Romantic Valentine’s Day Weekend in Lynchburg

H and I wanted to do something romantic for our first Valentine’s Day as a married couple, which was also, coincidentally, our six-month wedding anniversary. We decided to do a special weekend trip to one of our favorite destinations—Lynchburg, VA! We stayed at the Virginian Hotel downtown and planned a whole weekend of socially distanced activities, including wine tasting in a private igloo.

The Virginian Hotel

We drove to Lynchburg after work on Friday and stayed the night with my parents—we wanted to sneak in a quick visit with them before our Valentine’s Day plans on Saturday. The next day, we hung out with them in the morning and then checked in at the Virginian downtown. We had been to the Skyline rooftop bar there before, but this was our first time staying at the hotel. Our suite was so luxurious, with views of downtown from every window, a full living room, and a gorgeous bathroom with a huge freestanding bathtub. The rooms were decorated with a mix of modern furniture and historically inspired details like the built-in wardrobes in the bedroom, which I made full use of by unpacking all of my outfits for the weekend.

Wine Tasting at Reserve

Although we were tempted to stay in our room, we bundled up and ventured into the cold for the walk to Reserve, a wine bar on the Riverwalk. We sat outside at a table with an inset gas fire (perfect for warming up our hands after the walk) for a wine tasting, then ordered mugs of mulled wine. I had wanted to try Reserve for a while and it was definitely worth the wait. For our daytime date, I wore a gray bodysuit, jeans, and snakeskin ankle boots, topped with a pink J Crew coat and a white pom-pom beanie for warmth. This coat is one of my favorites and it makes any look Valentine’s Day-ready!

Dinner

We had planned to have dinner at the rooftop restaurant, but it had started raining since we walked back from Reserve and the patio was closed, so we had dinner in our suite instead. I’m sure you’re imagining room service and candlelight, but in actuality we ordered pizza (weirdly the pizza place was less than a block away so we picked it up), changed into pajamas, and watched a movie! I had brought these pink silky pajamas for lounging around the suite, which were perfect for our evening in.

Pippin Hill Igloo

After a leisurely morning drinking coffee in bed, we checked out of the hotel and headed north to Pippin Hill, my favorite Charlottesville winery. Their tasting room and lawn have the best view of the mountains, and when we pulled up and saw the igloos dotted across the lawn, one of which would be ours for the next two hours, I could hardly contain my excitement. To make things even more picturesque, the landscape was covered with a light dusting of snow! We settled into our heated, private igloo and ordered the wine tasting with the chocolate pairing—it was Valentine’s Day after all. The wine and chocolate were incredible, and we relaxed and enjoyed the beautiful view from our igloo.

I wanted to wear something classic and feminine, but still warm, for our winery visit, so I settled on a pink roll-neck sweater, jeans, and brown ankle boots accessorized with a black watch scarf and oversized leather tote and topped off with this adorable white coat. I love a winter white moment, even if I have to bring a second coat for a weekend trip to make it happen!

This was such a fun getaway! Even though we have been to Lynchburg many times, we loved staying somewhere new. The location was great for walking around downtown, despite the chilly weather, and our stop at Pippin Hill on the way home was the perfect day-of Valentine’s Day experience.

What is your ideal Valentine’s Day getaway? Would you try the Virginian? Let me know in the comments!