Autumn Glory ~ Because YOU Deserve this Getaway!

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Leaf Peeping The Nature Bus Autumn Mountains Skyline Drive Blue Ridge Mountains Retreat Wine Tasting Wine Tour

TOUR NAME: Autumn Glory ~ Because YOU Deserve This Getaway! 

Experience Autumn in Central Virginia with its majestic Blue Ridge Mountains and bucolic landscape to the fullest! Join us for a sunrise and leaf peeping trip on Skyline Drive, private winery & vineyard tour with wine tasting, and mind & body restorative experience at an idyllic farm situated at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
With its magnificent display of autumn foliage, fall is a high tourist season in Central Virginia. To better enjoy our autumn experience, we have chosen WEEKDAYS (rather than the weekend) to embark on this relaxing trip – Tuesday evening and returning Thursday evening. This will be a trip to remember. Grab a significant other, a parent, a favorite cousin, or a dear friend and sign up. We will do the rest.

DATE: Tuesday, October 24 at 6:30 pm – Thursday, October 26 (7-8 pm-ish; traffic dependent)

DURATION (ROUND TRIP): Oct. 24 6:30 pm – Oct. 26 7-8ish pm  Please arrive 15 min. before departure at REI to board the bus. Return time is traffic dependent. Due to the tunnel traffic, we are often delayed. Please plan on a flexible return time. 

PRICE: $390/person   INCLUDES: Two night overnight trip – camping under wide open sky or in the turn-of-the-century barn, OR for an additional cost, limited space is also available in a newly renovated farm house and guest cottage (please see below for more information), 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, wine tasting & cocktail, snacks and drinks, private sunrise and leaf peeping tour, private tour of a local vineyard & winery with another wine tasting, cooking class, and 3 workshops. Read description and itinerary below to realize how much value you will get for this ticket price. You will truly be surprised! (Excluded; bring $ for: dinner on Tuesday eve; 

(purchase your ticket at TheNatureBus.com > Calendar) 

DESCRIPTION/ITINERARY:

VENUE: Cedarmere in the Blue Ridge https://www.cedarmerefarm.com
Nestled in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Cedarmere in the Blue Ridge Retreat is surrounded by the rolling hills and beautiful mountains of the Virginia Piedmont. The original farmhouse was built in 1850 and served as the U.S. Post Office for the unincorporated town of Cedarmere from 1903 to 1935. Cedarmere’s 100+ acres of rolling fields, recreational pond, and wooded trails provide the perfect escape to relax, recharge, and refresh from the hustle of modern life.
RETREAT PHILOSOPHY
Cedarmere Retreat is built on a philosophy of being kind to oneself. Simply curl up with a book in an Adirondack chair or hammock, go for a swim in Cedarmere’s spring-fed pond, kayak, float on our stand up paddle boards, or relax by our waterfall and listen to the trickling stream. This is your retreat, do as much or as little as you want.
Delightful meals and experiences will be prepared for you to enjoy throughout your visit.
Pamper yourself. Let’s check-in with ourselves. Go ahead and sign up! Give yourself permission to get off of the work/societal treadmill for these few days and recalibrate your equilibrium. Allow total immersion in an itinerary filled with activities designed to help you to relax, body and mind.

Tuesday October 24, 2023

6:30pm– Depart from REI/Town Center. Drive to Free Union, VA – just outside of Charlottesville. We will stop for dinner in Williamsburg before proceeding to our destination. (Bring $ for your dinner)
12:00 am – Arrive at Cedarmere. Pitch tents (we provide 2 10-person community tents; feel free to bring your own) or check into Cedarmere B&B and go to bed (see details below).

