History, Hiking & Heritage in Charlottesville Va with Retro Hospitality
Retro Hospitality & Quirk Hotel sent the fam to tour Charlottesville, Va & beyond to kick off their “History, Hiking & Heritage” campaign and BRUH, what a trip!!!🙌🏾 With bags and snacks prepared, Heidi Joy did her thing with getting “Vanessa” [our trusty 2003 Honda Odyssey] packed, then per the usual, we hit the backroads to start our adventure as I yelled,
“To Charlottesville Or Burst!” I got this saying from the 90’s Tiny Tunes Adventures “How I Spent My Summer Vacation” movie. I say this before every trip…I’m not sure why.
After a casual scenic drive along 208 we found ourselves entering Madison Co, where we came up on an Ice Cream shop/Restaurant combo called The Freeze. Heidi Joys says “Kain Na” [meaning “time to eat] in tagalog. To which the boys unanimously replied, “ICE CREAM FOR LUNCH?!”
Even though they attempted to just order ice cream they “settled” on classic corn dogs, fries & a shared a cookies n’ cream milkshake. While Heidi Joy crushed their go to burger & fries.
With full bellies we made light work of the remaining 40 min drive bringing us to our first destination, Quirk Hotel Charlottesville, an art forward boutique hotel that boasts all things downtown energy, creative character and charm. Shouts to the bellhop and valet, Kenny for the warmest welcome and smile. It was also really dope to see artwork by the talented Nastassja Swift displayed in the lobby.
After getting checked in we made our way to the room to peep the our accommodations for the next few days. The boys quickly made themselves at home admiring our view, working the automatic window shades and finding The Cartoon Network. We decided to kick it in the room for a bit as we got ourselves a bit more settled in. shortly after we took a quick tour of the hotel before we shooting over to the Dairy Market for a reservation at South & Central, a Latin American grill & steakhouse bursting at the seams with wood fire flavor.
To eat, the seared jumbo scallops on crispy tostones to start, Lennon felt adventurous and even decided to try it out! Followed by a delicious pan fried octopus and a whole pan fried fish stuffed with lemon & thyme finished in a cream sauce w/capers :chefs kiss:.
Every time we go to a restaurant I hope that Leo will try something other than pizza or mac n cheese, but alas this was not the case. Either way, I am always grateful when they have kids menus to choose from. As to be expected he ordered the perfect personal pizza and yet another corndog for Lennon beautifully presented on his own small wooden cutting board 😂, it was great! Everything was delicious, the vibe was right, Leo and Heidi Joy even got up to dance at one point, a very solid dinner experience indeed.
That next morning, our first morning in CVille, the boys woke up & proceeded to dog pile & tickle me as I tried to get a few more minutes of sleep. Meanwhile Heidi Joy got to break out for some “me time” & soak in some of the artwork, the comfortable lounge areas & even found the rooftop.
To be real, Im glad she takes the breaks, she deserves it. I know being a bonus mom comes with its fair share of frustrations and being totally honest if it weren’t for Heidi Joy’s snack mastership and making sure we pack them with additional comforts of home like their favorite cereals and treats these trips would be MUCH different 😅
Heidi Joy came back as they were finishing their cereal, we got cleaned up and headed to the Quirk Hotel Cafe, an equally as cute and artfully decorated space located right next door so the adults could get in on some morning vittles. We did a quick dive on the menu at the counter and the “Quirk Breakfast Sandwich” immediately caught my attention. Perfect fluffy scrambled eggs, cheese, mixed greens on thick cut sourdough toast … you already know I added bacon and to drink I paired my meal with an equally delicious vegan matcha latte.
If you like avocado toast, you’ll definitely want to order theirs. To our surprise it’s not your average avo toast. It’s on the same thick cut sourdough topped with a healthy helping of smashed avocado laid upon a bed of mixed greens and sliced cherry tomatoes 🤤, Heidi Joy paired her meal with a cortado.
With breakfast done we decided to wander the area a bit checking out some of the store fronts. We passed multiple specialty boutiques and about a half dozen restaurants all in less than a 1/4 mile stretch. Then, Shenanigans! Your favorite toys store’s favorite toy store!! I'm talking wall to wall REAL toys. STEM activities & projects, Puppets, dress-up items, Legos and all the wooden Brio trains Leo could ask for and more!
The whole time we were in the store I couldn’t help but feel like I had been there before. After chatting with an associate I was reassured that I wasn’t trippin. Turns out I had been, but it was to their previous location on a visit years back for a friend’s bachelor party trip. We spent a good hour + in there but not before leaving with a few tings. Lennon, a new harmonica, Leo a Lego race car, Heidi Joy was super tickled about these tiny dice she found and I left with a dragon finger puppet that now lives on my nightstand.
