Virginia Living - October 2023

It’s About Time

Wealth Management that provides more of what matters most

The AHM Wealth Management Group understands you have a complex, busy lifestyle. Our comprehensive wealth management services are focused on giving you more time… time to earn, time to grow, time to learn, and time for your family.

The AHM Wealth Management Groups' process of integrated wealth management — wealth strategy, investment management, tax minimization strategies, and legacy planning — helps reduce life’s complexity while fulfilling your family’s needs and priorities. The combination of our experience, and the resources of Merrill could be the ideal solution for your wealth management needs.

Integrated Wealth Management

Wealth Strategy

Wealth Management that provides more of what matters most

Tax Minimization Strategies

Legacy Planning Investment Management

The AHM Wealth Management Group understands you have a complex, busy lifestyle. Our comprehensive wealth management services are focused on giving you more time… time to earn, time to grow, time to learn, and time for your family.

To experience the difference, contact:

The AHM Wealth Management Groups' process of integrated wealth management — wealth strategy, investment management, tax minimization strategies, and legacy planning — helps reduce life’s complexity while fulfilling your family’s needs and priorities. The combination of our experience, and the resources of Merrill could be the ideal solution for your wealth management needs.

The AHM Wealth Management

PHONE: 866.446.4045

WEB: fa.ml.com/virginia/norfolk/theahmgroup

To experience the difference, contact:

EMAIL: TheAHMWealthManagementGroup@ml.com

Group of Merrill

LOCATIONS:

Virginia Beach | Norfolk | Williamsburg | Richmond

The AHM Wealth Management Group of Merrill

PHONE: 866.446.4045

WEB: fa.ml.com/virginia/norfolk/theahmgroup

EMAIL: TheAHMWealthManagementGroup@ml.com

LOCATIONS:

Investing involves risk. There is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions.

Virginia Beach | Norfolk | Williamsburg | Richmond

Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp.

Investing involves risk. There is always the potential of losing money when you invest in securities. Merrill, its affiliates, and financial advisors do not provide legal, tax, or accounting advice. You should consult your legal and/or tax advisors before making any financial decisions. Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated (also referred to as “MLPF&S” or “Merrill”) makes available certain investment products sponsored, managed, distributed or provided by companies that are affiliates of Bank of America Corporation (“BofA Corp.”). MLPF&S is a registered broker-dealer, registered investment adviser, Member SIPC and a wholly owned subsidiary of BofA Corp.

LOVING

LIVING EVERY MINUTE OF IT!

It’s a community. It’s a lifestyle. It’s Cedarfield.

With a focus on active aging, Cedarfield is a Life Plan Community designed with your independence and future in mind.

Imagine delicious, chef-prepared dinners with your neighbors, fitness classes with new friends, or just a little you time in our tranquil resident gardens — all without the hassles and chores of homeownership.

Located in Richmond’s West End neighborhood with beautiful grounds, endless programs, and opportunities for new adventures, you won’t have to change the way you live — just the address you call home.

EXPERIENCE THE LIFESTYLE FOR YOURSELF. SCHEDULE YOUR VISIT TODAY!

503 Faulconer Drive, Suite 5

Charlottesville, VA 22903

434.295.1131 office

MCLEAN FAULCONER INC.

MCLEAN FAULCONER INC.

Farm, Estate and Residential Brokers

Farm, Estate and Residential Brokers

NORTHWOODS ◆ 1655

NORTHWOODS ◆ 1655 OWENSVILLE ROAD

OWENSVILLE ROAD

Magnificent 16.5 acre estate only 8 miles west of the University of Virginia. The circa 1860 main house was thoroughly renovated in 2017 with stunning kitchen remodel, expanded great room, updated bathrooms. The stately brick home is complemented by a fantastic guest cottage. Carriage house with 5-bay garage and a spacious recreational room above. Gracious porches, verandas, brick terraces, and stone retaining walls surrounded by lovely gardens and immaculately manicured grounds. MLS#642190 $4,950,000

MLS#642190 $4,950,000

Magnificent 16.5 acre estate only 8 miles west of the University of Virginia. The circa 1860 main house was thoroughly renovated in 2017 with stunning kitchen remodel, expanded great room, updated bathrooms. The stately brick home is complemented by a fantastic guest cottage. Carriage house with 5-bay garage and a spacious recreational room above. Gracious porches, verandas, brick terraces, and stone retaining walls surrounded by lovely gardens and immaculately manicured grounds.

LAFAYETTE ◆ 553 CLARKS TRACT

LAFAYETTE

Private estate on 92 acres in the heart of Keswick. Beautifully appointed and meticulously cared for house with primary suite on the first floor and five additional bedrooms. Gourmet kitchen with cast stone hood and cherry cabinets, sunken great room with Honduran Mahogany coffered ceiling, home theater, and covered porch with stone fireplace. Oversized three bay garage with guest suite above. The land is not under conservation easement. MLS#643578 $3,195,000

Private estate on 92 acres in the heart of Keswick. Beautifully appointed and meticulously cared for house with primary suite on the first floor and five additional bedrooms. Gourmet kitchen with cast stone hood and cherry cabinets, sunken great room with Honduran Mahogany coffered ceiling, home theater, and covered porch with stone fireplace. Oversized three bay garage with guest suite above. The land is not under conservation easement. MLS#643578 $3,195,000

WWW.MCLEANFAULCONER.COM

◆ 553 CLARKS TRACT

DIG IN.

RESTAURANT CONSTANCE

Charlotte. Dig into a culinary oasis where showstopping chefs, mixology magicians and pioneering restauranteurs are turning up the heat. Also on the menu, laughs worth remembering and plates made for sharing ensure this foodie destination is fit for every epicurean. Plan your trip at charlottesgotalot.com

FEATURES

Start with Art page 114

Comfort and livability define the design of this art-filled home in Hunt Country.

By Constance Costas

A Lens on the Landscape page 120

Experience Virginia on high with Gordon Campbell’s aerial photography. By Amy Brecount White

by

ON THE COVER: Fly fishing and hunting guide Wes Hodges near the Jackson River in Alleghany County.

Photo by Kyle LaFerriere.

120

A view of Cobb Island looking south by Eastern Shore aerial photographer Gordon Campbell. View more of his spectacular photos on page 120.

inset photo

ryan garvin

IT’S ABOUT YOU! all

Your college experience should be full of all the learning, all the fun and all the accomplishments, and that’s why we’ve created this journey for you! Because here at Averett, it’s all about you, and we’re with you every step of the way.

All Averett.

19 EDITOR’S LETTER + READER MAIL

UPFRONT

21 TAKE NOTE

News and notes from around the state.

29 EVENTS

Fall into our coolest Top Ten events.

31 ABOUT TOWN

Celebrations and swell soirées.

HOMEGROWN

33 SPOTLIGHT

Chantilly’s National Botanic Garden is nature curated.

37 VIRGINIANA

William and Mary’s rocky start netted a college and a quirky love story.

39 NATIVES

Meet the mighty acorn, nature’s super nut.

41 DESTINATIONS

Travel to the Virginia Highlands, an outdoor lover’s delight.

GOOD TASTE

61 STARTERS

Epic bagels, small-batch vinegars, and the story behind the Texas Inn.

65 HOT STUFF

From mild to nuclear, get the inside scoop on the state’s hottest sauces.

67 FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Making magical memories from an apple butter tradition.

68 FOOD CULTURE

Spectacular bread made at Seasons’ Yield Farm.

72 COOKING

Farmasea delivers the best in dock-to-dish dining.

DRINK

85 DISTILLED

Virginia’s rabid bourbon lovers might just serve time for the right bottle of booze.

89 TEA’D UP

Flex your manners at proper English tea rooms.

92 THE GRAPE BEYOND Virginia wineries wonder about wooing next-gen drinkers.

95 JUST ADD TONIC

Putting the gin in Virginia.

HEALTH + WELLNESS

97 PROFILE

VCU’s state-of-the-art Children’s Tower opens in Richmond.

99 RETREAT

This Korean spa in Chantilly is fit for royalty.

103 TOP HOSPITALS

Virginia’s best hospitals and news from around the state.

128 DEPARTURE

A collector’s typewriter obsession.

 Find our curated Top Hospitals list at VirginiaLiving.com

p. 41

p. 99

p. 21

p. 89 p.

p. 68

A look inside Wes Hodge’s lodge, featured on page 41.

September

When you reduce responsibilities, you can explore the possibilities. Let the services provided by our dedicated staff lighten your daily load so you can enjoy the abundant amenities within our 87-acre woodland campus. You’ll also have easy access to the charming town of Winchester, the beauty of the Shenandoah Valley, and the allure of our nation’s capital nearby. Our newest neighborhood, The Villas, has just opened to Phase One depositors - and we are taking reservations as Phase Two construction is now underway. At Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury, we want to lessen life’s burdens and watch you add more life to your years.

Visit VirginiaLiving.com

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BACK ISSUES

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Contact John-Lawrence Smith, Publisher, at 804-343-7539 or JLSmith@CapeFear.com

Contributors

LARRY BLEIBERG, past president of the Society of American Travel, contributes to The Washington Post, BBC Travel, and more. Read about his wild romp at a Korean spa in Chantilly and the oddball union of William and Mary.

RYAN GARVIN captured images for our Middleburg house feature. Based in California, his work regularly appears in Elle Decor, Dwell, and Architectural Digest and catalogs like Serena & Lily. RyanGarvin.com

Incanto: A dynamic union of poetry and sculpture is at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden through Oct. 29. Learn more about it from our conversation with Kate Raudenbush, the Falls Church-born artist behind this extraordinary installation.

Lauren Groff Interview: We talk with three-time National Book Award finalist and bestselling author Lauren Groff about her much-hyped new novel, The Vaster Wilds, set in early 1600s Jamestown during The Starving Time.

Flower Farms: From fields of peonies and snapdragons, to pick-your-own rows of sunflowers and dahlias, flower farms are pollinating Virginia’s landscape—one bloom at a time.

Lakefront Luxe: This Lake Anna weekend retreat, built from the ground up by D.C.-based interior designer Christian Daw, has his stylish signature in every nook and cranny.

Just out on VirginiaLiving.com, our guide to the top hospitals in the

Snap up a hand-stitched needlepoint key fob from Smathers & Branson that easily goes from pocket to purse. In nine designs on VirginiaLivingStore.com

Connect with us on to see all of the latest news and stories from Virginia Living plus exciting giveaways and exclusive content. Have news to share? Tag us @VirginiaLiving

MAX WATMAN covers the grainy world of Seasons’ Yield Farm in rural Raphine. He’s widely published and lives and writes on an old farm in Powhatan. MaxWatman.com

GORDON CAMPBELL flies low and slow, training his lens on Coastal Virginia’s stunning landscape. Based in Cape Charles, he especially enjoys capturing images of the Eastern Shore. AtAltitudeGallery.com

JEFF YEATES writes prolifically about travel and the outdoors. For us, he showcases the rugged beauty of the Alleghany Highlands. He and family enjoy bicycling, roadside produce stands, and driving Virginia roads.

JAMES COOK creates art from the 44 keys on the 60 typewriters that fill his East London studio. He counts typewriter collector Tom Hanks and our writer, George Tisdale, among his most ardent fans. JamesCookArtwork.com

J.P. Taylor's office at 2325 Monument Avenue in Richmond, photographed in 2012. See page 21 for more photos of the Taylor home in its heyday, and visit VirginiaLiving.com for the full gallery.

gentle the dentist

Curry Dental Center in Williamsburg, Virginia provides comprehensive, implant, and sedation dentistry to patients of all ages. Dr. Lisa Curry, “the gentle dentist”, has over 25 years of experience in creating healthy, beautiful smiles. Call for an appointment today!

312 Lightfoot Road, Suite H, Williamsburg, VA 23188

CurryDentalCenter.com 757-703-2315

Cristo Rey Richmond

High School is a Catholic learning community that educates young people of limited economic means to become men and women of faith, purpose and service. Through a rigorous college preparatory curriculum, integrated with a relevant work study experience, students graduate ready to succeed in college and in life.

info@cristoreyrichmond.org

CristoReyRichmond.org | 804-447-4704

It’s All About the Story

From inspiring to adventurous, we bring you Virginia’s best.

AT VIRGINIA

LIVING

, we’re all about curating the best possible stories told by the best possible storytellers. And we’re betting you’ll find this issue especially well-packed.

Right out of the gate, we know our article on William and Mary is a home run—the marriage, not the college. The Oranges don’t typically come up in casual cocktail conversation. Writer Larry Bleiberg uncovers this mystifying marital mismatch, beginning with William’s rotting teeth and Mary’s crocodile tears, but ending quite magnanimously with the founding of a college neither one actually ever went near. Bleiberg also takes us to a bona fide Korean spa near Dulles, kitted up royally and fit for a king (and queen). Is clothing optional at King Spa? You’ll have to dig in to find out.

Adventurers, even armchair types, will love Jeff Yeates’ spotlight on the Virginia Highlands, where the wonderfully rugged and mountainous Alleghany County is an outdoor lover’s paradise. And for all the plant nerds among us (I’m team captain), we take a look at the new National Botanic Garden in Chantilly, where plants, art,

Reader Letters

AUGUST 2023 ISSUE

I loved the August issue (Aug. ’23). You probably get this all the time, but it was great to read—the entire magazine from page 1 to page 128. I do believe that Virginia Living could give Garden & Gun a run for its money. Just wanted to say how grateful I am that Virginia Living is out there and is strong and healthy.

—Sandra Martin, Bracey

and recycling have important roles. Then, Amy Brecount White brings us Gordon Campbell’s aerial photography. His images of the Virginia landscape are simply spectacular.

For history and architecture buffs, read about the meticulously restored showplace on Monument Avenue designed by Duncan Lee completed in 1915 and owned by the late Helen Marie Taylor; we reveal its new chapter as Richmond’s 2023 Symphony Designer House. You can even take a deeper dive in our online exclusive (Virginia Living.com/TaylorHouse). And then

WELCOME

I’ve been a VirginiaLiving.com fan for a while, but decided to come off the sidelines and become a regular subscriber, pairing my love for the site with a tangible copy of this beautiful and substantial publication. I had a wide smile when my first issue arrived (Aug. ’23). The cover is sublime. I appreciate your knack for keeping me in the loop about people and places in my native state that I would not have ordinarily known. After reading “Bountiful Blooms,” on Virginia flower farms, a seed was planted (no pun intended). I’m now entertaining a flower subscription for my home.

Kudos, keep up the good work. I can hardly wait for the next issue.

—Kevin Tyler Smith, Leesburg

JEANNETTE WALLS

We just received our hard copy of Virginia Living (April ’23). I hope this doesn’t come across as egotistical or self-congratulatory, but I LOVE THAT ARTICLE!!! Oh my gosh. The snappy copy (thanks to your clever editing), the photos, the layout. It’s so, so wonderful!! I am beside myself.

—Jeannette Walls, Orange

head north to Middleburg; former Virginia Living editor Constance Costas introduces us to a stylish reno where family heirlooms and reclaimed features blend seamlessly with a bright, modern aesthetic. And don’t miss Bullet and Macan, the owner’s two rescue dogs.

Dock-to-dish dining is at its best at Farmasea, the new(ish) restaurant in charming Gloucester. Finally, our Health & Wellness section highlights Virginia’s top hospitals—all 59 of them—and timely news we’ve gathered from around the state.

There’s lots more to explore in our pages, including a flood of reader comments. You—our readers—are the heartbeat of Virginia Living. Drop me a line at the email address below. As always, we love hearing from you.

Madeline Mayhood, Editor-in-Chief MadelineMayhood@CapeFear.com

LINDA SKEENS COOKBOOK

Seeing my recipes shared is always an honor. Virginia Living Magazine recently shared my Zucchini Cornbread and my Peanut Butter Fudge recipes. Thanks so much for featuring me (April ’23).

—Linda Skeens, Russell County, via

Drop Us a Line

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We love hearing from our readers. Send your comments by email to Editors@CapeFear.com or write us a letter and mail it to Letters to the Editor, 109 E. Cary St., Richmond, VA 23219. Please include your name and city of residence. Letters may be edited for length or clarity.

PARTNER WITH US

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

In our last issue, the information with regard to the 30th-anniversary celebration of Fishburne Military School’s Colonel Young Brigade on our About Town page was incorrect. The tradition was started in 1993, not 2006. We regret the error.

Would you like to sell copies of Virginia Living in your shop, tasting room, or general store? Our favorite circulation manager, Angela Shapiro, will be happy to share the details—and the perks. Drop her a line at AngelaShapiro@CapeFear.com

photos (from top): by gordon campbell, courtesy of 83 press, by ryan donnell

The view from Gordon Campbell’s ultralight plane. See more of his photos on page 120.

Jeannette Walls and Oliver

Linda Skeens’ Zucchini Cornbread

Smart Home. Smart Savings.

LONG SHADOWS

$3,250,000

This custom high-quality home is ideally situated on 96 elevated acres with breathtaking eastern views, with the South West Mountains at its back, located between Gordonsville and Keswick in Keswick Hunt Country. The 5,600 finished square foot home incorporates only the finest materials and craftsmanship. The 4 bedroom, 3.5 bath home also includes an attached two car garage with a onebedroom apartment above. The land is a mix of open-fenced pastures and hardwood forest. A custom built stable, equipment barn and chicken house also complement this turn-key property.

JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528

PETER A. WILEY | 434 422 2090

FRASCATI

$3,500,000 | MLS 637878

Frascati C. 1823: An historic gem on 62 acres in the coveted Somerset estate area of Orange county. This Historic Landmark property is in museum quality condition with modern systems and unequalled character. Frascati is replete with an original summer kitchen/guest cottage and a hidden pool enclosed by 200 year old boxwoods. Frascati is surrounded by other notable estate properties just 10 minutes from Gordonsville and 30 minutes from Charlottesville and the University of Virginia.

JOHN INCE | 434 981 3011

SPRING HILL

$1,950,000

Beautiful 207+ acre farm in a protected enclave of Madison County with incredible views of both the Blue Ridge and Southwest Mountains. The natural beauty and privacy are unparalleled. An attractive farmhouse with a c. 1804 section is perfect as a weekend getaway or guesthouse leaving numerous incredible building sites for a main residence. Additional improvements include a large pond with dock, pool, manager’s cottage, a center aisle stable with 8, 12 x 12 stalls and finished office space above, garage and good farm buildings and farm infrastructure. An excellent candidate for conservation easement.

PETER A. WILEY | 434 422 2090

ADAVEN

$3,250,000 | MLS 642598

This thoughtfully designed turn-key private estate and family compound boasts a stunning 5-bedroom residence constructed with the finest materials in 2006. Designed with the patina and proportions of a historic house, this new residence epitomizes Virginia country living at its best. Saltwater, gunite pool, framed by a pool house with ½ bath and dressing room plus a 2 bed guest house and a restored bank barn serves as an additional 2-3 bedroom guest house ensuring ample space for family and guests. A center aisle 6 stall barn, full court dressage ring with fiber/sand footing, custom irrigation system, and 10 paddocks with 5 run in shelters round out this incredible offering nestled up against the SW range. 5 minutes to groceries and amenities in Gordonsville and 30 minutes to C-ville.

JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528

PETER A. WILEY | 434 422 2090 ORANGE

| 540 672 3903

UPfront

TAKE NOTE A NOBLE HOUSE

A Monument Avenue landmark enters a new chapter as Richmond’s Symphony Designer House.

By Constance Costas  |

The work of 20 talented interior designers from across Virginia will be on display at the Richmond Symphony League’s Designer House, opening Sept. 11. “We are excited that the Helen Marie Taylor Charitable Foundation has opened this extraordinary home for Virginia’s leading interior designers to showcase their talents,” says Julie Brantley, president of the Symphony League. Completed in 1915, the Italian Renaissance Revival house, designed by Duncan Lee at 2325 Monument Avenue, was owned

by formidable preservationist Helen Marie Taylor. The house, which original owner J.P. Taylor described as “noble,” was set to appear in Virginia Living’s April 2012 issue on the heels of a massive renovation. But when creative differences proved irreconcilable, the story was scuttled, and the photos you see on these pages were never published. They present the home’s exquisite detailing—from elaborate molding and plaster work to custom lighting designed by Tiffany Studios.

Photography by Tyler Darden

Helen Marie Taylor in the breakfast room at 2325 Monument Avenue in 2012.

Acofounder of the James Madison Museum in Orange, Taylor served with her close friend Phyllis Schlafly as vice president of her Eagle Forum from 1981 until her death in 2022. She was appointed by President Ronald Reagan as the Ranking U.S. Delegate to UNESCO and later as a U.S. Representative to the United Nations. A Texan by birth, Taylor also founded The Helen Marie Taylor Museum of Waco History in her hometown of Waco.

Since our 2012 photo shoot, with Taylor in her 90s, repairs and maintenance to the Monument Avenue house were deferred. The delay, however, netted serious consequences. Duncan Lee’s innovative internal downspouts cracked, slowly and inexorably leaking a destructive cascade of water damage that went undetected for many years. Ultimately, stucco facade peeled, patio tiles buckled, and marble and cast stone mantels split. Preferring not to endure another restoration, Taylor instead provided for it in her will.

Upon her death in 2022 at the age of 98, Taylor’s charitable foundation began a substantial restoration to return the house to its original grandeur. “Helen Marie Taylor is my client,” says Susan Reed, principal at Glavé & Holmes Architects in Richmond, who has led the 18-month project. Reed, also the firm’s historic preservation studio director, notes that every decision being made considers what Taylor would have wanted. This includes the restoration of the Charles Gilette gardens. To preserve the authenticity of the house,

the 20 interior designers have certain limitations to the scope of their designs. Room colors, for example, must remain the same as they were when the house was at its peak, seen in these images.

Helen Marie Taylor was one of Richmond’s most controversial figures, at times brash and confrontational. But at heart, she was an impassioned conservationist, who left an indelible mark on the city’s urban landscape.

A preview party on Sept. 8, “La Bella Notte,” will include cocktails and music by the Richmond Symphony Orchestra. Tours of the house begin on Sept. 11 and continue seven days a week through Oct. 9. Thirsty Thursdays will include live music, beer, wine, and tours from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Proceeds support the Richmond Symphony. RichmondSymphonyLeague.org

For this year’s Symphony Designer House, many of the original details will remain the same as they were in 2012, including much of what was in the sunroom.

Left: The study at 2325 Monument Avenue with an inviting fireplace blends Jacobean oak paneling with plaster relief above that extends over the barrelvaulted ceiling. Right: In the dining room, original Tiffany Studios light fixtures and a roaring fire welcome guests to the table, set for eight.

Scan the QR code, or visit VirginiaLiving.com/TaylorHouse for an expanded version of our original 2012 story, in addition to the full gallery of images of the house in its heyday.

LY H I N S PI R E S YO U

We make new without losing the old with the energy and determination of a city that’s moving purposefully and mindfully into the future. LYH welcomes you with open arms and invites you to be part of our story.

Artist Christina Davis

Mural Mania

Around Virginia, wall art is getting fun and fresh.

By EMMA JOHNSON

CITIES AND TOWNS IN VIRGINIA have reported an uptick in mural making that provide color, promote conversation, attract visitors, and boost economies. These public art installations can be transformative to communities, turning blank walls and blighted spaces into works of art. Across the Commonwealth, here are some worth seeking out.

FLOURISH

GilF (ann lewis), strasBurG

Look for the word flourish hidden in Ann Lewis’ maze of turquoise stripes on a King Street wall in downtown Strasburg. The artist says that the 20-foot-tall mural is one of her favorite pieces and that hiding the word felt right. “Our minds grow with access to information,” she says. “I was excited to be able to speak to multiple elements of the community that surround the mural.”

ACCENTUATED FORMS IN SPACE

Dorothy Gillespie, roanoke

On a downtown Roanoke wall, there was a patchy, disappearing mural painted in 1979 by Dorothy Gillespie, a native of the area. But for Jack Fralin, artist and owner of Best Bet Arts and Media, he saw an opportunity to repaint the original design. In partnership with the City of Roanoke, Fralin worked to refurbish the “ghost mural,” which was unveiled this spring. Gillespie, who died in 2019, was known for her large-scale, colorful compositions.

MURAL PROJECT

riChmonD Richmond is known for its Mural Project and the 150+ murals that dot Virginia’s capital city. The Arthur Ashe mural, at the tennis courts in Battery Park on the city’s Northside unveiled this summer, was made using tennis balls to apply the paint—much like Seurat’s pointillism style. A tribute to the King of the Courts, it was created by Jake Van Yahres and the Mural Mob.

