My Septembers are usually full of American football, but this month they were full of something different… wine! This month marked collaborations with two wineries in Virginia, meaning that I had a lot of weekends closer to home exploring the countryside – and wine scene. That was fine by me though as two of my busiest months of travel this year is are coming up next – look to see where I’m heading in October at the end of this post. All in all fall is getting off to a great start and I’m enjoying the changing colors of the season.

Destinations visited:

Colonial Beach, Virginia

Loudoun County, Virginia

Favorite destinations:

Colonial Beach, Virginia – If you’ve followed the blog over the summer, I’ve written about Colonial Beach here, here, and here. Colonial Beach is a quaint town along the Potomac River with a beachfront, cute shops, and a brewery and two wineries to boast. It’s one of my favorite places to go in warm weather to relax.

Highlights:

Partnering with two wineries – This month I partnered with Oak Crest Vineyard & Winery in King George, Virginia and Bogati Winery in Round Hill, Virginia. Both had their own flare and were wonderful to visit.

New style of posts faring well – Two of the posts I wrote this month, one on England, and one on my home state of Virginia were my first few tries at ‘photo diary’ style posts. I tend to be very text heavy normally, so I was glad that this different post style was well received.

Challenges:

The end of the month was better than the beginning – One of the things I think that comes with age is appreciating the little things. Earlier in the month I was struggling with some personal issues, and its a relief that some of those seem to have past or at least improved.

Hurricane Irma and Harvey – I have quite a few friends down in Florida so it was definitely upsetting to have to see my friends evacuate, or in some instances be forced to stay (my best friend is a nurse and was on call). Having just gone on a Eastern Caribbean cruise this past April, it’s also saddening to know that many islands like St. Maarten and Puerto Rico are in really bad shape. If you haven’t donated to help those impacted by Hurricane Irma and Harvey, I urge you to spare a few dollars and do so.

Posts:

Embracing My State: Virginia is for Lovers – Appreciating my home state of Virginia and all it offers to visitors and natives alike.

A Photo Diary of the Beauty of England – The most scenic destinations from my travels throughout England.

A Taste of Argentina at Bogati Winery in Round Hill, Virginia – Argentinean-inspired Malbec and empanadas delight at this Loudoun County winery.

A Weekend Getaway to Colonial Beach, Virginia – How to spend a weekend in my favorite Virginia coastal town.

A First Timers’ Visit to San Diego – August was my first time to San Diego, and to California in general – and boy was I excited about it! Read what I did and saw on my first San Diego visit in this post.

Spiced Up and Chilled Out at Oak Crest Vineyard & Winery – My experience at Oak Crest Winery in King George, Virginia – their jalapeño wine was unlike anything I’ve had!

Coming up in October 2017:

October is going to be a BUSY month. I start my month with a work trip to Indian Wells Valley in California – which is in the desert – a stark contrast from the green and wet places I am used to. Then, upon returning, my family and I are celebrating my son’s birthday at Great Wolf Lodge – look for a post on the lodge next month. After that, I am heading off for ten days to England and Wales for a friend’s wedding, and spending a few days in Italy in Florence and Pisa – along with a day trip to the Tuscan wineries. That will have me back in Virginia just in time for my favorite holiday – Halloween!

What did you do in September? What are your plans for October?