TENNIS, ANYONE?

Ace allows you to see 16 additional sites with public accessibility. The hours at these sites vary from season to season.

Also available: 25 outdoor clay courts, pickleball, tennis lessons and clinics, and pro shop.

One of the locals recommended a visit to the Gloucester Museum of History. This museum was once a tavern that was built in the year 1770. Today, you can browse more than 3,000 objects, from documents and photographs to large antiques. Gloucester is so steeped in history that you could spend an entire day there.

Machicomoco State Park and the surrounding area features plenty of wildlife including deer, turkey, various species of songbirds and birds of prey. Paved trails follow along the main park road for walking or bike riding. Among the amenities are a campground with sites for camping by car or camper, tent sites, three yurts, two picnic shelters, a boat landing with a pier and floating docks on Timberneck Creek for boat docking and fishing. There is a $5 fee per vehicle to enter the park.

Irvington

Today’s trip started out with overcast skies with hints of rain moving into the area. When the rain came, we found ourselves driving a few miles down the road from Gloucester and arrived in the quaint village of Irvington—population between 450 and 500.

Upon entering the outskirts of town, one of the first sights was two giant corkscrews [2] marking the entrance to The Dog and Oyster Micro-Vineyard, owned by The Hope and Glory Inn proprietors—which sits behind the winery. Previously known as the Dog and Oyster

Vineyard, they re-branded as a microvineyard with the goal of pairing their award-winning wines with locally harvested oysters and delectable foods prepared by Hope and Glory’s renowned Chef Meseret.

The micro-vineyard/oyster bar is open Fridays through Sundays until 6 p.m. On the menu are various locally grown oysters—both raw and roasted. They serve an in-house charcuterie and Bloody Mary oyster shooters.

Hope and Glory Inn [3] features six unique rooms and seven cottages. Owner Dudley Patteson guided me to one of the dining areas displaying many national publication reviews— including commentary from Forbes Magazine and many others. Mere words cannot describe this wonderful and elegant inn.

The Tides Inn (just seconds away from Hope and Glory) is a waterfront resort nested on a tributary of the Chesapeake Bay— another perfect weekend getaway spot. Seventy guest rooms and suites offer breathtaking views of the water, shorelines, and gardens. Also on the premises is a twentyseven-slip marina welcoming sail-in guests. Have four hours to spare? If so, you can take a charter cruise with Rappahannock River Cruises departing from The Tides Inn.

Kilmarnock

When my wife and I drove the four and a half miles from Irvington, we found the city of Kilmarnock to be the quaintest and most enjoyable of our day trips. While cruising the main thoroughfare in Steptoe’s District we saw the city’s best. Unfortunately, we could not take full advantage of Steptoe due to the inclement weather. One can stroll along the streets and take in the various shops and restaurants or simply sit down and watch people—a favorite personal pastime. Typically visitors can find their fair share of antique stores in smaller cities. Kilmarnock is no different. Bring your keen eyes, and you might find the treasure you have sought.

Something unique that caught our attention appeared in front of several places along the main boulevard: large, painted pairs of galoshes. The boots are part of the Waterman’s Way Art Project. Fifteen pairs of boots measuring three feet tall by four feet wide are uniquely painted by local artists and placed in front of their favorite local spots. The project celebrates the Chesapeake Bay’s watermen and seafood workers who provide crabs, oysters, and other seafood to the area.

Restaurants and good wine are plentiful in the city of Kilmarnock. For an overnight treat, plan a stay at the Kilmarnock Inn. The inn has suites available as well as eight cottages— named after the eight Virginia-born presidents. On the premises you can enjoy their popular restaurant, Filibusters, which is open seven days a week. Based on reviews, it’s a must- try dining experience. For wine lovers, Good Luck Cellars boasts of having “Luck” as their middle name. Their goal is to pour good fortune into every glass served. They offer award-winning red and white wines from estate-grown grapes. Choose from flights, wine by the glass and by the bottle indoors or outside on the wrap-around porch and expansive green space. Outside food is allowed and the winery is dogfriendly.

Reedville

Our final destination of the day was at the end of U.S. Route 360 to the unincorporated community of Reedville—part of the largest fishing industry in America and in the late 1800s became the wealthiest area per capita in the country. Located on Cockrell’s Creek on the western edge of the Chesapeake Bay, Reedville is largely a fishing community for the Atlantic menhaden, a small oily fish harvested in the waters of the MidAtlantic Ocean. One corporation, in particular, utilizes the abundance of menhaden for its main product: fish oil and its byproducts. The Omega Protein Corporation calls Reedville its home. Omega Protein’s products include fish oil, fish meal, and proteins.

If you’re interested in historical architecture, Millionaire’s Row [4] can provide a glimpse of how the wealthy sea captains from the 19th century lived—as well as other industrialists drawn to the area who built elaborate summer homes. Many of these stately Victorian mansions have water views.

For history buffs and anglers alike, no visit is complete without a trip to the Reedville Fishermen’s Museum, which is dedicated to preserving and honoring the rich heritage of the Northern Neck and lower Chesapeake Bay’s fishing industry.

To get out onto the waters of the bay, you can take a chartered cruise to Tangier Island and enjoy some of the best water views and seafood the area has to offer. Tangier Island Cruises [5] depart from Buzzard’s Point Marina from the beginning of May to the middle of October.

Many Virginians are not familiar with the Northern Neck. I readily admit that I knew very little about the area. Our day trip here was wonderful, and we plan a return visit soon under better weather conditions. While researching for and planning our trip, we found that the Northern Neck falls under what is known as Virginia’s River Realm, which lies between the Chesapeake Bay and the Rappahannock River. This area comprises eight towns, including Kilmarnock, Irving, and the community of Reedville (Urbanna, Lively, Saluda, White Stone, Topping, and Deltaville are the other five towns). The River Realm is surrounded by 465 miles of shoreline. Seafood, fine wine, historic inns, quaint, laid-back towns, antiques, unique shopping, camping, boating, river excursions, island cruises and casual food to fine dining are readily available. Sounds like the makings of another wonderful day trip. Or two.

Rick Polston is a teacher of students with disAbilities for Suffolk Public Schools. English and Language Arts is his chosen content to teach. His favorite pastime is journaling about travel adventures and singing.

Yorktown www.visityorktown.org

Gloucester driving tour: www.gloucesterva.info/ DocumentCenter/View/13865/DrivingTour-Guide

Gloucester walking tour: www.gloucesterva.info/ DocumentCenter/View/13866/ Walking-Tour-Guide

Gloucester Museum of History

6539 Main Street, Gloucester, VA 23061 www.gloucesterva.info/820/Museumof-History

Machicomoco State Park

3601 Timberneck Farm Road Hayes, VA 23072 www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/ machicomoco-sp

The Dog and Oyster Micro-Vineyard 65 Tavern Road, Irvington, VA 22480 www.hopeandglory.com/the-dogoyster-vineyard

Hope and Glory Inn www.hopeandglory.com/our-inn

The Tides Inn

480 King Carter Drive, Irvington, VA 22480 www.tidesinn.com

Kilmarnock Inn

34 E Church Street, Kilmarnock, VA 22482 www.kilmarnockinn.com

Good Luck Cellars

1025 Good Luck Road, Kilmarnock, VA 22482 www.goodluckcellars.com

Reedville Fishmen’s Museum 504 Main St, Reedville, VA 22539 rfmuseum.org

Tangier Island Cruises

468 Buzzards Point Road Reedville, VA 22539 tangiercruise.com