COMMUNITY ARTS FOR EVERYONE INC. MURAL

FairFa x

A pop of color was added to Richmond Highway in Fairfax. The giant mural depicts the past, present, and future of the area. Painted by CAFE volunteers in collaboration with Southeast Fairfax Development Corporation, the colorful timeline is part of CAFE’s mission to support community art activities and prevent vandalism and crime in the area.

OYSTER BLOOM

ham anD Cheese stuDio, VirGinia BeaCh

Under the Route 13 Shore Drive overpass in Virginia Beach, you’ll find this under-the-sea inspired mural with blues and greens and kelp beds. The lively gateway, where nearly half of all visitors enter The Beach, highlights nature themes particular to the area and creates a welcoming experience. Oyster Bloom, with lighting and landscaping, illustrates how public art and placemaking can transform spaces.

INSPIRING WONDER

Hearthsong celebrates 40 years of nurturing screen-free fun.

PLAY IS THE NAME OF THE GAME at Hearthsong, a Madison-based toy company celebrating 40 years of entertaining every age. Founded to celebrate the wonders of childhood, the Hearthsong team helps parents provide children with age-appropriate, wholesome, high-quality playthings.

“We started with catalogs, then moved to e-commerce, but the mission remained the same,” says Jamey Bennett, CEO of Hearthsong. “We’re delivering warm, wondrous, colossal play experiences that unlock imagination for kids and the people in their lives.”

Everything Hearthsong sells is designed to inspire adventure and nurture familial relationships through play, including tree swings, inflatables, tents, costumes, and outdoor games. To say thank you and to help spread joy in the community, Hearthsong donates to local organizations that help combat hunger, childhood cancer, and homelessness. Hearthsong.com —by E.G.

PROJECT RUNWAY

Dulles-based event benefits Special Olympics Virginia.

GET UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL with pilots and their planes—and pull an 82-ton 757 jet if you’re up for it. The Dulles Day Festival and Plane Pull attracts more than 12,000 people and has raised over $3 million for Special Olympics Virginia since its inception in 1992. Held annually at Dulles International Airport, this year’s event is Sept. 9.

Teams of 25 attempt to strong-arm a Boeing jet down a runway, using nothing but a rope and brawn. Last year the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office, in

Onesie of a Kind

its 14th consecutive win and one of more than 80 teams, pulled a FedEx 757 12 feet in 5.6 seconds.

Across 17 acres, the free event also features truck rides, airfield tours, and live music—plus food and refreshment trucks. “We want people to come to do something that’s hard, to do something that’s scary, to push themselves,” says Ellen Head, Special Olympics Virginia’s senior director of development, “but still succeed just like our athletes do every single day.”

SpecialOlympicsVa.org/Plane-Pull —by

Erin Gifford

NOBODY PUTS BABY in a corner—especially while they’re wearing this throwback onesie. Referec ing Dirty Dancing and sold by Mountain Lake Lodge, the Pembroke resort where much of the semi nal ‘80s mega-hit was filmed, this red suit is perfect for dressing your kid up as a puny pop culture nod to your youth. Onesie in sizes 6–24 months. MtnLakeLodge.shop —by E.G.

NATURE PLAY

Crozet’s Wildrock encourages nature-based exploration.

A NATURAL PLAYSCAPE IN CROZET Wildrock, has one goal. It’s to get kids outside, rain or shine. Twelve play zones on the three-acre campus inspire little ones between ages three and 12 to use their imaginations and explore nature, whether climbing a giant oak tree, wading into a stream, or making mud pies. Camps, a labyrinth, and special programs for schools and community groups are also part of the Wildrock experience.

“Kids don’t know what to do in nature,” says Meg Phillips, executive director of Wildrock, founded in 2016 as a nonprofit to ensure all kids have access to nature. “We talk a lot about nature equity. We work really hard to make nature accessible for everyone, because we know the time spent outside benefits mental and physical health.”

Children can check out backpacks with binoculars, plastic animals, magnifying glasses, and nature prompts to help them further their explorations. A three-quartermile Discovery Loop Trail guides adventures across mountain streams and into fragrant meadows and woodlands.

Wildrock is open on Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and select holidays. Reservations are required for two-and-a-half-hour time blocks. The fee is $20 per family, but Wildrock allows free visits for low-income families, ensuring that everyone is able to reap the benefits of nature-based play and learning. Wildrock.org —by E.G.

photos (clockwise from top right) courtesy of: special olympics (3), mountain lake lodge, wildrock, hearthsong

Photo by Bill Draper Photography

Virginia Living ’s Top Ten

Fall into Autumn with these exciting events.

1  BUCHANAN BEAVER DAM FARM SUNFLOWER FESTIVAL

SEPT. 9 - 10: Wander through more than 600,000 sunflowers, shop handmade goods, and enjoy live music and hay rides at this late summer festival.

540-254-0851, BeaverDamSunflowers.com

2  MIDDLEBURG MIDDLEBURG OKTOBERFEST

SEPT. 16: Grab your lederhosen for a fun-filled day featuring two biergartens, traditional German food, live music, festival games, and an art fair with regional makers.

540-687-5152, MiddleburgVa.gov

3  VIRGINIA BEACH NEPTUNE’S FALL WINE FESTIVAL

SEPT. 16 - 17: In its 26th year, this oceanfront event celebrates all things wine. Sip 60+ local and international wines—from chardonnays to rieslings—and hobnob with wine experts and vintners.

703-779-0268, LuckettsMarkets.com

4  CHESAPEAKE

A HAUNTING AT GREENBRIER FARMS

SEPT. 22 - OCT. 31: Named one of Virginia’s best haunted attractions, don’t miss Greenbrier Farms’ Bamboo Forest and Corn Maze. Both have tripled in size for super spooky experiences.

757-421-4550, HistoricGreenbrierFarms.com

5  DOSWELL STATE FAIR OF VIRGINIA

SEPT. 23 - OCT. 2: An established Virginia tradition, head to the fairgrounds for carnival rides, rodeo events, pig races, agricultural contests, and food vendors selling everything from fried Oreos to corndogs. 804-994-2800, StateFairVa.com

6  FERRUM 50TH BLUE RIDGE FOLKLIFE FESTIVAL

SEPT. 28: Celebrating the region’s rich cultural heritage, this festival hosts local musicians, moonshine makers, crafters, motorheads, old-time gamers, and more. 540-365-4416, BlueRidgeInstitute.org

7  CHARLOTTESVILLE PAULA POUNDSTONE

OCT. 7: Laugh along with comedian, podcaster, and bestselling author Paula Poundstone as she brings down the house at The Paramount Theater. 434-979-1333, TheParamount.net

8  WINCHESTER APPLE HARVEST FESTIVAL

OCT. 7 - 8: Apple picking is just the beginning of this fall festival at Marker Miller Orchards. Also take a scenic wagon ride, enjoy live music from Five of A Kind, and sample local barbecue, pizza, kettle corn, and more. 540-662-1391, MarkerMillerOrchards.com

POETIC SCULPTURE

A lyrical installation fuses words and art.

INCANTO: An Oasis of Lyrical Sculpture, a dynamic art installation at Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden in Richmond, runs through October. This compelling exhibition, created by Falls Church-born artist Kate Raudenbush and New York-based poet Sha Michele, is a dialogue between sculpture, written language, and the surrounding landscape. “Garden guests of all ages have been enchanted with Incanto’s stunning sculptures,” says Beth Anne Booth, director of exhibitions at the garden. Each of the five art pieces range from pyramids to circular gateways and are thoughtfully positioned throughout the

9  RICHMOND RICHMOND FOLK FESTIVAL

OCT.13 - 15: Enjoy folk music at its best at one of Virginia’s largest folk festivals— from Chuck Mead to Melody Angel and Kala Ramnath—along Richmond’s James River waterfront.

804-788-6466, RichmondFolkFestival.org

grounds. “Resonant Passage,” in the Sunken Garden, is a tall pyramid with a pair of arced stairs that meet at the apex. It rests in a pool; water is pumped to the top and glides down the stairs. Like the other sculptures, at night it lights up in beautiful blues, golds, and reds. Raudenbush says she wants people to interact with her work. And the poems accompanying each one invite the visitors to pause and contemplate what the sculptures mean. Incanto is at LGBG through Oct. 29, with extended evening hours and occasional special events with music, yoga, meditation, and more. LewisGinter.org —by

Konstantin Rega

ROANOKE BLUE RIDGE POTTERS GUILD SHOW AND SALE

10

OCT. 21 - 22: The largest indoor pottery show in Virginia has more than 50 ceramic artists showing off their wares. With pottery demonstrations and door prizes throughout the weekend. BlueRidgePotters.com

IT’S ALL BEAUTIFUL Design Forum features noted tastemaker Mark D. Sikes.

ALBEMARLE GARDEN CLUB’S 2023 Design Forum— open to the public and held this year in October at The Paramount Theater in Charlottesville—stars acclaimed interior designer Mark D. Sikes, whose projects include rom-com movie mogul Nancy Meyers’ house (think Something’s Gotta Give, The Holiday, and It’s Complicated ), The White House and Blair House in D.C., and others around the globe.

At the top of his game, Sikes is a member of the AD 100 and the Elle Decor A-list. He’s collaborated with big names in design like Schumacher, Annie Selke, Anthropologie, Chaddock Furniture, Hudson Valley Lighting, and more, and his best-selling books, published by Rizzoli, include

Beautiful: All-American Decorating and Timeless Style and More Beautiful: All-American Decoration

The Charlottesville-based garden club, which turned 110 this year, is a member of the Garden Club of Virginia and has long participated in Historic Garden Week, the GCV’s initiative that restores the landscapes of significant historic properties throughout the state. Proceeds from the biennial Design Forum will support community initiatives the club champions, including the Bog Garden at Booker T. Washington Park, the Botanical Garden of the Piedmont, and Cultivate Charlottesville.

This year’s forum includes a cocktail reception on Oct. 11 and Sikes’ lecture on Oct. 12. —by K.R.

top)

“Ancestors ,” one of five sculptures in Incanto: An Oasis of Lyrical Sculpture at LGBG.

Mark D. Sikes

Mark D. Sikes’ Hollywood Hills home.

 HARRISONBURG

Top Chef

Frieden Farms

Blue Ridge CASA hosted its sixth annual Top Chef Harrisonburg event at Frieden Farms in Mount Crawford. The event showcased the culinary skills of seven local chefs, where guests enjoyed tastings, desserts, and locally made beverages. Chef Ryan Zale from LOCAL Chop and Grill House, who was named Top Chef Harrisonburg 2023, was a featured chef. This year’s sold-out event raised more than $51,000, exceeding their goal to help support at-risk children in the Shenandoah Valley.

Hahn Horticulture Garden Gala

Hahn Horticulture Garden

The yearly Garden Gala at the Hahn Horticulture Garden at Virginia Tech featured live entertainment, catered food, and live and silent auctions that included art, plants, an aerial tour of Blacksburg, and more. Sponsorships and auction proceeds raised over $17,000, which will fund the garden’s daily operations budget. Retired horticulturist Lisa Lipsky was the 2023 Gala’s honoree.

Rock the Block Gala

Wayne Theatre

The Historic Wayne Theatre Rocked the Block as patrons, staff, ambassadors, sponsors, and friends attended the lively fundraiser, which included a live and silent auction to benefit the theater’s expansion and arts in the region. Wayne Theatre performances were part of the festivities that saw more than 300 guests in attendance and reached their $100,000 fundraising goal. The Wayne thanked everyone in the community who gave their time, talent, sponsorship, and donations.

 BLAC KSBURG

 WAYNESBORO

Top Chef emcees Aubrey Urbanowicz and Kyle Rogers.

Ryan Zale, Head Chef at LOCAL Chop and Grill House, celebrates his victory.

Tracy Straight and Bill Hausrath.

Top Chef committee members Arianna Williams, Brad Reese, and Kari-Lyn Henkel.

A wide variety of plants, art, and other items were donated for the auction.

Blue Ridge CASA staff members Emily Castle, Tonya Dunlap, Ali Gallagher, Kelly Peters, and Sherri McKinney-Frantz.

Artist Delaney Westwood paints live on site. Her piece was auctioned off during the silent auction.

Peg Leister and Paul Hoag.

Garden intern Jahin Gazi assisting with serving hors d’oeuvres.

Warren Kark, Margie Kark, and Dr. Holly Scoggins enjoy the view from a garden bench.

SPREAD THE WORD Tell us about your charitable event, and we might share it here! Submit your event details to MeredithLindemon@CapeFear.com

Little Shop of Horrors singers.

The Historic Wayne Theatre team. photos (clockwise from top left) by: hannah joy photography, daphne williams, standout arts photography/mark miller photography

Tracy Straight, Jeane Custin, and Bill Hausrath.

HOMEgrown

SPOTLIGHT A NATURAL OBSESSION

The National Botanic Garden in Chantilly is nature curated.

By Konstantin Rega  |

The highest point between the Atlantic Ocean and the Blue Ridge Mountains is a 550-foot, man-made mountain in Chantilly at the National Botanic Garden. Its creator is nature lover, businessman, and co-owner Peter Knop, who spent 30 years creating it.

Using reclaimed materials found by highways and from construction sites, it’s nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding land. The mountain, for example, looks entirely natural, even though it was created from fill dirt—truckload by truckload—as the building boom shaped Northern Virginia. With his wife Beata Knop, whose sculptures adorn the grounds, the couple has opened this garden to give the D.C. area a large-scale destination where visitors can experience nature.

The project, Peter notes, really began with his parents, who collected plant specimens wherever they traveled— whether it was to Mount Vernon or a European estate. A passion for plants was quickly instilled in Peter, and he’s taken 250 acres of the family’s nearly 900-acre farm to build the garden. “It’s not about building a business; it’s about building beauty,” he says. “I want this to be an oasis for nature and art lovers.”

Photography by Kyle LaFerriere

Peter and Beata Knop in the Kyoto Bamboo Garden at the National Botanic Garden. The largest bamboo garden in the U.S., it’s harvested to feed the pandas at the National Zoo.

HOME grown

THERE IS MORE THAN ONE WAY to grow a garden—and it doesn’t always mean tending to pretty flowers in bloom. “This is a nature garden, not a flower garden,” says Peter. “It’s creating something in a short time frame that nature might take thousands of years to make.”

A nature garden plays with—and adds to— what’s already there, bringing out the beauty inherently in the landscape. It’s not about planting neat, tidy rows of roses, because nature, after all, is messy by nature. It’s about sowing the seeds of a bamboo forest, for example, and allowing it to spread freely to accentuate the sense of Zen.

And for Peter’s wife, Polish artist Beata, the 250 acres is the ultimate canvas. “Nature is a school,” she says. “And we’re always learning from the landscape.” At the entrance, an 827-foot dragon sculpture erupts from rock. Like the mountain, it’s less Disneyland and more about being seamlessly intertwined with its surroundings. If Peter is the brawn of the operation—moving, or really building, mountains—Beata is the visionary, the dreamer.

Before Beata met Peter at a garden party in 2005, she was making collages and designing interiors. But their shared passion over bamboo connected them, and Peter soon asked her to design land-focused art for the garden’s Kyoto section, where a bamboo forest grows. It’s the largest collection in the country and is harvested to feed the pandas at the National Zoo. The rock and water feature she’s created there uses found materials, giving them new life. Beata notes that they often hold private yoga classes in the shade under the bamboo’s leafy foliage.

Nearly every different section of the National Botanic Garden is shaped around Beata’s art. Beyond the earth dragon poised at the entrance is a grassy lawn filled with metal sculptures inspired by outer space; Interstellar is intended to recreate the Big Bang’s explosive energy in glossy chrome. A castle with a moat and a dungeon is right out of a fairy tale, and plans are in the works to turn this into a place for picnics and live entertainment. Cross a rustic bridge and

you’ll find a tiny, tidy hamlet called Hobbit Town, which will host overnight guests. Built into a slope, its curved steps and undulating walls will thrill any Lord of the Rings fan.

The Xeric Garden shows off drought tolerant plants, including cacti, yucca, sedum, and lavender that emphasize the importance of waterwise gardening. It’s a beautiful collection and displays the staggering variety of plants that can be grown in Virginia.

The couple’s passion for nature is only matched by their dedication to recycling materials. “We’re

probably the largest recycled garden on the East Coast,” says Peter. The giant beams in Hobbit Town are repurposed railroad ties; its rounded doorways are made from discarded concrete pipes and wood salvaged from an old horse stable. There’s a wooden storage shed that was once a smokehouse from an 18th-century farm nearby, and a Mondrian-inspired installation painted on concrete salvaged from nearby Dulles Airport.

For Peter and Beata, this massive project fills the need for an educational garden and art space. “It’s a way to connect with people and to give them an experience they’ve never had,” he says.

The National Botanic Garden has 10 public events a year—from art festivals to holiday celebrations—each lasting three to four days. Spaces like the stone barn, Hobbit Town, and a lakeside pavilion are all available for weddings, parties, and corporate events. NationalBotanicGarden.org

Konstantin Rega is digital editor at Virginia Living.

Nature is a school. And we’re always learning from the landscape.

—Beata Knop

Peter Knop stands atop the artificial mountain he built using dirt from local construction projects.

Left: Beata Knop sits on a reinforced concrete sculpture, part of her larger piece, titled The Form

Beata Knop’s sculpture Interstellar, made with recycled steel.

A medieval castle, still in progress.

Left: Hobbit Town.

By LARRY BLEIBERG | Illustration by

THE MARRIAGE DIDN’T START ON A HIGH NOTE.

The bride, 15-year-old Mary, cried through the ceremony, hardly swept off her feet by the groom, her first cousin William. Introduced a few days earlier, she’d been weeping ever since. Her betrothed, chosen for political reasons, was 12 years her senior, four inches shorter, and hunchbacked, with blackened teeth and a pockmarked face. His command of English was poor, and, on top of that, he smelled bad.

“It was a bit awkward at the beginning,” said historian Phillip Emanuel, who studied at William & Mary.

Given all that, we shouldn’t be surprised that the future King William III and Queen Mary II’s wedding night was hardly a wild booty call. The royal family—never a group with a good grasp of boundaries—joined the couple in their chamber for a bedding ceremony, a wedding tradition that thankfully has gone out of style.

Even after Mary’s uncle, King Charles II, pulled the bed curtains to give the couple a modicum of privacy, sparks didn’t fly. William refused to remove his woolen underwear, saying Mary would have to learn to accept him as he was.

Although the future queen was a beauty, there was something William found more attractive than her shapely figure: her birthright. Mary was second in line to the throne, and William knew that if he played his cards right, he could end up as king.

It might sound like the premise for a bad reality dating show, but this couple’s influence on Virginia is still felt today. They founded the College of William & Mary, and not only was Williamsburg named for the king but so were two Virginia counties.

Today, though, they’re hardly celebrated. Even the college pays little attention. You have to work your way to the back entrance of Tucker Hall to find King and Queen Gate, where solemn statues of the monarchs stand atop brick pillars. But look carefully. More prominent than the founders are the “Do Not Enter” traffic signs posted beneath them.

Mary Miley Theobald, a history writer and William & Mary grad, says she’s not surprised that her alma mater doesn’t go all out for the couple who signed the school’s founding charter.

“Neither ever set foot on the campus. Queen Mary died shortly after the school was chartered, and I don’t think King William gave the place another thought,” she said. The school had been created to train Anglican priests and convert Indians to Christianity, two issues which concerned Mary.

“After the Revolution, I’m a little surprised they didn’t change the name, but then, Virginia didn’t do any of that,” Theobald added.

What’s most astonishing is that this seemingly destined-for-divorce pair eventually became the model for a modern marriage and jointly ran the country. They brought wise rule to England, recognizing the role of parliament, and accepting a bill of rights.

“Their reign is incredibly significant for many things,” said Emanuel, now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania. “But even then, if you ask the average Brit who William and Mary were, they probably couldn’t tell you.”

The couple took a while to warm up to each other. Within days of their 1677 marriage, William dragged his wife back to his native Holland, where Mary first sulked, and then spent her time designing gardens and studying her Anglican faith. Meanwhile, William took Mary’s childhood friend as a mistress.

But when a royal crisis a decade later forced her to take sides, Mary backed her husband over her father, who faced bitter opposition because he was Catholic. The couple assumed the throne under an unusual power-sharing agreement. Mary was named queen, but William refused the traditional title of queen’s consort and insisted that he be named king. A deal was struck, and they both took power.

“William spent most of his reign abroad, fighting the French each summer, and she ran Britain when he went off,” Emanuel said.

After years of struggle, the pair eventually settled into a comfortable partnership. When they weren’t attending to affairs of state, they doted on their pet pugs, and, like a modern couple, planned home renovations—in their case, remaking Hampton Court and Kensington Palace.

And even if it was never a smoldering passion, the royals did develop a deep affection.

Theobald points to a letter Mary wrote when William was off on a military campaign. “I am not able to think of anything else, but that I love you in more abundance than my own life.”

Not bad for a marriage that started in tears.

Larry Bleiberg is a past president of the Society of American Travel Writers. The former travel editor of Coastal Living magazine and The Dallas Morning News, he contributes to BBC Travel, The Washington Post, and many others. He lives in Charlottesville.

The oddball match of William and Mary netted a college and true love.

JON BERKELEY

It might sound like the premise for a bad reality dating show, but this couple’s influence in Virginia is still felt today.

This Story is Nuts.

Fall into nature’s zany cycle of the acorn.

By CAROLINE KETTLEWELL | Illustration by SHANE CLUSKEY

IT DOESN’T TAKE AN ETYMOLOGIST

to guess why the season after summer is commonly referred to as “fall.” It’s that time of year when it all comes down. Leaves fall. Temperatures fall. For those of us who need our daylight in big doses, spirits fall.

And of course, if you’ve got some big, old oak trees about, acorns fall.

A cascade, a deluge, an avalanche—in a boom acorn year, if you happen to live beneath one of those trees, every passing autumn breeze can unleash a veritable hailstorm on your rooftop.

Acorns are, of course, the fruit of oak trees. And they fall—of course—because tiny acorns/ mighty oaks ... you know the drill. Acorns are how oak trees make more oak trees.

But have you ever noticed how some years there are acorns everywhere, and some years they’re thin on the ground? Your impression is not wrong; oaks do indeed cycle through years of greater and lesser acorn production. “Mast” is the

technical term for the fruit—whether nuts or berries—of forest trees and shrubs. And when, every few years, one of those fruiting woodland species produces a particularly over-abundant crop, it’s known as a “mast year.”

Different species of oak (there are about 90 native to North America) have different mast cycles, but perhaps the most fascinating thing about mast years is that the trees somehow manage to coordinate the phenomenon between themselves. This “synchrony” can apparently take place among trees spread across hundreds of miles or more.

Oaks need at least 20 years or longer to reach acorn-producing age, so it takes a pretty big oak to grow a really big acorn harvest. But in a mast year, one of those venerable 100-year-old oaks might produce as many as 10,000 acorns. One theory of mast years is that such a feast of plenty overwhelms even the hungriest hordes of wildlife, with the result that enough acorns go uneaten to seed a new generation of trees.

And what doesn’t eat acorns? Mice, deer, foxes, rabbits, squirrels, black bears, wild turkey— they’re all lining up for the buffet. They are the feast of the forest, the woodland answer to the question, “What’s for dinner?” And breakfast. And lunch. Even people can eat acorns, although if you don’t want to make yourself seriously sick, you first need to process them to leach out the high levels of tannins they contain. There are recipes online for acorn cake, acorn bread, acorn coffee, acorn brittle—you could pretty much make yourself an acorn meal if you were so inclined.

Acorns are the feast of the forest, the woodland answer to the question, ‘What’s for dinner?’ And breakfast. And lunch.

You might not want, however, to partake on the ones the acorn weevils have already gotten to. (The reader who queried “What are those grubs crawling out of the acorns?” to a Pennsylvania outdoors columnist lived that experience so you don’t have to.)

Speaking of things you eat, you may have heard someone refer to an acorn as an “eggcorn.” Possibly, you’ve used the word yourself. Your author once heard an actual arborist use the word, and I cannot swear to you that he was being facetious. One theory has been ventured that eggcorn is a mashup of “oak” and “corn.” Another, that the (sort of) egg-like shape of an acorn is the inspiration for the word. However “eggcorn” came to be, the word itself has taken on a new life beyond its oak-fruit origins. Just as a misheard lyric is known as a “mondegreen,” now “eggcorn” has come to stand for the entire delightful category of misheard words and phrases, like “holiday sauce” for “hollandaise,” “medium strip” for “median strip,” and “windshield factor” for that extra measure of cold that comes when the wind blows on winter days (that would be “wind chill factor”). “Eggcorn” was first proposed by linguist Geoffrey Pullum in the word-lover’s blog Language Log for what he called a “slip of the ear;” the Oxford English Dictionary (online) made that definition OED-official in 2010.

