Culpeper

Less than an hour north of C-ville, Culpeper's old downtown has plenty of character. It even has its own trolley. On the corner of North Main and East Davis, The Frost Cafe seemed like the perfect place to grab a bite. Other customers seemed to be enjoying the malts. I chose the pulled pork BBQ sandwich with cole slaw. Both were excellent. They are made on site, but the waitress couldn't tell me much about the ingredients. "The mexicans make it," she said. The Frost Cafe is more proof that if travelling down 29, it pays to pass by the fast food chains along the highway.

Animal Collective

Last night, AC played a sold out show at the Satellite Ballroom. That such a following exists in central Virginia came as a surprise. In their live show they have a tendency to repeat a short musical idea until it morphs into something completely different and eventually the next song. Hypnotic tribal psychedelia never sounded so good.

Giraffe

Short Films by Females

The Bridge PAI hosted the last in their spring film series tonight. Their was a sampling of films from female directors. They ranged from the funny Jane Campion character portraits to the sex-infused Martha Colburn montages. That something like this is going on in the small town of C-ville is fantastic. And through the weekend Jason Polan will be drawing giraffes that can be purchased for $1 each. The question is how many to buy.

Michael's Bistro

Michael's Bistro and Taphouse sits atop the middle of the UVA corner, located above Little John's. The balcony is Michael's greatest architectural asset. Its beer selection remains its greatest culinary contribution. The other night NFC chose a Guinness and a Saxo blonde. The Guinness may seem a safe bet, but outside of the irish pub it is quite a gamble. Convinced it is the frequency of keg changes which is a function of usual Guinness drinkers, a good rule of thumb is not to order a Guinness where the usual customer would settle for a Bud light or Yuengling. As for the Caracole Saxo, this is an incredible beer. Citrus, check. Refreshing, check. Tempted to test the rest of Michael's extensive beer selection, check. Even if all the outdoor tables are taken (there are only four), this upstairs loft space is an excellent location to enjoy a beer and even a bison burger.

Amtrak

From the old red Amtrak station in Charlottesville you can leave on a bus or a train. The station is slung along main street, sunken next to a segment of road that spans the northbound tracks. A train is preferred but those running north to D.C. are always hours late. Why this can't be factored into the schedule is a mystery. What's left is taking a bus, operated by Greyhound, although the tickets can be purchased through Amtrak. Greyhound specializes in nausea and rudeness. Although I was humming "all gone to look for america", not all passengers find this mode of transportation as romantic.

Returning on the train is much more reliable. Manassas, Culpeper, C-ville the train approaches from the east. Once over the Rivanna, neighborhoods and downtown slide by, and if Foxfield races or graduation happens on that weekend, expect a crowd to be waiting.