Cole's grandma, Zona, enjoys the hard apple cider at Blue Mountain Brewery.

During Cole's fall break, we welcomed visitors form Nebraska — Cole's grandparents, Dan and Zona. Day one of touring took us along the Blue Ridge Mountains to the Blue Mountain Brewery, quite a fitting name. The place buzzed with activity on the rainy day, but we eventually got a seat and ordered a flight of tiny beers to try. Personally, I sipped one, wrinkled up my face and then gulped water to get rid of the taste. I just can't stand the golden liquid. Cole sipped with indifference. Luckily, Zona enjoyed the hard apple cider and Dan braved the variety of beers.

A line of 10 beers arrives for tasting.

Magically, they are all gone, almost. I was told the lingering glass had a pee after taste...

Great place to visit, even if you don't like beer. The food was delicious, especially the fries.

Next, we braved the rain and traveled to the orchard. Cole and I visited this same apple mecca last fall. Not much had changed; it offered the same tasty treats and apple picking choices. Our plunder continues to vanish as long as carmel is stocked in the cupboard.

Lots of apples ready to pick in the foggy, rainy orchard.

Cole finds a good one.

Not sure I was too helpful.

A few, I would say mostly from poor picking abilities, already sat on the ground.

On more adventures, we traveled to Richmond to see the state capitol. Not doing itself any beauty favors at the moment, the front is covered up for renovations. But ... I suppose when completed, it will look nice. We walked around on the multiple floors. While not as fancy as Pennsylvania's capitol that we visited this summer, the building is bursting with history.

The front columns hide during renovations.

Cole hangs out with John Marshall.

The inside shined with class and history.

A tour group packs around George Washington's statue.

At the top of the hill stood a statue featuring many prominent people, but I simply captured the top and Washington on this sky blue day.

After that tour, we drove down Monument Avenue. I don't have picture from the most recent visit, but you can view them at my first battlefield blog post. They are near the end.

For the last part of my adventures with Cole's grandparents, we visited Maymont. It's a fancy American estate, which is closed on Mondays — our day of visiting. So, we glanced around the property, saw a few carriages and sleighs and then headed back to Charlottesville.

Pretty home that we couldn't go inside :(

Dan, Cole and Zona walk around Maymont. Thanks for visiting!