fhikes

I am lucky to live in Virginia, where I’m a short drive from the Blue Ridge Mountains and some of the best hiking in the country. This past Sunday, I was finally able to get back out to the mountains, which got me thinking about my favorite hikes in the area. After hiking for the past ten years in Virginia, if I had to pair down my favorite hikes to just five, these are the one’s that would top the list.

  1. Old Rag – My husband and I hiked this mountain on our first date, and he later proposed to me here. It’s a seven mile hike complete with a rock scramble and 360 degree views of the surrounding countryside.
  2. Cold Mountain – Can’t make it to Ireland? Go on this hike, which has a vast open meadow at the top. The parking area is also close to the meadow, so I suggest packing a nice picnic and enjoying it at the end of your hike.
  3. Bear Church Rock – The high canopy and stream that follow you on the first part of this hike remind me of a rainforest. If you go when the Rhododendron is blooming, it’s absolutely stunning.
  4. McAfee Knob – Make this a day trip and have lunch at The Homeplace afterwards. Don’t forget to hang your legs over the edge and get the iconic picture.
  5. White Oak Canyon – Great for dogs or when it’s hot and you want to take a dip in a nice mountain stream along the way.

What are your favorite hikes in Virginia?

A Pop of Primary

Shiraleah Clutch//Sachajuan Spray//Rebecca de Ravenel Earrings//Milly Dress//bkr Waterbottle//Sophia Webster Shoes//Katie Kime Elephant//Oliver Peoples Sunglasses

A Little Happy

IMG_0058 My first bouquet of the spring season.

This week contained both the first day of spring and my mother-in-law’s 60th Birthday, so there were plenty of reasons to celebrate. We spent the weekend in Richmond indulging on Birthday cake and eating all kinds of great food. We also made it to the new Wes Anderson movie, The Grand Budapest Hotel, which was worth seeing for the pastries alone. I love spring because I get to ring in another year (my birthday is in a couple of weeks) and it’s the start of patio season which means picnics, wine tasting, rooftops, and generally dining al fresco.

IMG_0132It’s officially Rosé season and this is a gorgeous bottle.

IMG_0187Nothing improves your spirits like an old school carousel. 

IMG_0233My mom always had a gift wrapping box, and this week I started my own complete with fancy tape.

IMG_0096The perfect bag for the farmer’s market from my new favorite sandwich shop.