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We all know Virginia is for lovers, and it certainly was a lovely state for Keegan and I to spend the second leg of our East Coast extravaganza! This post will be about the portion of the trip that we spent in Virginia, and I’ll make a separate post for North Carolina! Read about the first part of the getaway here!
We had a blast in Virginia, and even though our time there was short, I think we could see ourselves living there while Keegan attends law school. Please enjoy the rundown of our two-day trip!
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12TH
We left our hotel in DC and drove to Charlottesville! When we arrived we stopped at Firefly, which is a restaurant and game room combo. The inside of this eatery is very cool and they offer a wide variety of games, but we chose to sit on the patio and take in the fresh air. I got a No Bull Veggie Burger; their veggie patty is made out of lentils and sun-dried tomatoes, which I actually prefer to black beans. Keegan got the Beyond Sausage Hoagie and we both shared Chili Cheese Tots which are made with house cashew cheese!
After lunch we visited the University of Virginia School of Law. It was a beautiful building and we really liked the quiet surrounding area. It seemed like a peaceful place to study.
Next we ate dinner at Vu Noodles. This place was amazing and I believe it is family owned. Keegan got noodles with peanut sauce and veggies. I got noodles with tofu and caramelized onions with a ginger soy sauce that was to die for! Their brick building was so pretty and we loved the vines hanging around the patio.
After dinner we explored the downtown mall. It was pretty lively with lots of restaurants and shops. It kind of resembled Old Town Fort Collins, so it felt a bit like home. For dessert we opted for a vegan spice cake from Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar. It came with buttercream frosting and even candied ginger; it was the star of the show for sure!
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13TH
We started off this day by exploring The Corner. This historic district is a mix of restaurants, shops, and bars stretching seven blocks right across from the UVA campus. We went to The Juice Laundry to enjoy some smoothie bowls. I got the Tropic Energy which is mango, dragonfruit, banana, dates, and brewed guayusa – a black tea. Keegan got the Monster: cacao, almond butter, banana, dates, and house almond milk. They were perfectly filling for our next activity!
We followed breakfast by walking around the campus, and it was absolutely delightful. We visited The Rotunda – designed by the founder of UVA Thomas Jefferson. He modeled it after the Pantheon in Rome, and it symbolizes “the authority of nature and power of reason.” Then we walked through the Lawn, which sort of resembled the Oval at CSU–a gorgeous green space to relax and find solace.
After our self-guided tour of the campus, we went to Carter Mountain Orchard and County Store which was definitely my favorite part of our Virginia trip! We bought some luscious apples and crisp apple cider before exploring the apple orchard and the breathtaking view around it! The County Store was so much fun and had the perfect fall aesthetic. It took all of my willpower not to buy everything I saw!
After the winding drive down from the mountain we went to Iron Paffles and Coffee. We got Hot Fried Tofu Paffles–panini sandwiches with waffles instead of bread. They were wildly messy but absolutely worth it! And with that, we wrapped up our trip. After devouring the paffles we started the 3-hour drive to Durham, North Carolina. Subscribe to my newsletter to be notified when I post about our time in NC.
Wanna know what we listened to on the drive there? Check out this playlist!
Have you ever been to Charlottesville? What did you think of it? ♡ Feel free to ask me any questions you have in the comments below!
THESE WERE MY TRAVEL MUST HAVES FOR THIS TRIP. PLEASE CLICK THE IMAGES BELOW TO CHECK THEM OUT!
