​In August I found myself at Stone Tower Winery in Leesburg, just around the corner from my childhood stomping grounds. It’s atop Hogback Mountain on some 200 acres of rolling hills with a centrally located pond that reflects a beautiful mountain sunset.
 
They had just opened an impressive new tasting room with a cozy fireplace nook, banquet hall, dining-available tank room with adjoined underground barrel hallway and three stories of outdoor porches with stone and wood accents everywhere (queue the wedding bells). Yeah, it’s dreamy. It’s a to-be couple’s wonderland and the setting for so many beautiful photos.

A few more production shots throughout the day show the crew filming models at the main tasting bar (left), the big sunset finale on the western third story porch (center) and Jeff directing models (right).

I even got a chance to enjoy a glass of wine at the end of the day, but was so exhausted I didn't take note of what I was drinking. For this reason, along with the gorgeous property and incredible hospitality of the staff and owners, I vow to return on my own time to enjoy a day of tasting and, hopefully, another beautiful sunset. To be continued...

Natural Bridge, Virginia is, in my opinion, the ideal weekend road trip destination if you’re within a few hours driving distance. My visit this summer wasn’t my first, but was just as exciting (and focused on photography).
 
You’re probably familiar with the stunning 215 foot-tall rock formation that was carved out by Cedar Creek over a period of time unfathomable to us mortals. It’s the natural highlight of the region: once a sacred site of the Native American Monacan tribe, surveyed by George Washington in 1750, a major tourism attraction for Europeans during the 18th and 19th centuries who wanted to see the 'New World' and has been included in several “Seven Natural Wonders of the Worlds” lists. In summation, you should see it for yourself. Folks have been raving about it for hundreds of years!

As if seeing the archway during the day wasn’t magnificent enough, they also have a nocturnal light show. Fair warning, the audio accompaniment depicting the seven days of Creation as described in Genesis is dull as a dishwasher. The visuals are well worth the wait, however. Find you favorite album or playlist and don those earbuds. Enjoy the stars.

I bet you didn’t know Virginia is home to over 4,000 caves. This statistic blew my mind when I first heard. Most of them are not worth mentioning, but there IS one in Natural Bridge with some jaw-dropping formations and an original name to boot: The Caverns at Natural Bridge. (Not to be confused with the Natural Bridge Caverns in San Antonio.) It’s a great escape from the summer heat at a stable 54 degrees Fahrenheit and is a great sequel or prequel to your Natural Bridge geological lesson.

Slightly less geological, but still in the same realm is Mark Cline’s Foamhenge. This is a full size scale replica of Stonehenge made entirely of foam. It’s a heck of a roadside attraction even if it hasn’t stood up to Stonehenge's test of time. This is a MUST stop, even if it's only for a few minutes. And say "hello" to Merlin for me.

Additional suggestions: Grab dinner in nearby Lexington at The Red Hen (a farm-to-table daily menu that won’t disappoint) then catch one of the walking ghost tours. Stay the night at House Mountain Inn (below) and hike to their overlook on Big House Mountain with a bottle of wine. Or scramble up the Devil's Marbelyard. Bonus points: visit in autumn.