To Do In April: Organic Tulip Festival

When I lived in Virginia, this was my favorite thing about spring. Pick-your-own tulips for a dollar a stem! This is the perfect daytrip from Washington, D.C., Richmond, or anywhere else close to Charlottesville. 

You can get directions to the farm and all other details here. 

50,000 organic tulips have been planted on the farm this year! The field is open for picking from  March 30-April 14, but you won't want to miss the Tulip Festival on March 30 and April 6&7. There will be local wine and food, gardening talks, hayrides, and local artisans. 

Your tulips will need some water on the ride home. 

Looking for other things to do to make a day or weekend trip out of it? I love Charlottesville! Here are a few of my favorite things:

Explore the pedestrian mall downtown. It's nice to stroll around the cobblestone streets browsing local shops. You won't want to miss Oh Suzannah's or Rock Paper Scissors. Eat lunch at Revolutionary Soup. The Sengalese peanut tofu soup is to. die. for.

The grounds of the University of Virginia are glorious in Spring, when the iconic Lawn is resplendently green. If you enjoy history (or architecture) you will want to visit Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.

There are lots of wineries around Charlottesville. One of my favorites is Veritas, which boasts spectacular views from its tasting room. Charlottesville is situated in the middle of wine and horse country, and you will enjoy driving past the beautiful farms and vineyards.

For a nice dinner in town, I recommend either The Local or Mas Tapas. The Local accepts reservations, and it really showcases the local food movement that is so prominent in Charlottesville. Mas Tapas does not, so it's best when you don't mind waiting. We usually go to Mas Tapas with the idea that this is our plan for the night, so we don't feel impatient or rushed. However, it's still my favorite restaurant (after living in D.C. and Nashville), so it might be worth the wait. Especially if you're spending the night in Charlottesville.