Perfect Beginning to a Perfect Winter Weekend

admin — Fri, 11 Jan 2013 14:20:01 +0000

You need a winter recharge … you can leave work a little early on Friday … and you want to make Friday night a truly relaxing beginning to a truly relaxing weekend. Plan to check-in to Cedar Spring Inn between 4:00pm and 5:00pm. Then head to Early Mountain Vineyard, an easy 18 miles north of the Inn, right off Route 29. Every winter Friday night from 6:00pm until 8:00pm Early Mountain hosts a local band in their gorgeous and comfortable tasting room. Choose a cozy couch or relax at a table, then order from their menu of sandwiches and platters and choose a wine or hard cider tasting flight from their menu of options. Enjoy the music and the ambience. Such a perfect spot to begin the perfect weekend!

Cedar Spring Inn & Spa is made for relaxation. Our near-Charlottesville location provides access to wineries, history, arts, theater. Our spa amenities and quiet location with peaceful mountain views accommodate a break from everyday stress. We hope to see you soon!

What you can do 15 to 25 miles from Cedar Spring Inn

admin — Mon, 14 May 2012 15:15:50 +0000

Yes, there’s lots to do within 15 miles of Cedar Spring Inn. But add another 10 miles to your exploration options and look what’s possible:

Visit the homes of three early U.S. Presidents: Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson; Ash Lawn-Highland, the home of James Monroe; and Montpelier, the home of James Madison.

Enter Skyline Drive to enjoy the view from the top of the Blue Ridge Mountains. You can see the Shenandoah region to the west and the Piedmont to the East.

Hike in the Shenandoah National Park.

Go horseback riding at Oakland Heights Farm.

Visit 8 additional wineries (that’s a total of 15 wineries within 25 miles, see previous post dated May 1).

Visit 2 cideries (Albemarle Ciderworks and Castle Hill Cider).

Visit 2 breweries (South Street Brewery and Star Hill Brewing Company.

All this and we haven’t touched upon the crafts, arts, theater and MUSIC … but that’s another 15 mile blog for another day!

What you can do within 15 miles of Cedar Spring Inn

admin — Tue, 01 May 2012 18:42:29 +0000

There’s no shortage of activities within 15 miles of Cedar Spring Inn. Here are just a few:

Go antiquing in Ruckersville’s 3 antique malls and one antique dealer, just 6 miles away.

Mountain bike on over 8 miles of trails at the new Preddy Creek Trail Park, just 5 miles away.

Play golf at four different golf courses, or hit some practice balls, or play miniature golf.

Fish from a canoe at Chris Greene Lake, just 7 miles away.

Visit 7 wineries.

Take a free tour of Thomas Jefferson’s Academical Village at the University of Virginia.

Eat and shop on the historic Charlottesville Downtown Walking Mall.

Ride in a hot air balloon.

Swim in our pool, enjoy the hot tub, steam room and sauna. Hike the three miles of trails on the property.

What’s New on the Monticello Wine Trail

admin — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 18:51:38 +0000

This is the time of year we work on updating information on the Cedar Spring Inn website. Researching our Activities section is always most interesting; we see so clearly what has changed in the Charlottesville area. Amazingly in the last year there have been five new wineries added to the Monticello Wine Trail, and two existing wineries now have significant new ownership. Here are the changes:

Early Mountain Vineyards (previously Sweely Estate Winery); www.earlymountain.com 18 miles from Cedar Spring Inn

Grace Estate Winery, Crozet; www.graceestatewinery.com

Kilaurwen Winery LLC, Stanardsville; www.KilaurwenWinery.com 14 miles from Cedar Spring Inn

Pippin Hill Farm & Vineyard, North Garden; www.pippinhillfarm.com 25 miles from Cedar Spring Inn

Reynard Florence Vineyard, Barboursville; www.raynardflorence.com 8 miles from Cedar Spring Inn

Stinson Vineyards, Crozet; www.stinsonvineyards.com 17 miles from Cedar Spring Inn

Trump Winery (previously Kluge Winery); www.trumpwinery.com 25 miles from Cedar Spring Inn

You will find more about each of these wineries at www.monticellowinetrail.org.

Montpelier During the Civil War

admin — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 14:24:07 +0000

On April 21st you have the unique opportunity to watch reenactors rebuild the huts occupied by Confederate General Samuel McGowan’s South Carolinians during the winter of 1863-1864. The original encampment, and the reenactment, will be held at Montpelier, the home of James Madison, just 25 minutes from Cedar Spring Inn. If you are interested please visit www.montpelier.org to find out more.

While visiting the web site, be sure to check out the many new Special Interest Tours Montpelier is introducing this spring. Here are some tour titles just to whet your interest:

“The Constitution Tour”

“The Montpelier Enslaved Community”

“Montpelier Garden and Grounds”

“The Journey From Slavery to Freedom”

“Meet the Madison’s: In-depth Mansion Tour

“In the Ground and in the Lab: Special Tour with Archaeologists

“Let it be Red: Behind -the-Scenes with the Curators”

Enjoy the Shenandoah National Park from Cedar Spring Inn

admin — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 15:17:59 +0000

This is the perfect time to enjoy the beauty of the Shenandoah National Park. The trees are just beginning to bud … in our own woods the flowering redbuds and dogwoods dot the hillsides; that means they will be dotting the mountains in the next few weeks. From Cedar Spring Inn you can enter Skyline Drive and thus the Shenandoah National Park in just a 20 minute drive.

From Cedar Spring Inn you will enter Skyline Drive at Rt. 33, which is Milepost 65.5 miles, Swift Run Gap. Nearby at milepost 62.8 is the hike to South River Falls. Reaching the falls is a hike of 2.6 miles roundtrip, with a climb of 850 feet.

