Rediscovering America_ Exploring the Small Towns of Virginia & Maryland - Bill Burnham [52]
Wineries near Fredericksburg include Hartwood Winery, offering free tours and tastings Wednesday-Sunday (345 Hartwood Road, tel. 540-752-4893); Spotted Tavern Winery & Cider Mill, open for free tours and tastings weekends, April-December (Route 612, Hartwood, tel. 540-752-4453); and Lake Anna Winery and Oak Hill Vineyard, open for tours and tastings Wednesday-Sunday. (5621 Courthouse Road-Route 208, Spotsylvania, tel. 540-895-5085, www.lawinery.com)
Dining
For a comprehensive listing, pick up the Fredericksburg Dining Guide in the Caroline Street Visitor Center, which has a menu carousel. Here are a few samplings:
Apparently, there are only a handful of places that serve breakfast in Old Town. Two are Beans in the Burg coffee shop, which opens at 8 am weekdays and 9 am weekends (813 Caroline Street, tel. 540-654-5555), and Old Town Grill & Café, which opens at 7 am and starts serving lunch at 11 am (722 Caroline Street, tel. 540-899-9199).
Dining in historic settings abounds, with The Smythe’s Cottage’s Colonial fare (303 Fauquier Street, tel. 540-373-1645), Sammy T’s, serving light, fresh and vegetarian/vegan fare in an 1805 building (801 Caroline Street, tel. 540-371-2008, www.sammyts.com), and Bistro 309, located in an 1833 storefront with a bar made of 300-year-old heartpine and revolving exhibits by local artists (309 William Street, tel. 540-371-9999).
623, American Bistro and Tappas Bar serves Spanish appetizers and contemporary American fare in a National Historic Landmark. (623 Caroline Street, tel. 540-361-2640)
Ethnic fare is well represented in Fredericksburg. There’s Bangkok Café’s Thai cuisine (825 Caroline Street, tel. 540-373-0745), Andrew’s Mediterranean Bounty (600 William Street, tel. 540-370-0909), Aztlan’s authentic Mexican cantino (3105 Spotsylvania Mall Drive, tel. 540-548-4860), Renato’s Italian food (422 William Street, tel. 540-371-8228), La Petite Auberge’s French cuisine (311 William Street, tel. 540-371-2727), and several Japanese restaurants serving sushi.
Two places you can get homemade ice cream are: Lee’s Homemade Ice Cream, (821 Caroline Street, tel. 540-370-4390) and Cards and Cones (201 William Street, tel. 540-373-2422).
Lodging
To get the historical experience of staying right in Old Town in an historic lodging, there’s The Richard Johnston Inn, constructed in the 1700s by one of the original signers of the Declaration of Independence (711 Caroline Street, tel. 877-557-0770, www.bbonline.com/va/richardjohnston, $$); The Fredericksburg Colonial Inn’s 30 antique-filled rooms (1707 Princess Anne Street, tel. 540-371-5666, www.fci1.com, $); the 1745 Charles Dick House B&B (1107 Princess Anne Street, tel. 540-372-6625, www.charlesdickhousebnb.com, $$$); and The Kenmore Inn’s bed & breakfast, fine dining and pub (1200 Princess Anne Street, tel. 540-371-7622, www.kenmoreinn.com, $$$).
Pet-friendly: Outside Old Town, the full gamut of chain hotels and motels are available, several of which take pets.
Information
Fredericksburg Visitor Center, 706 Caroline Street, tel. 540-373-1776, 800-678-4748, www.fredericksburgvirginia.net.
Events
The mid-March Fredericksburg Fine Arts Exhibit draws artists from throughout the state for a weeklong exhibit and sale. The show has been running for more than 50 years.
The Annual Fredericksburg Area Wine Festival is held in early October. (tel. 540-371-6522, www.bgcc.com/fbrgwinefest)
TIP: Pick up a free copy of The Virginia Heritage Times magazine in the visitor center. The monthly glossy is packed with articles on Virginia history.
Charlottesville
Around Town
By returning time and again to a favorite place, one risks losing touch with the very reason you love it. This is the