About an hour drive from Richmond is Albemarle County, an area with incredible nature, wineries, and of course, orchards.
Today I am going to show you all the Fall things you can do on a one day trip here.
If you'd like to watch the video of my trip to Albemarle County, you can here:👇
1-Day Itinerary:
9:30am Leave Richmond.
1 hour 18 minutes drive to:
10:45am Chiles Peach Orchard
This is a year round orchard that does pick-your-own. In the month of October you can pick your own pumpkins or apples. It has a beauitful backdrop of hills, barns and pumpkins.
They are open from10am-6pm and require tickets on weekends here.
22 min drive to:
Lunch:
12:30pm Michie Tavern (1784)
This is a tavern from 1784 with cozy vibes and an all you can eat Southern fare buffet. The vegan options consist of a baked potato (upon request), green beans, black eyed peas, beets and gazpacho. They are open from 11:30am-3pm daily.
1:30pm Carter Mountain Orchard
This orchard has it all! You can pick your own apples, they have fresh apple cider, apple cider donuts and pie. You can also purchase pumpkins here.
They even have a Bold Rock Cider tasting room here. Open from 9am-6pm daily. We got the premium flight which was their drier ciders, and we loved Vat#1 and the IPA cider.
3pm James Monroe’s Highland
This is the home of the 5th US president from 1799–1823. They have guided tours at 10:30am, 12:30pm and 2:30pm, otherwise it is self-guided. It is open from 9:30am-4:30pm daily.
20 min drive to:
4:30pm Grit Coffee
Head to Grit Coffee for a pick me up or fun fall latte. It is open from 7am-5pm. We grabbed a maple latte with oat milk and headed to walk the grounds of the University of Virginia.
5pm Walk the grounds of University of Virginia
The university was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and his Academical Village is now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Jefferson also deisgned the original courses of study and architecture.
Stops:
Memorial to Enslaved Laborers
This memorial was completed in 2020. It is a tribute to the enslaved individuals and families who built and maintained the University of Virginia.
The Rotunda
This is a beautiful building located on The Lawn on the original grounds of UVA. Jefferson designed it and modeled it after the Pantheon. Construction began in 1822 and completed in 1826.
Edgar Allen Poe Room
You can visit an old dorm room that has been furnished with period furniture from Poe's time. He was a student of UVA for one semester. You can press the button next to the door for audio about his life in college.
Dinner:
6:30pm Botanical Plant-Based Fare
This is a 100% vegan restaurant located in the downtown area of Charlottesville. It has a huge menu and happy hour. They are open from 9am-8pm Wed-Sat and 9am-3pm Tues & Sunday. Closed Mondays.
7:30pm Drive back to Richmond.
I hope you found this itinerary helpful! There are more blogs on my website about other spots around Virginia, as well as Richmond tips.
You can also follow me on YouTube for my travel videos or Instagram for daily updates. Feel free to DM me with any questions! Have a great trip!
💚Lauren Z Ray