This past week, my husband and I adventured up to the beautiful state of Virginia for a week of fun. I’ve always heard Charlottesville, VA is absolutely amazing, and was thrilled to get to visit, alongside the sweet city of Richmond, VA! We started by visiting our sweet friends from medical school in Richmond, saw the final day of the UCI Road World Championships bike race, captured a few photos of their family at their new home, and oohed & ahhed at all of the beautiful homes! The town is too cute, and even in the rain, we enjoyed delicious food, browsed cute shops & antique stores, and celebrated Erik’s 30th birthday! Plus, Sophie got to join us to visit her bestie, Apollo!

Then, we road tripped over to the stunning Charlottesville, VA. Wineries, apple picking at Carter Mountain Orchard, mountain views & amazing food fit right into our agenda. Granted, we did all of these things in the rain (and I even caught a bit of a flu bug! womp womp!) but truly, the week was amazing to just get away to the Boar’s Head Inn, enjoy time together and relax.

Plus, I got to visit some of the most beautiful wineries & wedding venues that I’ve seen on countless wedding & photographer’s blogs and always am amazed by. Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyards, King Family Vineyards & Veritas Vineyard & Winery each were absolutely amazing – and even in the rain boasted such beauty! What a dream it would be to shoot a wedding at one of these venues one day! I was grateful to get a few shots during breaks in the rain, or even actually IN the rain of the properties! And in continuing with my 5 takeaways from travel when we visited Austin, Texas, you’ll find my 5 from our trip to Virginia at the end!

Here are 5 takeaways in no particular order from our trip to Charlottesville & Richmond, Virginia:

1. Vacation is vacation, rain or shine. Just because the “stunning scenic views” may not have been exactly what we expected due to the crazy amounts of fog & rain, and because I was down for the count for a portion of the trip with a flu bug, what really was the best was just being together and soaking in every moment. One of my favorite memories from the trip was our hike up Humpback Rock in the rain only to discover nothing but fog off the cliff at the top. Instead of being bummed, we laughed, took a couple photos and Google searched what the view would normally be! It sure was beautiful! 😉 And truly, the fog was a magical anyway!
2. Picking apples when it’s just rained will certainly get you wet when climbing through the trees, but will create some amazing images of glistening apples. It’s a win in my book.
3. Chip and I share many things in common – and one of them certainly is a love of delicious and unique food, and a love of exploring new cities. We met in Spain, so naturally we were thrilled when we were told to visit Mas Tapas in Charlottesville. We dined at 9pm over authentic Spanish tapas and amazing sangria. Sometimes the most unexpected of experiences will remind you where your love began and take you back to 105 degree days in Sevilla sitting on a patio drinking Rioja while strumming on the Spanish guitar. Thank you, Mas.
4. I have an obsession with teal architecture! One of my favorite images from a trip to Charleston a couple years ago fits right alongside the images of this gorgeous home on Monument Avenue in Richmond. I hope one day to have a white brick home with a teal doors & shutters!
5. Visiting long-time friends who share a similar season of life to you at their new home in their new city is really special. Megan & Erik are dear couple friends of ours from medical school and are now in residency in Richmond. Although our cities and specialities and jobs look a bit different, there is something encouraging about being reminded we’re all in this together and there are people who will stick by your side through it all! Megan & Erik (and Apollo!), thank you for hosting us and being such sweet friends and introducing us to the deliciousness that is Stella’s. 

So there you have it, another trip down, so many more to come! We’re planning for our 2016 destinations and already dreaming of some possibilities!