From JamBase.com:

Last night Gov’t Mule brought the U.S. portion of their “20 Years Strong” tour to Innsbrook After Hours in Glen Allen, VA; where Blackberry Smoke kicked off the festivities. Unfortunately for the Mule fans on hand, a storm passed through the area around the venue, which forced an early end to Wednesday night’s show.

Warren Haynes and Co. had made it through nine songs and were in the middle of a Drums segment, when concertgoers were told to go to their cars as a bad storm was approaching. Attendees and organizers were hoping the show could continue at some point, but eventually a decision was made after a delay of about an hour to end the concert. “We apologize for the electrical storm last night which cut into Mule’s set. Always keeping our patrons safety in mind, our public safety officials and police decided to evacuate the premises. We apologize for any inconvenience,” venue officials posted on the Innsbrook After Hours Facebook page.

From JamBands.com:

Gov’t Mule were forced to cut their show short last night due to bad weather. The band was ten songs into their set at Innsbrook After Hours in Glen Allen, VA when venue officials told fans to go back to their cars because an electrical storm was approaching. As of now, neither the band nor the venue have announced any kind of refund or make up date for the abruptly cancelled show.

Gov’t Mule – “Captured”

Gov’t Mule – “Wine and Blood”

Gov’t Mule – “Mule”

The post Gov’t Mule – August 20, 2014 – Innsbrook After Hours, Richmond, VA Review and Setlist first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

If you’re just interested in the basics, the Monticello Day Pass and House Tour is the one for you ($25 March-October, $18 November-February, $8 for kids under 11). With this ticket, you can tour the first floor of the 33-room house as well as all day on the grounds. If you want a more in-depth experience, you can purchase the Behind-the-Scenes Tour and Day Pass ($45 year-round for all ages). This tour includes all of the Day Pass plus the upstairs. But, be careful, this tour is only offered at 11:30am and 2:30pm daily.

Once you’ve parked, you’ll walk just a little ways up-hill to the Thomas Jefferson Visitors Center. After you’ve purchased your tickets, head up the steps to the shuttle stop.

Monticello is one of those historic places that takes you back in time… and then makes you feel like you’ve been among the greats… Although not all would classify Thomas Jefferson as one of “the greats,” none can argue that he was years – centuries – ahead of his time. And there’s no better illustration than the home that he designed and orchestrated every little detail.  The gorgeous mansion (the only American home to make the prestigious UN’s World Heritage Site’s list) stands on top of the hill as a reminder of the time gone by, but mostly as a reminder of the pure genius of Jefferson. And, even though the US is only just over 300 years old, this house stands as a reminder of the long history our country has seen.

The house, designed by our third president, is a jaw-dropping museum. Not only is the house absolutely breath-taking, but also the details and ideas that Jefferson thought to add to the house more than 300 years ago would be surprising even in today’s technology-driven era. First, there’s a “great clock” in the entrance hall. Not only does the clock go from ceiling to floor and then back up again (on the other side of the room), but it also keeps track of the days. A conversation-starter, for sure. Then, because Jefferson liked to write so much, he used a polygraph machine to copy what he was writing almost simultaneously using a set of mechanical pens.

Bottom line? You have to see this place firsthand. And, there’s a bonus. There are plenty of vineyards within a stone’s throw from the mansion. So, when you’ve tired of wondering how he thought of every last detail, head through the countryside to spend what’s rest of your afternoon tasting Virginian wine with a view.

Check out photos from our trip to Monticello below.

Shuttle Stop

Another view of the house

Grounds tour (the kitchen)

Before our trek back down the mountain, we tried Monticello’s own root beer.

The post Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello – Charlottesville, Virginia first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

While the snow has stopped, it sounds like the damage has been done and the frigid temperatures are here to stay. Our suggestion for the weekend? A weekend trip to hit the ski slopes now that they’ve all been coated with feet and feet of fresh powder! Here are the ski slopes that were best affected by the winter weather:

West Virginia fared exceptionally well in this lineup (that’s the first–and last– time I’ll ever say that WV fared well at something). Take a look at the map, at least 3 resorts are less than a 3 hr drive from the Baltimore/DC area. Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and even New York are also within 2-3 hours drive of a resort.

