It seems a little unlikely that anyone will need this blog post since we only picked Winchester to stay in for the proximity to the venue of the wedding we were attending. That said if you happen to find yourself here, it’s a cute little town with a surprising amount to offer. It’s pretty typical of towns this size and location to have a big focus on the civil war and this place does not disappoint in that way.

I learned there is wine country from our Airbnb recommended activities page. It’s really not fair to compare since I went to Napa so recently but I tried to keep an open mind. First up we headed to Bluemont Vineyard, about 30 minutes out from Winchester. They’ve got a huge patio and covered seating that overlooks a really lovely valley. The flights came with six wines, three white and three red.

I’m on a roll with the national parks this year! I knew I wanted to hike on this trip, and I even originally wanted to come to Shenandoah three times. That’s because the list of hikes is insanely long. Skyline Drive is a scenic route that goes through the entire park from north to south and is 105 miles long. Technically from Winchester it’s only about 35 minutes to the northern tip of Shenandoah but the mountain roads are very curvy and it takes time to get through the park.

During the week we were working remotely so we didn’t have as much time to do things. We did go out a few times to meet back up with my cousin and my friend so I’ll basically be covering some more restaurants and bars in this post. Monday we worked and then went out to dinner in Falls Church. We headed to a spot called Dogwood Tavern.. I got the cheesesteak sandwich and fried macaroni balls.

I’m posting this about a week late so I will be summarizing my trip to DC pretty heavily. I was staying in Arlington – about 20-25 minutes outside the city – and spent a weekend and one or two weekdays in the city. Saturday was the main show of meeting up with some college friends. We started in Georgetown which is known for its architecture and bougie restaurants. Here is what came recommended in Georgetown: