Another hot one today with thunderstorms predicted for this afternoon so we opted to have a slow touristy day. We are in the heart of Virginia Wine Country after all!
We started the day with a coffee at Beans in the Belfry and a stop at the “most photographed train station in the country”. Decent coffee and great decor at Beans in the Belfry but we’re skeptical on that train station claim? It’s all boarded up and although it is on the National Register of Historic Places there wasn’t even a plaque in sight.
Next up was a short stop at a farm associated with Bluemont winery. The farm had a store and for an admission fee lots of activities for the kiddies. There was a big sign posted that per VA law the farm was not liable for any injuries associated with agritourism activities. So if little Johnny jumps off the hay ride it’s not their fault! Seems fair. We just bought some Gala apples and potatoes and avoided any unsafe activity.
We then drove way up to the not family friendly reserve tasting room at Bluemont. We had a very good food and wine pairing assortment as we watched a storm roll in bringing a brief downpour. There are few tourists here right now and Bluemont was no exception. We had a nice chat with our sommelier and with a table of local women who were clearly spending a good part of their day at the Bluemont. It’s amazing the New England ties that we’ve encountered in many people that we’ve met here; a woman from Methuen in Harpers Ferry, a Westford connection with the cashier at the drugstore, VT and Buffalo connections at Bluemont. That may well be the Southern inclination to strike up a conversation with strangers and chat for a while.