Up next, we made our way to UVA’s campus in search of the Memorial To Enslaved Laborers: a memorial that acknowledges and honors the 4,000-5,000 who built and maintained the University between 1817 & 1865. I highly recommend this memorial for anyone staying in or passing through the area. It’s an incredibly powerful reminder of our country’s history, but as I watched my babies play in and around the memorial I instantly felt an energy of reclamation.
It wasn’t long until I heard the famous words, “daddy I’m hungry” so, we piled into the van and made our way back to The Dairy Market for the food hall experience! Pasta, burgers, ice cream, sushi, you want it, they got it. After some careful deliberation the boys made some choices. Lennon, a massive meatball sub from Basta Pasta. The variety here is so nice that he and Heidi Joy even found a Filipino spot called Manila Street where they shared an order of lumpia and Carioca [coconut mochi fritters made with glutinous rice]. I wasn’t gonna let them have all the fun so when it came to my turn to peruse through the vendors I settled on some fire grilled chicken & pork arepas named “La Inka” & La Cerda” from Maizal Latin Street Food. Heidi Joy found some super crispy yet tender fried chicken karaage from Mashu Festival while Leo inhaled two slices of pizza the size of his head from Dino’s Wood Fired Pizza & Grill.
Hungry for more adventure we made our way to our next destination for a little history lesson, James Monroe’s Highland: a historic house museum at the home of James Monroe, fifth president of the United States of America.
The boys got to do a fun educational scavenger hunt taking them all across the ground’s learning about James Monroe, the history of the property and everything else in between. The highlight of the trip for them was definitely getting to interact with the farm animals there… Those guys love their livestock, it’s adorable.
These trips are such incredible experiences with my boys. It is such a gift to be able to share these moments with that I don’t take a single second for granted. This is especially true when during a lot of the trip we are just floating around. Like when we went to the downtown mall on a whim and not only did we find a classic record store, new vintage arcade but we came across both the historic Paramount & Jefferson Theaters. But, what really blew Leo’s mind was being in the right place at the right time to walk under a pedestrian walkway that just so happened to be right under a moving train! His eyes lit up, it’s little moments like that.
We had plans to hit a hike before the day was over but decided to save it when we collectively had more energy. Instead we decided to head to the rooftop for dinner and a sunset. Easily the best feature of the Quirk Hotel is their rooftop. The furniture just begs to be lounged on and the views are absolutely breathtaking. A perfect place to soak in such a day with a nice cocktail and an assortment of entrees like the Harissa Gyro and gluten free margarita pizza. All we needed were some music vibes.
The morning after, the boys had breakfast, we checked out, scooped our van from the valet and made our way to a spot we saw the day before while exploring. Guajiros Miami Eatery, a SUPER GEM in Charlottesville with Cuban, Central and South American fares inspired by the flavors and culture of Miami and South Florida.
To start, we shared a plate of beignets topped with a guava sauce and powdered sugar. Followed by a couple guava and cheese pastelitos 🤤and two cafecitos to wash it all down.
For my entree I ordered the “Hands-On” burrito loaded with scrambled eggs, sweet plantains, gallo pinto, pico and a cilantro aioli paired with a glass of their house limeade. For my Butterfly, a mixture of ham croquettes & maduros 🤤🤤.
Seriously this place is incredible, food was on point, vibes were on 100, servie was top notch and there is super dope art everywhere. We even got to chop it up with one of the co-owners, Harvey as we talked art, food & Miami. Hands down the best meal of the entire trip.
With full bellies again, we set out to continue our adventure… “Shenandoah National Park or Bust!” Which if you havent been before and you live in and around VA [or are passing through] needs to be a must on your list specifically for Skyline Drive. Skyline Drive runs 105 miles north and south along the crest of the Blue Ridge Mountains in Shenandoah National Park. With overlooks and trails around every turn we all were shouting a mixture of “whoa!” “Wow!” and “Yooo!” all the way up until we reached Big Meadows Lodge our lunch destination for the afternoon. Similar to the views from the road, the lodge boast and incredible view from the main “Spotwood” dining room with a huge deck and public viewfinders to soak it all in. Shouts to our server for sitting us right next to the window!!
One chicken pot pie, Shenandoah spinach & chicken salad, junior cheeseburger and order of Mac n cheese later lunch was in full effect.
*Just a heads up, when we went we had planned on gassing up at the station in the park but unfortunately it was under construction so we ended up having to leave the park entirely, traveling 18 miles toward Luray to find the nearest gas station. In other words, fill up before you enter the park.