And now with eggcorn—or rather, acorn— season upon us again, you can not only help keep critters fed, but you can also help keep Virginia forested. Every year, the Virginia Department of Forestry asks landowners to gather nuts and acorns for planting at its Augusta Nursery in Crimora. The seedlings produced grow into tomorrow’s forests. So if you have acorn-producing oaks of your own after the mice and deer and squirrels have had their fill—whether pin oaks, willow oaks, white oaks, or chestnut oaks—think of them as a treasure trove to seed the future.

DOF.Virginia.gov

Caroline Kettlewell is an insatiably curious writer who has a particular interest in stories about science, health, and the natural world.

CarolineKettlewell.com

It may be possible to find a country road in Alleghany County that isn’t scenic—one without a sparkling river running beside its smooth asphalt curves or mountains rising through the forest gaps. But you’d have to look hard to find it.

Outside in Alleghany From

Covington

to

Forge, the Highlands deliver scenic adventure.

Clifton

By JEFF YEATES |

Photography by KYLE L A FERRIERE

Looking out over the Jackson River, flowing out of Lake Moomaw.

Left: Antlers and a turkey feather fan adorn the lodge of fly fishing and hunting guide Wes Hodges (below).

EVERY ROUTE in this mountain paradise is scenic. Anchored by the twin towns of Covington and Clifton Forge, the Alleghany Highlands sit smack in between The Omni Homestead Resort—20 miles to the east—and The Greenbrier, 20 miles west.

Its tagline, Uniquely Alleghany, speaks to the bounty of singular experiences on offer: You can swim in Lake Moomaw, hike the Jackson River trail, float fish for wild trout, and bike absolutely everywhere. Throw in an 80-foot waterfall and an historic covered bridge, and you’ll need more than a weekend to cover it all.

I begin at Wesley Hodges’ hunting and fishing lodge in Eagle Rock—aptly named Wesley Hodges Fly Fishing—15 miles from Clifton Forge. Clients fly in from around the world for his guided trips. As I drive in, his dogs track my car from the back porch. “There’s nothing

those dogs want to do more than sniff out birds for you,” he tells me as soon as I arrive. Beyond the three-bedroom lodge, guests can stay in one of four comfortable glamping tents on his 13-acre property, situated on the James. From the lodge’s back porch, all five bird dogs whine in excited anticipation.

I’m not here to hunt—but the dogs’ll get their chance. Hodges, who goes by Wes, has fished and hunted his whole life. Born in Texas, he could have chosen to live anywhere. Why Alleghany? “I can take clients to fish in seven different rivers within an hour of here,” he says. “I’ve traveled all over the world, but this is where I ended up.” A veteran of the Army 82nd Airborne, Hodges often welcomes fellow vets through the Wounded Warriors Project.

At the lodge, Bryn McDaniel, owner of Kind Baking in Roanoke, handles the cooking and baking. “We stay as

Wes Hodges on the porch of his lodge with dogs Ella, Duke, Chaga, and Cooper. (His fifth, German shorthair Eddie, is currently in grouse school.)

Dr. Paul Linkenhoker at the Covington C&O Passenger Depot, now headquarters for the Alleghany Historical Society.

Historic image of the C&O Depot.

Right: Marian Paxton, secreatary of the Alleghany Historical Society.

local as we can, we even source our flour from a mill in Floyd.” I sample one of her banana-blueberry muffins, breakfast for a group of clients who just packed up and left—without the muffins. They should have stuck around. It’s super. Any other guest favorites, I ask? “My creamed carrots,” McDaniel is quick to answer. “It goes great with our Argentine-style meat cooked on our outdoor grill.”

Founded in 1746

Wes ended up in Alleghany after seeing the world, but most locals never leave. If they do, they don’t stay away for long. Dr. Paul Linkenhoker, a retired teacher and historian, is one of them. “Class of 1966, Covington High School,” he says. “Then I went off to earn graduate degrees from Virginia Tech and the University of Virginia, but returned here to teach middle and high school history.”

I meet him in downtown Covington, at the Alleghany Highlands Discovery Center. It’s run by the Alleghany Historical Society, of which Linkenhoker is President

and CEO. The Center’s official name—Alleghany Highland Industrial Heritage and Technology Discovery Center—is “a bit of a mouthful,” he admits. “We call it the Discovery Center for short.”

Visitors here get a hands-on lesson on industries that shaped Covington and the region. “A Scotch-Irishman, Joseph Carpenter, and his three brothers settled here in 1746,” Linkenhoker explains. Within a few decades, iron production emerged, then timber and coal. In the 1920s, there was even a rayon factory.

Nowadays, WestRock dominates. With an annual revenue of around $21 billion, it’s one of the world’s largest paper and packaging companies. “They go through 160-200 truckloads of timber every day,” he tells me. “If you’ve used a cardboard box or paper milk carton in the last few years, it probably came from Covington.”

Around the Highlands

Just a few minutes outside of Covington, the arched timberwork of Humpback Bridge spans Dunlap Creek.

Bryn McDaniel of Kind Baking in Roanoke harvests vegetables to accompany dinner at Wes Hodges’ lodge (right).

Its tagline, Uniquely Alleghany, speaks to the bounty of singular experiences on offer. you’ll need more than a weekend to cover it all.

Steaks and caramelized brown sugar peaches (a favorite ice cream topper) prepared over a wood fire by Bryn McDaniel.

YOU START TYPING... Allegheny/Alleghany is spelled two different ways throughout this article. The county is spelled “Alleghany,” the mountains are spelled “Allegheny.”

The longest arched wooden bridge in the U.S., it closed to vehicles in 1929. As my wife, Rebecca, and I saunter slowly through its dark interior, we notice the walls are inscribed with the hopeful scribblings of young lovers. To all of them, may your love endure like this bridge. It’s stood since 1857.

One couple that has lasted—Erin Bartley and her husband, Jeremy—share a love of running and the outdoors. Erin grew up in Morgantown, West Virginia, but Jeremy’s family, “has been in Covington forever,” she says. “I’m always meeting new cousins of his.”

The Bartleys coach the cross country teams at Alleghany County’s middle and high schools. Their direction seems to be working: In 2021, the boys’ team won the state championship—Alleghany High School’s first state win, in any sport. After that, the girls followed suit, capturing their own state championship in 2022.

When they’re not cultivating running champs, the couple heads for the water. “Lake Moomaw is a hidden gem,” says Erin. “There is no development, no second

STAY

Omni Homestead Resort, Hot Springs: Just 20 miles from Covington, the Homestead embodies posh elegance and offers every possible amenity. OmniHotels.com

The Greenbrier, White Sulphur Springs: Though technically in West Virginia, it’s nearby and is also known for its ultraluxurious vibe. Greenbrier.com

Hillcrest Mansion Inn, Clifton Forge: You’ll find elegant, comfortable rooms and

a homecooked, multi-course breakfast at this historic, four-acre Edwardian estate. Facebook.com/HillCrestMansionInn

Vine Cottage Inn, Hot Springs: This charming Victorian B&B offers well-lit rooms, hearty breakfasts, and communal spaces. VineCottageInn.com

The Inn at Gristmill Square, Warm Springs: A stylish and charming inn is its own village, plus home to the award-winning Watermill Restaurant. GristmillSquare.com

vacation homes on the shoreline. We take the kid, the dog, and a canoe and paddle out. It’s just us, out on the water, surrounded by the mountains.” The Bartleys also bike, run, and kayak—and they don’t have to look far for competitions.

For Outdoor Competitors

“I don’t know of another county our size that puts on as many outdoor adventure events as Alleghany,” says Josh Taylor, director of marketing and special events for the County. Taylor directs three of the biggest ones: in May, it’s the Agony in the Alleghenies Gran Fondo bicycle race. June brings the Jackson River Marathon, with runners covering the 15-mile crushed gravel Jackson River Scenic Trail. And in August, there’s the One-Mile Lake Moomaw Open Water Swim. If that’s not enough, Clifton Forge holds a rare triathlon, run-kayak-bike, in late May every year.

“We love to show off the region,” says Taylor. “Our biggest event is the marathon. We’re a Boston qualifier race. In June we hosted close to 500 runners from nearly all 50 states and several countries.”

locals for their homemade sauce. Facebook.com/CuccisPizzeria

EAT

The Cat and Owl Steak and Seafood, Covington: Diners rave over this restaurant’s prime cuts of beef, scallops, lobster, and fish entrées. TheCatAndOwl.com

The Brewhouse at Cliff View, Falling Spring: A vibrant spot with a steller views, a brewpub vibe, and hearty meals like burgers, salads, and soups. VisitCliffView.com

Cucci’s Pizzeria, Covington: This low-key pizza spot is famous with

Rail Bar & Grille, Covington: Check out their live music, custom cocktails, finger food, and ample outdoor seating. Facebook.com/RailBarAndGrille

PLAY

Alleghany Outdoors: The pros at AO make it easy to get outdoors with canoe rentals, shuttles, trip planning, and more. AlleghanyOutdoors.com

Douthat State Park: Camp, swim, fish, hike, and rent a boat at Virginia’s first state

COVINGTON & CLIFTON FORGE: Make it a Weekend.

Humpback Bridge, the largest arched wooden bridge in the U.S. at nearly 110 feet long.

Falling Spring Falls, just north of Covington.

falling spring falls photo by templenick

The races are a good time, as I discovered while cycling up 5,000 feet of hills on the 64-mile Agony in the Alleghenies mountain ride. After crossing the finish line, riders get a free recovery massage and full leg compression therapy, along with a catered lunch, one free beer, with the Thomas Taylor Band playing country and classic rock covers.

Compression therapy? Angel Mcallister of Appalachian Wellness Massage pulls out her air-powered compression leg sleeves and explains: “Starting from your ankles and up to your thighs, they push your blood up and get the toxins out more quickly.”

She puts them on me and, after 15 minutes of legsleeve tightening from my lower calves up my thighs, I feel like a nicely squeezed sausage and let the next cyclist have a try. The next day, my legs feel pretty good. Angel was right. Rebecca is so impressed that she goes to Angel for a full- body massage and myofascial release the next day. Angel’s skill is enthusiastically endorsed with a slew of epic online reviews.

park in Millboro. Pronounce it like a local: dow-thut DCR.Virginia.Gov/State-Parks

Escatawba Farms: The state’s ultimate private fly fishing outfitter, this Covington-based venue boasts choice brown, brook, and rainbow trout. Escatawba.com

Falling Spring Falls: This 80-foot waterfall near Covington is one of the area’s most photographed spots. DCR.Virginia.Gov/State-Parks

Jackson River: The Upper, Middle, and Lower Jacks are prime fly fishing spots for brook and rainbow trout. With several public accesses. DWR.Virginia.gov

Jackson River Scenic Trail: Enjoy spectacular vistas along this rail-to-trail conversion’s 27 miles from Covington to Lake Moomaw. JacksonRiverTrail.com

LEARN

Alleghany Highlands Arts and Crafts Center, Clifton Forge: Highland artists are showcased here—from pottery to quilts and more. HighlandsArtsAndCraft.org

Alleghany Historical Society, Covington: This restored 1890s freight depot chronicles the history of the Highlands. AlleghanyHistorical.org

C&O Railway Heritage Center, Clifton Forge: Brush up on America’s past at this anchor of the Alleghany’s long railroad history, dating to 1857. COH.org/Heritage

Museum of Antique Coffee Mills & Coffee Bar, Clifton Forge: Grab an espresso at Caffé Museo as you peruse the largest collection of antique coffee mills in the U.S. CaffeMuseoOVa.com

Home Cooking

After burning calories over 64 miles, I have no trouble finding great local food. At Family TreeT’s, owner Tawnya Ross’ classic country hangout features rotating theme menus on Friday nights and a Sunday brunch buffet. Philly Cheese Steak Casserole and Million Dollar Baked Spaghetti were on the brunch menu when we visited. The sausage gravy on the breakfast bar was some of the best I’ve ever tasted. You’ll find it next to the waffle bar and Ross’ homemade desserts.

I find Tawnya behind the buffet counter. I ask her about the “tree” in Family TreeT. “My family ‘tree’ is full of chefs and bakers,” she says, laughing as she whisks me off for a tour. “This building is 175 years old and has been a bank, a hospital, a post office, a general store, and even a jail.”

In Clifton Forge, Jack Mason’s Tavern is the neighborhood hangout. “It’s like home,” says assistant manager Carry Ailspock, pointing to the upside down canoe hanging from the ceiling. People attach photos and

I can take clients to fish in seven different rivers within an hour of here. I’ve traveled all over the world, but this is where I ended up.

—Wes Hodges, fishing and bird hunting guide

Clifton Forge LOVEworks sign outside the Historic Masonic Theatre.

The annual One-Mile Lake Moomaw Open Water Swim.

The Bartley family (Jeremy, Erin, son Levi and dog Chester) goes for a run on the Jackson River Scenic Trail.

lake moomaw and agony in the alleghenies photos by chuck almarez

Wes Hodges on the Jackson River.

The Agony in the Alleghenies Gran Fondo bicycle race.

dollar bills to it, in memory of locals who have passed on. At the bar, the walls and columns are covered with donated license plates, dollar bills scrawled with messages professing newlywed love, and other mementos.

“Once something is posted, it stays up,” Ailspock states. “That’s the rule. Even if you get divorced, we don’t take it down,” she says with a smile. With live music and home brewed beer, Jack Mason’s always draws a lively crowd. As the evening’s band warmed up, we enjoyed an impossibly rich brownie-bite cheesecake. It’s even more memorable with a cold glass of milk.

If the Alleghany scenery and the people who live here shared a collective soul, it would rest in Clifton Forge’s Historic Masonic Theatre. Built in 1906 for $42,000 by Frye and Chesterman, an architecture firm from Lynchburg, it has hosted local concerts and events for over a century. A $6.9 million renovation was completed in 2016. If a show’s on the calendar when you’re in town, it’s well worth a visit. A pay-what-you-can movie night gives it an extra charming vibe.

“The Historic Masonic Theatre has a long history as a movie house, as well as bringing entertaining live acts to the Alleghany Highlands,” says Justin Reiter, the executive director of the Historic Masonic Theatre. “The renovation of our 118 year old theater did not stop that tradition.”

Drop in early to enjoy a drink at the Underground Lounge & Café before the show. You’re likely to strike up a conversation with a local. While you wait for curtains up, relax to the hypnotic babbling burbles of Smith Creek through the windows just a few feet away.

“Enjoy our chill atmosphere in The Underground Lounge, with three large screen televisions, full bar, snacks, fresh made popcorn, and live, incredibly talented local musicians,” says Reiter. “If you can’t make it to a movie, you can join our house band, Alibi.” They play on the second Thursday of each month for open mic night.

“The Historic Masonic Theatre is not only in the center of the town, it is the center of the town, and a community gathering place for the region,” notes Gayle Hillert, President of the Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation Board of Directors. “Many say when they enter the doors, they feel her spirit of persistence.”

Janet Spearman would agree. Her father-in-law, John Hillert, led the drive to raise funds for the building’s spectacular, multimillion dollar restoration. Spearman gives Rebecca and me a tour, proudly noting every beam, every seat, and the painstakingly restored molding. As our tour wraps up, she sighs at the beauty of it. “I lose my breath a little every time I step into this building,” she says.

It’s just one of the sites here in Alleghany that will take your breath away.

Jeff Yeates was born in Alexandria and has lived in Virginia most of his life. He and his family enjoy bicycling, roller coasters, and Virginia history. They always brake for roadside produce stands.

The Historic Masonic Theatre is not only in the center of the town, it is the center of the town, and a community gathering place for the region.

—Gayle Hillert, President, Masonic Theatre Preservation Foundation Board of Directors

Justin Reiter, Gayle Hillert, and Janet Spearman inside the restored Historic Masonic Theatre.

The Masonic Ampitheatre, designed and built by third-year architect students from the design/buildLab at Virginia Tech, located behind the Historic Masonic Theatre.

Welcome to

For the culture curious, the outdoor adventurer, resort devotees, and culinary connoisseurs, there’s nothing quite like Virginia. Nature lovers will enjoy the sand and surf of Virginia Beach, the leaves changing along Skyline Drive, and the solitude of the barrier islands of the Eastern Shore. For the ultimate in rest and relaxation, lean into luxury at world-class resorts. Epicureans can hop along a wine or brewery trail, and savor the flavors at the Commonwealth’s many restaurants, food halls, and tasting rooms. Year-round performances in dance, music, and drama that showcase the best and brightest stars. At our many historical sites, get steeped in Virginia’s unparalleled history or admire the top-notch collections at our museums. Whichever direction you choose, Virginia has it all.

the fun you’ll have.

One visit to Onancock and you’ll discover a charming, historic town on Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Walk to the wharf, restaurants, shops, an assortment of art galleries and Ker Place, a museum and historic house. This year-round hub is minutes from experiencing everything the Shore offers from world-class fishing to boating, kayaking, wineries, nature preserves, biking and, most importantly, a fresh perspective. Start

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Virginia is for Outdoor Lovers. Users can witness spectacular mountain views seen by the earliest settlers as they trekked westward for adventure and game. Riders can watch as the misty clouds roll forth over endless mountains while riding the trail. Spy abundant wildlife on this trail known for its top black bear and

Meet Riley,

She loves snacking, especially on chips.

Chips are a no-no since she has braces. One afternoon while enjoying some delicious fried potato goodness, Riley experienced a crunch, and it wasn’t from a chip.

One of her brackets had popped off.

At Virginia Family Dentistry, our team of orthodontists are available for everyday emergencies and had her bracket fixed same day.

You can find Riley good as new and back to her regular routine (sans chips) to which we say...

Chip-Chip-Hooray!

GOODtaste

Looking for some fun carbs for lunch? D.C.’s Call Your Mother Deli just dropped a pink and teal food truck into McLean’s Chesterbrook Shopping, where you can get their classic sandwiches like the Grand Villa Bagel, the BLTA, and the Hummus & Avocado Melt on Rye.

Behind the phenom is Andrew Dana and Forbes “30 under 30” Chef Daniela Moreira. The two met in D.C. at a farmers market, joined forces, and soon launched a restaurant named one of America’s Best New Restaurants by Bon Appétit in 2019. It has since become a local favorite.

The food truck, known as the “Lil Deli,” joins their other eight brickand-mortar locations around NoVa and D.C., offering the delicious “Jew-ish”-inspired foods they’re known for. We recommend the Delray Club, CYM’s “seasonal slapper,” with peach cream cheese, bacon, nectarines, and potato chips on a toasted bagel. This new mobile restaurant has also expanded to Denver, Colorado, and is rumored to be toodling around the rest of Virginia, so be on the lookout. CallYourMotherDeli.com

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IT TAKES A NUT

PEANUTS? To make coffee? James Harrell thought it was possible, so in 2017, armed with a dream and some serious hutzpah, he launched the world’s first coffee alternative made of peanuts—Virginia Gold. This fifth-generation peanut farmer from Suffolk also quickly calculated that peanuts are a much more affordable and profitable option.

After several years of trial and error, Harrell patented his unique invention. Peanuts are first ground into coffee-like granules and then heated and pressurized to optimize taste.

Naturally, Virginia Gold relies heavily on Virginia peanuts. Most drinkers claim it’s nearly identical to coffee, but has a slightly nutty aroma. Harrell notes its health benefits—it’s acid-free, contains protein, and is a natural antioxidant and caffeine-free, although Harrell does offers a caffeinated option. Plus, it’s produced locally without using chemicals.

Virginia Gold is gaining global recognition; Canadians see it as a delicacy. “We’ve literally invented a new category in the peanut industry,” he says. VaGold.com —by

Rachel Kester

WASTE NOT, WANT NOT Interactive app can reduce restaurant food waste.

EVER THOUGHT ABOUT all that restaurant food that doesn’t get eaten? Too Good To Go has, and they launched an app designed to let users rescue unsold food from restaurants, bakeries, even coffee shops.

Food on Too Good To Go is offered at deep discounts, giving restaurants an opportunity to sell what they were going to toss. In turn, consumers have the ability to buy cheap food on the fly. It’s a win-win for both sides.

The Copenhagen-based company, which took Europe by storm, has made its way across the

INN THE HOT SEAT

A taste of Texas comes to Harrisonburg.

THE TEXAS INN BEGAN IN the pocket of Nick Bullington’s pants.

As Ringling Brothers’ advance man, Bullington hung circus posters before he bought a $5 chili recipe from a chef in San Antonio that he used to launch a retro lunch counter.

The “T Room,” a nickname coined by locals, opened its doors in 1935 with 10 seats. It’s since grown into two Lynchburg locations and, now, a new outpost in Harrisonburg.

The chili that made the Texas Inn famous is still on the menu—and it’s as delicious as ever. The famous hot dogs beckon relish and ketchup lovers both, and a spin on their classic cheeseburger—the “Cheesy Western” topped with an egg—still has mouths watering.

And that recipe? It’s still in the chef’s back pocket. TexasInn.com —by E.J.

pond, settling first into big metropolitan areas like New York. Now they have nearly 200 NoVa restaurants registered—from PLNT Burger to District Taco and Fresh Baguette. It’s heading south in Virginia—six restaurants are registered in Fredericksburg, including Hunan Garden and Juan More Taco.

Too Good To Go sold nearly 80 million meals in 2022 and registered more than 20 million users. They’re trending to improve those numbers this year, connecting even more people to food, one tap at a time. —by Emma

Johnson

BALANCING ACT

Artisan vinegar boasts the flavors of Virginia.

IF YOU MAKE YOUR OWN SAUCES AND salad dressings, Lindera Farms has a forager-approved line of vinegars to brighten and balance your favorite flavor profiles.

The small-batch vinegars are infused with the native plants of the Blue Ridge Mountains. “Our biggest source of inspiration is Virginia itself,” says Matthew DeRossett, Lindera Farms creative leader. “We try to capture the flavors of the state, fermenting those ingredients into vinegars. Everything we do highlights the incredible bounty we have here.”

Their Black Soy Vinegar, with hints of pumpernickel and black olives, is a perfect dash in a Bloody Mary. A cherry blossom-blend is floral, with notes of fruit that balances any salad dressing. LinderaFarms.com —by E.J.

Could peanut coffee replace the standard morning roast?

EMMA JOHNSON | Photography by FRED + ELLIOTT

SRIRACHA HOT SAUCE

catbird craF t Sauce company charlottesVille

Packed with freshness and a punch of classic flavor, Catbird’s Sriracha Hot Sauce is an allnatural mash of sugar, vinegar, and garlic combined with habanero and jalapeño peppers fermented to perfection. CatbirdCo.com

CHESAPEAKE BAY HOT SAUCE

clark + HopkinS

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Catch a taste of the Bay, and also ginger, bay leaf, and mustard, in Clark+Hopkins’ Chesapeake Bay hot sauce. Its tangy and bright flavors make it the perfect condiment for your waterfront table. ClarkAndHopkins.com

by its Southern charm, this sauce still has the spice. HotSouthernHoney.com

WATERMELON SRIRACHA HOT SAUCE

diSturbingly deliciouS FoodS Falls church

Maker Dave Forbes’ plant-based hot sauces provide the zing with a little zany. Hot peppers and pungent garlic power this hot sauce, cooling off with a refreshing hint of watermelon. DisturbinglyDeliciousFoods.com

CHIPOTLE HOT SAUCE, BLUE

HugHliciouS richmond

Hugh Mosher adds a little “licious” to his original chipotle hot sauce. One of the few blueberry-infused hots on the market, the blend of heat and sweet brings new layers of spice to any recipe. TheOriginalHughlicious.com

The Art of the Peel

Making apple butter is one family’s tradition.

By SYLVIE BAGGETT | Illustration by JAMES ALBON

SHE COULD PEEL AND CORE AN APPLE in under two minutes, lifting the skin with her paring knife to turn out a single, unbroken spiral. And on apple butter day, my Granna Shirley made mountains of them, an entire massif spreading across the kitchen counter. It takes bushels of apples; six of them one year, seven the next, and many hands to unravel the peels like a scarf, plunge out the cores, chop, and stir, almost constantly, for hours.

