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| I finally cooked the right dinner to enjoy a fine bottle of Keswick (Virginia) red courtesy of Governor Terry McAuliffe. It was the perfect pairing for an excellent cut of beef tenderloin. |
On my recent vacation to Muskoka, Ontario, Canada, our lake region north of Toronto, I finally cooked the right meal to enjoy a bottle of red wine I was lucky to get from the Governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia, a gift to attendees to a Virginia special event. I was there as part of the tourism and travel group. I must admit that I had never put together the thought of red wine and the State of Virginia, but I have been quite impressed with the quality of their red wines. I may have jumped the gun, but I couldn’t resist. This Keswick Cabernet Franc 2014 (from Keswick Vineyard in Monticello) won the 2016 Virginia Governor’s Cup. According to the winery’s vintage charts I could have held the bottle longer, but not having a foolproof-temperature-controlled cellar, I thought it best to drink it. And it was delicious, like a good young Spanish wine from Rioja.
And that brings me to a visit to Virginia. I am hoping to drive down this coming Fall. But it will depend mostly on whether I can convince my wife to accompany. Like you, perhaps, I travel for 3 reasons: pleasure, family obligations, or business. In this case, it would be pleasure, so I rather not go by myself, like I did recently on my visit to Stockholm – although that was mostly business. This time it would be a short visit to see the Fall colours and visit 3 Virginia landmarks for the most part. Having not done it, I’ve researched a bit and this is what I would recommend for a quick 4 day getaway.
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| Mount Vernon, George Washington’s Estate and Gardens. Photo courtesy © Virginia Tourism Corporation |
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| Monticello, Virginia. Photo courtesy © Charlottesville, VA CVB |
Day 3. Early, but not too early (especially if we stay at the Jefferson Hotel), we would drive to Monticello to see the final destination of this getaway. Monticello is only 1 hour away from Richmond. From the images I’ve seen, Thomas Jefferson’s old home in the Fall is stunning as it is surrounded by countless trees. A 2-for-1 treat, the architecture and history of the place plus the beauty of the Virginia Autumn. This visit would also be my consolation prize for not going to see Hamilton in NYC November of last year, when I could have gotten a ticket! Late in the afternoon, perhaps around 3 or 4 or 5, we’d drive up to Alexandria for our final night in the Commonwealth. It should take about 2 hours or so to get there from Monticello. From my research, Alexandria seems like a cool city, so it’d be a nice last night in Virginia before heading back to Toronto.
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| Alexandria, Virginia in the summer. Photo courtesy R. Kennedy for the Alexandria Convention & Visitors Association |
Day 4. After a hearty and relaxed breakfast, we’ll drive back to Toronto, but as before, stopping somewhere to grab a snack and stretch our legs, planning to be back home by 7 or 8 at night.
It’s quite different to write a trip-planning blog post than it is to blog live from the destination or reviewing after the fact. If I do end up going to Virginia this Fall, watch for the post-trip review and photos.
Safe travels, happy travels!
 red courtesy of Governor Terry McAuliffe. It was the perfect pairing for an excellent cut of beef tenderloin.On my recent vacation to Muskoka, Ontario, Canada, our… "Pin It")
Source: canadianandworldtourism.com