We wrapped up, paid the bill and got back to climbing the mountain. At an elevation of 3,680 [Skyline Drives Highest elevation] we finally made it, Skykand Lodge where we would spend the remainder of our trip! Skyland is a beautiful lodge with accommodations that range from premium rooms to detached small cabins, preferred and traditional rooms & suites located in 28 separate buildings along the ridge and in the wooded areas on over 27 acres of Shenandoah National Park. Our room was perfect! A little dated with the wood paneled walls but it worked and played into the charm. Leo loved the “super comfy” beds while my favorite part was the balcony overlooking the very same mountain view’s we soaked in the entire way up!
At this point I had my heart set on a hike. While we had already been doing a lot of adventuring, I was ready to get at it. Using my AllTrails app I found there was a trailhead for Dark Hollows Falls, made a note and told the fam “Tomorrow, we hike!”
Before heading to dinner we stopped into the Byrd Visitor Center named after Harry Flood Byrd Sr., a prolific politician and newspaper publisher who opposed racial desegregation during his decades in public office, serving as Virginia's governor and a United States senator. Why there is a visitor center dedicated to him, I have no idea but we still walked through reading and learning about the park's history and again feeling a sense of reclamation as my babies got their Junior Ranger workbooks from one of the park rangers.
Making our way back to the lodge site we headed straight to dinner, at the “Pollock Dining Room” where the boys got to dive into their junior ranger workbooks as we dined on roasted chicken and venison ragu while recording a Timelapse of the sunset from our table. Oftentimes I feel like my life is a movie or even a fairytale. But then I blink and reopen my eyes and am reminded this is my real life.
We wrapped the evening watching the classic “Ace Ventura Pet Detective” on the rooms tv [with commercials and all] a movie and before we knew it, it was bedtime. But not before I had to go on a search and rescue mission to find Cotton Candy, Leo’s lovey and plush puppy companion.
That morning, I was again reminded how much I appreciate having a partner who constantly considers my boys in everything. Leo got to wake up and enjoy his favorite cereal, out of his new favorite bowl with a side of fruit while Lennon, Heidi Joy & I plotted on breakfast at the lodge dining room. We each went in on our fair shares of the mountain breakfast buffet, headed back to pack the room and finally set out to find Dark Hollows Falls.
This relatively moderate 1.4mile trail begins as paved, but quickly turns to a steep, rocky trail as you become enveloped by the shady forest. As you continue on you walk alongside water the entire way, making for plenty of opportunities to dip your toes in the water, or in our case, race leaves, bark and pick up trash unfortunately left behind by previous hikers. After about 30-40 mins you have reached your destination, the top of Dark Hollow Falls. While beautiful beyond a doubt, you’ll want to continue on. There is a sign that reads “Lower Falls 1000ft” … that is where you want to be!!
This is where it gets a bit more rough with larger stones and considerably steeper decline. But when you make it to the base you are met with an incredibly breathtaking waterfall display! Leo headed straight for the water, meanwhile Lennon played us a new song on his harmonica. Heidi Joy sat perched on a flat boulder taking in the sights and sounds while I got some light bouldering action in to refill our water bottles! After some trail snacks [packed by “Snax” herself] we made our way back. This is the part that will get you. As the hike in is pretty much a steady decline in, you take that same route out ,but only this time it’s back up on an incline.
Upon returning to the visitor center we all had a sense of accomplishment but what happened next solidified this trip as being one for the books. Not just one but BOTH the boys recited the Junior Rangers pledge with a real National Park Ranger and officially became Junior Park rangers themselves!
Seriously, I can’t make this stuff up… I mean maybe I could but again, this storybook life is my REAL life!
Thank you Retro and Quirk Hotel Charlottesville for such an amazing opportunity. Looking for the perfect family or couples getaway, look no further, it’s here!
And if you are hungry for more of our adventure, jump over to the Nomarama insta [ @Nomarama_] and find the “Retro Hospitality” Highlight!
Resources & References:
https://travel.usnews.com/Shenandoah_National_Park_VA/Things_To_Do/Harry_F_Byrd_Sr_Visitor_Center_65706/
https://www.goshenandoah.com/lodging/skyland?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw1YCkBhAOEiwA5aN4AcIWnWT48B0Pd0FUjt_1U3PdSS4GKGYX13X02fpbWB3RqSVl3VQPERoCgxYQAvD_BwE
https://www.goshenandoah.com/lodging/big-meadows-lodge?gad=1&gclid=CjwKCAjw1YCkBhAOEiwA5aN4AYTczj0sFWVh3YOWqjmNhBouDUsqNPdJ3JKV_lvbsZTKcW_ZvuF0ERoCfLQQAvD_BwE