Fans of the Game of Thrones books and TV show know the motto of House Stark: "Winter is coming." For those who aren't indoctrinated, (if not, please leave this page and get HBO/read the books immediately because this upcoming post is far less important), the Starks are a family obsessed with winter because, well, they kind of have to be. Their life depends on them being vigilant during the dark chill of winter nights; when resources are scarce and threats abound. There's no electricity in Winterfell.

As the weather gets colder I'm reminded of our brief time in Colorado in October. We had hoped to go to the Great American Beerfest, but seeing as tickets had sold out in less than a day and we couldn't afford $500 from scalpers, we decided to spend some time visiting friends and family. Luckily for us, Colorado is way more than just beer. They have FABULOUS wine, too! And who better to find it than us?! (Although you absolutely must check out the Coors tour when you're there. It's like the Hershey tour for adults...plus a lot of free tastes of beer at the end. And by "taste" I mean half a glass.)

Wineries aren't just an outdoor, nice-day-only activity. Depending on the tasting room and ambience, wineries can be a great place to cozy up with a bottle of your favorite varietal or blend.

There's nothing like a hurricane to give me the downtime I need to reflect on our recent October trips. A good part of the month has proved to be dreary, and the first part of October was no exception. After having an accomplishing Saturday, we decided to distract ourselves from the impending-workweek doldrums with a trip down 66. We set out for Hume, in an area where we've been to a few great places but haven't swept the entire area.

After sitting in traffic coming home from Maryland this weekend, we couldn't get to Loudoun County fast enough. The plan was to visit a couple of our old haunts, since you simply can't let a beautiful autumn afternoon go to waste!!! Next time you are driving down Route 9, don't just make note of the sign pointing to a new vineyard. When you see the sign to turn left to go to The Barns at Hamilton Station, JUST DO IT! You'll be so glad you did.