Wednesday October 25, 2023

8:30 am – Wake up to a beautiful morning in the country at the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains while your country breakfast awaits.
10:00 am – 11:30 am – Meditative Photography workshop: learn to be in the present moment with the help of your phone camera. (Rain alternative: Dried Flowers workshop. Create fun and useful items, such as bookmarks, with beautiful flowers grown and air dried right on the farm.)
11:45 am – 12:45 pm – Lunch: an assortment of delicious sandwiches freshly prepared by a local country market nearby.
12:45 pm – 1:45 pm – Silent Contemplation – Give yourself the gift of silence. Grab a book and sink into an
Adirondack chair, envelop yourself in a cozy hammock and let the mountain breeze lull you to sleep, paddle board on Cedarmere’s spring-fed pond, practice meditative photography, and much more. This might be a difficult exercise for some, and welcomed by others. Please be kind to yourself and try to discover a quiet activity that you can enjoy by yourself.
1:45 pm – 3:45 pm  – Sensory Nature Walk. It’s not exercise, hiking, or jogging; it’s a fitness-mindfulness practice of simply being in nature and connecting with it through our senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell, and touch. Being at the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains and having access to 50+ acres of wooded trails, Cedarmere provides the ideal environment for this peaceful experience. Here, you can soak in the sights of soft sunlight filtering through the leaves, listen to the trickling stream, taste the pure rain drops, smell the fresh scent of cedar, and touch the textured green moss. Let your senses bring you to the present moment and give you a moment of much needed peace and tranquility to rest your mind.
4:00 pm – 6:00 pm – We will get ready to go to Charlottesville for dinner; wine tasting & hors d’oeuvres will be served as we take turn to get ready.
6:00 pm sharp – Bus departs Cedarmere for Charlottesville
7:00 pm – 9:00 pm – Dinner at 3 different restaurants at different price points in groups of 5 or 6; your choice; out of pocket. List of options will be emailed to you for your selection; first come first served. You are welcome to later switch with fellow voyagers if you so wish.
9:15 pm sharp – Bus departs Charlottesville to return to Cedarmere. Please be prompt because it will be late.
Evening – Weather permitting, gather around the campfire to enjoy the crisp mountain air, a wide open sky full of stars, and s’mores (our take on a childhood favorite).

Thursday October 26, 2023

5:50 am – Sunrise and leaf-peeping on Skyline Drive. Experience the magical power of the sun as it rises over the Blue Ridge Mountains. An experience that cannot be missed!!! We will enjoy our continental breakfast while greeting the sun as it rises. We will then go leaf-peeping for an hour or so before returning to Cedarmere.
5:50 am Sharp – Bus departs Cedarmere for Skyline Drive. We will enjoy our coffee and continental breakfast as we drive to our destination.
9:00 am – 11:00 am – Flower Arranging Workshop. Learn the art and mechanics of flower arranging. You will also experience the importance of being in the moment and accepting things as they are, major principles in the practice of mindfulness meditation. Due to limited space on the overhead racks in the bus, we will not take the arrangements back to Norfolk. But, feel good that your arrangements will be enjoyed by patients at UVa Hospital. If you really would love to bring home your arrangement, please feel free to do so – you would need to hold it on your LAP for the ride home. We apologize in advance that it cannot be stored elsewhere on the bus.
11:15 am – 12:15 pm – Break down camp and pack up.
12:15 pm – 2:15 pm – Cooking Lesson & Lunch – A taste of Vietnam: learn how to roll your own Vietnamese garden rolls and make dipping sauce. You will learn how to roll the perfect garden roll with your choice of julienned colorful fresh vegetables, shredded chicken, savory tofu, rice paper, rice noodles, and an abundance of fresh herbs. You will also learn how to make the delicious peanut dipping sauce (please inform Suzanne if you prefer not to eat peanut at sign up; an alternative sauce will be provided). The fun part of this colorful healthy lunch is to learn how to exercise self restraint while participating in a friendly bonding competition.
2:30 pm – Bus departs for Hark Vineyards for a private tour and wine tasting. October is an active fermentation time at wineries. This will be a very informative and fun tour. Be ready to fall in love, or fall deeper in love, with Virginia wine!
2:45 pm Hark Vineyards private tour & wine tasting. Visit a local vineyard that has won numerous medals for its wine and learn all about the art of making wine. October is a fun time to tour a vineyard & winery because it’s an active fermentation time. You will also enjoy wine tasting as part of this tour. This is also your chance to buy Hark wine.
4:00 pm – We will make our journey back to Virginia Beach. We will stop mid-way for a 15 min stretch our legs, use the restroom, and then carry on. Depending upon the traffic, we should be back at REI/Town Center around 7:00ish. Feeling grateful for having this opportunity to relax and unwind in such a unique way.

