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I first moved to the area right after I graduated from college. I went to school close to where I grew up, so I wanted to experience something new and different. I wasn’t one to move to the big city. I feel most comfortable where you can buy a big piece of land and your neighbors are a short drive away.
I moved to Afton, Virginia to be near some extended family. I had visited several times and the breathtaking views and up-and-coming brewery scene was exactly what someone young and adventurous was looking for. Plus, the short drive to Charlottesville and Waynesboro filled my need for live music, shopping, and awesome restaurants.
When I met my now fiancee a few short months after moving to the area, I was introduced to some more of the local spots. He grew up in the area and brought me to UVA football games, hiking to Crabtree Falls, and wine tasting at several local wineries. Despite the rural landscape, I couldn’t believe how much there is to do!
When marriage started becoming a possibility for the two of us, I remember thinking “our wedding photos are going to so gorgeous with these views”. And thinking even further into the future, “this town is made for young families!”
We moved around the country a bunch– first for a job opportunity for him, then for graduate school for me– but something about Central Virginia kept tugging us back. Eventually last fall, we settled down in Charlottesville. We make regular drives out to Nelson County to visit the new restaurants, breweries, cideries, and wineries that have popped up in the years since we left. It’s incredible to me how much the area has grown. There’s truly something for everyone!
Whether you’re traveling to the area to sip on Virginia wine, go skiing at Wintergreen, hike the Blue Ridge Trail, attend a wedding, visit UVA, or just to get away for the weekend, there really is no better place to stay than Nelson County.
-Erica Rath