Rīga with Kids!

Congratulations! You’ve booked your trip to Latvia this summer, scored the hard-to-get tickets to the historic LV100 Dziesmu un Deju Svētki, and survived the 10 hour flight with your kiddos (extra points for each connection!). Now what? Some days are filled with concerts, cultural events and other LV100 opportunities, however you know that the children will need some downtime – a little time to explore and be kids. After being asked a couple of times for favorite spots to go as a family, I’ve put together a list of things to do with children in and around Rīga.

Parks

The easiest way to squeeze in some time outdoors is at one of the nearby parks. Vērmanes dārzs is one of our favorites as it is centrally located, has a playground with plenty of shaded benches around, and offers trampolines/bounce houses/kids car rides (for a small fee). Buy some ice cream or freshly spun cotton candy and explore the gardens, or time your visit to coincide with one of the many festivals and tirdziņi that take place there every summer such as the Dziesmu svētku gadatirgus (July 1-8) or Rīgas svētki 2018 (August 17-19). Catch a concert on one of the stages and relax before heading further to Vecrīga.

Fellow blogger Brigita suggests the Centra sporta kvartāls park on Krišjāņa Barona iela for Rīga-themed and sports-based fun. You can read her post here – Rīga With Kids Tip.

The song festival wall in Viesturdārzs

Kronvalda parks takes you along the canal and past some cool statues and historical sites. If you’re in town for the song festival, you’ll want to visit the oldest park in Rīga, Viesturdārzs; also known as the song festival park, it has a reflecting pool with fountains and portrait wall dedicated to Dziesmu svētki. And adjacent to Brīvības piemineklis is Bastejkalns park, with memorials to those who died in 1991, the foundations of an old castle, a mini bridge with love locks, and scenic views of the canal. 

Activities

See Rīga from above! A neat way to get the lay of the land during the first days of your stay is by visiting one of the many places that offers a scenic view of the city. Svētā Petera baznīca provides one of our favorite views, although if you would like to enjoy the scenery while enjoying a drink in a retro bar, try Skyline Bar. The Radio tower is also an option, although a bit harder to get to from downtown Rīga.

The view from St. Peter's Church

Take a wooden boat tour of the Rīga canal! Combined with a short stretch of the Daugava River, the canal makes a big loop around Vecrīga - allowing for the distinctive opportunity to sightsee a city by boat.

Those who prefer to travel by land will want to walk the streets of Vecrīga. There is no better way to explore the cobblestoned streets and hidden courtyards of the old city than by foot! Sit down at an outdoor alus dārzs for ķiploku grauzdiņi for the kids, cross through the historic city gates, shop for everything from amber jewelry to folk music to children's literature, spot the cats adorning the infamous Kaķu nams, and admire the elegant beauty of the many churches while soaking in the history of the city that was born in 1201!

Spotted one of the cats!

Head to one of the many markets! Centrāltirgus is the biggest, and you can spend hours wandering through the giant zeppelin hangars. Buy some berries picked that morning while shopping for dinner, or just pick up a couple of souvenirs and ogle/smell the fish stalls.

Don't forget to eat! The LIDO chain is popular with many children and parents, simply because it lets them see the food they are ordering - which can be a relief for parents of fussy eaters or just those unfamiliar with Latvian cuisine. The LIDO Recreation Centre offers not just a meal, but a dining experience complete with live music and family recreation.

Educational opportunities

You’ll want to visit the magnificent National Library while you’re in Rīga, Gaismas pils. Older children might enjoy going on the free tour, while younger kids will love to spend some time in the children’s library. Make sure to take them to see the dainu skapis on the 5th floor that once stored the folk song collection of Krišjānis Barons.

Exploring the Art Nouveu District on a self-guided tour or with an official tour service might be a good choice for a group of varied ages. The younger children can have fun spotting all the animals & mythical creatures contained within the building facades, while older kids and adults can delve into the distinctive architectural unlike any in the world. 

Laima Chocolate Museum is a must for the chocolate lover.

The Rīga Zoo is just a tram ride away. It’s located adjacent to Mežaparks where you’ll find all sorts of other family-friendly activities such as a paintball center and a mini golf course.

Botāniskā dārzā

The Botanical Gardens of the University of Latvia can be a little harder to reach if you’re utilizing public transportation, but are worth the effort. Boasting an arboretum, palm house and butterfly house, the 40-acre gardens also have a rabbit enclosure that will delight smaller children. 

