One Day in Charlottesville, VA

One Day in Charlottesville, Va

How to spend one day exploring Charlottesville, Va in the spring.

I love exploring historical homes, the architecture, the way of living in past times always has fascinated me. So when my daughter was on spring break, my sister and I ventured south. We grabbed my daughter along the way and ventured down to the Charlottesville area to explore the area a bit and mostly to see Monticello.

We were in the area for two nights giving us one full day in Charlottesville.

One Important Thing To Note

We were there (early March) on my daughters spring break and UVA was just coming off of their spring break. A lot of restaurants and bakeries are closed on Monday’s and some were also closed on Tuesdays. This didn’t prevent us from having great meals but if you are considering trying to visit on a Monday be prepared for some restaurant closures. I am not sure if this changes later in the season but for March it was what we experienced.

The downtown mall area was very nice and we ate at two restaurants, but most of the shops were closed so the area was a bit deserted during the day and in the evening. There were just dog walkers and restaurant goers.

Where to Stay

There are abundant hotels in the area. We chose to stay at Courtyard Charlottesville which is a Marriott hotel. It is not in the center of town and therefore a bit less expensive than staying right by the UVA campus. The furthest destination we traveled from the hotel was 20 minutes. Other hotel chains are also in the area as well as shopping with all the well known stores within a few minutes. Courtyard Charlottesville is tucked away a bit and is a smaller hotel, but the rooms were clean and comfortable, there was a restaurant on site if needed.

Visiting Monticello

The main focus of our trip was to see Monticello. I recommend purchasing tickets online to save some money. Tickets are timed and it’s a very well orchestrated process where the groups are not too large. You begin at the visitors center and you can either walk or take the shuttle up to the main house. Since the weather was really cold and very foggy we decided to take the shuttle up to the house.

We did the 45 minuted guided tour which brings you through the first floor of the house. I felt that this was enough information and then you could wander to the lower levels and read about some of the other rooms.

There are other tour offerings including one where you can also see the upper levels if you are interested in that.

We also chose to do the Slavery at Monticello tour, which is included in the admission ticket. It is about a 45 minute tour and runs a few times during the day.

The remainder of our time at Monticello consisted of walking to see some other small buildings on the premises and walking along the large garden. While the garden was just beginning to come alive with a few plantings it was nice to see how it was arranged. It’s a must see if you love gardening. The views from the garden are also really nice if you have a clear day (our day did clear up before we left so we could see the beautiful views).

The shuttle will pick you up when you are finished and drive you by Jefferson’s grave. However, we were close to the path and since the weather cleared up we walked down to the visitors center for lunch.

Some Useful Tips

You need to be at the visitors center 30 minutes before your timed ticket to ensure you get to the top in time.
There is a restaurant on the premises that is called Monticello Farm Table. It is counter service and had many food options including some warm options. The food was very good and they have indoor and outdoor seating options. It’s a good place to grab lunch either before or after your tour.
Wear comfortable walking shoes and if the weather is wet consider rain or hiking boots.
You can take pictures inside the home but no video.
There is a small gift/coffee shop up at the main house.
The main gift shop at the visitors center is worth a look through. I purchased some seeds and loose leaf tea.

James Monroe's Highland

For those who don’t know James Monroe was the 5th US President.

While it was not on our original itinerary we went to visit James Monroe’s Highland. It’s approx 7 minutes from Monticello, very easy to get to with signs directing you along the way.

We purchased tickets online for a discounted rate, from the Monticello parking lot. There are no timed tickets. The area is very pretty and quiet. There is a guide in the home to tell you about the home and the time Monroe spent on the property. They will also answer any questions you may have.

The visit takes about an hour and you can wander around and see some of the animals they have on the property.

It’s an interesting area and story and if you are into history it may be worth a visit.

Where to Eat

Remember I said many places were closed on Monday’s and some were also closed on Tuesday. These are the places we ate at none of them were far from either Monticello or our hotel.

The Local– We had dinner here Sunday night, reservations are required. Food was good, but entree’s did come out quickly and at room temperature.

The Nook– We ate here our first morning. It’s was on the way (10 min from Monticello) so we had breakfast and then proceeded on for our timed ticket entry. Reservations were not needed. The food and service was really good.

The Bebedero – If you love Mexican food then this is the place for you. No reservations are accepted and we were able to be seated right away. Food and drinks were really delicious. Lot’s of gluten-free options.

Farm Bell Kitchen – Reservations needed, delicious breakfast that I would highly recommend. Was able to eat a gluten-free breakfast.

Parking

There were parking lots and garages for parking. However, if you can parallel park you can find street parking in the vicinity of the restaurants. We were able to parallel park the entire trip and had no parking costs.

The Nook and El Bebedero are in the same area at the downtown mall.

Other Things To Do In The Area

There are many wineries in the area but we chose not to visit any on this trip. Again some were closed on Monday’s also.

We did drive around the campus of UVA and if you wanted you could walk and explore the campus.

I was hoping the downtown mall area would have their shops open but sadly most were closed. It may be something to consider if you are there at a different time of year.