From Washington's Mt. Vernon to Jefferson's Monticello, America was Virginia-made. But if you're in the DC region for the 250th celebrations and intend to visit these two hallowed sites, don't take the highway. Take this revolutionary road trip from the capital to Charlottesville via Loudoun, DC's Wine Country®, an evergreen land of vine-crossed river valleys, scenic horse farms and historic towns and villages just 25 miles west of DC. Make these essential Loudoun stops en route.

Old Farm Winery at Hartland, Fleetwood Road

Visitors at picnic tables on the lawn outside the barn tasting room at Old Farm Winery in Loudoun

Loudoun is home to more than 50 wineries and tasting rooms, including this 35-acre estate on a farm dating back to before the Revolution. Toast your arrival with a glass of winemaker Kendell Anderson's Blanc de Blancs sparkling in the restored tasting room barn and be sure to take a bottle of his acclaimed 2020 Cab Franc to go.

Hammerdown BBQ, Route 50

Five minutes from Old Farm, as you take Route 50 west, is this classic roadside BBQ joint from chef-owner Ken Soo Hoo. A US Marine veteran, Ken started doing BBQ from a food truck at local farmers markets and, by 2017, had become so popular he opened this rustic-chic farmhouse-style restaurant. Tuck into succulent brisket, juicy St. Louis-style ribs or tender smoked chicken with cups of iced tea and marvel at the eclectic collection of old foundry plates, wagon wheels and antique brass door knockers on the walls.

Gilbert's Corner Farmers Market, Route 50 & 15

Time your trip for a weekend morning and this popular farmers market at the intersection of Route 50 and 15 has vendors selling everything from coffee, breads, cakes and pastries to kettle corn, fruit, veg, meats, BBQ and smash burgers. The property is also the site of a Wegmeyer Farms pick-your-own strawberries and sunflower patch. Route 15 is a scenic north-south blacktop that connects sites such as Gettysburg Battlefield, James Monroe's Oak Hill and James Madison's Montpelier.

Aldie Mill Historic Park, Route 50

Aldie Mill Historic Park

Staying on Route 50, but the other side of Route 15, don't miss this restored roadside grist mill, now a public park. Built 1807–1809, the fifth President James Monroe, who farmed at Oak Hill a few miles north after his presidency, was an early customer. Two tandem metal waterwheels within the four-story stone structure power the mill, and on weekend tours between April and October, you can get a live demonstration. Aldie was also the birthplace of John Champe, Sergeant Major in the Continental Army, whom George Washington charged with infiltrating enemy lines to capture the traitor Benedict Arnold. A plaque honors Champe on the roadside ahead.

Chrysalis Vineyards at the Ag District, Route 50

Aerial view of vine rows stretching across rolling farmland at Chrysalis Vineyards in Loudoun with wooded hills beyond

Loudoun was such fertile farmland that George Washington hailed it as "The Breadbasket of the Revolution." Toast those agricultural roots over a crisp glass of Viognier or Norton, the Virginia grape, at award-winning Chrysalis Vineyards at the Ag District. On top of the fine wines, the 412-acre farm conservation zone has a creamery producing superb European-style cheeses and a bakery that makes bread (and pizza) from grain grown on the land.

Mt. Defiance Cidery & Distillery, Middleburg

Restored wood barn exterior with covered porch and outdoor seating at Mt Defiance Cidery and Distillery in Middleburg, Loudoun

As you are about to enter Middleburg, America's horse and hunt capital, this artisanal cidery and distillery in a restored barn appears hillside to the left. On top of craft cider made from Virginia apples, the facility focuses on "lost spirits" — classic liquors that fell out of fashion in post-Prohibition America, such as cassis, rum, apple brandy, gin nouveau and smoked whiskey. Chief distiller Peter Ahlf, a former NASA rocket scientist, also does a craft tequila and a 140-proof Absinthe Supérieure based on a 19th-century French recipe.

Red Fox Inn & Tavern, Middleburg

Historic fieldstone exterior of the Red Fox Inn and Tavern on the main street of Middleburg in Loudoun

In 1728, settler Joseph Chinn, a cousin of George Washington, turned his rustic fieldstone home on an old Indian trail into an "ordinary" — a tavern for travelers. Located in the heart of Middleburg and known today as the Red Fox Inn & Tavern, it's one of the longest continually operating inns in the nation and has hosted the likes of Jackie Kennedy, Elizabeth Taylor, Robert Duvall and — back in the day — Washington himself. Check into one of its 22 rooms, suites or cottages, stroll the picturesque town and enjoy sublime seasonal farm-to-table cuisine in either The Tavern downstairs or The Night Fox Pub above.

The National Sporting Library & Museum, Middleburg

Bronze horse sculpture in foreground outside the National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg, Loudoun

Middleburg is known as America's horse and hunt capital and this extraordinary museum on the west side of town is a must-visit. Established in 1954, it's the nation's leading resource on the literature, art and culture of equestrian pursuits, angling and field sports. Its gallery features permanent and rotating paintings, sculpture and photography exhibits, while in the gorgeous gardens you can see the bronze statue by British sculptor Tessa Pullan of Sea Hero, the 1993 Kentucky Derby-winning horse owned by famous resident Paul Mellon.

Lost Barrel Brewing, Middleburg

Two staff carrying kegs outside the barn-style entrance of Lost Barrel Brewing in Middleburg, Loudoun

For your last Loudoun stop, make your way to Lost Barrel Brewing on the outskirts of Middleburg and celebrate the revolutionary summer with a special release Revolutionary Ale: an American Wheat Ale made with ingredients common in Washington's time. Choose a table on the elegant porch or on lawns under shade trees and enjoy this crisp refresher made from a base of pale malt and malted wheat mixed with flaked maize (corn) and molasses — ingredients abundant in the colonies. "The goal is a balanced ale with bready wheat character, subtle molasses complexity and a crisp finish — a glimpse of what a well-made colonial ale might have tasted like," said brewmaster Chris Suarez. We'll drink to that.

Continuing to Charlottesville

Scenic: Take Route 50 and just after Middleburg turn left on Atoka Road, then left on Rectortown Road through Marshall. This road becomes Route 17. Take Route 17 to Route 29 south into Charlottesville.

Very scenic: The same as above, except from Route 17 take Route 211 through Warrenton, then Route 522 into Sperryville. Route 522 to Route 231 through Madison to Route 29 south.

Spectacular: The same as above, except from Sperryville take the Shenandoah National Park/Skyline Drive south on the crest of the Blue Ridge. Approximately 70–75 miles (2–3 hours), you will enter at Thornton Gap (mile 31.5) and exit at either Swift Run Gap (mile 65.5) or Rockfish Gap (mile 105).