There’s no butter in apple butter. It’s more a cross between jam and high-octane applesauce. It originated in medieval Europe but became a Southern staple when the Pennsylvania Dutch brought it to western North Carolina after the Revolutionary War. Eventually, apple butter found its way to my grandparents’ log cabin in Wintergreen. The recipe had been passed down for centuries.

As autumn painted searing reds and golds along the Blue Ridge, our family would pile in the car, driving from North Carolina to Granna’s cabin, where an orchard stood in the back. The low-hanging apples were for the youngest cousins to pluck; the older ones got ladders and pickers. We’d fill the baskets and boxes as quickly as our boy cousins could ferry into the kitchen, broken plastic buckets and the same water-stained boxes from the year before overflowing with fruit, where they met Granna’s paring knife.

The peeled apples would be cored and chopped, then simmered on the stove for hours, well into the night. To the pot, Granna added cups of sugar and spices in tablespoons, precisely leveled. My aunts and uncles filled the kitchen, tying apron strings behind them, drifting in the corners until summoned by a wave of her demanding hand. The windows steamed up as the apples caramelized, perfuming the air with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves. Too young to wield a knife or stir the near-boiling pot, I joined my younger cousins in the dining room around a giant copper pot where we mashed and stirred our imaginary apple butter.

When my knife skills finally passed muster, I’d sit at the table with Granna Shirley, casting peels into a red plastic bowl. Mine always broke; a series of question marks. But even then, hers spooled out, perfectly intact. We talked about the birds at Wintergreen, how they were drawn to the sun porch, or the jars of vegetables she canned and pickled, lined up in neat rows on shelves in the basement.

When the fruits of Granna’s labor were canned and tucked safely in the cellar, three rows deep, we would leave with a catawampus car, the trunk so laden with filled-to-the-brim Mason jars that it nearly scraped the pavement. In the coming year, we would spread apple butter on every edible surface. “No,” I’d tell friends over the din of the school cafeteria. “It’s not actually butter.”

Then, like the fading ink of her recipe card, Granna Shirley began to forget. Before long, Granddad sold the cabin and they moved to be closer to us in North Carolina. Our Wintergreen years were over.

The North Carolina autumns didn’t quite compare to those in Virginia—there were no mountains in view, and the apples at the farmers market were never as tasty. But they marked the same moment for our family: apple butter season. Only now Granddad and Granna Shirley would arrive at my parents’ house, honking their horn all the way up our long driveway. The apples deemed worthy of apple butter were piled high in the cracked leather back seat of their car, which smelled of decades-old cigarette smoke, or rolling wildly under the passenger seat.

Once more, cousins, aunts, and uncles filled the kitchen with chatter and laughter. The metal lids of the Mason jars popped as the steam from the boiling water rose, tinkling like bells. The bowl of peelings taken out back, emptied a dozen times, a treat for the chickens.

Whether or not she knew where she was, or who we were, Granna Shirley was content at the kitchen table, peeling one apple after another, the peels piling up in the way only she could do.

Sylvie Baggett spent her summers in Wintergreen, where her grandparents lived in a historic cabin on a small apple orchard. She now resides in Brooklyn, New York, where she works as an editor.

The windows steamed up as the apples caramelized, perfuming the air with cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves.

Leaven on Earth

Bread is back— and tastier than ever.

By MAX WATMAN |

Photography by SERA PETRAS

The storybook scene that awaits customers at Seasons’ Yield Farm in rural Raphine is idyllic—think children splashing in babbling brooks, chickens pecking underfoot, and happy farm dogs wagging their tails. But an added bonus is the unmistakable aroma of baking bread permeating the air, made from flour fresh from the nearby mill.

Seasons’ Yield is in the milling business, and grinding flour and grains onsite is what helps create extra-special baked goods that get snatched up every other Saturday at Bread Day. Folks in the know can’t get enough.

Customers from all over flock to buy their $8.50 loaves—nearly four times the average cost of a loaf. But the Shears—the husband and wife team behind Seasons’ Yield—can barely keep up with demand. They say their secret is simple: stonemilled flour. This detail is all-important because it’s the flour that makes the bread. And it’s that picturesque mill that makes the flour—and, more so than pricey small-batch loaves, it’s milling that’s becoming the food trend.

On Bread Day, themes like wood-fired pizza or whole-hog barbecue direct the customer experience along a culinary trajectory. And the event regularly sees more than a thousand visitors—in rain, sleet, and snow—with loaves flying off the shelves.

A Flour Arrangement

Owners Daniel and Fawn Shear are flour fanatics. Ask Daniel what the difference is between store-bought flour and Seasons’ Yield flour, and he gives an audible sigh. “Phew. That’s a loaded question,” he says, choosing his words carefully. “If you’re comparing any flour off the shelf from the store and fresh-milled wheat, there is no comparison. You’ll have a loaf of bread at the end, but the things that come to mind when you look at the loaf, the texture and character of the loaf are so

much richer.” It’s difficult to qualify, but there’s a darker color, and, he says, “the smell seems to hit you sideways. You note the smell: it’s more earthy. It’s deeper.”

Any bread aficionado will tell you the same thing, which may be precisely why big bakeries like Arnold and Pepperidge Farm have ferociously developed multigrain varieties, with grocery store shelves brimming with their nine-, 12-, and 15-grain loaves. Arnold’s new “Organic 22 Grains and Seeds” includes a tagline indicating that it’s “sustainably baked with wind energy.” But no

matter how many grains they bake with wind energy, they’ll never stack up to bread made with fresh-milled flour.

The bread at Seasons’ Yield is astonishing. More than worth the drive is a potato rosemary sourdough—fluffy, moist, air bubbles perfectly enclosed within the crust, with an aroma that intoxicates and delicious chunks of soft potato scattered through the stretchy crumb.

If There’s a Mill, There’s a Way

A mill is comprised of a runner stone that spins above a stationary bed stone, and the surface is divided by furrows, or deep grooves, that are surrounded by lands, or flat areas. Smaller grooves called feathering or cracking spread away from the furrows and provide a cutting edge that directs the ground flour out through channels.

The repeating patterns created by the lands and furrows are called harps, and a typical millstone will have six, eight, or ten harps repeated on the face of each stone. When they are laid face-to-face, the patterns mesh, crushing what’s in between. Stones periodically need to be recut— which is called dressing—to keep the surfaces sharp.

The stones are positioned to crack the grain at exactly the right width without touching, separating the hard, fibrous protective shell called bran and the oil-rich germ from the wheatberry, leaving behind the endosperm, which is what’s ground into flour. The roller mill works differently: it separates the bran from the germ completely, keeping more of the bran and the germ, which means more flavor.

Unfortunately—for our collective culinary history, our sense of place, and our health—the oil

Bread Day customers line up by the hundreds to purchase all manner of baked goods from Seasons' Yield Farm, from their signature sourdough boules to baguettes, croissants, bagels, coffee cake, and more.

For Daniel Shear, bread is like life: “You can only appreciate it and enjoy it if you make it for yourself.”

Sourdough buns destined for barbecue receive a score before baking.

At a recent Bread Day: Ben Gilbert prepares whole hog barbecue, served on homemade buns (below), a recurring favorite at Seasons’ Yield Farm.

The Shear family, from left: Tirzah, Daniel, Thaddaeus, Fawn, Ronan, Finneus, and Waverly.

Daniel Shear shows off the beautiful crumb of Seasons’ Yield’s signature Oakland rustic sourdough bread.

GOODtaste

in the germ means that stone-milled flour will spoil, while roller-milled flour is shelf-stable. So for many reasons—among them economy of scale, efficiency, and profit—this is why stone milling is an uphill battle.

Yet at Seasons’ Yield, in the little building called the Milling Barn, where preordered loaves are lined up in paper bags, Daniel and Fawn preserve this link to the past in a time when sprawling, water-powered mills were the epicenters of villages and hamlets everywhere in America.

There’s a compact modern mill at Seasons’ Yield made by the New American Stone Company in Elmore, Vermont, which uses locally quarried granite for its mill stones. And at 26 inches in diameter, those mill stones are no small thing. But when you think of it next to a three story building with a water wheel, it seems like a Cuisinart. And it’s possibly just as revolutionary.

We Are the Millers

While deployed in Afghanistan, Daniel Shear read Chad Robertson’s Tartine, about how the California-based company started selling their to-die-for loaves. The bakery appeared in San Francisco’s Mission District in 2002 and soon went global. Now, with nearly a dozen locations in the Bay Area and around L.A., as well as in Seoul, South Korea, everyone who knows bread knows Tartine.

But it wasn’t actually the bread that grabbed ahold of him. It was the fact that Chad Robertson had taken his love for baking, his pursuit of the perfect loaf, and had built it into a business. “It really hadn’t occurred to me that that was possible,” Daniel says. “The book showed me what it would look like to follow our passion.”

So he and Fawn puzzled it out. They decided they wanted to work together, as a family, and to live off the land. They ran a CSA first, bringing vegetables and meat to farmers markets. The bread started as an add-on. Quickly it became what customers asked for. “Nobody was asking for more carrots,” says Daniel.

Today, the whole Shear family lives at Seasons’ Yield, including both Fawn and Daniel’s parents. Daniel feels that everyone is pulling their weight in the same direction. He says this collective effort creates “an environment where togetherness and community are valued.”

They so value community, in fact, that anyone can get a peek at the milling lifestyle: guests of their Bread Barn Airbnb get delicious whiffs of baking bread, minus all the grinding work. Outfitted in a Joanna Gaines meets Etsy style, the Bread Barn accommodations are supremely comfortable, stylish, and reasonably priced. Their “farm stays” are where guests can experience the “rhythms” of farm life nestled in the highly picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains. Not surprisingly, it’s consistently booked and well-reviewed, with most guests raving about—surprise!—that intoxicating aroma of baking bread.

Baking a Life

The Milling Barn, the Bread Barn, the beautifully tricked-out Airbnb, and the little children catching butterflies in the meadow are all charming aspects of Seasons’ Yield. But at

HOW A STONE MILL WORKS

its heart is what the Shears set out to create all along: a community brimming with talented artisans, engaging people, and nourishing, delicious food.

Daniel Shear says that the intangible side of nourishment explains why milling grain and baking bread is enjoying such popularity. “Crafting something by hand adds meaning and fulfillment to each bite,” he says. “I really enjoy baking with my children and working on the bread as a project to tackle and enjoy, and to learn about each other through the process.” For him, bread is like life: “you can only appreciate it and enjoy it if you make it for yourself.”

Max Watman is a former columnist for the Daily Beast and the New York Sun, and the author of the food memoir Harvest, among other books. He lives and writes on an old farm in Powhatan.

Wheat is fed into the hopper

The runner stone is turned. Mirror-image ridges on these two stones (which are perfectly spaced apart) crack apart the wheat.

The bedstone remains stationary.

Daniel Shear demonstrates Seasons’ Yield’s stone mill, handmade by Andrew Heyn of New American Stone Mills.

Not just bread: Seasons’ Yield specializes in all kinds of doughy delights, including these ham and cheese croissants and cinnamon crunch bagels.

Inside the Shear family’s cozy Bread Barn Airbnb.

Fawn mans the coffee line at a recent Bread Day.

Land: A flat area

Honey Whole Wheat Bread

This is one of Daniel Shear’s favorite recipes and a consistent best-seller at Seasons’ Yield. It’s made with regionally sourced, organic flour, milled on-site at the farm. This recipe makes two, hearty 890 g sandwich loaves (approximately 2 pounds each).

NOTE: It’s no secret that switching from measuring ingredients by volume (in cups) to measuring them by weight (in grams) makes a better baker. Not only will It increase your success rate, but you’ll also find your baking to be more reproducible from one batch to another. Plus your ingredients will be much more precise. All measurements in this recipe are in grams.

132 g sourdough starter (you can make your own or buy direct from suppliers like King Arthur Baking or Amazon)

543 g water

220 g honey

19 g salt

174 g 100 percent whole wheat

695 g sifted whole wheat

OTHER SUPPLIES:

2 metal loaf pans

Baker’s scale (available online starting around $10)

Olive oil

1. Carefully weigh all ingredients into a large bowl.

2. Mix by hand or with a stiff wooden spoon until all the ingredients are incorporated and the flour is hydrated.

3. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap and let sit for 45 minutes.

4. Dip your hand in water and then give the dough a "fold"—reach your hand to the bottom of the bowl and pull to the top a portion of the dough. Turn the bowl to access a new area of dough and repeat this process four more times. Cover the dough and allow it to rest for another 45 minutes.

5. Repeat this process until you have given the dough a series of four different folds.

6. Shape the dough: Turn the dough onto a lightly floured surface and cut the mass into two equal parts. Shape the dough into the form of a sandwich loaf pan using a push and pull motion, ensuring that you are tightening the surface of the dough.

7. Use olive oil to thoroughly coat the surface and underside of the dough, and then gently place into a metal loaf pan.

8. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to sit on the counter at room temperature for 2-3 hours until the dough has risen by 50 percent and when pressed with a finger, it does not fully spring back.

Cracking: Smaller, finer grooves for grinding

WHEAT 101

Bran: Fibrous outer shell

Endosperm: Starchy interior; ground into flour

Germ : Oil-rich seed embryo

9. While the dough rises, preheat the oven to 425°F.

10. Bake at 425°F for 18 minutes, turn down the heat to 375°F and bake another 18 minutes.

11. Remove from the oven, allow to rest in the pan for 15 minutes before moving to a cooling rack.

12. Enjoy with a pad of butter and jam!

Furrow : A deep groove

Harp: A repeating section of grinding surfaces

Daniel Shear with a pair of his signature Honey Whole Wheat loaves.

Dock-to-Dish Delicious

Chef William Mitchell captures fresh flavors at Farmasea.

By MADELINE MAYHOOD | Photography by FRED + ELLIOTT

William Mitchell grew up on the water, hunting for mud toads and horseshoe crabs and spotting minnows and snails among the eelgrass in Back Creek. He fished and crabbed on the North River in Gloucester with his best friend Patrick, and they’d haul their fresh catch into the kitchen, where various cooks—all family and friends—would rustle up crab cakes or fry croaker seasoned with herbs from the garden.

Charred & Blackened Amberjack with Virginia Lump Crab Perloo and Watercress Vichyssoise. Recipe on page 74.

As they sautéed and roasted and seared and stirred, Mitchell absorbed every teaspoon of their culinary secrets, where fresh ingredients and homespun recipes ruled, and the kitchen was the epicenter of family life. “My childhood was often spent in the kitchen,” he recalls. “Even when we would have large Thanksgiving gatherings with all of the extended family, everyone would end up in the kitchen. With a house full of rooms, we’d all be crowded into the smallest one in the house.”

After earning a degree in furniture design from SCAD—Savannah College of Art & Design—Mitchell headed north to study cooking at the Art Institute of New York City. This was the early aughts, a time when the age of celebrity chefs was dawning, and big names like Anthony Bourdain were changing the flavor of food.

Bourdain became one of Mitchell’s biggest influences—both were drawn to international cuisine, much of it hyper-local street food, and both had similar backgrounds. “We were New York chefs and had to go through a lot of grunt work just to make it,” says Mitchell.

Yet, as he paid his dues in kitchens all over Manhattan and Brooklyn, the South beckoned. Mitchell landed in Charleston, cooking at High Cotton, one of the city’s most iconic restaurants, and became chef de cuisine at Cru Catering. Stints in Richmond and Duck, North Carolina, followed. Through the years, he continued to hone his skills, developing a serious cache of recipes, with soulful, ethnic flavors dominating his palate preference.

But Gloucester kept calling. With that childhood friend Patrick White, the two had long dreamed of opening a restaurant in their hometown. Growing up, there hadn’t been much choice, but as the years ticked by, the area was enjoying somewhat of a renaissance. Gloucester was emerging as a destination, with a revitalized downtown and a healthy population who’d relocated in favor of idyllic country life that certain pockets of Virginia’s Middle Peninsula offered. “We always wanted to give the community a place to be proud of, founded by locals, showcasing local ingredients, and supporting local farms,” says White.

Mitchell’s dreams turned into reality in 2021 when he and several backers, including White, launched Farmasea, a dock-to-dish and farmto-table restaurant in Gloucester’s old Morgan’s Drugstore. Mitchell explains that the name is a play on “pharmacy”—Morgan’s—where he and his buddies remember noshing on grilled cheeses and sipping old-fashioned milkshakes at the lunch counter when they were kids. The name also tips its hat to the rich farmland and rivers that Gloucester is known for. “Morgan’s was the de facto town center,” Mitchell says. “At Farmasea, we want to recreate that welcoming, community-driven vibe that Morgan’s Drugstore was known for.”

Farmasea brings full-body Southern flavor profiles to its menu. The food is heavily influenced by Carolina Lowcountry cuisine refined by big city chefs and served using Coastal Virginia’s

local ingredients—from oysters and blue crab to peanuts and butter beans. “We do it to represent Gloucester so the people in our community don’t have to travel for a good meal, and other people can make it a dining destination,” Mitchell says.

Fan favorites at Farmasea include Mitchell’s famous shrimp and pimento grits; if you catch it right, his petite filet might come with a seafood tower—a twice-baked potato packed with shrimp, scallops, and lobster. At brunch, his Coca-Colabrined fried chicken and waffles always sells out, along with an out-of-this-world lobster Benedict.

Mitchell writes his own recipes, and they’re often influenced by others. Some are riffs from those handed down from his mom, Channing;

We do it to represent Gloucester so the people in our community don’t have to travel for a good meal, and other people can make it a dining destination.

—Chef William Mitchell

Chef William Mitchell and his best bud, Patrick White.

from Nelly, a family friend, known for her magic touch with seafood; and his godmother Carole White, his friend Patrick’s mother, whom he credits with introducing him to steamed artichokes and making delicious popovers and strawberry pie. Mitchell not only learned from the world’s top chefs, but also from these exceptional home cooks. From both, he’s learned to expertly balance flavor profiles and highlight what’s in season.

Today, Mitchell lives in the house he grew up in, off the Mobjack Bay, just a few miles from Farmasea. He still crabs and fishes, but now it’s with his eight-year-old son, Liam. “I feel like I’ve come full circle,” the 40-something Mitchell says, standing in his front yard, with its gentle slope down to the river. In his chef’s coat, he gestures from the house, to the river, to the treetops, ready for another day at Farmasea—ready to meld the flavors of the seasons and the bounty of the farms and fishermen as he soaks in the views, the garden, and the river that surround him.

Madeline Mayhood is editor-in-chief of Virginia Living . She loves anything on Chef Will’s menu.

Charred & Blackened Amberjack

with Virginia Lump Crab Perloo and Watercress Vichyssoise

CHEF’S NOTE: This is a multi-layered main dish, with a creamy watercress vichyssoise base that can be served warm or room temp, charred and Bermuda-blackened amberjack fillets on top, and a velvety perloo tucked in between. Amberjack is a tasty fish with semi-sweet buttery notes and a mildly fishy flavor. Perloo is a beloved dish from the coastal region of the Carolinas to Georgia. Similar to jambalaya and paella, it’s rice-based and simmered with tomatoes, peppers, celery, onions, and garlic and best cooked like a risotto. The protein can range from fish (amberjack here) to chicken or shrimp—whatever you have on hand.

TO BLACKEN AMBERJACK FILLETS, BERMUDA - STYLE:

½ cup mayonnaise

Fresh-squeezed lemon juice from

½ lemon

2 teaspoons smoked paprika

2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

Salt and pepper to taste

4 6 oz. amberjack fillets

Mix first 5 in a medium bowl. Pat the fillets dry and then coat each on both sides with mixture. In an oiled cast iron pan or on the grill, sear each side for 3–5 minutes until they achieve a blackened exterior. Transfer to a plate to let rest. [A note about amberjack: frequently referred to as a tuna, amberjack is actually a completely different species. It makes great ceviche and can be served raw or at any temperature, so don’t be scared to undercook. It often appears on sushi menus as yellowtail.]

PERLOO:

3 cups cooked Carolina Gold Rice (or your preference)

1 cup Holy Trinity (celery, onion, and pepper diced or sliced)

1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic

One 14.5 oz. can crushed tomatoes

2 cups cooking liquid (chicken stock or clam juice work well)

4 scallions, diced

Salt and pepper to taste

½ pound lump crabmeat

Mixed herbs to taste

Combine first 7 ingredients in a large Dutch oven. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until most of the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes.

Fold in crabmeat and herbs, and lightly stir to combine, being careful not to be aggressive with the crabmeat so it doesn’t fall completely apart. Set aside.

WATERCRESS VICHYSSOISE:

1/3 cup heavy cream

1 small yellow onion, diced

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup packed watercress (arugula is a wonderful substitute since it has the same peppery profile)

½ bunch Italian parsley + more for garnish

Salt

Sugar

Radishes, thinly sliced, to garnish

Combine cream, diced onion, and stock in a medium saucepan, and simmer on medium-low heat for about 30 minutes or until it reduces by half. Remove from heat and let cool for several minutes. Pour into a blender, add watercress, and then puree. Add parsley, salt, and a dash of sugar and pulse several times to combine. Taste and adjust seasoning accordingly.

TO ASSEMBLE: Ladle watercress vichyssoise into a large soup bowl. Pile perloo on top of vichyssoise. Top perloo with charred amberjack fillet. Garnish with parsley and thinly sliced radishes. Serves 4.

Farmasea’s Corn Chowder with Seared Scallops

Corn Chowder with Seared Scallops

CHEF’S NOTE: This has a super flavor, the perfect blend of seasoned corn and seared scallops and is wonderfully suited to brisk fall days. There are several steps required, including lacquering and grilling the corn, blistering heirloom tomatoes, searing the scallops, and assembling the chowder. It takes some choreographing, but the end result is worth it.

4 ears lacquered and grilled corn, see instructions at right (fresh ears are preferred, but frozen will do)

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil (EVOO)

4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 shallot, finely chopped

Splash of dry white wine

1 cup Red Holy Trinity (diced red onion, celery, and red pepper)

2 generous tablespoons unsalted butter

Chili flakes (optional)

2 cups chicken stock

1 cup heavy cream

½ bunch cilantro, chopped

½ bunch Italian parsley, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

Cherry tomatoes, halved (use heirloom varieties if available)

TO LACQUER AND GRILL CORN: Mayonnaise

Smoked paprika

Salt and pepper

1 bunch cilantro, chopped

Lightly coat each ear with mayonnaise. Then season all over with several dashes of smoked paprika and salt and pepper.

Finally, roll each ear in chopped cilantro. Grill each laquered ear at 400°F for 2–3 minutes, turning constantly to prevent scorching. Remove from heat and let cool. Once ears are cool to the touch, cut the kernels off the cobs with a sharp knife. Transfer to a large bowl and loosely cover with a clean kitchen cloth. Set aside. CHOWDER ASSEMBLY: In a large Dutch oven, heat EVOO over medium heat. Add chopped garlic and shallots. Stirring frequently to avoid burning, sauté until shallots are translucent and garlic is fragrant. Deglaze with white wine, scraping up any rogue bits on the bottom of the pot. Add the Holy Trinity, the butter, and a pinch of chili pepper flakes, if desired. Jack up heat slightly, and stir till the mixture starts to caramelize, then add chicken stock and cream. Stir to incorporate, and

then wait till large bubbles appear. Add the corn that you’ve cut off the cob to the pot and bring to a simmer. Leave at a slow simmer as you continue preparing.

SEARED SCALLOPS:

2 teaspoons EVOO

2 teaspoons unsalted butter

10–12 large, dry scallops

Kosher salt

Freshly ground black pepper

In a cast iron pan, add EVOO and butter and heat to medium-high. Pat each scallop with a paper towel to absorb any excess liquid. Generously season each side with salt and pepper. Once pan is very hot, add scallops and sear for about 1½–2 minutes per side. Don’t crowd pan, leave scallops alone while they cook, and work in batches if necessary. Each should have a nice, crispy brown sear on both sides, but still be somewhat translucent inside. Transfer scallops to a plate and set aside, tenting with foil to keep warm.

BLISTERED HEIRLOOM TOMATOES: While chowder continues to simmer, toss halved cherry heirloom tomatoes into a lightly oiled medium sauté pan on high heat. Once they’re blistered and charred, season them with salt and pepper. Remove from heat, reserve a few tomatoes for garnishing, and briefly set the rest aside. TO SERVE: With chowder still simmering, toss in blistered charred tomatoes, the seared scallops, chopped parsley and cilantro, and salt and pepper. Stir until combined and ingredients are heated throughout. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve in large bowls and garnish with remaining tomatoes and herbs.