For a deeper look into the painful history of the Baltics, older children would benefit from a visit to the Okupācijas muzējs. Note, this museum is more appropriate for young adults than young children, and delves into very serious subject matter. However for those of us who grew up outside of Latvia, it offers insight into the tragic years that shaped our tēvuzeme. 

There are dozens of museums in Rīga, it’s just a matter of finding one to suit your interests. See if this post by Family With Kids helps: Things to Do and See with Kids in Riga, a Family Vacation in Latvia

  

LV100/Dziesmusvētki

In addition to all the ticketed events there will be many free, open to the public concerts and other events taking place across the city. One of our favorites is the Dziesmu svētku gājiens, where every song and dance festival participant parades down Brīvības ielas on the final day of the festival. 

Check out the Live Rīga website for events taking place across the city in honor of LV100 and the song festival.

Day Trips

Cross Lielupe to reach Jūrmala, 20 miles of beach on the Baltic Sea. Each municipality has its own distinct vibe, so with a little research you’ll quickly find the area that best suits your needs. Or, if you don’t want to go all the way to Jūrmala, stop at Līvu akvaparks for waterpark fun.

If you’re looking to head to the beach but want something a little quieter than Jūrmala, try heading east, to Saulkrasti. Need a little extra convincing? Take a look at these photos...

Ķemeru nacionālais parks is the closest National Park to the capital, and has miles of trails and boarwalks that explore the unique ecosystems within.

The bogs of Ķemeri National Park

And about an hour east of Rīga (by car) you’ll find Sigulda (and neighboring Krimulda), with Gūtmaņala and the ancient castle of Turaida, all popular tourist destinations.

I hope you enjoy your time in Rīga, and urge you to make the absolute most of your time there! Dziesmu svētki in Latvia are a unique chance to see the country all dressed up for the festivities, and to sample the many cultural, natural, historical and culinary experiences it has to offer. I would love to hear what your favorite places were to visit as a family, and please let me know what I’ve missed. Safe travels!!!

Gaismas Pils - the National Library of Latvia

In memory of Latvian-American architect Gunārs Birkerts (January 17, 1925 - August 15, 2017), please join me for a virtual tour of the “Castle of Light”!

Gunārs Birkerts (also known as Gunnar Birkerts) is known for designs such as the Corning Museum of Glass and the Corning Fire Station (Corning, NY), Marquette Plaza (Minneapolis, MN), the Kemper Museum of Contemporary Art (Kansas City, MO) and the U.S. Embassy in Caracas, Venezuela. Visitors to the Latvian Center Gaŗezers will have visited Brīvdabas baznīca, Kronvalda zāle and Klētnieki (or ZKs), all of which are his work. However, the architect might be best known for his recent design for the National Library of Latvia in Rīga, Gaismas Pils. (A more complete tally of his designs can be found here.)

For insight into the inspiration behind the project and its creation, Birkerts wrote this article, The Idea of the Project. The architectural form references and draws inspiration from Latvian folklore; the legend tells of a Castle of Light that sank into an ancient lake and would only arise from the depths when Latvians were once again masters of their own land.

While those members with library cards can freely access floors 1-8, a tour can be arranged for visitors that wish to get a behind-the-scenes look all the way up to the pinnacle. These one-hour excursions can be arranged by e-mailing ekskursijas@lnb.lv; for more information visit the LNB website. Our knowledgeable guide met us on the ground floor to give an overview of the history of the building and the scope of the library’s collection; there are 4.5 million items including 2 million books in 62 languages contained in Gaismas pils.

The first floor features various exhibits that reflect on the history of the library and literature in Latvia, including the temporary exhibit by artist Rita Grendze, Simts raksti tiem, kas meklē gaismu. The site-specific installation reflects the cultural heritage that the artist experienced growing up in the US through 50 two-sided pieces; 100 Latvian books were used, one book from each year of the Latvian state's existence. While this exhibit recently closed, the permanent exhibit “Castle of Light and Glass Mountain – The Story of the National Library of Latvia Project” and up to 5 other exhibits are open to the public on a daily basis.

The first floor also includes the Imanta Ziedoņa zāle, a theater hall with 462 purple chairs made in Rīga chair factory. The light-colored wood (Latvian birch and Canadian maple) that features so prominently in this space as well as throughout the library was carefully selected by Birkerts, and mostly was grown in Latvia for the project.

Note that the design of the ground floor resembles Latvian linen textiles

While there are actually 13 floors to the library, the next floor has been termed a mezzanine to avoid an unlucky number. The M level encompasses the Reference and Information Centre, the Baltic Research Centre for East Asian Studies Library Reading Room and an atrium. Playing on one wall is a video of the 2014 transfer of books from the old National Library to their new home – via a chain of 14,000 volunteers forming a human chain. 

