Living & Recreation: Central Region Winners 2016

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Best Bed and Breakfast

First place: Chestnut Hill Bed and Breakfast, Orange, ChestnutHillBNB.com, 540-661-0430
Explore Charlottesville and Orange while enjoying all the comforts of home. Whether you’re looking for history, adventure, or a romantic retreat, Chestnut Hill ensures that you’re well-informed about things to do in the area, and well-fed with dishes like Grand Marnier orange blossom French toast.

Second place: Walden Hall, Reva, WaldenHall.com, 540-509-1440

Third place: Inn at Willow Grove, Orange, InnAtWillowGrove.com, 540-317-1206

Best “Do Not Miss” Tourist Attraction

First place: Monticello, Charlottesville, Monticello.org, 434-984-9800
Monticello, the neoclassical home and 5,000-acre plantation belonging to our nation’s third president, welcomes more than 400,000 visitors every year. Explore Monticello through a behind-the-scenes tour of the Jefferson family quarters, or attend annual events like the Heritage Harvest Festival, celebrating Jefferson’s agricultural legacy. 

Second place: Maymont, Richmond, Maymont.org, 804-358-7166

Third place: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond, VMFA.museum, 804-340-1405

Best Equestrian Event

First place: Montpelier Hunt Races, Montpelier Station, MontpelierRaces.org, 540-672-0027
It’s been said that in Orange, “you might miss Christmas, but you never miss the Montpelier Races.” Held at the lifelong home of former president James Madison, the event features seven horse races as well as other activities like Jack Russell terrier races, a ladies’ hat competition and stick horse races for kids. 

Second place: Deep Run Horse Show, Manakin-Sabot, DeepRunHorseShow.com, 804-677-5691

Third place: Foxfield Races, Charlottesville, FoxfieldRaces.com, 434-293-9501

Best Fishing Guide Company

First place: Angler’s Lane, Forest, AnglersLane.com, 434-385-0200
Scouting for trout on the Jackson River or fly-fishing for bass on the James can be tricky, which is why Angler’s Lane offers classes for aspiring fishermen. The company’s International Federation of Fly Fishers-certified instructors and experienced guides will help you learn the basics, or for the seasoned angler, direct you to fish-abundant waters. 

Second place: Albemarle Angler, Charlottesville, AlbemarleAngler.com, 434-977-6882

Third place: River Rock Outfitter, Fredericksburg, RiverRockOutfitter.com, 540-372-8708

Best Fishing Outfitter

First place: Bass Pro Shop, Ashland, BassPro.com/Richmond, 804-496-4700
Bass Pro Shop has an extensive stock for saltwater and freshwater fishing. The store possesses the Central region’s largest selection of salt- and freshwater rods, and nearly 5,000 square feet of fly-fishing gear alone in its White River Fly Shop. Just beginning to wade in? Bass Pro Shop offers fishing workshops to sharpen your skills, including 7-week fly-tying courses.  

Second place: Green Top, Ashland, GreenTopHuntFish.com, 804-550-2188

Third place: Orvis, Charlottesville, Orvis.com,  434-975-0210

Best Fitness Program 

First place: X-Team Fitness, Richmond, XTeamFitness.com, 804-920-8086
Break down your traditional expectations of a workout with a program that calls itself the “anti-gym.” X-Team Fitness consists of boot camp-style group workouts at rotating indoor and outdoor locations around Richmond. Designed to make the experience more than just a gym class, X-Team Fitness is a team working towards a goal of overall fitness. 

Second place: Zacharias Ganey Health Institute, Richmond, ZGHealth.com, 804-358-1000

Third place: ReDefine RVA, Richmond, ReDefineRVA.com, 804-213-0000

Best Golf Course

First place: The Federal Club, Glen Allen, TheFederalClub.com, 804-798-4996
The Federal Club’s 18-hole bent grass greens and bluegrass fairways make for a lengthy 7,023 yards of play. The Club will soon add a 25,000-square-foot clubhouse and pro shop to its grounds, including dining rooms and a ballroom, allowing members to unwind and shop or enjoy a meal after a day of play.

Second place: The Country Club of Virginia, Richmond, TheCCV.org, 804-287-1335

Third place: Devil’s Knob at Wintergreen, WintergreenResort.com, 434-325-2200

Best Gym

First place: ACAC, Charlottesville, ACAC.com, 434-984-3800
Founded in 1984, ACAC offers comprehensive health services for the whole family. After working out solo in the fitness center or sweating in a group class, members can take advantage of the club’s spa services, including body wraps and polishes, facials, massages and even alternative healing treatments like Reiki and Craniosacral energy therapies. 

