My Hometown Bucket List

One of the hardest pieces of my RTW will be leaving behind a serious boyfriend and trying to make the long distance game work. But to help keep things light and make sure my getting ready to go is as enjoyable for him as it is for me, we finally sat down this weekend and distilled all our passing “We should do that sometime soon” comments from the past several months into a Charlottesville bucket list. It’s a mix of local must-dos, recently opened joints I have yet to hit, and a few special nights in. It’s going to be a busy five months!

Five Restaurants We Don’t Often Eat At:

• Maya
• Mas Tapas
• The Shebeen
• Michael’s Bistro
• The Melting Pot

Five Watering Holes for Drinks Both Alcoholic and Non:

• The Alley Light
• Mudhouse (for coffee before getting lost in Daedalus Books)
• The Livery Stable
• Twisted Branch Tea Bazaar
• Tavola Cicchetti

Five Wineries:

• Early Mountain Vineyards
• Cardinal Point Winery
• Flying Fox Vineyard
• Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyard
• Blenheim Vineyards

Five Other Foodie Moments:

• Cheese tasting at Timbercreek Market
• Make fresh pasta
• Have crepes at The Flat and browse the farmers market
• Plant Jo’s backyard garden
• Grab one last Bodo’s bagel

Five Day Trips:

• Richmond for Lake Street Dive concert
• Up 29 North to take my roommate to Bamboo House
• Staunton for a play at Blackfriars
• Scottsville for tubing on the James River
• Batesville for cherry picking and pizza at Dr. Ho’s

Five Trails for Hiking:

• Old Rag
• Crabtree Falls
• Blue Hole
• Saunders-Monticello
• Walnut Creek Park

Five Other Activities:

• Ice skating at the crumbling heap that is Main Street Arena
• Stargazing at McCormick Observatory‘s public night
• Picnic at Barboursville ruins
• Host a board game night at home
• Fridays After Five

Looking for more fun things to do in Charlottesville? Check out these eight local treasures too many visitors miss.