WHAT’S INCLUDED:

– Air conditioned/heated new vehicle
– Transportation
– All fees (including gasoline, admission, tolls)
– 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and snacks & drinks throughout your visit
– wine tasting (2oz, 4 pours, per person) & cocktail
– 3 workshops
– cooking class
– sunrise and leaf peeping trip to Skyline Drive
– private tour of award winning Hark Vineyards & wine tasting
– campfire with stargazing and s’mores
– camping (choice of outdoor under the open sky or in the renovated turn-of-the century barn)
WHAT’S NOT INCLUDED:
– dinner on Tuesday + Wednesday
– wine you might purchase at Hark Vineyards
– rooms in Cedarmere B&B if you don’t want to camp; please note that there are limited number of rooms; first come first served. Please see the end of this announcement for specific availability and how to make your reservation.

THINGS TO BRING:
– Your digital/printed ticket
– Printed/signed waiver (please print and sign at home to save time at checkin)
– Photo ID
– Water bottle, sunscreen, sun hat, insect repellent, closed toe shoes for nature walk, rain jacket/hat/umbrella
– PACK YOUR CLOTHING/TOILETRIES IN A SOFT SIDED DUFFLE (it needs to be able to “SQUEEZE” into the overhead rack. Please pack lightly. These racks are not large. It will not even accommodate a duffle with a hard structure to it. A soft sack is what we are referring to.
– If you plan to camp, bring a rollable sleep mat (available at REI), a sleeping bag or blankets, a pillow, a flashlight (please squeeze the excess air out of these items and roll them tightly, secure with rope or bungie, and place into the smallest bag possible)
– We provide two 10-person community tents; feel free to bring your own tent. If you are sleeping in Cedarmere B&B bring your printed confirmation/reservation
– Dress for the weather and for the types of activities that we will be engaging in
– CASH (optional) to purchase handmade/unique items from the “farm table gift shop” and bring $20 CASH if you want to purchase a Nature Bus t-shirt.
– CASH (it is customary to tip 15% , $60, to the tour hosts) 

        • We look forward to seeing you on the tour! Check out all of the 5-star reviews, so you will be super confident that you will have an amazing experience! You can read them at TheNatureBus.com > click the REVIEWS tab. See you soon!
        • If you have any questions, please text/call the owner. Suzanne 757-288-9595

Important NOTES  “Know before you go” ~

*We go “light rain” or shine. See our weather policy FAQs  page. Please dress for the weather. In the case of light rain, we simply take cover and wait it out. ALL SALES FINAL/NO REFUNDS

*PLEASE: Eating, drinking, chewing gum is not permitted on the bus. Please arrive 30-60 min before departure. We have a lot of your gear to load in, so this process can take up to an hour. Seat selection is on a first come basis. We cannot wait for latecomers because we must adhere to our planned itinerary. Therefore we must pull away at the exact departure time (exactly 6:30 pm we will depart). We cannot receive telephone/text calls to let us know your are running late because we will driving and using the phone as a GPS.
*ALL OUR TOURS INVOLVE WALKING; GUESTS SHOULD EXPECT VARYING DEGREES OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY. Due to very limited space, we cannot accommodate wheelchairs or walkers. TICKETS ARE NOT REFUNDABLE.

COVID SAFETY MEASURES: We care about the health and safety of those participating in our nature experiences.The bus is sanitized between each tour. Feel free to crack open a window for some airflow. Please stay home if you are not feeling well or have a fever. We do not offer refunds, so if you stay home, please offer your ticket to a friend. 

Optional upgraded accommodations – Cedarmere in the Blue Ridge B&B
We are sleeping overnight at Cedarmere Farm on Tuesday and Wednesday nights.
Camping is included in the ticket price of the trip.
If you prefer to stay inside Cedarmere B&B, please contact Christa at christatatcedarmerefarm@gmail.com to make your reservation. You can stay either in The Farmhouse or The Cottage:
  • The Farmhouse:
    • 1 King Suite ($225per night): 1 King size bed & 1 single bed & private full bath on the first floor; up to 3 adults may share this room.
    • 2 Qween bedrooms ($150 per night per bedroom) with a shared full bath; 1 queen bed in each room on the second floor; up to 2 adults may share each of these 2 rooms.
  • The cottage ($250): small sitting room, 1 King size bed in the loft, indoor half bath, and outdoor shower; up to 2 adults may share this cottage.

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Venue:  

Address:
350 Independence Boulevard, Virginia Beach, Virginia, 23462, United States

  •  October 24, 2023 - October 26, 2023
     6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
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