For more on this event please see my post Rīga: European Capital of Culture 2014 

The bookcase that houses the 2,000 volumes that traveled hand-to-hand to the library have been placed in a specially designed bookcase that rises up 5 stories in the center of the library. Every Latvian is invited to donate a book to this bookcase (one that has special meaning to the donor), and it is the architect’s hope that the shelves will one day be filled with tens of thousands of books that are really a tautas grāmatu plaukts – a bookcase of the people. Utilizing mirrors for visual effects, the shelves appear never-ending when viewed from certain angles for yet another layer of multi-faceted symbolism.

We continued to floor “2” and the Humanities & Social Sciences and the Economy and Rights Reading Rooms. This floor is also home to one of 10 1^st edition facsimiles of the Album Terra Mariana 1186–1888 which tells us about the spread of Christianity in Latvia and Estonia, the lands once known as Livonia (Terra Mariana or Land of Mary was the official name for Medieval Livonia). The original album was printed in 1888 in Rīga and presented to Pope Leo XIII; this copy is preserved in the Vatican Apostolic Library. The 70 parchment pages contain a wealth of information about Livonian castles, castle ruins, churches, the coats of arms used by ancient families, seals, historical persons, and impressions of ancient silver and gold coins of the time.

From Vecrīga, Gaismas pils appears a glittering patchwork of glass and metal. However, the library was designed not only to create an unforgettable profile to join the city’s skyline, but also with the visitor to the library in mind. The public spaces all face the river Daugava, offering spectacular views of Vecrīga, Daugava and its various bridges from the collections and reading rooms throughout the library; the scenic vistas visible from the third floor Technology & Science and the Periodicals Reading Rooms are no different.

The 4^th floor is devoted to the arts, the Art Reading Room, Music Reading Room, Audiovisual Reading Room and Sound Recording Studio all located around the atrium. The 5^th floor focuses more on the cultural, with Archives of Latvian Folklore and the Lettonica and Baltic Reading Room complimenting several exhibition halls. The “Cimelia” hall currently contains the “Times Reflected in Ancient Manuscripts Exhibit” that enables visitors to view the most unique examples of the manuscript collection of the National Library of Latvia. The highlight of this floor is the 130 year-old dainu skapis (cabinet of folksongs), where Krišjānis Barons (the "father of the dainas") stored the tautas dziesmas he collected as part of his systematization of the texts of the Latvian folk songs. In 2001 Dainu skapis was recognized as a cultural heritage item with its addition to the UNESCO "Memory of the World" register. 

We continued on, passing the 6^th floor which contains the Maps and Small Prints Reading Rooms. Our favorite collection within the library is housed on floor 7 – the Children’s Literature Center. With comfortable seating areas we could have spent hours browsing the extensive selection, and the librarians were invaluable in providing information on the newest Latvian literature for kids of all ages. We found the 24-book bērnu žūrija selection especially interesting; the reading program, which is now entering its 6^th year, includes books read and rated by children. In 2016, there were already 20,000 readers from 712 Latvian libraries and schools, as well as 54 weekend schools in 22 countries – including the Krišjāņa Barona Latvian School of Chicago.

The 8^th floor is home to the Library and Information Science Reading Room, as well as Competence Development Center classrooms. Technical operations are housed on the 9^th and 10^th floors, so our next stop was the 11^th floor; together with the 12^th floor it forms the spire of Gaismas pils, the glass crow’s nest that offers breathtaking views from above. The space serves not only as an observation deck but also an event space (complete with piano) and exhibit; it is here at the very top that various drafts and notes that Gunārs Birkerts made while working on the library project are displayed.

A visit to the National Library should be finalized with a stop at the restaurant “Klīversala.” The cafeteria-style dining room dishes up a wide array of food that is reasonably priced and fills those growling stomachs, while the dining environs mimic the light-colored wood/glass/metal interior from the rest of the library.

The webpage of the National Library of Latvia can be found here, with a 360° digital tour offered here. Follow LNB on facebook, twitter and Instagram!

Autumn on Newfound Gap Road

Great Smoky Mountains National Park is bisected by Newfound Gap Road, a 33-mile drive that extends from Cherokee, NC to Gatlinburg, TN. Driving this stretch of US 441 is a fantastic way to see the highlights of this 520,000 acre National Park: awe-inspiring views from Clingmans Dome (the highest point in the state of TN), tranquil cove hardwood forests, remnants of pioneer settlements, tucked away campgrounds and trails, and seasonal shows of wildflowers and fall foliage.

