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A Fork & the Road By Patrick Evans-Hylton
Looking for a weekend getaway to rejuvenate before the upcoming holidays, we journeyed north from Hampton Roads on Route 17, following the rivers and tributaries that flow into the Chesapeake Bay, and set our sights on Fairfax County. We like to travel to Northern Virginia this way much better than up Interstate 95, which can go from parking lot to speedway in a matter of minutes. It’s a slower pace on the scenic route, past Yorktown and through small waterfront villages, crossing over rivers like the York and Rappahannock, and driving past fields of grain and soybeans still in the field.
Although it is late fall and December is but a few days away, it’s a relatively warm afternoon, and we sit on the expansive lawn behind the mansion and watch the flowing Potomac River – the water’s bright blue hue matching the near cloudless sky. The grassy smell of boxwood fills the air, and a jet interrupts the moment of Zen as it zooms ahead on its way to National Airport. Fairfax County is quite the dichotomy— the bucolic scene at Mount Vernon, about 390 green spaces and two national parks in the region starkly contrast the hustle-bustle at such urban centers as Tysons Corner, Springfield, Chantilly, Reston and the like. It is the gateway to the nation’s capital to the east and expansive country and Shenandoah Valley to the west. Its unique location and mix of city and country make it a great place to visit for a long weekend, especially during the holidays. During our weekend, we hoped to get a number of things done: shop for the upcoming holiday season, maybe take in a show or performance (what was playing at the Kennedy Center, I wondered?), indulge in a little pampering, enjoy a good meal or two and visit some Virginia wineries. We found some great weekend rates at The Ritz-Carlton at Tysons Corner. The hotel is centrally located in Fairfax and is a springboard for the activities we were planning. It is also conveniently located adjacent to Tysons Galleria, where we hoped to do much of our shopping. It’s not an arrival at The Ritz, it’s an Arrival – note the capital “A.” Uniformed valets quickly open car doors and evacuate luggage, making the hand-off to equally dapper doormen. Footsteps echo against the marble floors and we wind our way to the reception desk. The friendly staff checks us in and we are whisked off to our room on one of the upper floors that affords a view of green space just across the street and the stately Washington Monument off in the distance. The room is well appointed and comfortable. We relax a bit before getting ready to explore the mall next door. We also make reservations for dinner at Dante Ristorante in nearby Great Falls.
We found a few things on our shopping list and enjoyed some day spa services before heading to some of the adjacent shopping centers around Tysons Galleria’s perimeter. Although other centers are close, it can be a bit cumbersome to navigate the mass of streets, so we opted for taxi service. We finished the evening with a wonderful meal at Dante, a northern Italian restaurant located in the historic Leigh House. The home, built in 1889, has a wonderful backdrop against its elegant porches and large windows. The next day we ventured out to two nearby wineries – Pearmund Cellars and Winery at LaGrange. Located on a farm dating to the 1740s, the dusty, windy road to the modern farmhouse-style tasting and barrel room is short but offers beautiful views of the surrounding countryside. Here at the 25-acre vineyard a number of grapes are grown, and owner Chris Pearmund offers them as single varietal and some blended into a Meritage-style offering. Our tasting included that Bordeauxstyle blend called Ameritage, as well as some of its components: Cab Franc, Petit Verdot and Merlot among them. We also tasted the Chardonnay and Viognier and wandered among the harvested vineyard with a full pour in hand of the Viognier. Just up the road is another winery that Pearmund is involved with, the Winery at LaGrange. In fact, Pearmund himself greeted us at the steps of the tasting room, housed in a beautifully restored 18th century manor house. We enjoyed tastings of some of the same varietals available at Pearmund, but in addtion we tried Snort, a portstyle dessert wine that is a blend of Touiga Nacional and Tannat; all the offerings were highly enjoyed. Out this way, too, it is easy to appreciate how much green space is still in suburban Washington; the word bucolic easily comes to mind. On our way back into town, we stopped at Vinifera Wine Bar & Bistro for a bite. Located in The Westin Reston Heights, this sleek and modern restaurant featured a great wine list and contemporary cuisine with a regional slant. Dinner in the evening was equally delicious at Lebanese Taverna, a Middle Eastern restaurant located in Tysons Galleria. The night ended with a cocktail on the club level at The Ritz-Carlton as the clear, late autumn night sky erupted into a show of thousands of stars. A surprise of large strawberries dipped in chocolate and stamped in edible gold with the Ritz-Carlton lion logo greeted us with room service in the morning. Our valet gathered our packages – holiday presents, little treats for ourselves and two boxes of wine – while we watched the sun ascend in the sky. The holidays would be upon us before we knew it, but recharged with good food, good wine and good pampering, the season felt a bit less daunting than just days before.
The holidays would be upon us before we knew it, but recharged with good food, good wine and good pampering, the season felt a bit less daunting than just days before.
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Where to go, what to know |
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WHAT TO DO George Washington’s Mount Vernon Tysons Galleria, On our next trip, we’ve like to visit: Lorton Workhouse Arts Center,
Smithsonian’s National Air and Space More information regarding attractions, WHERE TO STAY
We stayed at The Ritz-Carlton,
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A good number of lodging suggestions can There are also many wonderful WHERE TO IMBIBE Winery at LaGrange
Paradise Springs of Clifton Pearmund Cellars Piedmont Vineyards & Winery Swedenberg Estate Vineyard Visit our Grapevine section for winery contact information and a complete list of wineries across the state. |
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Around Fredericksburg, we pick up Route 1 and the pace speeds up a bit. Soon, we are on the doorstep of the nation’s capital, and we ease our way into our Fairfax trip by stopping at Mount Vernon, the home and gardens of George Washington.
Through the hotel lobby we make our way into the upscale three-level Tysons Galleria. The fact that it originally opened in 1988 belies the look of the mall today: sleek, urban, moneyed. Macy’s, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue anchor the facility and specialty high-end stores include Chanel, Versace, Burberry and Lacoste.
A surprise of large strawberries dipped in chocolate and stamped in edible gold with the Ritz-Carlton lion logo greeted us with room service in the morning. Our valet gathered our packages – holiday presents, little treats for ourselves and two boxes of wine – while we watched the sun ascend in the sky.