If you would like to review all the hiking options in the Shenandoah National Park go to http://www.nps.gov/shen/planourvisit/hiking.htm. Click on the printable maps button and review the hikes in the Central or Southern Districts, both easily accessed from the Swift Run Gap entrance. If you would like to see the waterfalls in the Park visit www.nps.gov/shen/planourvisit/waterfalls.htm.

Spring in the mountains can be even more beautiful than fall. Without the full leaf cover the views are really different; the wonder of the natural topography is so much more apparent. The color is special as well, with the budding trees

Bike, Hike, Canoe … and Wine. Within 15 minutes of Cedar Spring Inn

admin — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 12:42:25 +0000

Sometimes we forget the natural beauty that is closest to home. Of course, we have 2 miles of hiking trails on our own property, a spring-fed stream and the beauty of the mountains in the distance. But just 7 miles from here is Chris Greene Lake, a beautiful county park of 239 acres including 53 water acres and 2 beach acres. The park is spectacular this spring for hiking or biking the 3 miles of trails or fishing off the fishing pier or from a canoe. Canoe rental is $5.00/hour; fishing does require a Virginia State Fishing License. From Memorial Day to Labor Day you can swim from 11:00am until 7:00pm in the lake (if you prefer that to our pool).

Another nearby option is the newly opened Preddy Creek Park just 4.5 miles from Cedar Spring Inn. This Albemarle County park was opened last year and encompasses 571 acres with 8.6 miles of trails for hiking, running, mountain biking or horseback riding.

Not far from Preddy Creek are two vineyards, one of the oldest in Virginia (Burnley, family owned and operated since 1977, just 3.8 miles from Preddy Creek) and one of the newest (Reynard Florence, family owned and operated since 2011, 4.9 miles from Preddy Creek).

To check out the parks go to www.albemarle.org; under Departments and Services click on Parks and Recreation. To find out more about the wineries go to www.burnleywines.com or www.reynardflorence.com, or check out all local wineries at www.monticellowinetrail.org.

‘Tis the Season … for Hiking in Virginia

admin — Wed, 21 Mar 2012 08:13:23 +0000

This gorgeous spring weather (in March, no less) makes for perfect hiking in the Central Virginia Mountains of the Shenandoah National Park. With daytime temps in the 70’s the trees are budding quickly, but there is still time to schedule your perfect hike before the tree cover obstructs a perfect view of the topography. Cedar Spring Inn & Spa is located an easy 20 minute drive from the Rt. 33 entrance to Skyline Drive. From this entrance you can quickly access any number of hikes for all types of hikers. But if you want to do your homework before you leave, try these websites: www.hikingupward.com, www.slackpacker.com, www.wildernet.com, www.trails.com.

Our guests have two favorite hikes, Old Rag and Humpback Rock. You’ll easily find out more about these and other hikes on the websites above.

Our pool opens April 1st, and if this weather continues the pool water will be up to 84 degrees F. shortly thereafter. Of course, the hot tub, steam room and sauna are available year round to soothe aching muscles. This may be the best April we’ve seen for hiking the Shenandoah! Plan your getaway now!

Historic Garden Week in Virginia April 21-28

admin — Sun, 18 Mar 2012 20:20:48 +0000

Thinking of upgrading your landscaping? If you need some inspiration, (or if you just love beautiful gardens) definitely plan on attending the Virginia Garden Week tours in Central Virginia. With the beautiful weather the gardens should be perfect … and our pool will be open and heated!

Here’s a quick recap of the events near Cedar Spring Inn, in Charlottesville, Albemarle County and in Orange, Virginia:

Saturday, April 21 - Morven House & Gardens as well as some special events at Monticello.

Sunday, April 22 - Three estates in Keswick (Oak Hill Farm, Round Hill Farm and East Belmont Farm) along with Keswick Hall, Keswick Hunt Club and Grace Episcopal Church.

Monday, April 23 - All of the Sunday locations, plus additional special events at Monticello.

Tuesday, April 24 - Special events at Monticello plus the UVA Pavilion Gardens.

Saturday, April 28 - Mr. Madison’s Neighborhood, including Somerset Plantation, Woodley, Mayhurst Inn and Montpelier.

To review the very comprehensive full color guide, go to www.vagardenweek.org. There you will get comprehensive information about each location as well as ticket and lunc information.

March Music in Charlottesville (and Surrounds)

admin — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 18:40:41 +0000

Here’s just a sampling of the music you can enjoy this month when you visit Charlottesville:

At the Jefferson www.jeffersontheater.com: March 17 The Legwarmers (80’s Tribute); March 21 An Evening with Rufus Wainwright; March 22 Luke Wilson & Carl Anderson; March 28 Archnemesis; March 29 Toubab Krewe; March 30 Hitkicker’s Hoedown Dance Party; March 31 Gramatik/Break Science with Paul Basic.

At The Southern www.thesoutherncville.com: March 17 Rock River Gypsies, Gallatin Canyon; March 18 The Wood Brothers, Whitehorse; March 19 Bowerbirds, Dry the River; March 21 Camp Christopher, Penny Pistol, The Due Diligence; March 25 The 9 Songwriters Series; March 27 Ryan Montbleau Band, Pearl and the Beard; March 29 Hoots & Hellmouth, Frontier Ruckus. (For additional performances see the website.)

And in a more classic direction, there will be a concert at Montpelier on March 25 featuring premier Metropolitan Opera Singer Ron Hedlund and Emmy, Tony and Grammy winning musician Barbara Hedlund. The concert begins at 3:00pm in the Grand Salon; tickets are $25. For information visit www.montpelier.org.