Erika Howsare, Author at C-VILLE Weekly

Living

Star-struck: For a planetarium visit and so much more, Harrisonburg is out of this world

Some day trips have a singular purpose (i.e., “We’re going to the zoo!”), while others consist of a medley of experiences in the same general location. My family’s recent Saturday in Harrisonburg was one of the gumbo type. My husband and I and our girls, ages 5 and 8, saw a planetarium show, then visited […]

Erika Howsare | February 6, 2019

Living

Mummy outing: A day with kids at the VMFA (and other places)

It’s worth it to drive to Richmond on a rainy day. It might actually be the best time to make the trip—instead of moping around home or doing errands, you defy the weather and make a bold strike for the capital city. After all, there’s lots to do there. Like, mummy-viewing—which was enough to get […]

Erika Howsare | December 5, 2018

Living

Chip chip hooray: Exploring the Valley’s light, crispy attractions

Believe it or not, there are some things Charlottesville still doesn’t have, which is a great reason to get out of town now and then. Another great reason is that many towns within striking distance of Charlottesville are attractive and thriving. When a friend and I, with our combined five kids, pulled into Harrisonburg on […]

Erika Howsare | October 24, 2018

Living

Into the cavern: At Luray, there are so many reasons to stay

Tourist trap: It’s such an ugly term. Of course there’s reason to beware of over-hyped destinations. But—especially with kids in tow—there’s also a certain enjoyment in surrendering, now and then, to the spectacle. I don’t know of anyplace in Virginia where that’s a truer statement than at Luray Caverns. The Caverns, as our guide on […]

Erika Howsare | September 19, 2018

Living

The producers: Meet the locals who are taking the plunge into farming

Why did the farmer win an award? Because she was outstanding in her field. Well—all jesting aside—probably not. If she was anything like the real farmers of Albemarle and neighboring counties, she was just as likely to be found working a job in town as spending time on her land. And when she was in […]

Erika Howsare | August 29, 2018

Living

Day trip: A day with kids in the museums of Richmond

We’re lucky to have Richmond. As a mid-size city, it can offer certain things that Charlottesville doesn’t, but it’s small enough that it’s simple to navigate. And when I took my kids there recently, I was surprised—as I often am—at how easy it is to get there. That’s not even counting I-64, which might be […]

Erika Howsare | July 11, 2018

Living

Day trip: The Frontier Culture Museum brings history home

Just like America, the Frontier Culture Museum in Staunton is big, complicated and beautiful. It’s one of my favorite places to take my two girls—a museum where almost anything can be touched and very little is written down. Creative writing professors often exhort students to “show, don’t tell,” and this museum nails that concept, presenting […]

Erika Howsare | June 13, 2018

Living

The Quarry Gardens at Schuyler are living proof that something old can be made new again

There’s a sardine can in Schuyler that holds decades of history. Imagine, sometime in the mid-20th century, a worker sitting down to eat lunch on the ground. He unrolls the top from a can of sardines and eats the fish, then maybe stretches out for a brief nap in the sun. When it’s time to […]

Erika Howsare | June 1, 2018

Living

Day trip: Adventuring with kids in our nation’s capital

Before I tell you all about taking your kids on a day trip to Washington, D.C.—one of the best destinations there is—I’ll admit right upfront that such a trip is exhausting. But here’s my secret for making it exhilarating too: Leave your car outside the city and ride the Metro in. It’ll break up the […]

Erika Howsare | May 23, 2018

Abode Magazines

The big update: Scott Weiss creates a farmhouse’s new wing

With six previous renovations under their belts, Frank and Rebecca Gristina had lots of practice sizing up old houses. When Rebecca, accompanied by her mother, came to see a 1906 farmhouse in western Albemarle, she quickly noticed promising signs. This was despite the fact that the place had been uninhabited and was so uninviting that […]

Erika Howsare | September 12, 2017