Experience a Weekend in Virginia's Northern Neck

the Tides Inn and Resort in Irvington, Virginia

Spring is in full bloom from the mountains in Northern West Virginia to the Northern Neck of Virginia, and I experienced much of it in just one weekend. It is about a 500 mile drive, or about 9 hours with a couple pit stops to arrive at my former home, which only cost me $40. I traveled down I 77 to I 76 and called Malley’s to check on a location in the Akron area. Yes, there was one. Unfortunately, it didn’t open until 10 am, and I couldn’t wait. By 10 am I was in Canton and heading east. Malley’s chocolates will have to be mailed to my friends in Lancaster County.

Ever hear of the Northern Neck? Lancaster County, Virginia? It’s a very rural area – but property values are extremely high and serenity is nearly free. Waterfront property has a new definition in this county. It is situated between the Rappahannock River and the Chesapeake Bay. An eight mile stretch, known as Windmill Point has some of the oldest 20^th century homes along with the most luxurious mansions in the area.

Irvington, a summer resort village, is home to the Tides Inn populated by Washington, DC business owners and metropolitans alike. Quaint stores line the small downtown area, and the Tides Inn welcomes visitors with its truncated front lawn golf course. Additional amenities include a pool, tennis courts, sailing, tours of the Chesapeake Bay on the Miss Ann and the ever popular crabbing on Carter’s Creek. Usually booked from late Spring to early Fall, the resort is closed January and February. Other bed and breakfasts, such as the Hope & Glory Inn built in 1890, feature picturesque gardens and white picketed fences which attract visitors for the weekend too.

Lancaster County is just two hours south from the fast paced government offices of Washington, and an hour’s drive east of Richmond. Quaint and reminscent of late 19^th century living, Lancaster County also carries an air of sophistication throughout its sparse villages and picturesque waterways.