Farmasea Lemon Pie

FOR THE CRUST:

1 sleeve of Ritz Crackers

3 tablespoons sugar

½ cup unsalted butter, softened FOR THE FILLING:

4 egg yolks

One 14 oz. can sweetened condensed milk ½ cup lemon or lime juice, or a mix of the two

Fresh whipped cream, to top Coarse sea salt, like Maldon, to top Berries and mint, for garnish (optional)

Crush the crackers into a fine meal, using a food processor or by hand. Add the sugar, then knead in the butter until the crumb mixture holds together like dough. Press into an 8-inch pie pan. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°F or until the crust is golden brown. Meanwhile, in a large mixing bowl, beat the egg yolks with milk, then add the citrus juice and continue mixing. Pour into the shell and bake for 15–20 minutes at 350°F until the filling has set. Use a toothpick or knife to test doneness: insert in center of pie, and if it comes out clean, it’s done. Before slicing, make sure pie is completely cooled.

Garnish with berries and mint sprigs (optional), and serve with fresh whipped cream and a sprinkling of sea salt.

At Farmasea, we want to recreate that welcoming, community-driven vibe that Morgan’s Drugstore was known for.

—Chef William Mitchell

Farmasea’s Lemon Pie

Virginia’s performing arts are world class. From award-winning plays to opera, there’s no shortage of ways to engage with the Commonwealth’s cultural scene. State of the Arts 2023 is Virginia’s resource for plays, symphonies, orchestras, choreography, and more. If you want to catch the biggest hits, the cutting edge, or the Avant Garde, this guide will help you make sure that when the curtain goes up, you’re in the front row.

BARTER THEATRE

Laugh, scream, and lose yourself in a world of adventure, comedy, romance, and suspense. Escape to Barter Theatre in Abingdon, Virginia, and experience true, world-class theatre at its finest. Let your imagination run wild and discover thrills like you never have before, watching stories unfold at the nation’s longest-running professional theatre. Ticket prices start as low as $20 for every show. 276-628-3991 or BarterTheatre.com

CHARLOTTESVILLE BALLET

Join Charlottesville Ballet for the dazzling audience favorite, The Nutcracker, presented by Blue Ridge Bank! Our enchanting 90-minute performance follows the story of Clara on her adventure through the Lands of Snowflakes and Sweets as she meets friends and foes alike. Experience Tchaikovsky’s treasured score with live music conducted by Benjamin Rous of the Charlottesville Symphony (on select dates). This holiday classic features the professional company and over 100 community dancers from across Central Virginia! 434-973-2555 or CharlottesvilleBallet.org

THE CROOKED

ROAD

Spanning over 19 counties and 4 cities, The Crooked Road: Virginia’s Heritage Music Trail is home to 10 major venues and over 60 affiliate venues showcasing traditional old-time and bluegrass music. World-class musicians from across Southwest Virginia can be found performing weekly at beloved destinations such as the Floyd Country Store or historic Carter Family Fold. Musicians and listeners alike are invited to experience the mountains of music found along the trail. 276-492-2400 or TheCrookedRoadVA.com

CROSSROADS ART CENTER

Crossroads exhibits both emerging and established mid-Atlantic artists and promotes awareness and understanding of art forms, from crafts to fine art. The gallery represents more than 250 artists making it the largest for-profit gallery on the east coast. Join us for our Artist Reception on September 15 from 5-8 pm featuring exhibitions by the Mid- Atlantic Pastel Society & the September All Media Show Artists. Exhibitions run through November 5, 2023. Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10 am-5 pm; Sunday Noon-4 pm. 804-278-8950 or CrossroadsArtCenter.com

DOWNING GROSS CULTURAL ARTS CENTER

Celebrate our 15th anniversary season in style at the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center! Get ready as we bring you a crystal year filled with unforgettable moments. From The Masterclass Poetry Hour to DG Dance, there's something for everyone! Prepare to be blown away by sensational concerts featuring the phenomenal Lisa Fischer and the incredible Nik West. And that's not all! We're bringing you the highly acclaimed musical, The Color Purple, guaranteed to leave you inspired. Join us.

757-247-8950 or Downing-Gross.org

ELECTRICCOARTS

ElectricCoBistro is a unique restaurant serving modern cuisine in the heart of historic Bedford, Virginia. Located in the vintage ElectricCoArt building which includes a constantly evolving Art Gallery and eclectic Artisan Market, our focus is on bringing you an unforgettable experience. From weekly music, art exhibits, wine tastings, and more, we don’t just bring mouthwatering dishes to the table, the Bistro is your creative dining destination.

540-583-5151 or ElectricCoArt.com

FERGUSON CENTER FOR THE ARTS

Christopher Newport University’s Ferguson Center for the Arts has become an international force, presenting the finest cultural attractions in the world. More than 2 million patrons have experienced hundreds of performances in our acoustically superb theaters. The Center features the 1,700-seat Diamonstein Concert Hall, the 500-seat Peebles Theatre and the 250-seat Studio Theater. It houses the Departments of Fine Art and Art History, Music, and Theater and Dance. The facility also includes art galleries, art studios, workshops and rehearsal spaces. 757-594-8752 or FergusonCenter.org

FRONTIER CULTURE MUSEUM

The Frontier Culture Museum is the biggest open-air living history museum in the Shenandoah Valley, as well as one of the highest rated family-friendly attractions and one of the top tourist destinations in Virginia. The mission of the Frontier Culture Museum is to increase public knowledge of the formation of a distinctive American folk culture from a blending of European, African, and indigenous peoples. Looking for a special place to host your private event? Call today! 540-332-7850 or FrontierMuseum.org

HIGHLAND COUNTY TOURISM

Celebrate the beauty and bounty of fall with the annual Hands & Harvest Festival in the rural mountains of Highland County. Come on out October 6 – 8 to enjoy a self-guided Harvest Trail with tours of farms where you can taste freshly-cooked apple butter and freshlypressed cider. Shop unique, one-of-a-kind gifts from arts & crafts vendors and country stores, watch artist demonstrations, enjoy live entertainment, climb the Sounding Knob Fire Tower for breathtaking views, and take part in so much more for the entire family!

540-468-2550 or HighlandCounty.org

HISTORIC MASONIC THEATRE

The 550-seat Historic Masonic Theatre is a Beaux-Arts architectural treasure in the center of historic downtown Clifton Forge, Virginia. Opened in 1906, the theatre underwent a renovation in 2016. The theatre has a rich history of performances including Hopalong Cassidy, Burl Ives, the Count Basie Orchestra, and Tex Ritter, who performed on stage with his horse. The Masonic now presents a Summer Music Series from June through August, Movies at the Masonic every Sunday, and a wide variety of performances year-round.

540-862-5655 or HistoricMasonicTheatre.com

JAMES MADISON MUSEUM

Situated upon 300+ acres of scenic rolling hills and fields in Orange County, Virginia, this architectural treasure is perhaps the oldest extant dwelling in this historic County. For over 50 years, Bloomsbury was lovingly preserved and filled with 18th and early 19th-century furnishings by its owner, Mrs. Helen Marie Taylor. A lifelong and avid preservationist of American historic documents, sites, and monuments, Mrs. Taylor wanted Bloomsbury to share the intertwined histories of America, Virginia, Orange County, and the Madison and Taylor families.

540-672-1776 or JamesMadisonMuseum@gmail.com

MERCER MUSEUM AND FONTHILL CASTLE

The Mercer Museum & Fonthill Castle, located in Bucks County, PA, are two historic castles celebrating the legacy of Henry Chapman Mercer (1856-1930), an American archaeologist, anthropologist, ceramicist, and scholar. The Mercer Museum features a core collection of over 17,000 pre-Industrial tools. This permanent collection offers a unique window into pre-Industrial America through sixty different crafts and trades. Fonthill Castle was Mercer’s home and served as a showplace for his hand-crafted tiles and print collection. 215-345-0210 or MercerMuseum.org

MOSS ARTS CENTER

Located at the intersection of the Virginia Tech campus and downtown Blacksburg, Virginia, the Moss Arts Center is a thriving community where the arts are a catalyst for engagement, inspiration, and discovery. Since opening in 2013, the center has brought innovative, significant, and diverse performances, exhibitions, and engagement experiences to the campus and the region. 540-231-5300 or MossArtsCenter@vt.edu

NAUTICUS

Nauticus is a maritime discovery center uniquely located along the waterfront in downtown, Norfolk, Virginia, offering a unique form of experiential learning for all ages. Through interactive exhibits and STEM to STERN programming, Nauticus uses the museum, Battleship Wisconsin, sailing center, and Schooner Virginia to tell the story of the maritime environment, industry, and the military. 757-664-1000 or Nauticus.org

NEDERLANDER NATIONAL MARKETS

The 23/24 Broadway in Richmond season at the Altria Theater is now on sale! Shows include Disney’s Frozen, Beetlejuice the musical, smash hit Six, Aaron Sorkin's To Kill a Mockingbird, Tina - The Tina Turner Musical, fan favorite Annie, and more. Subscribe today and receive exclusive benefits, including ticket exchange. Single tickets for each show will go on sale at a later date. BroadwayInRichmond.com

The 23/24 Broadway in Norfolk season at Chrysler Hall is now on sale! Shows include Disney’s Aladdin, Beetlejuice the musical, smash hit Six, Aaron Sorkin's To Kill a Mockingbird, and Best Musical winner Hadestown. Subscribe today and receive exclusive benefits, including ticket exchange. Single tickets for each show will go on sale at a later date. BroadwayInNorfolk.com

THE PRIZERY

Art, live music, theatre, and more The Prizery has it all. Located in South Boston, Virginia’s Historic Tobacco Warehouse District, The Prizery includes a 240+ seat performing arts theatre, art gallery, conference & banquet rental space, and classrooms. The building has hosted great acts like The Drifters and Les Misérables and holds community arts events and classes for all ages. 434-572-8339 or Prizery.org

RAVENWOOD FAIRE

Join the Baron and Baroness of Ravenwood Faire to celebrate the harvest bounties. Artisans and craftsman have brought their finest wares. The finest food and drink have been made ready. Be serenaded by fine musicians, astounded by the Ravenwood Riders, witness the Royal Jousts! Take part in the Grail Quest! New this year, is the Royal Feast! Come feast, drink, and party like a monarch! (Tickets available separately) Let the festivities begin! Huzzah! RavenwoodFaire.us or Raven@RavenwoodFaire.us

SHENANDOAH VALLEY ART CENTER

The 52nd Annual Fall Foliage Art Show turns the streets of historic downtown Waynesboro into a celebration of the arts October 14 and 15. The show features 150+ fine visual artists and artisans including painting, pottery, glass, jewelry, wood, sculpture, and more. There will also be food trucks, local roots music, and craft beer all nestled in the seasonal color changes of the Shenandoah Valley. Plenty of parking, free admission, and kid’s art activities. 540-949-7662 or SVACART.com

TAUBMAN

MUSEUM OF ART

Named one of the best-designed museums in the nation by Architectural Digest and accredited by the American Alliance of Museums, the Taubman Museum of Art is home to a widely respected permanent collection and offers rotating exhibitions showcasing work by global, national, and regional artists. Signature annual events include the Sidewalk Art Show, International Wine Festival, Bourbon + Bacon, Roanoke Arts Pop, and more. Free general daily admission is sponsored in part by AEP Foundation. 540-342-5760 or TaubmanMuseum.org

VENTURE RICHMOND

The Richmond Folk Festival returns October 13-15, celebrating its 19th anniversary as one of Virginia’s largest events. The festival draws fans each year to Downtown Richmond’s riverfront to celebrate the roots, richness, and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling and food. The FREE, three-day event hosts thousands over the weekend and features six stages showcasing more than 30 performing groups from around the nation and the world. RichmondFolkFestival.org

The 2nd Street Festival returns October 7-8, marking its 35th anniversary year! The festival celebrates the rich culture of the historic Jackson Ward neighborhood in Downtown Richmond. Each year thousands visit Jackson Ward to reminisce about the days when 2nd Street was the heart and soul of Richmond's African American community. The festival is a FREE celebration over 2 days that features 3 stages of live music along with a Kidz Zone, food vendors, a marketplace and Artists Row to shop. VentureRichmond.com

VIRGINIA MUSEUM OF HISTORY AND CULTURE

As the oldest cultural organization in Virginia, the Virginia Museum of History & Culture is home to nearly nine million artifacts. Having recently undergone a major renovation and reimagination, it has more space to display these treasures and to tell more stories about Virginia and its inhabitants. Signature exhibitions on display include The Story of Virginia and Our Commonwealth. Plus, don’t miss Apollo: When We Went to the Moon, a limited-time exhibition closing December 31, 2023.

804-340-1800 or VirginiaHIstory.org

WAYNE THEATRE ALLIANCE

First opened in 1926, the historic Wayne Theatre is Waynesboro’s premier live entertainment performance venue in which all of the arts may be appreciated, enjoyed, learned and supported. More than 14,000 students have come through our doors for an Arts Education program. The Wayne Theatre Alliance promotes the artistic, cultural, and educational opportunities and the economic vitality of Waynesboro and adjacent regions. Check our 2023/2024 calendar for exciting events and performances!

540-943-9999 or WayneTheatre.org

Situated upon 300+ acres of scenic rolling hills and fields in Orange County, Virginia, this architectural treasure is perhaps the oldest extant dwelling in this historic County.

For over 50 years, Bloomsbury was lovingly preserved and filled with 18th and early 19th century furnishings by its owner, Mrs. Helen Marie Taylor. A life-long and avid preservationist of American historic documents, sites and monuments, Mrs. Taylor wanted Bloomsbury to share the intertwined histories of America, Virginia, Orange County, and the Madison and Taylor families.

540-672-1776 • jamesmadisonmuseum@gmail.com

Tours by appointment only; not open for public visits. Book your private tour today.

428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard • Richmond, Virginia 23220 VirginiaHistory.org/Apollo

LEGACY OF BLACK ASTRONAUTS

Featuring Dr. Robert L. Satcher and Leland Melvin OCTOBER 25

Sip September

Uncover the rich heritage of distilling in Virginia, the Birthplace of American Spirits.

From the mountains to the coast, the Commonwealth boasts more than 70 craft distilleries across seven distinct regions, offering spirits lovers endless opportunities to explore.

September is Virginia Spirits Month - the perfect time to get out and find your new favorite craft spirit!

Earn Rewards

Save 20%

DRINK

Decoding the secrets to Virginia ABC's bourbon drops.

By Patrick Evans-Hylton

Elliott

When a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle goes for more than $6,000, it’s just a matter of time before felonies get committed.

The Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority—ABC for short— saw an inequity in the supply and demand seesaw and wanted every Pappy fan to be able to have a shot, so to speak. So, the ABC started a lottery system to dispense limited quantities of rare releases without a few fanatics driving the price up to ungodly amounts.

And, naturally, people saw this as an opportunity to exploit a system.

First of all, bourbon collectors have cult-like online forums full of rabid users trying to gain cred by posting about spending a ton on super rare stuff. They discovered that some buyers were snatching up bottles long before the lottery information was being made public and got the details on which store had what bottle and when. Bottles started selling out suspiciously fast, frustrating fair-minded collectors. Turns out a former ABC sales associate was offering inside information for sale.

| Photo by Fred +

| Headline illustration by Saskia Bueno

The Internet and Ill Will

Edgar Smith Garcia pled guilty to felony computer trespassing after he was implicated in a scheme to sell ABC’s inventory data to buyers looking for early intel on which stores would be carrying which hard-to-find bottles of bourbon. His alleged accomplice, Robert Williams Adams, was the one trying to sell the intel online.

Officials at the ABC acted swiftly. Both Garcia and Adams faced criminal charges. They were both banned from ABC properties and fined. And as a way for collectors to fairly acquire special offerings, the ABC instituted a randomized drop system where details were embargoed—even from employees—until they’re ready to be announced. This usually means getting only a five-minute warning—meaning the store has a five minutes heads-up before the public is notified about when and where the drop is taking place, since they’re not happening at every single store.

Drops work like this: Allocated items come into the Virginia ABC warehouse in Hanover County, and are randomly selected to go out to stores with normal shipments. “Those are going to be checked by staff, however, they’re going to

be kept in the stockroom,” says Pat Kane, public relations specialist for the Virginia ABC. The staff can’t disclose what they have, whether or not they have it, or how much they have to customers until they get a drop notification from headquarters.” Virginia ABC CEO Travis Hill is optimistic that the drop system will help ensure an equitable environment for its customers.

Attempting to Equalize Supply and Demand

So, between the drops and the lottery, Virginia’s ABC is doing its best to democratize the availability of rarified booze. The lottery process is only open to state residents, and a lot of Virginians want the rare stuff that’s hard to come by.

In six lotteries held in the first half of 2023, upwards of 72,000 entries were logged for higher priced bottles. Sometimes just one bottle is put up for the lottery. In April, the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Bourbon 23 Year drew 53,539 entries, each paying $329.99 to play the lottery. In January, 950 bottles went for $49.99 each to winners.

There’s a process for commercial businesses, like restaurants, and one for individual collectors. Steve Dickerson, a collector from Short Pump, enters the Virginia ABC lottery every time it’s held.

“The lotteries are online and simple to enter,” he says. “Even if it’s a bottle you don’t really want, it’s good to trade with another aficionado for something else you may prefer.” Dickerson’s won the lottery twice in the past five years and likes the system. “We’re lucky in some respects in Virginia,” he says. “Things might be scarce

or only available via lottery, so when you do get something it’s at retail pricing rather than secondary [marked-up] prices.

“I once paid $300 for a bottle of Pappy Van Winkle that is available right now in other parts of the U.S. for $3,500 or more because of demand.”

Bourbon Stalkers Ruined It for the Rest of Us

And this is why: “In the past, we had folks following our trucks, if they knew there was a delivery today,” says Mark Dunham, Virginia ABC’s chief retail operations officer. “And then they would literally watch cases coming out of the truck to see if there were any allocated products.”

Dunham says a randomization process now prevents leaked information, or the ability for folks to figure out where limited availability products are going to be dropped.

“We do know that some folks hang out at stores hoping they’ll get lucky with the random times,” Dunham says. “But we discourage that, and that’s what made us move to the random draw. We want to make it fair for every Virginian to have a chance.”

But whether it’s rare or not, Steve Dickerson says bourbon is meant to be enjoyed.

“Drinking whiskey is as much about the experience and sharing with friends and family as anything. While it’s good, the Pappy is not 10 times better, but the fact it’s rarer or harder to get, or your drinking pals have never had it, adds to the experience,” he says. “Like anything else, the fun and enjoyment are not only the tastings and discoveries, but making new friends and sharing mutual interests.”

For more information on purchasing limited availability products, Virginia ABC recommends signing up for the Spirited Virginia e-newsletter at ABCVirginia.gov, or the Spirited Virginia Facebook page, and/or follow Spirited Virginia on Instagram @SpiritedVirginia.

Patrick Evans-Hylton is an award-winning food writer and Certified Bourbon Steward.

In April, the Pappy Van Winkle Family Reserve Bourbon 23 Year drew 53,539 entries, each paying $329.99 to play the lottery.

Three Old Rip Van Winkle products (Van Winkle Special Reserve Bourbon 12 Year, Van Winkle Family Reserve Rye 13 Year, and Old Rip Van Winkle 10 Year) which were available during a Virginia ABC lottery earlier this year.

Virginia ABC's Hanover warehouse.

TEA TIME

Experience this very British custom.

TO POINT THE PINKIE OR TO NOT point the pinkie?

The question is eternal, but if you’re a tea afficionado and enjoy sipping from a china cup, you have plenty of options to immerse yourself in a modern-yet-proper very British tea house on this side of the pond. They’ve popped up all over the state, where Anglophiles and tea connoisseurs alike can enjoy an afternoon of French pastries, tiny sandwiches, and endless pots of tea.

Crossroads Tea Company: This quaint Fairfax tea room hosts private events where proper tea service is king. They also sell a range of teaware and gourmet items like lavender rose sugar and scones. $4.95 for flavored sugar to $36 for a dozen scones. CrossroadsTeaRoom.com

Lady Camellia: At this Alexandria dine-in or delivery tea house, choose your afternoon tea experience—from two tea sandwiches to tea for 24, as well as a variety of delectable pastries. Prices range from $3 for a single teacake to $65 per person for high tea. LadyCamellia.com

The Queen’s Library Tea Room: Richmond’s only purveyor of Fortnum and Mason, this tea room hosts three-course dinners weekly and Bridgerton-inspired events, where Regency style rules. Afternoon tea experiences start at $65 per person. QueensLibraryTeaRoom.com

The Ritz-Carlton Tysons Corner: What says high tea more than tea at the Ritz? On Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, enjoy canapés, spectacular desserts, a robust tea selection, and piano entertainment. Inquire for pricing. RitzCarlton.com

MY CUP OF TEA COCKTAIL

“I drink an ungodly amount of hot toddies and was inspired to do a summer weather cocktail that I could envision at a picnic,” says Virginia Distillery Co.’s head distiller, Amanda Beckwith. “The mint garnish is crucial for me, because the aroma does so much for the freshness.”

1½ ounce Port Cask Finished

Virginia-Highland Whisky

½ ounce St. Germain Elderflower

Liqueur

½ ounce honey chamomile syrup

(recipe follows)

1/8 tsp lemon juice

Seltzer

Plum bitters

Mint spring

Stir whisky, St. Germain, honey chamomile syrup, and lemon juice in mixing glass over ice. Strain into

coupe glass, top with a small splash of seltzer and 4 drops of plum bitters. Garnish with a sprig of mint.

HONEY CHAMOMILE SYRUP

1 cup water

1 cup honey

4 bags chamomile tea

Bring water and honey to a simmer, stirring occasionally. Add tea bags and steep covered for 10 minutes. Strain and refrigerate to store. Yields

1½ cups. —by

Vayda Tarleton

Rosewood: Enjoy scones, savories, and a sweet course at charming Rosewood, an 18th-century residence that doubles as a tea house and tavern in Lunenburg. ThursdaySaturday tea appointments are $26.95 per person. RosewoodVirginia.com

The Tea Cart: Winchester’s The Tea Cart celebrates British traditions with reservation-only tea services that include tiered trays of sandwiches, pastries, and sachets of tea. They also have dairy-free, glutenfree, and vegetarian options. $25 to $51 per person. TheTeaCartVa.com

HARD TEA FOR HANGOVERS

This canned cocktail is rich in hangover-fighting ingredients.

A HEALTH - CONSCIOUS COCKTAIL?

When Brad and Bebe Parkes couldn’t find one in stores, the Winchester couple formulated their own. “I was looking for alternatives to light beer, because I didn’t like the empty calories,” says Bebe. “I tried red wine, but it gave me a headache.” Alcohol wasn’t the only culprit, they discovered. Some canned cocktails contain headache-inducing preservatives, gluten, high-fructose corn syrup, and artificial colors—all known contributors to sippers’ remorse.

After testing dozens of recipes, they had a winner—a spiked “hard tea” made with organic yerba mate, a green tea packed with antioxidants. Now sold as Masq Fusion, their new entry in the lowABV (low alcohol by volume) category, weighs in at four percent.

Ploughcroft Tea Room: Choose from Elizabethan, Windsor, or Victorian high teas, with irresistibles like imported clotted cream, freshly baked scones, jams, and dainty sandwiches, all accompanied by lots of tea at this downtown Lynchburg spot. Á la carte items and lunch are also available. Teas start at $10.50 p er person.

PloughcroftTeaRoom.com

Lindemon

Packed with flavor, Masq contains monk fruit and blue agave, and it’s rich in magnesium, Vitamin C, and zinc. The result is a supercharged sip you can feel good about, in flavorful combinations that include Grapefruit Rosemary, Blueberry Lavender, Dragonfruit Acai, Lemon Ginger, and Mango Coconut Water—all perfect for sipping as summer fades into fall. DrinkMasq.com —by Sylvie Baggett

—by Meredith

Afternoon Tea at The Ritz-Carlton, Tysons Corner.

NEW FAVORITE

PLANTING

belmontfarmdistillery.com

VIRGINIA’S AUTHENTIC TIMBER

CABIN RENTALS shadowmountainescape.com

CABIN RENTALS shadowmountainescape.com

LURAY, VA

LURAY, VA

Winery & Tasting Room Opening in Keswick This Fall SMVWINES.COM

FRAME

Along the Bottled in Bedford Craft Beverage Trail, you’ll discover wineries, breweries, a cidery and meadery that offer more than great beverages. Each spot has a unique personality, fun atmosphere and beautiful views.

Download the trail map and sample happiness at each place.

Does Gen Z Have a Wine Problem?

