Charlottesville, Virginia has it All Including Maggie King!

The picturesque city of Charlottesville, Virginia and neighboring Albemarle County, situated along the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, is a mecca for historians, writers, music lovers, foodies, wine connoisseurs, outdoor enthusiasts—just about everyone!

My husband and I moved to Charlottesville (locally dubbed Cville) from Southern California in 1996. My companion for the cross country flight was Shammy, my beautiful calico. I had to stow her under the seat in front of me. Needless to say, the whole adventure was not to her liking. Glen stayed behind to close up the house and arrived in Charlottesville by car five days later. I got a job in IT at the University of Virginia (UVA). So began our life in Virginia.

During the six years we lived there (we moved down the road to Richmond in 2002) I enjoyed taking visitors around to the historic sites. Monticello, Thomas Jefferson’s mountaintop home, is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site that draws thousands of U.S. and international visitors annually. Jefferson, third U.S. president and author of the Declaration of Independence, planned and designed his beautiful home.

In addition to Monticello, Jefferson also designed the “Academical Village”: the Rotunda and adjoining Pavilions that form The Lawn at UVA. Located in the heart of Charlottesville, the Academical Village is also a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Ash Lawn-Highland, the nearby residence of the fifth U.S. president, James Monroe, offers a model of a working farm and estate. A thirty minute drive takes you to Montpelier, the beautiful home of James Madison, U.S. President #4.

Learn more about early-American history with a walking tour of downtown Charlottesville. Visit the Jefferson School African American Heritage Center, a community resource that is preserving the legacy of African American history in Charlottesville and Albemarle County.  

Back to the present day, Charlottesville is well-known for its vibrant music scene. Big names sell out the 15,000 seat John Paul Jones Arena. I had the privilege of seeing the Rolling Stones at Scott Stadium in 2005 and the Dave Matthews band in 2001 (Dave Matthews created his band in Charlottesville).

The historic and beautifully-restored Paramount Theatre on the Historic Downtown Mall is one of the many smaller venues that showcase well-known performers as well as emerging artists.   

Visitors can enjoy a variety of festivals and events year round. The annual Virginia Film Festival draws movie buffs and big names like Morgan Freeman, Sandra Bullock, and Anthony Hopkins.  The Virginia Festival of the Book celebrates literature during several days of events. When I lived in Charlottesville, I volunteered each year at this festival. As an author, I have returned to serve on panels. Twice a year, a steeplechase event called the Foxfield Races attracts fans to Albemarle County. April brings Historic Garden Week, a weeklong tour of Virginia's most beautiful gardens, homes and historic landmarks.

If you’re a Nancy Drew devotee (present or former), you remember that Nancy and her friends once traveled to Charlottesville during Historic Garden Week. Along with stunning gardens, they visited Monticello. This is recounted in The Hidden Window Mystery, one of my favorite Nancy stories.

Visitors will have a hard time choosing from an extensive list of fine restaurants. And the area abounds with wineries and small-batch breweries. Mystery writer Mary Miley owns Valley Road Vineyards in western Albemarle County.

Just beyond the city, undeveloped forest, plenty of open space, and scenic vistas offer a relaxing drive over hills and low mountains. Hiking, biking, camping, golfing, horseback riding, tubing, canoeing, kayaking and rafting are also options. Or choose a “loftier” activity, like hot air ballooning, high ropes courses, and skydiving. Come winter, there’s first-rate skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing.

Shenandoah National Park is a short drive away. Nestled among the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, the park features trails that lead hikers to cascading waterfalls, incredible vistas, and the quiet of the woods. Many bird species, deer, and black bear live on thousands of acres of protected lands. 

A few years before we moved to Virginia, Glen and I drove through the park along Skyline Drive. When we stopped at Skyland for dinner, we heard that a storm was coming our way and we decided to stay the night at Skyland’s lodge. Sitting outside on the porch watching the storm was a special time and I’m sure that was when the idea of moving to Virginia came to us. 

Charlottesville abounds with bookstores. There aren’t quite as many as there were when I lived there, but Daedalus Bookshop, Blue Whale Books, Read It Again Sam, and the New Dominion Bookshop still line the Historic Downtown Mall. You’ll find more bookstores throughout the region.

The first thing I did when I arrived in Charlottesville was to register for a writing course at UVA, launching the creative writing leg of my career. Two women taught the course and they were extremely encouraging and supportive of their students. I wish I remembered their names. In that class, I started the story that would evolve countless times until its birth as Murder at the Book Group.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Charlottesville’s recent heartbreaking troubles. As you probably know, on August 12, 2017, A ”Unite the Right” rally converged first on Mr. Jefferson’s The Lawn at UVA, and then in the downtown area.  White Nationalists clashed with counter-demonstrators over the removal of a statue of Confederate icon General Robert E. Lee. When a car ploughed into the crowd, counter-protester Heather Heyer was killed and a number of others injured. 

Glen and I visited Charlottesville on September 4, a peaceful, beautiful day. Now the statue of Robert E. Lee is covered with a tarp. A memorial tribute to Heather Heyer remained on the corner where she was killed.  Charlottesville grieves, but remains strong in spirit. 

On October 7, White Nationalists held another torch-lit rally on The Lawn. This gathering was smaller than the August 12 one, and no violence occurred.  

If you haven’t visited Charlottesville, put it on your bucket list. I’d be thrilled to show you around. There are many websites devoted to the region, but I think Wikipedia is the most comprehensive: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlottesville,_Virginia

I’m sure you’ll agree that Charlottesville has it all!

I’m giving away a copy of Murder at the Book Group, my debut mystery. Leave a comment for your change to win.  Please include a form of contact. 

Here’s more about  Maggie King:  the author of the Hazel Rose Book Group mysteries, including Murder at the Book Group and Murder at the Moonshine Inn. She has contributed stories to the Virginia is for Mysteries anthologies and to the 50 Shades of Cabernet anthology. 

Maggie is a member of Sisters in Crime, James River Writers, and the American Association of University Women. She has worked as a software developer, retail sales manager, and customer service supervisor. Maggie graduated from Elizabeth Seton College and earned a B.S. degree in Business Administration from Rochester Institute of Technology. She has called New Jersey, Massachusetts, and California home. These days she lives in Richmond, Virginia with her husband, Glen, and cats, Morris and Olive. She enjoys reading, walking, movies, traveling, theatre, and museums.

Website: http://www.maggieking.com

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