couple of decades, artists bring together new designs and forms daily. The possibilities of what you create are endless.

Attend a workshop on Enamel Painting on Glass. In this class, you will learn the steps and techniques to create your own glass enamel. The instructors take you along on outlining, shading, and coloring. After you have created your sample tiles, you will also create an 8” finished bowl.

Another workshop option at The Glass Palette is Sand Art in Glass. In this workshop, you will take glass sand, inclusions, and shaping tools to bring to life colorful fused glass tiles. The tiles can be dish-shaped or flat displays.

You will have created a small and large tile/plate of your design by the time the workshop is over. The great thing about this workshop is that all materials come included in the price.

If you have been trying so hard to figure out where to have your five-ten-year old’s birthday party, think no more. The Glass Palette supplies the partygoers with different shapes and colors that are already precut.

Are you looking for something different for your fundraiser, corporate event, or even a bridal shower? The Glass Palette will teach those attendees that are 11 and up how to cut their glass and utilize it with pieces that are precut when they attend a Fusing Party.

Snack Attack is one of the perfect options available for your Fusing Party. The flat glass can be colored; however, they wish! The Glass Palette fuses and shapes the snack bowl in the kiln. Return in a couple of days to take home your kiddos or event member’s fantastic artwork that is food and safe to go into the dishwasher.

Should it be close to the holidays, party participants can show their creative side as they design glass cookies or ornaments to hang around the house.

Blasting Parties are also available for those aged 5-8 and 9 and above. These parties are an incredible choice should you have participants from out of town. You create the glass piece, and The Glass Palette carves it out in the sandblaster!

Some of the fantastic options include creating your own ice cream bowl, personalized mug, or dessert plate, which is perfect for cupcakes!

UVA Rotunda

THE UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA AND BOAR’S HEAD RESORT

How cool would it be to stay at a university five-star resort on 600-acres nestled at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains close to Charlottesville, Virginia? Well, you do not have to imagine any longer when you stay at Boar’s Head Resort.

This lavish, charming, exquisite resort is proudly operated and owned by the University of Virginia Foundation. Boar’s Head Resort and the foundation’s partnership are incredibly close, and that shows with facilities for athletics shared. The closeness is evident when watching the Men’s and Women’s tennis teams while enjoying time at the resort.

University of Virginia alumni, employees, and students have access to some outstanding rates at the Boar’s Head Resort created just for them. What a fantastic perk of being a UVA student!

The land that the Boar’s Head Resort resides on goes back to the era of Thomas Jefferson. After all, the glamourous merging was after all part of the state of Virginia’s first land grant. Talk about some astonishing countryside to call home.

University of Virginia graduate John Rogan, with the assistance of John Rhea, in 1959 built the Boar’s Head Inn. The two of them took a gristmill from Birdwood property next door, dismantled, numbered each of the pieces, and put it back together at the present location.

Knowing that they had a piece of Virginia history, the pair took the utmost care of this outstanding gristmill and helped shape what is known as today, Boar’s Head Resort.

Fast forward 40 years, and the University of Virginia Foundation acquires the property, which is Charlottesville’s only one AAA Four Diamond resort, as a gift! What a resort it is! Indulge yourself at the luxury spa, enjoy a round of golf with friends, attend an event at one of the multiple meeting rooms, or enjoy the plush bedding as you relax by the fireplace in any of the 168 rooms and suites.

The University of Virginia Foundation had already acquired the Birdwood property in 1967. Along with this additional property, the resort became a 600-acre paradise!

The resort is an excellent location for the University of Virginia faculty or alumni to hold a conference, meeting, or entertain. Should you be thinking about attending the University of Virginia, be sure to participate in a recruiting event held at this lavish resort, you will not be disappointed.

A unique community-oriented event that benefits the University of Virginia Children’s Hospital that Boar’s Head Resort participates in annually is the Turkey Trot. Each Thanksgiving, a mix of a 5K race, costume party, and a baby jogger parade bring close to 1,400 Charlottesville residents together for some exciting fun and to benefit an outstanding charity.

No matter the reason you are on the University of Virginia campus, carve out some time for exploring all that the Boar’s Head Resort has to offer alumni, students, and faculty. Let the catering team assist with event planning and trust the group sales team to ensure your event and stay are memorable.

Boar's Head Resort Mill Room

Boar’s Head Resort Dining

Dining out is taken to a whole new level when you are at the Boar’s Head Resort. There is something for everyone at this gorgeous 600-acre property. From exquisite fine dining to grabbing a snack after your hard-core workout, you will not be disappointed.

THE MILL ROOM

Whether you are planning a wedding rehearsal dinner or an intimate anniversary celebration, The Mill Room has you covered. Enjoy fine dining at its best form inside or outside as you get captivated by the moment.

Feast on Southern East Coast Fried Shrimp to start with, adding Chef Gary’s Soup of the Day, as you roll into an entrée of Flame Grilled Pepper-Crusted NY Strip. Should you be looking for something smaller, try The Smash Burger with French fries. Whichever option you pick, do not forget to save some room for the Red Velvet Cake.

Add a glass of Don PX Pedro Ximenez Reserve or Sandman Founder’s Reserve to help glide it all down. For a heartier drink, consider some Johnny Walker Blue, you will not be disappointed.

Should you bring the kiddos along, some options for them are House Made Pasta, Grilled Chicken Breast, or good ‘ole Hand-Breaded Chicken Strips.

Local agriculture mixed with modern techniques make The Mill Room a delightful place to gather with friends and family for an unforgettable dining experience.

RACQUETS RESTAURANT

When searching for some delicious breakfast, lunch, or dinner during your stay at Boar’s Head Resort do not overlook Racquets Restaurant in the Boar’s Head Sports Club. Enjoy a quick walk over from the Ednam rooms or the 600 and 700 rooms. A complimentary shuttle is available should you be in other parts of the resort.

Breakfast options include two types of Breakfast Burritos, Umpqua Oats, an Egg White Sandwich, or two styles of Rebecca’s Biscuits.

As you are out enjoying your day and become hungry, the All-Day Menu is perfect for indulging your hunger. Grab a cup or bowl of soup, a Caesar Salad, BLT, Quesadilla, or Asian Wrap. For the little ones, pick up a Hot Dog, Grilled Cheese, or Peanut Butter and Jelly, all of which come served with chips, fruit salad, or French fries.

These are just a small sampling of the deliciousness that awaits you at Racquets Restaurant.

BIRDWOOD GRILL

As you are looking at the magnificent views surrounding Boar’s Head Resort after your round of golf and want more, head to the Birdwood Grill. This seasonal grill offers up some of the most fabulous and outstanding views of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Feast on a salad, sandwich, or appetizer as you dine inside or outside, taking in all that Charlottesville has to show to those that visit this incredible area.

CONCLUSION

No matter the occasion, Boar’s Head Resort Dining options have you covered. Plan your outdoor adventure with Boar’s Head Outfitters and then relax at this immaculate Charlottesville resort and enjoy knowing that you will not have to fret over, ensuring that the food is available and ready with these options.