No, not that kind of problem. Younger generations are opting for different drinks.

By FRANK MORGAN |

Illustration by ROBERT NEUBECKER

e will sell no wine before its time.”

Orson Wells declared this while drinking a glass of Paul Masson’s finest. Marketers have always tried to hook a new generation on booze, but they’re having a harder time with millennials and Generation Z.

Those who continue to drive wine sales growth for the industry (according to the latest State of the U.S. Wine Industry Report from the now-shuttered Silicon Valley Bank) are the same folks who watched Mr. Wells sling magnums of Masson and thought, this is the wine for me.

Millennials and Gen Zs are opting for cocktails over cabernet, beer over Burgundy, or are flat-out embracing the sober lifestyle like grown-ups maybe should.

According to the SVB report, $122 million was spent on wine advertising last year compared to $533 million on spirits, and $886 million spent on beer. Does wine need another Orson Wells to cultivate another generation of drinkers?

“In my experience as a winemaker and a millennial consumer, we are more likely to pay for an experience than an expensive bottle,” said Caitlyn Horton at Horton Vineyards—who is the state’s first third-generation winemaker. “At Horton Vineyards, we plan the type of events that my friends and I would want to attend.”

Horton organized an event at the winery called “The Wizarding Winery” that included quidditch lessons (à la Harry Potter) and a station to make wands from Rkatsiteli vines, the oldest grape cultivated in Europe. She says consumers in her age demographic are more open to trying wines made from lesser-known grape varieties.

She created a line of experimental wines called Gears and Lace featuring steampunkthemed labels, which have been popular with younger consumers. The wines are made with lesser-known grapes like pinotage and in edgier styles like a sparkling red.

Lacey Huber, vice president at Loudoun-based Stone Tower Winery (and also a millennial), says members of her generation are more conscientious about what they’re buying and consuming.

“Younger consumers need to have some sort of connection to the product before buying,” she says. “Stone Tower and other local wineries offer more than just a beverage. Wine from us comes with an experience, a connection to the land where it was grown, and a sense of supporting local agriculture.”

Stone Tower offers Harvest Hikes, a 1.5 mile guided walk through vineyards during the harvest season that includes a wine tasting along the way and picnic lunch. “While guests of all ages enjoy the hikes, the core demographic has been those in their mid20s to 30-somethings looking for an active outdoor experience,” says Huber.

Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison released a line of whimsical-yet-serious wines made from lesser-known grapes that have appealed to a younger audience. “We specifically developed our Young Wine Portfolio with a tongue-in-cheek reference to being what the ‘young kids’ like to drink,” says Aileen Sevier, vice president of marketing at Early Mountain.

To get in front of this important demographic, Sevier focused Early Mountain’s distribution strategy on key markets and select retail locations. “Shelf presence can make a big difference in appealing to younger consumers,” she says, “so we’re intentional about placing these wines in cool restaurants and smart, funky wine shops in key markets like Richmond, Washington, D.C., and Brooklyn, N.Y.” The approach has paid off for Early Mountain—millennial females are their largest consumer group, which is “unique within Virginia as well as the broader U.S. wine world,” Sevier says.

“Wine has a perception problem,” says Lance Lemon, a millennial and co-owner of Penny’s, a wine bar and bottle shop in Richmond with an eclectic selection of wines curated to appeal to younger consumers. “My age demographic [millennials] isn’t into the stuffiness sometimes associated with wine. That’s why we focus on offering a wine-safe space for everyone, a place with an eccentric vibe and no pretense in order to attract younger consumers.” In the city’s Jackson Ward neighborhood, Penny’s also offers small plates and dinner.

Jay Youmans, one of about 50 Masters of Wine in the U.S. and owner of the Capital Wine School in the D.C. area, says, “the big difference between baby boomers, Gen Xers, millennials, and Gen Z is that younger millennials and older Gen Zers have so many more drink options available.”

From craft beers to small-production spirits, hard seltzer, hard kombucha, mocktails, and even cannabis-infused drinks, consumers have an overwhelming number of alternatives to wine.

“Older consumers are likely to have picked a lane and stuck with it as they age,” Youmans notes. “I think younger consumers are just trying out a range of options. As they age, I believe they will gravitate toward beverages that fit their lifestyles.”

Though Virginia tracks closely with national data—Gen Z and millennials consume roughly 28 percent of Virginia wine, while the national average is 24 percent—there is room for improvement, according to Annette Boyd, director of the Virginia Wine Board Marketing Office.

“There’s good room for growth,” she says. “It’s a balancing act, baby boomers and older Gen Xers buy more expensive bottles and have higher discretionary income, but it’s an important balance to pull in younger consumers as well.”

The good news for the Virginia wine industry is wineries have direct relationships with their customers. Eighty-two percent of Virginia wine is sold “direct to consumer” via winery tasting rooms, wine clubs, or online compared to 68 percent in other regions across the U.S.

Youmans offers the following sage advice to engage with the next generation of consumers. “They need to create better awareness among young consumers that wine is an agricultural product. There needs to be more transparency regarding the additives and processes used in making wine. The industry needs to do a better job of creating innovative wines that appeal to younger millennials and older Gen Zers. They need to stop using heavy glass bottles.”

Paige Poprocky, a 30-something wine marketing professional based in Richmond, adds, “Younger audiences consume video media like Reels and TikTok and want elevated tasting experiences with luxury picnics and unique wine and food pairings.”

With so much direct interaction with customers, Virginia wineries are perfectly positioned to create memorable experiences that make their wines the choice of the next generation.

Come for the authentic experiences, stay for the wine.

Frank Morgan is a wine columnist for the Virginian-Pilot and devoted student of wine. He explores his passion for the grape at DrinkWhatYouLike.com

Millennials and Gen Zs are opting for cocktails over cabernet, beer over Burgundy, or are flat-out embracing the sober lifestyle.

The Republic of Gin

Beautiful bottles and botanicals define Virginia’s small-batch gin producers.

By MEREDITH LINDEMON | Photography by FRED + ELLIOTT

GIN IS A SPIRIT that comes in and out of fashion but never really drives a major turn in the market. Production is on the rise, however, and that suggests a trend. “Gin production has definitely increased in Virginia since craft distilleries started making waves,” says Ian Glomski of Charlottesville-based Vitae Spirits. “We have far more choices of gin on the shelf than ever. There is bound to be a gin out there for almost every palate. A person just has to take the time to experiment.”

Thirsting for a gin-based cocktail? “As long as you have the main characteristic flavor derived from juniper berries, the sky’s the limit on what you can add to your recipe,” Glomski says. “Gin really allows a distiller to tap into their creative side and use an amazingly broad palate of flavors.”

If gin’s your thing, check out our roundup of upscale bottles with distinct flavor profiles that Virginia distillers are producing.

MOUNTAIN HOP GIN

orkney SpringS DiStillery, springField

A London dry gin made for the beer drinker is interesting, to say the least. We recommend tossing the traditional lime wedge and dropping a grapefruit round into your glass. Drinkable, slightly pungent, and made with cascade and chinook hops, this is a different breed of the spirit we love. OrkneySpringsDistillery.com

CAPE HENRY GIN

Deep Creek DiStilling, chesapeake

This light tasting, non-juniper forward gin has a blend of 15 botanicals sourced from five continents. Evident are notes of lavender, citrus, honeysuckle, and jasmine. Filtered through Lynnhaven oyster shells for superior flavor and mixing potential, Cape Henry captured gold at the 2023 East Coast Craft Spirit Awards. DeepCreekDistilling.com

INGENIOUS GIN

suFFolk

Three sailors traveled the world, returning in 2018 to their hometown of Suffolk intent on elevating the experience of drinking gin. The result was InGenious Gin, small-batch crafted and infused with botanicals like lavender and Rose of Sharon for an ultrasmooth taste. Distilled for the gin adventurer and connoisseur alike, gin aesthetes will appreciate InGenious’ elegant purple bottle. InGeniousGin.com

GIN ROSE

FiliBuSter DiStillery, Mauertown

SUNSET HILLS AMERICAN GIN

A. Smith BowmAn, Fredericksburg

MODERN GIN

VitAe SpiritS, charlottesville

Sometimes you can judge a book by the cover: Vitae Spirits Modern Gin tastes as clean and refreshing as the bottle looks. Not too piney, not too sweet, bright and clear for people who like the taste of a cocktail more than the taste of gin. What’s noteworthy about it? It is made from the American sugar cane, which gives it a delicate sweetness as opposed to an overwhelming aroma. Not up for a G+T? This one is the perfect addition to anyone’s Negroni. VitaeSpirits.com

This Fredericksburg distillery—Virginia’s oldest— created a solid, delightful gin named for the farm that formerly housed their operation in Fairfax. It’s light and refreshing—not too strong on the juniper side of things— and fitting for the traditional gin fan who likes a nice Boodles and tonic. Perfect for the sunset it’s named for. ASmithBowman.com

Filibuster Distillery’s release of a dual cask, rose petal-infused gin replaces some of the aromatics of the juniper berry with a floral essence. It also has notes of pink peppercorn and lemon, which is the citrus wedge you should replace the standard-format lime with in this case. Delightful for a Friday outdoor happy hour, in cut crystal glasses, this 2018 limited release was brought back this year as part of the standard selection offered by Filibuster. FilibusterBourbon.com

Where “ouch” turns to “phew.”

Your child is unlike any other, so when they need care, turn to a children’s hospital unlike any other. Recognized as one of Virginia Living’s Top Hospitals of 2023, the Children’s Tower is home to the region’s only Level 1 pediatric trauma center and 24/7 access to any pediatric specialist your child might need. You might not know when—but you’ll always know where.

The NEW Children’s Tower. Unlike any other.

HEALTH+Wellness

TOWER OF LIGHT

New Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU provides critical care for the youngest patients.

By Meredith Lindemon

On the night she checked into Children’s Hospital of Richmond’s new Children’s Tower, Cheyenne Snell pointed a flashlight out of the window in her room. Below, on the downtown street, first responders flashed their lights back at the 12-year-old, who had been admitted to the newly opened facility to treat a brain tumor. Snell, and the other children in CHoR’s facility, were the first to move into the new building that provides critical care for the youngest patients. It also offers something far less common—a built-in effort to make them feel less alone and the facility feel more like home. Treatment for broken arms to brain tumors is

provided at the Children’s Tower, but needs that go beyond trauma care are also a priority. The kitchen serves food that kids love, like brick oven pizza and soft-serve ice cream. Hospital rooms are painted in cheerful colors, while a James River theme with animal mascots flows throughout the facility. They help patients and families differentiate floors and navigate the building’s nearly one million square feet. Other amenities like playrooms, a family gym, and family lounges are all designed to make the environment kid- and family-friendly. Staff are warm and approachable, dedicated to working with children in the most trying of circumstances.

The new Children’s Tower, which officially opened in April and was decades in the making, is a game-changer for pediatric medicine in the region. Already, CHoR has assembled world-class teams in departments like neurology and kidney care. “We look at this building as a promise to children and families, in Richmond, throughout the Commonwealth, and beyond,” says Shari Barkin, M.D., physician-in-chief of CHoR and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at VCU School of Medicine. “It is our collective commitment to providing the highest quality of care for every child, every time.” CHRichmond.org

REFRESH REWIND ENHANCE

Sanctuary Cosmetic Center is a state-of-the-art body and face aesthetic center with locations in McLean, Reston, and Dulles. Led by Dr. Rostami, Sanctuary Cosmetic Center offers all the services clients desire in a warm, welcoming environment. Patients can receive both surgical and nonsurgical procedures at Sanctuary Cosmetic Center, including oculofacial cosmetic eyelid and facial surgery, CoolSculpting, DiamondGlow, chemical peels, dermal fillers, and Botox and Dysport injections. Other offerings include skin tightening and resurfacing, liquid face-lifts, liposuction, laser hair removal, liquid butt-lifts, and much more. Recently, the practice also began offering Morpheus8, Opus, and Renuva Treatments. Morpheus8 combines the best of microneedling, and radiofrequency and Opus uses RF tech-

nology to tighten and lift skin, as well as reduce scars and wrinkles, while Renuva is an alternative to autologous fat transfer, used to restore volume in the face, hands, and body. Expert in facial plastic surgery, Dr. Rostami has performed over 20,000 eyelid procedures, giving clients eye rejuvenation and a refreshed appearance. Besides offering her patients top-of-the-line care, Dr. Rostami is a fellowship director for the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery, where she mentors a new fellow for one year at Sanctuary Cosmetic Center to help them grow their skill set as a facial plastic surgeon. She is also on the American Board of Cosmetic Surgery. She also recently served as the president of the Medical Society of Northern Virginia for two years to support health care workers’ rights in 2020 and 2021.

@BeautybyDrRostami @SanctuaryCosmeticCenter

Fit for a King

A new Korean spa brings the flavor of Seoul to Chantilly.

By LARRY BLEIBERG

When you step into King Spa, you must make some choices: Do you take off your clothes to soak naked in a 102°F pool with strangers? Or do you change into a provided cotton uniform and step into a hot sauna. Maybe the pyramid-shaped sauna lined with 23-karat gold?

OF COURSE, you could always put on a swimsuit and head to the mixed-gender rooftop pool lined with sprays, waterfalls, soakers, and tubs.

There are no wrong choices at this 70,000-square-foot pleasure palace, which opened in late 2021 near Dulles Airport. As one of the nation’s largest Korean spas, the $34 million retreat brings the glamor of Seoul to a Chantilly strip mall.

Known as a jjimjilbang, spas are a traditional part of life in Korea, says Sophia Kim, who opened the haven with her husband, John. His father, Byung “Donald” T. Kim, was the spa’s founder. Families visit together, and, unlike U.S. spas, guests typically stay for hours, she tells me. “Our

mission is to offer an authentic Korean experience.”

And people are eager to try it. On this busy morning, a switchback line nearly stretches out the door. The customers represent a cross-section of Northern Virginia: multi-ethnic and multi-age.

Sophia attributes some of the popularity to the surging interest in Korean culture, with bands like BTS and television shows like Squid Game finding audiences around the globe. Not to mention Korean food. An on-site café serves authentic dishes like bibimbap and bulgogi, along with hamburgers and corn dogs.

But above all, guests—who drive from as far as Pennsylvania and North Carolina—are seeking wellness and relaxation. “They are thinking of this as a one-day vacation spot,” Sophia notes.

For all its Korean authenticity, King Spa could be a symbol for the American Dream. It was founded by Byung, who immigrated to the United States in 1970, and slowly built a spa empire,

King Spa’s massive complex viewed from above. Above: Relaxing under the jets at the rooftop hydrotherapy bade pool.

opening the country’s first Korean-style spa in northern New Jersey in 2001, followed by locations in suburban Chicago and then Dallas.

Chantilly is their biggest spa yet, and my wife, Sara, and I are eager to get the full experience.

After paying admission—day rates start at $50 on weekdays—we’re issued bracelets with locker keys and electronic sensors letting us purchase food and spa services. I wave goodbye as we head to separate locker rooms to put on the provided uniform of a loose-fitting cotton shirt and draw-string shorts required of all guests.

Although optional, the spa offers a full treatment menu from Swedish to Thai massages. Sara has signed up for a hot-rock massage, and meets her masseuse at a second-floor check-in counter. Meanwhile, I head to the hot pools.

Which brings us to the naked situation.

If soaking starkers with strangers isn’t your thing, be warned: “You will be fully naked, and yes, there will be other naked people next to you,” the spa’s website notes.

Sara said she quickly adjusted to it. “People looked so comfortable with themselves—natural and easy,” she told me later. “I didn’t feel selfconscious. The focus was being, not thinking.”

I had once visited a jjimjilbang during a 24-hour layover in Korea, so I know the routine. I start in a warm pool and soak for a few minutes, nodding to the other men in the water as I lie back to relax. Then I progress to a hot pool and finally a steaming one before shocking my body by plunging in a cold bath. Then it’s back to the warm pool to start over again.

This all builds up to a traditional Korean body scrub, called a sesshin, which is optional and carries an additional charge.

At the appointed time, I meet my masseur, and he steers me to a table in an alcove by the pools. He instructs me to lie down face up and places

a warm wet cloth over my eyes. Then comes an experience that I can only describe as a human version of a full-service car wash.

I’m doused with a bucket full of warm water, and the scrubbing commences. Using loofa-style gloves that feel like they’re coated with sandpaper, he works his way up one arm and down another before proceeding to my feet and working up both legs. Along the way, he splashes my body with warm water to wash away the gritty outer layers of skin he has removed.

It’s invigorating and relaxing, walking the line between pleasure and pain. Soon I enter the zombie zone. The spa says the treatment promotes healthy, youthful skin, and I’m clearly radiant when I meet up with my wife.

Sara is just as happy after what she calls the best massage of her life. She describes her treatment

King Spa’s pride is its bul han jing mak, a wood-burning sauna heated to well over 300°F, the only one like it in the country.

King Spa’s Aqua Pool, designed for optimal hydrotherapy and massage therapy. Below: The Rock Salt Sauna, built with natural Himalayan salt. Right: The bul han jing mak, a 390°F sauna infused with layers of loess and salt.

as a symphony of strokes, pressure and rubs, many incorporating palm-sized heated rocks. “It took me from a place of stress and agitation to just complete calm,” my blissed-out wife reports. At one point the masseuse climbed up on the table and placed a knee on her back to stretch her out. “It was heavenly,” she says. “I feel like a new woman.”

Now, we’re ready to sample the saunas, which the spa calls “poultice rooms.” These mix-gender areas require patrons to be clothed in their spa uniform.

We find nearly a dozen of these heated chambers, including ones lined with Himalayan salt, charcoal, and Korean river mud—each said to provide specific therapeutic benefits. Another vault is kept as chilly as a walk-in refrigerator. We’re both drawn to a room lined with six-foot stone slabs called base rocks, which a sign says are made from a Japanese mineral called siraka. When heated to 104°F, they’re said to emit vibrations and negative ions, boosting lymphatic health.

Sara quickly becomes a believer.

“There was almost a magnetic quality,” she said later. “I felt drawn to that place. Every inhale and exhale completely filled my lungs.”

Spa etiquette dictates silence in the saunas, and although there are a few whispers and folks tapping on their phones, it remains quiet and serene. One dimly lit room has recliners for relaxation. A sign notes that “overt displays of affection are not allowed.” Sara and I vow to behave.

King Spa’s pride is its bul han jing mak, a woodburning sauna heated to well over 300°F, the only one like it in the country. Spa supervisor Alice Moon tells me she used to visit a similar sauna when she lived in Korea because it loosens tight and achy muscles, helping her heal from injuries suffered in a car crash. For many years, she and her family drove to New Jersey to visit the King Spa location there. When one opened in Virginia, she knew she had to apply. “I love it here.”

Finally, we end our visit on the heated rooftop pool. This is not a place to swim laps. Instead, visitors settle into niches, leaning back to douse

their head under sprays of showering water. Although we’re overlooking busy Route 50, it’s a chilly afternoon and steam rises off the large hot tubs at the edge of the pool. Looking up at the sky, you could easily believe you were soaking somewhere in Seoul. Virginia.KingSpa.com

Larry Bleiberg is a past president of the Society of American Travel Writers. The former travel editor of Coastal Living magazine and The Dallas Morning News , he contributes to BBC Travel, The Washington Post , and many others. He lives in Charlottesville.

A dip in the Hinoki Bath (above right) at the rooftop pool. Built from white cedar, this bath exudes a naturally occurring lemon fragrance, known as hinoki thiol

Inside the Amethyst Crystal Salt Room. Above: Guests relax in the Base Rock Sauna on blocks of siraka, a mineral that releases far-infrared radiation and negative ions.

King Spa offers a variety of à la carte massages, including chair massage, hotstone, CBD oil, and more.

CENTRAL VIRGINIA

Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center

Mechanicsville

BonSecours.com, 804-764-6000

Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center has completed its renovation of the West Pavilion and is nearing completion of a new 11-bed Cardiovascular ICU. The 48,000-square-foot West Pavilion includes 43 inpatient beds and covers orthopedic, spine, and neurology patients. The ICU renovation will include improvements to cardiac and vascular patient care. Both renovations bring hospital resources together to provide efficient and focused care to patients.

Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center

Midlothian

BonSecours.com, 804-594-7300

An ongoing, $108 million project at Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center will include 179,000 square feet of renovation and new construction. The expansion includes two floors above the surgical department, a 24-bed med-surg nursing unit, a 24-bed ICU unit, and neonatal intensive care unit rooms. A 10-bed observation unit to the former ICU and a 24-bed motherinfant unit will also be added.

Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital

Richmond

BonSecours.com, 804-285-2011

Total hip replacement surgery for patients using the VELYS Hip Navigation, a program that matches materials to patient anatomy to allow for smooth operations, is now offered for the first time in the Richmond area at Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital. During anterior-approach hip surgeries, less invasive and more accurate methods are used to achieve alignment and smooth recoveries for patients.

outstanding leaders of Virginia’s health care industry

By EMMA JOHNSON

THE HARDWORKING PROFESSIONALS who help Virginians stay healthy have made great strides in advancing critical technology, improving existing facilities, and expanding practice areas. This year, Virginia Living editors selected 59 exceptional hospitals from an exhaustive list of the state’s leading medical facilities to create our Top Hospitals 2023.

Centra Bedford

Memorial Hospital

Bedford

CentraHealth.com, 540-586-2441

To improve patient care, Centra Bedford Memorial Hospital has expanded its emergency department. With a designated entrance separate from the hospital’s main entrance, the 2,000-square-foot renovation added four new treatment rooms, two specialized rooms for mental health patients, renovated triage and quick registration locations, and updated and additional medical/surgical units with private rooms. The expansion will accommodate the growing community and improve overall patient experiences.

Centra Lynchburg General Hospital

Lynchburg

CentraHealth.com, 434-200-3000

Centra Lynchburg General Hospital announced plans to install three new units in its new five-story care tower. The $500 million investment will include a labor and delivery unit, mother and baby unit, and intensive care nursery. The renovations are included in Centra’s Modernization Plan to improve facilities and align with its longterm goal to serve community needs based on its 2021 Community Health Needs Assessment findings.

a nuclear medicine radiopharmaceutical is administered. SPECT CT is the latest software in improving diagnostics, allowing patient scan and procedure times to be reduced. CT technology is also a low-dose scanning method that reduces side and post-procedure effects for patients.

Henrico Doctors’ Hospital

Richmond

HCAVirginia.com, 804-289-4500

Hard-to-find cancers, such as breast cancers, are now easier to detect with Sarah Cannon Cancer Institute’s new technology being implemented at HCA Virginia. The hospital is the first facility to carry contrast dye mammograms in Central Virginia, a specified system that detects breast cancers. The technology has the ability to see

things that may be overlooked in traditional or 3D mammogram systems, increasing patients’ chances of survival.

Johnston-Willis Hospital

Richmond

HCAVirginia.com, 804-483-5000

Johnston-Willis Hospital’s new imaging updates, including MRI, PET/CT, and interventional radiology, will allow for better imaging quality, enhanced oncology detection, and increased ability for interventional radiology procedures. Its new MRI machine will be larger and able to accommodate patients up to 500 pounds. The updated advancements will make patient procedures smoother and expand the facilities’ healthcare reach to all patients living with cancer.

Children’s

Hospital of Richmond at VCU Richmond

CHRichmond.org, 804-828-2467

Infant massage is the process of stroking an infant’s muscles to aid in healthy development, parenting skills, and bonding. Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU offers this specialized technique to help newborns and parents alike, however, these massages can also help premature babies with gaining weight, reducing stress hormones, promoting mature motor behavior, improving immune function, better gastrointestinal movement, and pain responses.

Chippenham Hospital

Richmond

HCAVirginia.com, 804-483–0000

Chippenham Hospital’s new nuclear medicine camera, SPECT CT, is improving patient care and efficiency of procedures. The imaging technology is used after an injection of

VALLEY HEALTH

New light-assisted brain tumor surgery improves outcomes for gliomas patients.

Gliomas are the most common brain tumors in adults—and often the hardest to detect. ValleyHealth, the Shenandoah Memorial Hospital’s parent health care system, is working to change that.

Under normal operating room lights and even a microscope, gliomas are near invisible because they blend in with brain tissue. Gleolan, an oral medication and imaging agent, is the solution. Administered to patients prior to surgery, it shows cancer cells as bright pink to distinguish them from brain tissue.

Combined with blue-light filter headlamps, surgeons can now remove an entire tumor, improving surgery outcomes for patients. Gleolan is the only FDA-approved product for illuminating gliomas and is derived from a naturally occurring substance in plants and animals called 5-aminolevulinic acid.