Our recent trip to GSMNP included a drive on Newfound Gap Road, unforgettable vistas awaiting us around every turn during what is peak fall-foliage season in the Smoky Mountains. We started our journey at the Oconaluftee Visitor Center, where visitors can pick up a basic map to the park as well as purchase additional resources to tailor the trip to their interests. The fields adjacent to the Visitor Center also provided our first sighting of elk, the wapiti having been reintroduced to the Park in 2001.

The road is named as such because in the 1850s it was discovered that it's not Indian Gap that is the lowest point through the mountains, but the "Newfound" gap. For the NC portion of the trip the highway runs parallel to the Oconaluftee River, which flows into Tuckasegee River near Bryson City and eventually the Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico. Not far from the Visitor Center we passed the Smokemont Campground where Bradley Fork joins the Oconaluftee. Once a lumber company town with a school, church, store and boarding houses, it now consists of 142 campsites. As we continued our climb alongside the river, we came to Deep Creek Valley Overlook, with a long view of the mountains rolling away as far as the eye can see.

View from the Clingmans Dome parking area

Halfway to Gatlinburg is the Oconaluftee River Valley Overlook, another spectacular view of the Smokies that highlights the cut the river makes on its journey down from the mountains. Soon after we took the 7-mile spur road to Clingmans Dome for an invigorating hike up to the highest point in the Park that features some of the grandest 360˚ views in the Park. For more on that please see my previous post, On the summit of Clingmans Dome. From the intersection of this spur road it’s just a little further to Newfound Gap, the highest elevation on Newfound Gap Road at 5,048 feet.

The overlook is dominated by the Rockefeller Memorial, a stone terrace that commemorates the efforts of those whose vision and resources helped establish the Park. The memorial is named for Laura Spelman Rockefeller, the mother of John D. Rockefeller Jr., who donated $5 million of the $12 million needed to purchase most of the Park’s acreage. President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Great Smoky Mountains National Park on September 2, 1940 from the terrace, which had been completed by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) the previous September. The memorial also features a newer plaque acknowledging the designation of GSMNP as a World Heritage Site (1983).

Newfound Gap is also the only place within GSMNP that the Appalachian Trail crosses a paved road in the approximately 70 miles that it traverses the Park. The AT mostly follows the State Line Ridge through the Park, which serves as the boundary between the states of Tennessee and North Carolina. Those driving the Gap Road can get a taste of the trail without the elevation gain of the Clingmans Dome Trail hike by taking a short walk from the Gap, an especially enticing option this time of year when sun is shining through a kaleidoscope of colors as the hardwoods turn. From the trailhead it is 7.5 miles to Clingmans Dome, 15.6 miles to Mount LeConte (via the Boulevard Trail) and 1,972 miles to the terminus of the AT in Katahdin, Maine.

Once back on the road, there are a multitude of opportunities to park for scenic views and hikes. As you start descending in elevation you are now following the West Prong of the Little Pigeon River. Ultimately the Little Pigeon River also finds its way to the Tennessee River and into the Gulf of Mexico, but it is named for the passenger pigeons that once filled the skies right here over the Smoky Mountains. Well into your descent to Gatlinburg, the river runs through the Chimney Tops picnic area which is home to one of the few remaining stands of mature cove hardwoods in the US. This is remarkable if you consider that this area (along with many of the higher regions of the Smoky Mountains) was once owned by paper and lumber companies.  Stop for a picnic, or for the trailhead to the Chimney Tops; the strenuous 4 mile hike leads to an outstanding view from the twin knobs that rise from a ridge like chimneys. On this stretch of Gap Road you’ll also pass through two tunnels built by the CCC in the 1930s, one of which curves around and back over itself.

The Campbell Overlook offers a wonderful view of Mt. LeConte (6,593 feet), the third highest peak in the Smokies. I found it astonishing that within the Park, where elevations range from 875 feet at the mouth of Abrams Creek to 6,643 feet at Clingmans Dome, sixteen mountain peaks exceed 6,000 feet in elevation! Mt. LeConte is the tallest mountain east of the Mississippi in that it rises more than a mile from the foot of the mountain to the summit. Once you’ve soaked up the views it’s only 3 more miles on your descent down to the Sugarlands Visitor Center. In the Sugarlands Valley there are a multitude of walkways for optimal leaf-peeping, the sugar maples from which the valley takes its name an explosion of reds, oranges and yellows.

