I just returned from a quick trip to Virginia. Before seeing my family, a friend from the DC area met me in Richmond for a quick weekend get-away. When he picked me up from the airport he asked me what I wanted to do, and I immediately said “get an apple cider donut.”
“A what?” he asked. “A cider donut.” I responded. “They are the best thing about fall on the east coast.” He wanted to check out the fall foliage, so after asking Google where we could find the best colors of the season and authentic cider donuts, we hatched a plan to do both. Our limited research pointed to Charlottesville, VA.
The next morning we drove to Charlottesville to visit the Carter Mountain Orchard. The fall foliage on the hour plus drive was spectacular, as was the view from the orchard, where we looked down on apple orchards, grape vines and the city of Charlottesville. The Orchard was crowded with kids taking hayrides, families picking apples in the orchards, friends enjoying wine and cider tastings, and adorable dogs hoping you will share your apple with them. There was a great energy on the orchard – everyone seemed to be having fun while enjoying the food and scenery.
After walking through orchards, pumpkins and decorative gourds, in a crowded store we finally found the warm, fresh out of the oven, cider donuts. We waited in line for about 20 minutes to pay for them, but we couldn’t wait that long to try one. Warm. Soft. Sticky with the right amount of sweetness. Just as deliciously perfect as I remembered. And well worth the trip.
Since we were around the corner from Monticello, we decided to stop by Thomas Jefferson’s house to visit the gorgeous grounds (and enjoy more fall foliage) and take the tours. The drive home was fueled by more cider donuts.
I can’t imagine a better way to spend a fall day in Virginia with my favorite person on the planet. Happy fall, y’all!
