Great Escape: Virginia Horse Country

Have you ever needed to be a bit rebellious? Today felt like one of those days for me, so we hopped into the car headed toward Annapolis but ended up in Charlottesville instead.

I’d been to Monticello years before, but had forgotten what a gorgeous drive it is out there along Constitution Highway through Virginia’s horse country. The sun tried to peek out of the platinum clouds as we wound our way up and down the hilly countryside just east of the Blue Ridge Mountains. I snapped photos as we weaved around horse farms, parks and enormous trees.

We rolled down the windows and turned up the radio. With the wind in my wild hair, I felt free of me. It was a great escape.

If you take 95 toward Richmond, you might find yourself lagging behind the GPS time a bit. You can also try 66W to 29 and take the back roads through cute Culpeper. Monticello is open for various tours and you can also pick up souvenirs at the museum. They have a café on site, or there’s the Michie Tavern at the bottom of the mountain.

When you have some extra time and your hiking boots, you might want to check out the Shenandoah Park. The 95 route takes you through the Chancellorsville and Wilderness battlefields and the 66W route brings you home past the Bull Run (Manassas) Civil War site. Either way, some great outdoor excursions en route to the Little Mountain.