The Sugarlands Visitor Center is the most visited due to its proximity to Gatlinburg. Featuring the usual Visitor Center maps, exhibits and gift shop, there are also rangers on hand to answer any questions, and the 3.8 mile Gatlinburg Trail which allows pets and bicycles – a rarity in the park. The Park boundary includes the stretch of Trail, River and the Road all the way until Pigeon Forge, but the proximity to Gatlinburg and civilization signaled the end of our excursion on the Newfound Gap Road. We headed to Sevierville for a good night’s rest to prepare for our adventures the next day…

Mammoth Cave - the Green River Bluffs

Happy National Park Week! This week is America's largest celebration of national heritage; it’s about exploring amazing places, discovering open spaces and honoring the national parks that make America great! From April 16-24^th every national park will give you free admission, so get out there and find your park!

In honor of National Park week I’ll be blogging about some of the Parks we’ve recently visited as a family, wrapping up our spring break trip to Mammoth Cave National Park. Famous for over than 400 miles of explored tunnels, Mammoth Cave is the longest known cave system – but that’s not all that’s there! Although we did descend down into the cave through the Historic Entrance on the Discovery Tour, we spent most of our time in the Park exploring above ground. Spring is the perfect time to visit as dozens of species of wildflowers are adorning the forest floor, and temperatures are mild allowing comfortable adventuring of one of Mammoth Cave’s 50 trails totaling over 80 miles of hiking.

Continuing on the Dixon Cave trail from the Historic Entrance

Our first taste of Mammoth Cave was the area around the Historic Entrance and the Visitor Center. We hiked a portion of the Green River Bluffs trail, the Dixon Cave trail, the Sunset Point trail and the Heritage trail, making a big loop down to the Green River and then back up. Leaving the crowds behind at the Historic Entrance we headed north on the Dixon Cave trail, 0.4 miles to reach what used to be a part of Mammoth Cave – perhaps a million years ago. The one cave became two when a sinkhole collapse cut Dixon off from Mammoth, creating the Historic Entrance. Endangered Indiana and gray bats use Dixon Cave, and so it’s gated off and shouldn’t be approached due to the threat of spreading deadly white-nose syndrome.

From Dixon Cave it’s an easy 0.1 miles back up to the paved picnic area loops where hikers can tie into one end of the Green River Bluffs trail. We elected to cut out a portion of the 1.3 mile trail and took the shortcut to the middle of the trail where we were rewarded with scenic views of the Green River from high on the bluffs.

After a swift descent to the river we were able to explore a sandy beach just opposite Cave Island. Large amounts of Tiger swallowtail butterflies had congregated here, and while I watched and photographed them the boys took turns throwing stones into the river.

The coves down adjacent to the Green River contained some enormous trees; the sycamores and beeches were each more massive and impressive then the last, colossal trunks supporting immense canopies that had just begun budding on our visit.

Soon we reached the mouth of the River Styx where there used to be an old riverboat landing. As the river was replaced as a means of transporting large loads by the railroad, steamboats took over touring the Green River, offering cruises complete with musicians, fine dining, traveling shows and circuses. We turned inland on the 0.4 mile River Styx boardwalk which leads to the point where the River Styx emerges above-ground for a short trip to empty into the Green River.

A short climb on the Echo River Spring trail brought us to the 0.3 mile Sunset Point trail which took us up the steep bluffs through a series of switchbacks. It was here that the boys encountered their third deer, eliciting a few screams as it crashed across the trail just as they had rounded a corner out of our line of sight – affecting a few more gray hairs before we learned the reason for their shrieks.

Sunset Point might provide a scenic viewpoint of the sun setting over the river; however it was more convenient as a rest point after a steep climb even as the shadows lengthened. The boys used the opportunity to continue work on their Junior Ranger Adventure books, the effort rewarded the following day when they received their hard-earned badges at the Visitor Center.

From Sunset Point we followed the half-mile paved Heritage loop past the Mammoth Cave Hotel back to the Visitor Center. Our loop totaled about 1.5 miles, but as it included several steep portions it was a challenging, rewarding hike. By including the entire Green River Bluffs trail it could easily be extended to 2 miles, and by adding loops to Dome Sink, Echo River and White Cave one could easily incorporate 4-5 miles of trail into their itinerary.

