Ah, Virginia. I have to admit that I was not initially impressed. I liked your proximity to DC, and you were just 4.5 hours to NYC. That was a plus, for sure. But, I guess I was so in love with our last duty station, in South Carolina, that I didn’t want to give you much of a chance at first. But then I ventured past the 610 (the highway that runs through Stafford that is very frequently congested and leads to Target, Starbucks, several chain restaurants, and all the subdivisions). Once I got out away from that suburbia neck of the woods and discovered the farms, the beautiful parks, and the countryside, I realized I had found a sort of American Paradise. Everything looked like a picture – beautiful colors, peaceful scenes, the sort of out-of-the-way country that makes me think of the Florida-Georgia Line song “Dirt.”
“Makes you wanna build a 10 percent down, white picket fence house on this dirt.”
Yes, that sums it up nicely.
The funny thing about it is that trips to DC and the NYC visits were nice, very memorable, but not what I will remember most about VA. It’s the quaint towns like Warrenton, Manassas, and Fredericksburg. The Old Town sections. The Farmers Markets. The white farm houses out in the middle of nowhere. The rolling hills. The leaves in fall. The Shenandoah Valley. The breathtaking vistas. That’s the stuff. That’s what I’ll see in my mind’s eye when I recall Virginia.
My kids started school here. I sent them off to Kindergarten just three blocks from our house – our house with a basement and playroom that put other playrooms to shame – and we walked to the library, park, pool right down the road from our home. We made awesome friends. We had sweet neighbors. These are the things we will remember about VA! It’s been a beautiful two years.
And now that we are set to leave in just 24 days, I want to revisit a few of our faves.
First up:
There is a gorgeous winery here. I have fantasies about owning a winery, growing grapes, stomping them, bottling the nectar of the gods. It would be so perfect: beautiful hills filled with vine after vine, picturesque sunsets, wine on the porch every evening. The girls would run through the acres of land, and Ray would do the farming (of course), while I hosted people for tastings. I’d explain that “this wine has a hint of honeysuckle, with a tiny bit of blackberry. It pairs nicely with lemon chicken…” Or whatever the case might be. I’d have to learn more about wine and develop my very basic palate. Anyway, that’s what I like to picture when I go there, but I do know that it’s really a lot of work. I prefer not to think about that, though.
This place is called Potomac Point Winery. I have been there just a couple of times over the past two of years – for a fun birthday brunch and painting with wine event, for a tasting, and then again the other night for a nighttime viewing of Casablanca.
Casablanca was meant to be viewed this way. What a backdrop! Ray and I brought a picnic basket filled with cheese, grapes, and crackers. We grabbed a bottle of wine from the winery. We set up some beach chairs and settled in for “Sipping Under the Stars” movie night. It was fantastic! We have been to numerous wineries over the years, mostly in California, and this one is one that I will always remember as one of the best. They have such fun events, beautiful surroundings, and tasty wine. If in Northern VA, check them out!
4ina5 