Wintergreen, VA and Nellysford, VA

There is a particular feeling, one of riding free on mountain roads, that I love feeling when we take a drive along the Blue Ridge Parkway or any of the mountains along the Appalachian Trail. It feels like being home, because some of my people come from these mountains.

This summer, we enjoyed a nice weekend at Five Peaks, a rental in Wintergreen Resort. It’s three and a half hours away from the Triangle, NC, along the Blue Ridge Parkway and about 40 minutes from Charlottesville, VA. The drive up from Raleigh is a relaxing drive on smaller roads, but it’s smooth sailing, without too many stoplights.

The “cabin” was lovely, we enjoyed hiking, golf, tennis, and visiting local breweries. Also cooking in the kitchen with herbs and berries from the garden.

One of the breweries we visited was Devil’s Backbone Brewery, which sits at the bottom of the ski side of the resort. We loved the beers here, and the food was good too. It gets pretty crowded there, it’s a real hotspot for bikers coming off the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We found a really kid-friendly brewery in Wild Wolf Brewery and ended up going there twice. We enjoyed both lunch and brunch, but I can say I was delighted to see smoked corned beef hash on the brunch menu. The barbecue items have sweeter sauces than I prefer, now that I’m used to Eastern Carolina style BBQ.

We also took a day trip to Charlottesville, seeing some of the University of Virginia via the free trolley, and spending time wandering the downtown pedestrian mall, crepes in hand.

I imagine fall would be a beautiful time to visit Wintergreen Resort. Do plan on having to drive most everywhere around the resort as it’s quite large and your rental will most likely be more than walking distance from everything. But get ready to relax and leave distractions behind.

Devils Backbone

Wild Wolf Brewery