Second place: YMCA Downtown, Richmond, YMCARichmond.org, 804-644-9622

Third place: Gold’s Gym Willow Lawn, Richmond, GoldsGymRVA.com, 804-285-4653

Best Historic Site

First place: Hollywood Cemetery,  Richmond, HollywoodCemetery.org, 804-648-8501
Set atop rolling hills overlooking the James River, Hollywood Cemetery is a Richmond (and national) treasure. Monuments like James Monroe’s Gothic Revival-style tomb, nicknamed “The Birdcage,” the 90-foot Monument to the Confederate Dead and the gravesites of Virginia notables make the cemetery a destination for a day of quiet reflection. 

Second place: Monticello, Charlottesville, Monticello.org, 434-984-9800

Third place: St. John’s Church, Richmond, HistoricStJohnsChurch.org, 804-648-5015

Best Hotel

First place: The Jefferson Hotel, Richmond, JeffersonHotel.com, 804-788-8000
You can’t help but make an entrance worthy of Scarlett O’Hara when you descend the Jefferson’s grand staircase. The hotel’s Beaux-Arts style architecture, premier dining and storied history makes it a must-see for Richmonders and out-of-towners alike, and as it completes the last stages of its extensive guest room renovations this year, it’s a must-stay, too. 

Second place: Craddock Terry Hotel, LynchburgCraddockTerryHotel.com, 434-455-1501

Third place: Quirk Hotel, Richmond, QuirkHotel.com, 804-340-6040

Best Hunting Outfitter

First place: Green Top, Ashland, GreenTopHuntFish.com, 804-550-2188
Since its beginning as a gas station and gun store in 1947, Green Top has grown to offer one of the largest selections of outdoor and hunting equipment in Virginia, including top brands like North Face. If you’re looking to pick up a bow sometime soon, Green Top’s Archery 101 class can get you on target.  

Second place: Bass Pro Shop, Ashland, BassPro.com/Richmond, 804-496-4700

Third place: Dance’s Sporting Goods, Colonial Heights, DancesSportingGoods.com, 804-526-8399

Best Hunting Preserve

First place: Orapax, Goochland, Orapax.com, 804-526-2261
Orapax Hunting Preserve’s 700 acres of forest and marshlands are abundant with quail, duck and pheasant, making the preserve a top area destination for the seasoned hunter. Patrons are welcome to bring their own bird-dogs (areas to train your dog are available year-round). Or, for a small fee, dogs and professional handlers can be provided. 

Second place: Rasawek Hunting Preserve, Goochland, Rasawek.com, 804-467-9000

Third place: Powhatan Wildlife Management Area, DGIF.Virginia.gov, 804-367-1000

Best Outdoor Adventure

First place: James River Park System, Richmond, JamesRiverPark.org, 804-646-8911
RVA is truly wild at heart. The only urban setting to have class III and IV rapids, the city has a hidden wilderness of rivers, rocks and forests that comprise the James River Park System, offering activities for the adventurous hiker, climber or whitewater kayaker as well as for the leisure-seeking sunbather.

Second place: Wintergreen Resort, WintergreenResort.com, 434-325-2200

Third place: X-Team Fitness, Richmond, XTeamFitness.com, 804-920-8086

Best Resort

First place: Wintergreen Resort, WintergreenResort.com, 434-325-2200
Swing clubs and ski the slopes at Wintergreen, a four-season, 11,000-acre resort located in the temperate Blue Ridge Mountains. The resort also offers a month-long summer music festival, featuring  lectures, seminars and full orchestra performances each weekend.  

Second place: Keswick Hall, Keswick.com, 434-979-3440

Third place: Boar’s Head Inn, Charlottesville, BoarsHeadInn.com, 434-296-2181

Best Retirement Community

First place: Westminster Canterbury, Richmond, WCRichmond.org, 804-264-6000
Since 1975, Westminster Canterbury has provided affordable care through its fellowship program, awarding $3.9 million in assistance last year. The community unlocks residents’ creativity through classes and stimulates their minds through regular artistic performances and exhibitions, such as those from the Richmond Symphony and the Virginia Opera. 

Second place: The Summit, Lynchburg, SummitLynchburg.com, 434-582-1500

Third place: Covenant Woods, Mechanicsville, CovenantWoods.com, 804-569-8716

Best Summer Camp

First place: Passages Adventure Camp, Midlothian, PassagesRVA.com, 804-897-8283
“No whining” is Passages Adventure Camp’s motto, but after a day of whitewater kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, rappelling and wilderness survival training, you’d be hard pressed to find an unhappy camper anyway. Kids spend their days exploring Belle Isle or mastering more advanced wilderness skills outside of Richmond at the overnight camp. 

Second place: Grymes Memorial School, Orange, GrymesSchool.org, 540-672-1010

Third place: Richmond Traditional Martial Arts, Mechanicsville, RTMAOnline.com, 804-730-0905