“Our team has used Gleolan on several patients thus far with good results and a better resection than we could have achieved without these tools,” says Joshua Prickett, D.O., FACOS, of Virginia Brain & Spine Center. ValleyHealth.com

Congratulations to our Top Hospital Winners!

Riverside Regional Medical Center

Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg

Riverside Walter Reed Hospital

We are healthier TOGETHER

Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital

At Riverside, it is our mission to care for others as we would care for those we love.

Our comprehensive network of services includes:

•Fellowship-trained board-certified medical specialists

•State-of-the-art, innovative technology with personalized care

•Nationally recognized, award-winning hospitals and facilities

•Accredited Stroke and Chest Pain Centers

•Primary, specialty, urgent and emergency care, including a Level II Trauma Center

•24/7 behavioral and mental health services

•Physical therapy and medical wellness and fitness centers

•Active senior living communities and lifelong health services

We are your partner on

Amazon might be busy trying to deliver your packages via drone, but how about your medication? Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital has partnered with DroneUp and other collaborators to develop a medication delivery plan by using drones that target remote communities on the Eastern Shore.

“DroneUp provides us with the opportunity to provide patients in more rural communities with increased access to health supplies and pharmaceuticals,” says Nick Chuquín, president of Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital, who adds that the program’s goal is to “improve patient experience and patient outcomes.”

Mary Washington

Hospital

Fredericksburg

MaryWashingtonHealthcare.com, 540-741-1100

After med school graduation, interns and residents now have the option for specialty training at Mary Washington Hospital, a contingent of their Mary Washington Healthcare Graduate Medical Education program. The program allows for enhanced access, delivery, and quality of care and creates a smoother transition for future physicians who are focused on bettering the healthcare system through more specified care.

Parham Doctors’ Hospital

Richmond

HCAVirginia.com, 804-747-5600

HCA Virginia’s Parham Doctors’ Hospital is using augmented reality guidance systems for open and minimally invasive spine procedures, the first hospital system in Central Virginia to do so. Surgeons at the Parham Doctors’ Hospital wear transparent augmented reality headsets to project patient data directly onto their retinas, allowing them to focus directly on patients rather than looking at a screen. The technology allows for better control and visualization, making surgeries faster and safer.

UVA Children’s

Charlottesville

Childrens.UVAHealth.com, 434-924-0123

The project’s proposal—submitted in 2022 to the U.S. Department of Transportation—was one out of 389 projects awarded funding through the Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation Grants program. The project is split into two phases: planning and prototyping, and implementation. With stage one already underway, the hospital will soon deploy the drones from Riverside to patient doorsteps along the 70-mile stretch between the Chesapeake Bay and Atlantic Ocean. The hospital, patients, and care teams will be able to monitor deliveries in real time, ensuring the right patient gets the right prescription. RiversideOnline.com

Retreat Doctors’ Hospital

Richmond

HCAVirginia.com, 804-254-5100

HCA Virginia, Retreat Doctors’ Hospital’s parent system, has brought the first OB/GYN to New Kent County. Dr. Maria Espiridion, an obstetrician and gynecologist affiliated with Henrico Doctors’ Hospital, is now treating patients at OB/GYN Associates within Chickahominy Family Physicians’ Quinton location. Her services mark an advancement in women’s healthcare and will provide residents of the area with full spectrum women’s healthcare services.

Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital

Charlottesville

Sentara.com, 434-654-7000

A second breast surgery practice opened at Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital, the first located in Harrisonburg. Sentara Breast Specialists have joined Sentara Medical Group to provide smooth treatment and recovery journeys for patients. The practice includes a team of experts, rather than an independent practitioner, who bring new experiences in treating melanoma and breast cancer to expand services at the hospital.

Sheltering Arms Institute

Richmond

ShelteringArms.com, 804-764-1000

The Sheltering Arms Institute launched a stroke peer mentor program to help stroke patients with their recoveries. The institute created the program itself, from the mentor training materials to matching patients with mentors. The mentors are stroke survivors who complete a six-hour training course taught by clinicians in psychology and speech-language pathology. They then meet with patients once a week, helping them regain independence and teaching them recovery tactics.

Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center

Fredericksburg

HCAVirginia.com, 540-498-4000

A new healthcare option has opened for Fredericksburg residents. A full-service emergency room on Route 3 can serve patients closer to home. The facility, a branch of Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center located 9 miles away from the hospital, has a trauma room, 10 private treatment rooms, and board-certified emergency medicine physicians and nurses. The Fredericksburg ER is designed to meet the community’s growing healthcare needs with convenient emergency medical care.

To meet growing needs, pediatric neurodevelopmental and behavioral health care at UVA Children’s will expand. Scheduled to open mid-2024, the new outpatient clinic will triple the number of pediatric mental health providers at UVA to reduce wait times and expand access. The clinic will provide therapy and medication management for mental health diagnoses, support for patients with developmental and behavioral conditions, and offer Parent-Child Interactive Therapy.

UVA University Hospital

Charlottesville

UVAHealth.com, 434-924-3627

The new Center for Health Equity and Precision Public Health at UVA, launched by the School of Medicine, will improve healthcare for rural, economically challenged, and minority groups across Virginia. The center, directed by Keith L. Keene, Ph.D. recruited from East Carolina University, is set to bring in experts to assess public health issues with the goal to reduce health disparities.

VCU Health

Massey Cancer Center

Richmond

MasseyCancerCenter.org, 804-828-7999

VCU Massey Cancer Center has been recognized as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute, the nation’s top facility on cancer research and training. This achievement places the center in an elite group and may lead to new opportunities for better cancer screenings and trials, more resources for cancer risk and prevention research, and education for current and future physicians.

VCU Health Medical Center

Richmond

VCUHealth.org, 804-828-9000

A team at the VCU Health Hume-Lee Transplant Center performed their first fully robotic-assisted living donor liver surgery. When James Busic was diagnosed with liver cancer, his son Jim Busic stepped in. Doctors at VCU Health matched their blood types, performed tests and psychological exams, and finally cleared Jim for a living donation in March. The transplant went smoothly and doctors say the long-term outlook is positive for father and son.

RIVERSIDE DRONE MEDICINE DELIVERY

SKINCARE

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MASSAGE

• COUPLES MASSAGE

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EASTERN VIRGINIA

Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital

Newport News

BonSecours.com, 757-886-6000

Labor, delivery, and postpartum units at Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital’s The Birth Place now have renovated units. The $1 million renovation includes updates to floors, lights, paint, and furniture to improve the facility. The Birth Place, which had over 1,620 births last year, offers private labor and delivery rooms, an in-house neonatal specialist, experienced nursing staff, postpartum care rooms, and educational classes to support patients.

Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters

Norfolk

CHKD.org, 757-668-7000

The Children’s Hospital of the King’s Daughters received a $50,000 Connecting Communities grant from Rite Aid Healthy Futures to provide low-income patient families with food assistance. The Connecting Communities program links institutions and their communities to promote health equity for children, especially those fighting serious illnesses. The hospital plans to use the grant for a food program based at General Academic Pediatrics in the new Children’s Pavilion.

Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg

Williamsburg

RiversideOnline.com, 757-585-2200

To recognize the hospital’s advanced expertise in older patient care, the American College of Emergency Physicians has accredited Riverside Doctors’ Hospital Williamsburg as a Level 3 Geriatric Emergency Department (GED), making the facility the first in Virginia to earn this recognition. The GED program is accredited to a hospital based on its practices, interdisciplinary geriatric education, and available geriatric appropriate equipment and supplies.

Riverside Regional Medical Center

Newport News

RiversideOnline.com, 757-594-2000

Riverside Regional Medical Center is one of 25 trauma centers awarded the Military Civilian Partnership for the Trauma Readiness Grant, a federal grant issued by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The partnership supports military doctors’ education to improve national response to public medical emergencies, build on relationships with the Naval Medical Center Portsmouth and Langley Air Force Base, and bring increased experience and care to Riverside.

Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital

Onancock

RiversideOnline.com, 757-302-2700

Riverside Shore Memorial Hospital has been designated a top 20 rural hospital in the U.S. by the National Rural Health Association. The recognition is based on an evaluation done by The Chartis Center for Rural Health, with hospitals chosen according to the center’s Performance INDEXTM, an assessment of hospital performance based upon market, value-based and financial measures. RSMH is the only hospital in Virginia to earn this recognition.

Riverside

Walter Reed Hospital

Gloucester

RiversideOnline.com, 804-693-8000

After four years of construction, Riverside Walter Reed Hospital has completed its $55 million renovation. The expansion includes a two-story, 54,000-square-foot Surgical and Inpatient Services building, new main lobby area, updated surgical suite and technology, seven new pre-op rooms, and 13 post-surgery patient bays. A new central pharmacy, relocation of administrative offices, and an updated lobby area were also included.

Sentara CarePlex Hospital

Hampton

Sentara.com, 757-736-1000

Sentara Healthcare, Sentara CarePlex

Hospital’s parent company, has opened its first personalized obstetrical care practice to improve access for expecting families in Hampton. The Sentara Midwifery Specialists consists of five Certified Nurse-Midwives offering full prenatal, birth, and postnatal care with the intent to guide families through the pregnancy and birthing experience. Patients delivering at the hospital will be provided with safe, holistic options to ensure uncomplicated and comfortable pregnancies.

Sentara Leigh Hospital

Norfolk

Sentara.com, 757-261-6000

Sentara Leigh Hospital has added 13 new postpartum rooms and 10,000 square feet to an existing unit to accommodate more births. The $6 million expansion to the Family Maternity Center will improve patient experiences with increased appointment availability for inductions, private consultation space, and will give newborns with level II health needs the option to stay with families rather than be moved to a nursery.

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

Norfolk

Sentara.com, 757-388-3000

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital was named the premier hospital in Hampton Roads in Urology for U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Hospitals” edition. The Urology program was selected for its continued success in treatment methods, robotic surgery for prostate, green light therapy for enlarged prostate, and the Sentara-EVMS Comprehensive Pelvic Floor Center. The hospital was also recognized for its high-performing specialty programs in Pulmonology and Lung Surgery, and Geriatrics.

Sentara Obici Hospital

Suffolk

Sentara.com, 757-934-4000

Sentara Obici Hospital underwent its first emergency department expansion since its establishment 17 years ago. The $13 million project added 7,000 square feet and increased the number of treatment spaces to 37, including nine vertical care spaces, enhanced privacy, and space for behavioral health needs. The expansion accommodates the region’s growing community and provides patients with the resources and services for all healthcare needs.

FOOD-TO-MEDICINE SOLUTIONS

Virtual program partnership revamps patient care for chronic conditions.

To support increased demands for its foodto-medicine solutions, ModifyHealth is partnering with Middleland Capital’s VTC Ventures, a private investment fund geared towards life science, food, and agriculture technology advancements across Virginia.

Led by RC Capital and Nashville Capital Network, the new investment will expand ModifyHealth’s operations and continue to provide dietitian support, remote patient monitoring, and education to help patients maintain healthy lifestyles.

“Evidence supports what all of us intuitively know—healthy diets and lifestyles are central to preventing, managing, and, in many cases, reversing chronic conditions,” says ModifyHealth founder and CEO G.B. Pratt.

ModifyHealth’s turnkey FIT (Foundation, Immersion, Transition) program works with patients and partners with payors, employers, and healthcare systems to provide cost-effective, beneficial outcomes for chronic conditions where dietary management is the suggested treatment.

“We’re excited to partner with VTC Ventures and look forward to impacting lives together,” says Pratt. ModifyHealth.com

ModifyHealth’s paprika salmon with herb-roasted potatoes and green beans.

Sentara Princess Anne Hospital

Virginia Beach

Sentara.com, 757-507-1000

Sentara Princess Anne Hospital is the first in its region to offer the Mazor Robotics Renaissance guidance system for spine surgery. The system allows spinal surgeries to be conducted using preoperative surgery blueprints in a virtual 3D environment. The projected plan will be used to actively guide surgeons during the procedure within 1.5 mm accuracy, providing a minimally invasive surgery for patients.

Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital

Virginia Beach

Sentara.com, 757-395-8000

To support students pursuing healthcare careers, Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital’s Sentara Healthcare system invested $4 million into two Sentara Scholars and Project CHOICE pipeline development programs. The project’s goal is to reduce medical staff shortages and improve community economics and health equity outcomes through providing students scholarships, pre-medical and medical engagement, health career camps, and high school partnerships with Sentara Health professionals.

Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center

Williamsburg

Sentara.com, 757-984-6000

The first da Vinci robotic surgical system in the Williamsburg region has been outfitted in Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center. The technology is being used for urological and general surgery applications, with an expansion of services coming in the future. The $2.5 million system allows for quicker patient recovery by using inch-long incisions to insert a lighted camera into the patient to guide precision instruments more intricate than a surgeon’s fingers.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Inova Alexandria Hospital

Alexandria

Inova.org, 703-504-3000

Alexandria City Council has approved a special use permit for the development of a new Inova Alexandria Campus at the former Landmark Mall site. The new campus, to be constructed at the now WestEnd Town Center, will include an acute-care hospital, cancer center, and specialty care center, along with an expanded emergency room and patient rooms. The facility will also expand Inova’s Schar Cancer Institute to the West End.

INOVA’S NEW NOVA CAMPUS

Fairfax site to house new facility.

To further support the work of Inova Health System’s Franconia-Springfield Healthplex, a new hospital will open in Fairfax County. The site will be linked to the existing facility by internal roads and walkways. This more comprehensive campus will offer inpatient and outpatient services.

Spread across two towers, the 110-bed renovation will include private rooms, an expanded emergency room, diagnostic imaging, procedural rooms, physician offices, and a two-acre urban park—part of Inova’s commitment

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital

Fairfax

Inova.org, 703-391-3600

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital has been re-designated as a Magnet hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center. The achievement is earned through a hospital’s prioritization of education for every career stage in nursing, including residencies, fellowships, research programs, and tuition reimbursement. Designated magnet hospitals are also given the opportunity to improve job satisfaction for nurses which can be linked to better patient care as well.

Inova Fairfax Medical Campus Falls Church

Inova.org, 703-776-4001

The orthopedic trauma surgery team at Inova Fairfax Medical Campus enrolled multiple patients in a successful, landmark “PREVENT CLOT” controlled trial. The $11.7 million study, funded by the PatientCentered Outcomes Research Institute, included 21 U.S. trauma centers that observed the effects of an injectable low molecular weight heparin versus “baby” aspirin on 12,211 patients experiencing blood clots.

to environmental sustainability.

“Inova has been our community’s trusted health partner at this location for many years, and this expansion of that collaboration will improve the health and economic vitality of our community for generations to come,” says Supervisor Rodney L. Lusk, representative for the Franconia District on the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors. The renovation is slated to begin in 2024 with completion anticipated by 2028. InovaNewsroom.org

Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital Falls Church

InovaChildrens.org, 703-776-4002

Two new specialty care locations, opened by Inova Children’s, will allow Northern Virginia families convenient access to pediatric subspecialty services. The Inova Children’s— Willow Oaks and Inova Children’s Ashburn Healthplex—located near Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital, both offer a wide range of services with carefully designed environments constructed based on feedback from physicians, nurses, clinical team members, and Inova Children’s Patient and Family Council.

Inova Loudoun Hospital

Leesburg

Inova.org, 703-858-6000

Inova Loudoun Hospital unveiled a new name and expansion plans for their service helping uninsured, limited resource, and Medicaid-membership Lansdowne women. Inova Cares Clinic for Women, formerly known as Inova OB/GYN Clinic, works to ensure women in the Loudoun area receive prenatal care, improved birth outcomes, and decreased NICO stays. The expansion includes GYN services for all patients, family planning, and, soon, colposcopies.

Inova Mount Vernon Hospital

Alexandria

Inova.org, 703-664-7000

A Spring ribbon-cutting ceremony marked the opening of Inova’s new Veatch Behavioral Health Unit at Inova Mount Vernon Hospital. The adult inpatient unit received philanthropic support from Jeffrey and Amiya Veatch and will increase bed capacity at Mount Vernon, as well as increase access to behavioral health care. Carefully designed for the safety and well-being of patients, the unit includes quiet rooms, normalcy spaces for visitation, and group therapy rooms.

Reston Hospital Center

Reston

HCAVirginia.com, 703-689-9000

Reston Hospital Center recently completed an expansion within its Inpatient Rehabilitation Center to include a second gym, 12 rooms, enhanced dining facilities, and additional rehabilitation equipment. The 30-bed unit will continue to help patients transition from inpatient hospital units to inpatient rehabilitation, with decreased wait times to begin therapy. Each patient will now also be provided with an individualized rehabilitation plan specific to their needs, with oneon-one sessions.

Artist rendering of Inova’s new hospital. The existing campus is visible in the rear.

MASSEY ON THE MOVE

Mobile health vans gives free healthcare to poor communities.

To reduce barriers in accessibility to care for cancer patients, the VCU Massey Cancer Center has gone mobile. Two “Massey on the Move” vans, decorated with artwork by Richmond natives Hamilton Glass and Sir James Thornhill, will be deployed later this year to bring cancer education, prevention, screenings, and care to poor communities in Central and Southern Virginia.

The initiative is headed by Vanessa B. Sheppard, Ph.D., associate director of Massey’s Community Outreach & Engagement for Massey’s Office of Health Equity and

Stafford Hospital

Stafford

MaryWashingtonHealthcare.com, 540-741-9000

Registered nurses on Stafford Hospital’s campus can now communicate with patients virtually from a virtual operations command center. Mary Washington Healthcare, the hospital’s parent company, instituted the virtual program for patient tasks that do not require hands-on assistance to improve patient safety and relieve clinician stress. The new program will allow nurses to focus on direct patient care and communicate more efficiently through integrated interpreter services and patient education.

StoneSprings Hospital Center

Dulles

HCAVirginia.com, 571-349-4000

U.S. News & World Report named StoneSprings Hospital Center one of their Best Hospitals for Maternity Care 2022-2023 out of 12 other hospitals in Virginia. Approximately 650 hospitals were evaluated based on submitted, detailed data. However, new qualifications were added this round

Page Memorial Hospital

Luray

ValleyHealthLink.com, 540-743-4561

Valley Health Page Memorial Hospital received a $1 million U.S. Department of Agriculture grant to address rural health challenges. The grant will help fund remote monitoring systems, a telehealth pilot project with Page County Schools, community health workers, a remote area medical clinic, a community garden, and a food pilot program. The grant is part of the USDA’s ‘Rooted in Rural Healthcare’ program designed to help those in need receive care.

Sentara RMH Medical Center

Harrisonburg

Sentara.com, 540-689-1000

Disparities, and funded through The Dominion Energy Charitable Foundation’s Social Justice Grants Initiative. The initiative supports nonprofits that give free healthcase to low income patients, along with other community and corporate grants.

“Part of our work to change this dynamic is to focus on cancer hotspots—localities with higher-than-average cancer incidence and mortality rates—within our catchment area. The vans will help us better reach and serve those communities,” Sheppard says. VCUHealth.org

including episiotomy rates, vaginal birth after cesarean rates, and whether each hospital met new federal criteria for “birthingfriendly” practices.

UVA Haymarket Medical Center

Haymarket

UVAHealth.com, 571-284-1000

UVA Health, UVA Haymarket Medical Center’s parent system, unveiled a new sign on the hospital to mark the continuous growth of the health system and its services and to represent the change in ownership from the joint oversight of UVA Health and Novant to solely UVA Health. The change marks a milestone in the system’s accomplishments, which will be expanded in 2023 with the addition of new services, including gynecologic oncology.

VHC Health

Arlington

VHCHealth.org, 703-558-5000

A collaboration between VHC Health and Arlington County will expand mental health and rehabilitation services in the area.

VHC Health will transform 5.8 acres into a

rehabilitation and behavioral health wellness facility aimed at improving care. The facility will include multiple adult outpatient programs and high-quality inpatient rehab services. For patients needing more intensive care, a geriatric behavioral health unit will also be installed on the hospital’s main campus.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY

Augusta Health

Fishersville

AugustaHealth.com, 540-332-4000

Women’s Healthcare will be added to the Augusta Medical Group practice to expand patient care and resources. The partnership will extend Augusta Health’s reach across the region allowing for increased patientfocused services, broader access to OB/GYN specialists, and more comprehensive care. The new Augusta Health Pavilion and support from the Mayo Clinical Care Network will also be available for patients.

Sentara RMH Medical Center was named to the Fortune-IBM Watson Health 100 Top Hospitals List, a list recognizing efforts in clinical outcomes, operational efficiency, patient experience, and financial health. The achievement highlights the facilities’ attention to patient care in areas pertaining to survival rates, patient complications, healthcare associated infections, 30-day mortality and 30-day hospital-wide readmission rates, length of stay, throughput in emergency departments, inpatient expenses, profitability, and ratings from patients.

Shenandoah

Memorial

Woodstock

Hospital

ValleyHealthLink.com, 540-459-1100

Shenandoah Memorial Hospital has been recognized as a Top 100 Critical Access Hospital by The Chartis Center for Rural Health. The center uses publicly available data to 1,353 federally-designated Critical Access Hospitals in rural areas across the country. The center uses publicly available data to assess hospitals’ performances based on quality, outcomes, patient satisfaction, and costs. The 100 highest-scoring Critical Access Hospitals earned a spot on the list.

Winchester Medical Center

Winchester

ValleyHealthLink.com, 540-536-8000

The Heart & Vascular Center at Winchester Medical Center received the American College of Cardiology’s NCDR Chest Pain–MI Registry Platinum Performance Achievement Award for 2023, one of 262 hospitals honored nationwide. The award recognizes the hospital’s efforts in implementing high standards of care and treatment for patients dealing with heart and vascular issues. Chosen hospitals demonstrated continuous achievements in the Chest Pain–MI Registry for two consecutive years.

Local artist Sir James Thornhill, one of two artists selected to create the artwork for the vans.

Woodhouse Spa - Gainesville

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For over 120 years, we’ve enhanced the health of our neighbors in the community through compassionate care. A lot has changed in that time, but one thing never has — our commitment to you and your family.

What started as an eight-room hospital is now a health system with two hospitals, three emergency departments, over 60 outpatient facilities, and a new Graduate Medical Education program with two residency clinics. Just as our region continues to grow and change, we too look forward to a future of innovative care, centered around you.

Learn more at mwhc.com.

When you need us, we’re ready. Here. Now. Always.

GIFT OF HEALTH

New donor-funded biotech center opens at UVA.

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

Buchanan General Hospital

Grundy

BGH.org, 276-935-1000

Buchanan General Hospital donated $20,000 to the United Way of Southwest Virginia’s Hurley Long Term Relief Fund, which benefits Hurley residents after floods devastated their community. The Long Term Recovery Group works with officials and organizations in the area to assess damage and give residents the resources they need to rebuild.

Carilion Children’s Hospital

Roanoke

CarilionClinic.org, 540-266-5437

Carilion Children’s Hospital has been designated a Level 1 Pediatric Trauma Center, one of three in Virginia. The recognition highlights the hospital’s efforts to ensure quality care and treatment for patients. Pediatric trauma program coordinator, Tanya Trevilion, sees this achievement as a symbol of Carilion’s commitment to the children and families it serves.

Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital

Rocky Mount

CarilionClinic.org, 540-483-5277

A $15 million renovation is underway at Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital that will add 5,000 square feet and include updated preoperative and postoperative bays, expanded operating rooms, and updated equipment. The project will allow the hospital to double its surgery staff and make room for more services offered like OB/GYN, hand surgery, plastic surgery, podiatry, and more.

Carilion Giles Community Hospital

Pearisburg

CarilionClinic.org, 540-921-6000

Carilion Giles Community Hospital is one of the first to install GE Healthcare’s advanced X-ray system, AMX Navigate. The portable, power-assisted system is designed to reduce the physical effort required for exams by around 70 percent, a development that came from clinical research on portable X-ray systems. The new advancements will help reduce challenges for X-ray technicians and allow them to focus more on patient care.

The University of Virginia received a $100 million gift to establish the Paul and Diane Manning Institute of Biotechnology. The institute incorporates the latest technology into UVA’s research areas, focusing on cellular and gene therapies and the cure and prevention of disease.

Paul Manning, the donor who funded the new center, is the chair and CEO of PBM Capital, a healthcare-focused investment firm. The new institute will increase employment opportunities in the state and will spur economic development throughout the counties. Most importantly, it will bring the latest technology in healthcare to Virginians.

