City Guide: 36 HOURS IN CHARLOTTESVILLE, VIRGINIA

01 September 2009 - 19:46 By unknown
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ARRIVING in Charlottesville from the lush, rural Virginia countryside, you almost feel like you've stepped back into ancient Rome. The Rotunda - the centrepiece of Thomas Jefferson's design for the University of Virginia - was built to resemble the Pantheon - and the neo-classical facades of the college buildings seem to be right out of Caesar's time.

Given the US's presidential concerns, this is the destination du jour. But the town is more cutting-edge than its architecture. Local chefs have been updating traditional Southern fare by marrying grits, fried chicken and others with French, Asian and other influences. The town's music scene boasts megastars like the Dave M atthews Band, and local vineyards now hold their own with the finest of France.

3 PM

1) Mall rats

Running through the centre of Charlottesville, the pedestrian mall is lined with oak trees and packed with students kicking the Hacky Sack and talking philosophy over coffee. The long-stretching east end along the mall has rows of restored buildings, street mimes and violinists, a central plaza for public art and al fresco cafes - which all make the street seem more European than American - something the Europhile Jefferson would have appreciated.

4:30PM

2) Little brother

Along with the university, Jefferson's estate, Monticello, has a grandeur and an almost palatial setting that makes it seem more like a museum than a home. There's also a more intimate presidential residence - Ash Lawn-Highland, the home of James Monroe, who even today still sits in Jefferson's shadow.

9 PM

3) Horsing around

Only 10 minutes from downtown Charlottesville, the Clifton Inn with its rolling hills and fenced-off pastures resembles classic horse country. In recent years the Clifton Inn has kept up with the latest cooking weaponry. Its restaurant, inside a white-pillared Gone With the Wind-style southern mansion, offers a design-your-own tasting menu featuring local ingredients. Dinner for two with wine is about $150.

8 AM

4) Jefferson's genius

Early morning is the best time to appreciate Jefferson's architectural genius. The campus at this hour is nearly deserted. You can sit and marvel at the perfect symmetry of the Rotunda, a UN World Heritage site.

10 AM

5) Outback

For a fascinating detour little known by outsiders, visit the university's Kluge-Ruhe Aboriginal Art Collection. Twenty years ago, John W Kluge, a billionaire media mogul, started building perhaps the largest collection of aboriginal art outside Australia, which he donated to the University of Virginia in 1997. The museum offers free guided tours every Saturday.

1 PM

6) Wine country

Though Thomas Jefferson started the local wine industry, only recently have growers produced decent vintages. Virginia has 11 wine trails to explore and 136 wineries, many focusing on cabernet franc, which seem to adapt best to the local climate.

3 PM

7) Country roads

Take an afternoon drive north-east along Route 20 towards Barboursville, a town almost in another dimension. (The area was the fictional locale for The Walton s on TV). The drive, through the Southwest Mountains Rural Historic District, winds up and down some of the most rural farmland in the state, all sitting in the mountains' shadow and crowned, in autumn, by changing colours that match New England's cooling hues.

7PM

8) Dining amid the ruins

Stay in Barboursville and head to Palladio Restaurant, on the grounds of the Barboursville Vineyard. Jefferson himself designed the main building at the vineyard in 1814. The restaurant, which features Northern Italian cooking, strives to go local, as when it pairs quail with Southern-inspired corn cakes. Dinner for two with wine is about $200.

10PM

9) Miller time

Every college town needs a few decent watering holes for grungy bands, but in Charlottesville, you later see those bands on MTV. Most famously, the Dave Matthews Band's own Mr Matthews bar-tended at Miller's - a converted drugstore that retains the trappings of an old-time apothecary, and is still popular for its range of bands.

9AM

10) Hit the trail

Many visitors take a side hike in Shenandoah National Park. In summer, Shenandoah's Skyline Drive seems more like Los Angeles at rush hour. But by late autumn, the crowds thin out . Head to the Appalachian Trail, which runs adjacent to Skyline Drive draws even fewer weekend crowds.

11AM

11) Fuel up

Back in town, restore the calories you burned hiking - and pack on way more - at the Bluegrass Grill and Bakery for brunch. Plan on hearty Southern comfort fare. - © (2008) The New York Times

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