Day 2: Afton Ridge, Veritas, and the Blackfriars

We got a little bit of a late start yesterday as Karen was having a bit of asthma trouble. We found a walk-in medical practice in Staunton and got her a new inhaler and then we were on our way.


Our original plan to go to three wineries cut down to two, we first visited Afton Mountain Vineyards. Once again, we were the only people there for the tasting. Afton Mountain, as Brian informed us, is 15 years old, making it a very old winery by Virginia standards, but we had never been there before. Once more, the views were fantastic.




Next we went back to an old favorite, Veritas Vineyard and Winery. Mark and Julie Holm brought us to Veritas a few years ago, back when they were just getting started. Much of the complex was still under construction when last we were there, and they held the tastings at a little bar on the deck. That has always been one of my favorite winery experiences, chilling on the porch with my family and some truly excellent wines, enjoying the scenery and the friendly environment of a winery just starting out.


Well, they're not starting out any more.





In addition to having built an absolutely gorgeous facility, Veritas is producing some of the best wines in Virginia, and joins Horton and Tarara in the list of our favorite vineyards.


After going back to our suite for a bite to eat, we drove back down to Staunton to see The Winter's Tale at the Blackfriars. I'll tell you, it's a very rare thing at this point in my career to be able to see a play by Shakespeare that I haven't read, seen, or worked on. This show was simply amazing, and had director Kate Powers' fingerprints all over it, from the musical choices to the unbearable honesty of the most implausibly dramatic moments. If you have a chance to see this show, go do it.


It's cooled off a lot today, so we're putting on some jeans and heading for the Appalachian Trail. Kind of winging it today.

Today's plans:

Day 1: Luray Caverns and Cave Ridge Vineyards

We left Richmond at 10 this morning, and drove to Luray Caverns to start our trip. I hadn't been there since the early '80s, and Karen had never been in a cavern at all. I was, frankly, a little worried that she would be a bit claustrophobic in the caves, so I gave her a small flashlight to have in her purse.


Luray Caverns is one of the most awesome places I have ever seen in my life. What's really cool is when you feel a drip of water on your head or shoulder as you walk through the caverns, reminding you that everything in there is still under construction.


I took a lot of video inside, but only a few photos. Here are a couple of my favorites.




They had Dippin' Dots, which felt and tasted great in the 97 degree heat. Then we drove north to a small winery called Cave Ridge Vineyards. They got our visit because it was 4:15 when we left Luray and they were the closest place that was open until 5:30. We were the only two people there, so we got a lot of face-to-face time with Karen and Randy, the owners. It turns out that Cave Ridge has only been open for less than a year. They have six wines to offer, of which we bought three. The whites were exceptionally good, especially the Traminette. Somehow we managed to avoid snapping a picture of their lovely building, but this is the view from their deck.


On the way to our hotel in Harrisonburg, we saw a trio of pheasants by the roadside.


Now Karen is enjoying the season finale of So You Think You Can Dance. More tomorrow.