My husband pulled off a super sweet surprise for me and arranged a weekend getaway to a nearby B&B as a late anniversary gift! We took the 'scenic route' & drove up the Colonial Parkway. The view was beautiful, as the trees are being painted in the glorious colors of fall. Its been a few years since I've experienced the rich reds, majestic oranges, & glorious golds of fall... so this was an extra special treat!
We stayed at the amazing
War Hill Inn, located in Williamsburg, Virginia.
It is a quiet, family owned business with exceptional hosts: Bill, Shirley, Will & Cherie. Each morning, we were served a fabulous home cooked breakfast as we dined with the other guests. Our hosts would also come out to chat with us & were incredibly knowledgeable about the history of their property. The naming of "War Hill" dates back to 1781, when a battle, involving Hessians, took place in the area.
One of our hosts, Will, also spent some time chatting with us and enjoyed hearing about our travels. He gave me 2 book recommendations, which I am really excited to look into!
The first he described as a love story set in the Ottoman Empire in Turkey.
The second, he said he had just started, but was set in 1800 Japan.
We enjoyed staying in The Jefferson Cottage.
There is one other cottage, The Washington Cottage, as well as rooms located in The Manor House.
Fun fact: both cottages and all rooms in the Manor House are named after Virginia-born Presidents.
One of my very favorite places to visit anytime we are in Colonial Williamsburg is The Cheese Shop located in Merchants Square. In addition to their large selection of cheeses, they also have a sandwich bar & a wine cellar. This is always on my 'must visit' list!
Our purchases at The Cheese Shop included:
Williamsburg Winery Plantation Blush 2013 - I enjoy sweet wines, but not overly sweet.. this was a perfect wine for me! I would definitely purchase again!
Smoked Gouda - a favorite of mine that I have enjoyed since I was a kid.
Euphoria, a goat cheese gouda - this was our 'try something new' purchase. I asked the girl behind the counter what her favorite cheese was. I would describe this as a creamy parmigiano reggiano. I was immediately in love!
Rosemary bread - fresh, scrumptious, fluffy.... this had to be the softest, most fragrant bread I have ever enjoyed! The loaves are cut right in front of you upon purchase... and then paired with cheese & wine??? *sigh* decadence.....
A visit to Colonial Williamsburg would not be complete without spending a day roaming around historical sites & joining The Revolution! It was a super windy & cold day, but extrememely enjoyable. My history loving husband enjoyed reading every sign & touring the sites, while I enjoyed playing with my camera & interacting with the actors.... a perfect day for us!
One of the prettiest trees... the colors blended so beautifully.. ohh how i love fall!!
To escape from the cold & wind for a bit, we stopped to have lunch at the King's Arms Tavern.
We shared The Cheese Monger's Plate - fresh fruit, cheddar, gouda, brie, pimento spread, tomato conserve & snippets
As well as the Mob-Jack Bay Crab Cake Sandwich with house made chips.
I had never had tomato conserve... but O M G!!! I will be looking up recipes for this.. absolutely amazing!! tomatos, citrus, cloves... sooo yumm!!!
In the afternoon, we spent some time watching a reenactment in the streets and interacting with the period actors. There were lots of laughs, huzzahs, & a few protests as the stories played out.
I love watching the canons being fired!
the smell... the smoke... the boom... LOVE IT!!
Celebrating 8 years of marriage to my best friend!
All in all, and amazing weekend!! We are looking forward to repeating this trip in a few years!
~Ashley~
