Our destination was Charlottesville, a beautiful Virginian town where there's a nice hotel and also Vince and Christine, who independently decided to visit while Christine's Dad was staying. Tempting as it was to leave all the grandparents with all the grandkids, we decided instead to meet up for a family dinner. And where better to have pre-dinner drinks than a bar that offered 60 beers on tap that you poured yourself, unlocking the pumps with a swipe card and paying for it all at the end? As business ideas go the Draft Taproom is genius, and extremely dangerous. Even Mum overdid it on the grapefruit cider.
After hot-tubbing before bed and waffles for breakfast we visited the local Grand Caverns, "America's Oldest Show Cave", walking over a mile underground past precariously dripping rocks. It was a lot colder above ground than under, presaging the coming winter storm, and we did find one sleeping bat.
Then it was a drive along the crest of the mountains in Shenandoah National Park and back to DC, where at least they're not debating a reintroduction of slavery...but then it is early in this administration.
Going to a civil war battlefield with a 4-yr-old results in A LOT of questions.
Sheila and Mum try to remember 1861.
A slightly more modern classic, where we had lunch.
Pour-your-own. Never a good idea.
Cheers!
Kids' table.
Mum dives in.
Off to the caverns.
Underground.
The lone stalagmite is 8 1/2 feet tall and known as George Washington, though surely a relative of the witch of Wookey Hole.
From the caves to the mountains; on Skyline Drive, on the way home.