• Timberline Four Seasons – West Virginia – 7″+ past 3 days
• Snowshoe Mountain Resort – West Virginia – 18″+ past 3 days
• Canaan Valley Resort – West Virginia – 12″+ past 3 days
• Wisp Resort – Maryland – 10″+ past 3 days
• Kissing Bridge – New York – 9″+ past 3 days
• Sugar Mountain – North Carolina – 8″+ past 3 days
• Beech Mountain – North Carolina – 7″+ past 3 days
• Bryce Resort – Virginia – 8″+ past 3 days
• Whitetail Resort – Pennsylvania – 7″+ past 3 days
• Roundtop Mountain Resort – Pennsylvania – 8″+ past 3 days
• Get latest data and conditions of other resorts here: http://www.onthesnow.com/skireport.html

BOTTOM LINE: Get out this weekend and hit the slopes! I just wouldn’t suggest drinking the water if you find yourself in WV:

The post Weekend Pick: The Best Way to Escape the Winter Storm first appeared on Weekend Blitz.

201 E Main St, Charlottesville, VA
Latin American
$$$ – Entrees $19-27

We were in Charlottesville not so long ago and really loved exploring the area. The city, like Charleston, has plenty of historical sites and also a fun, “hip” scene, too. We spent a lot of time window shopping along the Downtown Mall, and decided there was no better place to have dinner than there.

Zocalo is located right on the main pedestrian street with a huge outdoor patio. Fall is the perfect time for the patio so we waited a few minutes for a table then sat right down for some people watching.

One look at the menu, and Jeffrey and I couldn’t decide what to eat – it all looked so good.  And, it turns out…we were right. This was some of the best food we’ve had in a long time.

The pork we ordered, MOJO GRILLED PORK PORTERHOUSE ($23), was juicy and delicious, cooked in a broth with chili.  The pineapple on top brought out a distinct Caribbean flavor.  Served on top of collards and braised in chorizo… perfect.  The sweet potatoes on the side were good and natural – not sugary.  This entree was a mix between Mexican and Caribbean flavor, done well.

MOJO GRILLED PORK PORTERHOUSE ($23)

Next, the SEARED DUCK BREAST ($24) was almost as great as the pork.  Cooked with lots of broth and topped with cherries and raisins, it was very sweet and dense– but light at the same time.  While delicious, I’d have to say the pork won. And how could we forget manchego & caramelized onion bread pudding?

SEARED DUCK BREAST ($24)

BOTTOM LINE: I can’t recommend this restaurant enough. So, if you’re in Charlottesville, make this a must-stop on your list.

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1st Stay: Booked Traditional, 2 Queens and “upgraded” to Club Floor, 2 Queens which is really only an upgrade by name only. Other than free bottled water, it means nothing at all.

2nd Stay: Booked Traditional King and asked for a Suite at check-in and was initially told that they didn”t have any, but was then told that it was being cleaned and that I could try back around 4pm if I wanted to wait. I was in no hurry so I said that was fine. Received an”Accessible suite: King Bed, Non-smoking, 714 sq ft / 66 m².”

Room: Both rooms I’ve stayed in, one in older, main tower, and the other in the secondary tower, have been newly remodeled Sheraton rooms.

1st Stay: Traditional, 2 Queens: Room was in great shape, no complaints at all.

2nd Stay: Accessible Suite: The suite was huge, beds comfortable and all around a better than the average Sheraton experience. Large living room with wet bar, sofa bed, 2 balconies and view overlooking airport.

Living room of “Accessible suite: King Bed”

Bathroom: Bathrooms, like the rooms, were in great shape. Just like any newly constructed or newly renovated Sheraton.

Gym: Gym is very big and nice, it was clean & fresh feeling with lots of natural light from the floor-to-ceiling windows.

Property: Indoor and outdoor pools. Sprawling campus. Really can’t say enough how nice it is. Seems to be older Mountain Lodge/Conference center recently turned into a Starwood property.

Restaurant: Shula’s 347 Grill is new, too — built about 2 years ago. Great food, I had the Salmon Special and ordered it medium. It arrived perfectly cooked and seasoned. I chose asparagus as the side, and it came with a great balsamic glaze drizzle. Simply steamed veggies. The craft beer list is nothing short of phenomenal. VERY well done for a hotel lobby restaurant.

Large fireplace in lobby

Breakfast restaurant

“Traditional, 2 Queens” Room

Bathroom: “Traditional, 2 Queens” Room

“Traditional, 2 Queens” Room

Indoor pool

Outdoor pool

Awesome beer selection at Shula’s 347 Grill

The Sheraton and Shula’s

Above-average gym

“Accessible suite: King Bed”

Bedroom of “Accessible suite: King Bed”

Large bathroom “Accessible suite: King Bed”

View from balcony of “Accessible suite: King Bed”

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UVA and Charlottesville, Virginia

South Holston Dam near Bristol, Tennessee

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