The view from Sunset Point

It seemed easy to separate our visit to Mammoth Cave into two parts; the descent into the underground world of the cave system, and the above-ground realm of rivers, forests and wildflowers. However, in reality these are two parts of a greater whole (hole!), unified by the various forces of nature that continue to form the caves and shape the landscape of this one ecosystem linked by water. With a wide variety of tours, trails and adventures awaiting, Mammoth Cave National Park is deserving of the title of World Heritage Site and should be included on your quest to find your park.

Staying and dining in Charlottesville, Virginia

Our trip to Charlottesville corresponded with the University of Virginia homecoming football game. Now there were all sorts of little coincidences on this trip, some positive and some negative, but UVA and the football game were an influential factor in a bunch of our choices all weekend. It started about a week before when we decided to make the trip; Roberts was traveling for business and Lauris had his fall break, so we chose to join dad on his trip and then head north for the weekend. I warned Roberts that it is peak leaf season so please book a hotel soon, and then promptly forgot all about it until we were in Carrboro, North Carolina and planning on leaving for VA in the morning.

Every hotel in Charlottesville was full. Except for Holiday Inn, which was asking $300/night, and the Inn at Afton – by the way you have to read this review (it starts "Hole -ee Jeebus") – every last reasonable option in Charlottesville was booked. Roberts laughed when I gave him the “I told you so” because the last hotel he had spoken to had responded that it was actually the homecoming game against Syracuse (with an unspoken “duh”) and that our best bet would be to try something in Staunton… a good 45-60 minutes away.  Not really an option, we spoke to a booking agent who suggested an alternative – the Inn at Darden.

 

One of those little coincidences I spoke of is the University of Virginia/Monticello connection. We spent our first day in Charlottesville touring the Thomas Jefferson Monticello Estate, so it was quite the sagadīšanās that we basically stayed in UVA, the legacy of our third president. The Darden School of Business runs the Inn at Darden, an all-in-one location for conferences and continuing education classes; you sign up for courses at the School of Business and you stay in one of the 180 rooms, eat at the main dining room and relax at the Executive Pub afterwards. Rates were reasonable, the service attentive, the room clean and up to standard, but the location – the location was prime.

Founded in 1955, it is named after Colgate Whitehead Darden, Jr., a former congressman, governor of Virginia, and former president of the University of Virginia. Notable alumni include Mark Sanford (former governor of SC) and CEOs, chairman and presidents of companies like Dunkin’ Donuts, Prudential Financial, PepsiCo and Target.

Another nod to Monticello: the large clock

Designed by architect Robert A. M. Stern to complement Jefferson’s aesthetic vision for UVA, the buildings feature sand-struck Virginia brick, Chippendale balustrades and red-metal standing seam roofs. Saunders hall has an octagonal entrance room that echoes that of Monticello, complete with domed roof. Being a Saturday we were free to explore without bothering students, and so we wandered around for a bit, admiring the elegantly furnished rooms and the sunny, inviting courtyards. If you would like to make a virtual visit, try the online tour on the University of Virginia Darden School of Business website.

Not only did UVA make our housing decisions for us, it also made our dining decisions… The night before the game we were headed from Monticello to campus, tired from a long day and hoping to eat as soon as possible. It wasn’t the first place we saw (possibly the second?), but FIREFLY was an auspicious stop. The bar and restaurant combines craft beer, food and gaming; you couldn’t have imagined a better spot for the boys to eat that night! They spent every spare minute watching people play video games and trying their own hand at a few classics, and the food disappeared as soon as it was put down in front of them. With a menu heavy on local, seasonal and organic options, and a craft beer menu featuring plenty of local favorites, mom and dad were happy also.

On our final evening in town we were in a race against time to find a dinner spot, as our return from Shenandoah National Park coincided with the end of the football game. We lost the race, every football fan in the city flooding the restaurants and bars, including those on Main Street, the historic pedestrian mall in the center of downtown. And so once again our dining was decided by UVA, as we chose the place that could get us in with the least amount of wait – The Whiskey Jar. The classic southern fare is locally sourced (including from the chef’s very own farm), is seasonal, and made entirely from scratch. Our meals were delicious, the atmosphere lively yet comfortable, and the staff were reasonably accommodating to children. If you are a whiskey drinker you might want to check out the spirits menu, however the brunch, lunch and dinner menus have enough barbecue and southern favorites that nobody will leave hungry.

Side note: the Whiskey Jar is just across from the Charlottesville Main Street Arena. The 40,000 square feet of space hosts everything from martial arts matches and the Virginia Film Festival’s Headquarters to hockey and figure skating. ‘Cool’ place to step inside while waiting on a table – you might just catch a hockey game in action!