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arterra winery virginia
September 11, 2020

Day Date

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On Monday, Matt and I had a big treat: a day date!   

hiking day date

We have a sitter coming on Mondays again, and she wanted to come on this Monday even though it was a holiday, so Matt and I decided since he had off work that I’d take the day off too so we could have a little adults-only adventure!

We started with a chill morning at home and a yummy outdoor breakfast with Riese before our sitter arrived. 

outdoor brunch

And then Matt and I drove out to Sky Meadows State Park for part one of our day date adventure: a hike! We picked up Italian sandwiches on the way (I ended up eating mine in the car because I got hungry on the way there, so no nice trail + sandwich shot) and also packed some carrots, peppers, etc. to snack on. 

The parking area at Sky Meadows was packed, but thankfully once we got onto the trails we had them to ourselves! We chose the hardest trail on purpose figuring it’d be empty because most people had kids with them – we were right! 

hiking in sky meadows state park

We did a 5 mile loop that included Rolling Meadows Trail… 

sky meadows state park hike

And Lost Mountain Trail. The route started out as a pretty pasture hike (we loaded up on Nature Spray (affiliate link) and thankfully didn’t find any ticks on us) before heading into the woods for more of a traditional trail. 

There were some pretty views at the top – we finagled this self-timer photo using a bench to prop up my phone. 🙂 It definitely took a few tries!

hiking lost mountain trail

It was a bit hot in the sun but overall a lovely day for a hike, and so nice to get out there with my best guy. We always love hiking together and don’t usually get to do longer trails anymore!

We’re looking forward to taking Riese on more hikes again this fall as the weather cools down… it’s been too hot to do much hiking until recently! 

yellow flowers in sky meadows state park

We finished the hike with a couple more hours to kill so I looked up nearby wineries and breweries; Arterra Wines was right nearby and had good reviews, so we headed there. 

It ended up being really lovely – a super small winery nestled in the woods up a steep gravel road. It felt so secluded and relaxing, and it wasn’t crowded at all so it was easy for us to snag a table. They have servers come to you to take your wine orders (vs. going up to a central bar), so we relaxed at our table and shared a wine flight to decide what wine to get. We also shared some cheese, chips, and peanuts! 

Check out the view from our table – it was stunning!

arterra winery virginia

Such a treat of a day. 

I hope you guys have a nice weekend, and that you try my Zesty Italian Pasta Salad Recipe. 🙂

Also, before I go, I wanted to share that I’m interviewed on the Strength Running Podcast this week!

My Nutrition for Runners program co-author, Jason, who is a running coach, is the podcast host, and if you want to learn more about how to fuel for running, check out the episode. There are more details in his latest blog post. I hope you find the episode helpful! 

I will see you back here on Monday – until then, my friends. 

p.s. 9/11/01 – never forget <3

- anne
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10 comments
  • Ana September 11, 2020 · 12:25PM:
    What a lovely day!
    Reply
  • Roadrunner September 11, 2020 · 12:29PM:
    Wow, what a nice day, with all the elements present - outdoor family breakfast, a great hike, and wine tasting while enjoying a lovely view. Wonderful!
    Reply
  • Karishma September 11, 2020 · 1:23PM:
    Labor Day 2016 my husband and I went to Sky Meadows State Park & Arterra Winery! It's such a perfect combination right? Also Sky Meadows State Park is such a gem!
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 11, 2020 · 4:50PM:
      Oh no way! That's awesome! It really was a great combo. :)
      Reply
  • Roadrunner September 12, 2020 · 8:44AM:
    P.S. I really enjoyed the podcast you did with Jason on The Strength Running podcast, Anne. Very informative and great answers to the questions that had been submitted.
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 14, 2020 · 10:18AM:
      Thank you, glad you found it useful and informative!
      Reply
  • Cindy Mitchell September 13, 2020 · 6:19AM:
    Such a fulfilling day! We need all of those we can get, especially now. You inspire me to try to arrange one soon. I smiled at Riese's several breakfast cups. :)
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 14, 2020 · 10:18AM:
      Thanks Cindy! And yes, Riese loves having many drink options at each meal, haha. No wonder we run the dishwasher so often!
      Reply
  • Lisa of Lisa's Yarns
    September 14, 2020 · 12:56PM:
    Fun! We did a day date for our anniversary back in May. I had the whole day off as I had a dr appt that morning and my husband took the afternoon off. We went on a hike at a local state park. It was the perfect way to celebrate our anniversary. I'm hoping we can do that one more time before the cold weather sets in. We don't have family close by that can care for our son so that's our only option for time together w/out the little guy! And I know life will change again for all of us in December so I figure we better squeeze in one more afternoon together at a state park.
    Reply
    • Anne
      September 14, 2020 · 1:11PM:
      Sounds lovey - hiking dates are my fave!
      Reply
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anne mauney fannetastic food
Hi, I’m Anne! I'm a Washington D.C. based Registered Dietitian, mother, runner, and lover of travel, adventure, and the great outdoors. I've been blogging since 2009, sharing a mix of lifestyle content, recipes, and fitness tips. Come for the recipes – stay for the fun!
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anne mauney

I’m Anne, a Registered Dietitian and mother. I've been blogging since 2009 and love showing others that eating nutritious foods and staying active can actually be fun rather than overwhelming!

When I’m not writing or cooking for fannetastic food, you can find me running, coaching nutrition clients, or on an adventure with my family. Feel free to reach out - I'd love to hear from you!

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