“We live in an incredibly exciting time of discovery in medicine,” UVA President Jim Ryan says. “The Manning Institute will ensure UVA remains at the forefront of research and patient care.” ManningInstitute.Virginia.edu

Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital

Roanoke

CarilionClinic.org, 540-981-7000

The latest PET Scan technology has been installed at the Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. The Siemens Vision 600 will improve patient access, specifically for those with oncologic or cardiac concerns. The technology, classified under theranostics, allows specialists to directly trace specific cancers and perform imageguided procedures, lesion detection for lung cancers, and potential treatment of rheumatic and Alzheimer’s diseases.

Carilion Tazewell

Community Hospital

Tazewell

CarilionClinic.org, 276-988-8700

A forensic nurse program has expanded to Carilion Tazewell Community Hospital to improve crisis intervention delivery time to patients of intimate partner violence, sexual assault, physical assault, and violence. The program employs trained forensics nurses to provide care and treatment, while also gathering information on patient situations for potential prosecution of perpetrators. Patients will also be provided medical, legal, and safety advice.

LewisGale Hospital

Pulaski

Pulaski

HCAVirginia.com, 540-994-8100

The Sarah Cannon Institute at LewisGale Hospital Pulaski is the first facility in Southwest Virginia to offer high-dose rate (HDR) prostate brachytherapy. This convenient and precise radiation treatment puts patients through one or two outpatient treatments vs. weeks of daily treatments. Small, computer-guided catheters deliver radiation treatment in minutes, minimizing side effects and potential damage to adjacent tissue and organs.

LewisGale Medical Center

Salem

HCAVirginia.com, 540-776-4000

A new virtual reality treadmill for physical rehab patients has been unveiled at the LewisGale Medical Center. The first of its kind in the region, it includes an augmented

reality TV screen to mimic everyday life challenges. The “C-Mill” by Motek uses sensors within the treadmill and real-time interactive software to provide motivational and safe therapy for patient balance and gait training.

LewisGale Hospital

Montgomery

Blacksburg

HCAVirginia.com, 540-951-1111

The hospital’s $15.9 million expansion has added 7,500 square feet to its surgical center and renovated the existing 4,800 square feet. Included are two new operating rooms, a 15-bed post-anesthesia care unit, and new robotic surgical equipment. The hospital’s improvements within the expansion hope to bring in more members of the community and healthcare professionals.

Lonesome Pine Hospital

Big Stone Gap

BalladHealth.org, 276-523-3111

A $9.5 million investment in renovations and expansions on Lonesome Pine’s campus will expand healthcare services and provide more community support. A component of Ballad Health’s mission to improve health systems in rural communities, the project includes adding outpatient services, a new pain management specialist, an updated emergency department, more triage space, and more green space throughout the facility to improve care and patient experiences.

Smyth County Community Hospital

Marion BalladHealth.org, 276-378-1000

Ballad Health’s new Medical Associates

Urgent Care is the only urgent care clinic in its area. The new facility is fully staffed in order to treat patients of all ages for minor injuries and illnesses. The opening is significant to the expanding healthcare system in Smyth County and Southwest Virginia. The clinic will also offer virtual visit options to make access to care easier for patients.

Emma Johnson, Virginia Living’s summer editorial intern, is a student in JMU’s Media Arts and Design program, majoring in journalism.

VIRGINIA LIVING ’S TOP HOSPITALS

Virginia Living ’s Top Hospitals are all members of the Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association and were vetted based on national hospital rankings for patient safety and experience, quality of specialities offered, and overall patient satisfaction.

Diane and Paul Manning

Artwith Start

A coat of lacquer updated the dining chairs, passed down family pieces. Silk wallpaper by Philip Jeffries lines bookshelves and walls. A custom chandelier is by Low Country Originals. The bookshelves and casement windows were added by architect Okey Turner, the home’s previous owner.

Designer Linda Burnside turned a “mishmash” of family furniture into this stylish and livable Middleburg home.

By CONSTANCE COSTAS | Photography by RYAN GARVIN

With its charming architectural details, the house on the outskirts of Middleburg was just the stroke of luck Ashley Kennedy was looking for.

The reclaimed foyer doors, dining room bookshelves, and bathtub alcove with its round clerestory window all pointed to a legendary local architect. “Around here, if you see a house that he’s redone, people can tell when it’s Okey,” says Kennedy, of Okey Turner who, with his wife Megan, owned the house when she purchased it in 2019.

Set on 18 acres, the Turners saw the potential in the overwrought, fauxItalian villa. “It was over the top,” Kennedy confirms. Okey gutted it and infused the house with a timeless graciousness in his thoughtful renovation. “The interior was brand new and beautiful open white space,” says Kennedy, a champion equestrienne and full-time mom to sons Walker, 16, and Davis, 12.

Up until recently, Kennedy rode her horse, Larkspur, “mostly for fun.”

A decade ago, the twosome were competing against top riders in the Upperville Colt and Horse Show, the Hamptons Classic, and the Washington International, winning champion and grand champion titles in the Amateur Owner and Adult Amateur divisions. Larkspur’s death in August was a sad milestone; the house however, would mark a chapter of a different kind.

Something Borrowed

But first, there was the question of furniture. “My old house was more of a cottage. I loved it, but everything I had was too small,” she explains. Family furniture came to the rescue. Her mother had downsized, so she passed

With her horse, Larkspur, Ashley Kennedy competed at the Upperville Horse Show, the Hamptons Classic, and the Washington International Horse Show. RIP, Larkspur.

ashley kennedy photo by tony gibson

The garage, right, features an upper-level play space for owner Ashley Kennedy’s two sons. “People said, why do you need that house?” says Kennedy. “But we use the house, all of it.”

Homeowner Ashley Kennedy in the home's foyer with Rhodesian Ridgeback Bullet and bulldog mix Macan.

along the dining room table, among other pieces. And from her stepmother, a set of dining chairs came out of storage to fill the void. “I was lucky to have loving, knowing, and wise helping hands—who also happened to have extra furniture,” Kennedy recalls. “But until I got a decorator, it was a mishmash.”

Enter Linda Burnside, of LGB Interiors in Columbia, South Carolina, who happened to be a close friend of Ashley’s stepmother, Lou Kennedy, CEO and President of Nephron Pharmaceuticals. She and Burnside had worked together on multiple house projects, and as soon as Lou saw the house, she was smitten. She persuaded Burnside to take it on.

Design at a Distance

Although she’s based in South Carolina, Burnside collaborated easily with her client in Middleburg. “We work all over the country,” Burnside notes.

“We do a powerpoint presentation with a floor plan of each room showing all fabrics, rugs, lighting, and artwork. It’s all in place before anything ever happens at the house.”

To translate her client’s vision, Burnside suggested Kennedy tear pictures from design magazines or make a Pinterest board. “Don’t think too much,” she told her. “Go for the feel of the room, not the specific fabrics or furniture, then move on.” After a dozen or so images, her preferences emerged: an authentic but elevated style that wasn’t overly designed.

A former fashion accessories editor at Harper’s Bazaar, Lucky, and Elle, Kennedy’s priorities were comfort and livability. “I love fashion, I love accessories, and I do love home design,” she insists. “But as much as I like things to be pretty, with two boys and two dogs, Bullet and Macan, it also needs to be practical.” With Burnside on board, she felt confident handing off the design decisions.

“As designers, we’re therapists,” Burnside adds. “I can talk with someone for a minute or two, and I’ll know what their color scheme should be. I can

“I want clients to know they deserve a home that’s finished. It creates a feeling of wholeness when your house tells your story.”—Linda Burnside

A French antique chest in the foyer is paired with a contemporary lamp and sconces by Visual Comfort. “My favorite thing to do is mix it up,” says Burnside.

Linda Burnside

The blue La Cornue range inspired the color palette throughout the living spaces.

tell if they’re into strong colors by the way they dress. All those things are important for me in the selection process.”

Burnside knew that Kennedy would be traipsing in the house with boots on, sometimes muddy, after a trail ride. The house had to be comfortable and livable. In addition, she wanted the architectural elements in the house, like casement windows, to shine. “Turner’s work was incredible, so we wanted to marry the architecture with the interior design, while also factoring in the way Ashley lives,” says Burnside. “It’s a lot to figure out. She had some French antiques, too. I love to mix those up with contemporary pieces.”

Finding Home

Whipping an interior gameplan into shape is good for a homeowner’s soul, Burnside insists. “When your house tells your story, you feel a sense of wholeness—that’s what I do for people, make them feel whole. I want clients to know they deserve a home that’s finished. Most people don’t allow themselves that level of completeness. But once they see it, they feel like they’ve finally found their way home.” The message hit home for Kennedy.

Burnside began with a palette of soft blues, inspired by the elegant La Cornue range in the kitchen. “I started with the breakfast room fabric, which is very organic with twigs and vines, to bring the outside in. She loved it.” A vision board followed, filled with Burnside’s picks for furniture and lamps, rugs, wallpaper, and artwork.

For her bedroom, Kennedy wanted a calming spa atmosphere, which Burnside achieved with more soft blues. The room’s generous casement windows offered views of the surrounding acreage, so Burnside kept the interior design elements simple and elegant, adding a custom-made chandelier.

Custom Artwork

“Start with art” is a favorite approach of Burnside’s, who has cultivated relationships with artists of all genres, from landscapes to abstracts and figure painting. Instead of searching for the right painting, she commissions the pieces, specifying size and color. It’s her secret to a completed design project.

“People think a house full of good quality artwork requires decades of

Interior designer Linda Burnside commissioned custom artwork to finish this interior in short order. The blue palette was inspired by the kitchen’s showstopper, a La Cornue range.

Tucked into a charming architectural niche in the marble bath, the soaker tub gets natural light from a round clerestory window.

collecting,” says Burnside. “But are you willing to wait a decade to finish it?” By commissioning paintings, she can complete the project and give clients the wholeness she wants them to experience at home.

Art also imparts authenticity to a room, creating the understated look that Kennedy favored. “I like to keep the fabrics and wallpaper neutral, so the art can add the punch,” she says. The look draws on the natural beauty of the house, rather than overwhelming a space with color and pattern. Enter the living room, for instance, and a pair of abstract paintings by artist Leah Rei draws the eye. The room is otherwise light and white, and the punch of blue comes from the paintings.”

Updating Tradition

While she was grateful for the dining table and chairs, Kennedy was also hesitant about the dark wood. “She didn’t want the house to look too traditional,” says Burnside, who came up with an inspired solution:

lacquered chairs. She often chooses an ultra-glossy paint for cabinets and ceilings in design projects. And while her stepmother’s Henredon dining chairs were old, they were suitable for painting.

“I draw the line at antiques,” Burnside assures those who blanche at the thought of painting traditional family pieces. To achieve the glassy effect, the wood is sanded to an exceptionally smooth finish, then painted with three or four coats of lacquer. Burnside swears by Fine Paints of Europe. “Now, these very traditional chairs are lighter and brighter, with a durable finish that wipes clean with a cloth.”

They filled the bookshelves with books, horse show prizes, and colorful accessories and added a contemporary note with another custom chandelier. The dining room has become a favorite spot in the house, used by her sons for schoolwork as well as meals.

Wallpaper Comfort

A restrained use of wallpaper gives the house a feeling of warmth. For the downstairs bath, Burnside found a subtle way to acknowledge her client’s love of horses. “We found a beautiful grasscloth paper that throws in a bit of the horse theme, while also being very understated and elegant.”

“I’m just crazy about grasscloth,” she notes. “It adds depth and texture and warmth that brings an organic quality to a room. Grasscloth is definitely having a moment.” Even in rooms with painted walls, Burnside often papers the ceiling with grasscloth to create a sense of comfort.

For the office space upstairs, she turned to a leafpatterned wallpaper. “We wanted to have some fun up there,” Burnside notes. “But you’ll notice the color comes from the art—not the wallpaper.”

Equally important were the outside spaces. “The pool was gorgeous, and we spent a lot of time working in conversation areas,” says Burnside. “She can have a big party there, but it’s about the view as much as the pool.” Furniture is grouped to allow for smaller gatherings which was a priority.

“People asked, ‘why do you need that house?’” says Kennedy. “But we use the house, all of it. I loved my old house, the cottage, but I didn’t have a guest room. If my mom came to visit, I’d give her my room and go sleep in a kid’s bed. We had dog blankets on the sofa,” Kennedy recalls. “I was ready to move forward. This feels like a grownup house. The boys have their own playroom over the garage, where they can invite friends over. It’s so pretty—and I’m so appreciative of my family and Linda for helping me get this done.”

Constance Costas’ most recent design story, “Modern Love,” appeared in our June 2023 issue.

“People think a house full of good quality artwork requires decades of collecting. But where does that leave your house? Are you willing to wait a decade to finish it?”

—Linda Burnside

With space for entertaining and beautiful views of the property, the pool area has become a focal point for the homeowner and her young sons. Left: Outdoor seating is grouped to create intimate conversation areas on the rear terrace, with space for larger parties around the pool.

The spa-like palette in the primary bedroom was inspired by the views through the casement windows. Antiqued mirrors hang above matching Made Goods nightstands. Chandelier and sconces by Visual Comfort. The plush fur throw adds warmth and contrast.

A pair of custom paintings over matching chests create a focal point in the living room, where fabrics in soft blues and neutrals play a supporting role.

Burnside chose the blue twig and vine fabric for the curtains in the breakfast area for its organic feel. On the table, ginger jars by Vietri complement Portuguese dinnerware by Costa Nova.

In the office, upstairs, the playful patterned wallpaper serves as a muted backdrop for colorful artwork and an equestrian blanket in classic Hermès-orange.

A

LENS LAND SCAPE on the

By AMY BRECOUNT WHITE

Photography by GORDON CAMPBELL

One look at Gordon Campbell’s aerial photos and you feel transported— like you’re a shorebird gliding over the sands and islands of Virginia’s Eastern Shore. Aboard his ultralight plane, Campbell resembles a prehistoric raptor. His camera captures and documents the beauty and changeability of these barrier islands, along with the lower Delmarva Peninsula and Chesapeake Bay.

his is the most amazing stretch of islands along our coastline,” says Campbell, 57, whose perch gives him 270° of open view. Flying low and slow at 40 mph, the ultralight has little vibration to interfere with focus and clarity, enabling him to shoot almost the entire Atlantic coastline— from Cape Cod to the Florida-Georgia border. Other than in winter, he’s aloft four to five times a week for several hours, snapping thousands of images.

“His photos just capture the essence of this landscape so well,” says Alexandra Wilke, a coastal scientist at The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) Nassawadox location, near Exmore. Campbell’s photos also grace the walls of their local headquarters. “You almost feel like you’re out in the landscape,” Wilke says. “They always remind you that you’re surrounded by this incredible coastal wilderness.” Wilke regularly uses Campbell’s photos in her presentations to capture an audience’s attention and help show where they’re catching birds to geotag or monitoring the reproductive success of a tern colony.

Born in New York City, and after several career reinventions, Campbell took up flying to reduce stress. He found his way to the Eastern Shore and bought a small airfield in 2003 in Nassawadox, renaming it Campbell Field Airport. He soon moved his family to nearby Cape Charles.

To showcase his work, he opened an art gallery— At Altitude in Cape Charles, named so because he shoots “at altitude.” He does the printing himself on aluminum panels using a metal sublimation process, which “infuses the inks into the metal.” Visitors and collectors often comment on the vibrancy and clarity of his shots, he says, which gives them a three-dimensional look. While he may edit them, he doesn’t add color. He also owns a smaller gallery at the North Street Market further north in Onancock.

While tourists and locals appreciate his artistry, historians and scientists have found his photos professionally valuable. Cora Baird, site director at the University of Virginia’s Anheuser-Busch Coastal Research Center on Mockhorn Bay east of Cheriton, has used Campbell’s real-time photographs to help scientists understand how islands move and how best to restore marine habitats after storms. They also make great discussion catalysts, helping engage the public and promote a better understanding of the center’s research.

“I’m down here on the rural Eastern Shore, and I’m around more scientists than I ever was living up in the New York area,” jokes Campbell. In fact, this region has become a hub for scientific activity. TNC’s Volgenau Virginia Coast Reserve (VVCR) on the Eastern Shore is a UNESCO-designated biosphere that includes 14 undeveloped barrier and marsh islands. These uninhabited islands offer a playground for scientists and researchers from TNC, UVA, and William & Mary’s Virginia Institute of Marine Science (VIMS) to study marine habitat restoration, coastal resilience, and migratory bird conservation. Campbell’s work helps document their work. Many scientists become almost lyrical when they speak of Campbell’s photos. “I’ve been working at the

“I tell people all the time that the only reason I do this is to give myself an excuse to fly. Flying just solves all your needs in life.”

—Gordon Campbell

Campbell in flight over Fowling Point, a cape directly west of his airfield on the Eastern Shore.

Campbell in At Altitude Gallery, his Cape Charles showroom.

37°26'41.82"N, 75°49'1.18"W The former Fowling Point Hunt Club basks in the first light of the day. Red Bank, August 2015

37°16'10.9664"N, 75°53'52.89"W Crabbers off the coast of Oyster in Northampton County. October 2014

site for 25 years. I understand these things, but when I saw his photographs, it was an aha moment,” says Karen McGlathery, professor of environmental sciences at UVA. From that bird’s eye view, “you can really understand it much more than if you’re on the ground.” Whether she’s addressing a public or scientific audience, “his images work better than any number of words to create a sense of the dynamics of the coastal landscape—what’s happening, how it’s changing, how fast it’s changing.”

As a researcher who’s often on the water, Wilke sometimes uses Campbell’s photos to “literally plan out what we’re doing in the field, whether we’re scoping out a new place to take our boat or how to access an island.”

TNC, who earlier commissioned him to complete a four-year aerial survey of the area, connects with Campbell frequently. Jill Bieri, the director of TNC’s Volgenau Reserve, often calls on him to capture photos or for something specific in his treasure trove of archival images. “Gordon’s photos allow us to really show the dynamic nature of the system,” Bieri says. “That’s pretty important to us as stewards and managers of that system.” She adds that Campbell’s photos offer even more than the drone footage scientists often use. “Gordon is an artist,” she says. “His photos help us tell the story to people who don’t get to experience it every day, how important and special this place is.”

Campbell is happy to share his photos with scientists and educators. “I tell people all the time that the only reason I do this is to give myself an excuse to fly. Flying just solves all your needs in life. It gives you enough adrenaline rush, it gives you freedom,” he says. “I’m out in my element when I’m flying.” AtAltitudeGallery.com

Amy Brecount

White enjoys exploring Virginia’s wide geographic offerings and connecting with local artists, artisans, chefs, and other explorers.

Local farmer Bob Snyder plows a soybean field on the Eastern Shore. Weirwood, June 2016

37°34'34.572"N, 75°35'10.026"W

Aerial view to the South of Parramore Island. Photographed over the Wachapreague Inlet, this image shows North Pond, the long but narrow Goose Lakes and, alongside the lakes, the stands of trees on Italian Hill. June 2020

37°16'34.58"N, 76°0'52.71"W Marina village homes at Bay Creek Resort. Cape Charles, May 2015

Christopher Hein, professor of marine science at VIMS in Gloucester, recently used Campbell’s photos during a public presentation at the Chincoteague Island Theater. “Gordon has an eye for the process, even though that’s not what he’s out there for,” says Hein. “Those images that he shares, they tell a story.”

Hein also appreciates Campbell’s lighting and the low perspective he can get. In fact, Campbell’s photos are often more up to date than satellite images or Google Earth. This image was featured on the cover of the journal Nature Geoscience for a piece called “Barrier Islands in Retreat.”

“This is a static image, but it’s also not because you see the process,” says Hein. “You see an island that’s ever changing, that’s moving. You can actually see the waves crashing there. You can see the marsh cropping out on the front side of the island. It is very much the island in motion captured in a static image.”

This journal article discusses how the barrier islands on Virginia’s Eastern Shore are moving landward and doing that “ever faster with time,” says Hein.

“He ran up the stairs while I was flying, so I got this shot,” says Campbell. “You can’t be scared of heights climbing that tower.” Cedar Island, August 2015

37°27 ' 19.314 " N, 75°47 ' 22.842 " W Brent Proctor, an Eastern Shore waterman, harvests wild oysters on the seaside. Hog Island Bay, October 2020

37°40 ' 23.54 " N, 75°35 ' 39.73 " W Young boy at the top of the watch tower, Cedar Island Coast Guard Station #152.

“Each of these photos is a moment in time and a document of what any of these areas looked like at any given time, and they are always changing. I found my passion in life, and I’m running with it.”

—Gordon Campbell

Photographer Gordon Campbell often tries to capture the rows of crape myrtles when they bloom in late July. Planted along the drive to the restored Almshouse Farm at Machipongo, which dates to 1725, the trees now welcome visitors to the charming and immersive Barrier Island Center (BIC), a museum that showcases the history of those who once inhabited these islands and has 12 of Campbell’s images adorning its walls. “Gordon’s images are that perfect complement to the history of the barrier islands because they show what a barrier island is, what it looks like today,” says Sally Dickinson, executive director of BIC. “We have visitors from all over the country and beyond who come, and some are familiar with what a barrier island is, but some are not. To have Gordon’s imagery to help back up and support the story has really been wonderful.” Visitors experience the islands—like Cobb, Mockhorn, and Hog— through his imagery even if they can’t visit them by boat.

“Gordon’s imagery really does capture the beauty of those barrier islands, and it showcases the global treasure they really are,” says Dickinson. “Anything that helps our mission through education, Gordon’s all for it." Campbell joined the center’s board in 2021. His photos are also included in two children’s books about the barrier islands available at the Barrier Island Center.

37°24 ' 15.96 " N, 75°54 ' 19.71 " W Crape Myrtles in bloom lining the drive to the Barrier Islands Center. Machipongo, July 2015

37°49'45.678"N, 75°59'19.524"W

Aerial view of the Main Ridge of Tangier Island, one of the three remaining upland ridges on this sinking Chesapeake Bay island. October 2018

“Gordon’s imagery really does capture the beauty of those barrier islands, and it showcases the global treasure they really are. Anything that helps our mission through education, Gordon’s all for it.”

—Sally Dickinson, executive director, Barrier Island Center

37°21'22.021"N, 75°51'13.99"W

salt marsh just west of Cobb Island. August 2014

How does a single object of desire turn a person into a rabid collector? The answer is as individual as, well, the individual. There are accountants who covet old hand-crank adding machines, farmers who get misty-eyed over ancient tractors, even handwriting nerds obsessed with vintage fountain pens. (I stopped at six.) Some collectors are investors. Most are drawn simply to an object’s aesthetics or its era—or to an inescapable something that grabs them.

From the polite ding of the margin bell, to the zing of the carriage return, to the thwacks of keys striking paper, it was staccato poetry.

A manual typewriter affords a more physical connection with the words on the page. This is no tippy-tap laptop keyboard. You have to hit these keys hard, which I learned when my pinkypunched letters looked like 12-point Disappearing Courier. Oh, but the sounds! From the polite ding of the margin bell, to the zing of the carriage return, to the thwacks of keys striking paper, it was staccato poetry. Smudgy typos? Pfft! They were artisan tool marks that added character to pages that already looked like a film noir ransom note. It all got me wondering: Had any well-known Virginia writers been lured back to the tactile charms of a manual typewriter? I reached out.

The Accidental Collector

The strange urge to acquire can hit unexpectedly.

By GEORGE TISDALE | Illustration by JAMES COOK

I’D BEEN READING ABOUT HOW regular doses of healthy stress—think cold showers, sauna baths, wind sprints, roller coaster rides, or blind dates (so I’ve heard)— promote longevity. As I wondered what sort of healthy stress might be healthiest for me, the word “typewriter” clacked to mind.

An old-school typewriter would provide reams of healthy stress: no delete key, no easy way to fix typos, no cut and paste except with a pair of scissors. And if it were a manual model, why that might extend my life a decade.

I dove down an internet rabbit hole of Remington, Royal, Smith Corona, Olivetti, and Underwood typewriters for sale. And like a Formula 1 driver hitting a straightaway, I shifted from piqued curiosity to peak I must have one!

Now, I have a typewriter problem. I have too many. And I want more.

Manual typewriters have become a retro rage, their unpretentious technology hip. The rarest can go for serious money. A working 1872 Hansen

Writing Ball, the world’s first typewriter, sold for $123,000 in 2014. But you, dear reader, can get into typewriter collecting for a pittance. And join hipster type-ins at coffee shops recreating the clattering din of bygone office typing pools. Old typewriters don’t die. They just hide in attics awaiting fresh ribbons.

To decide what make to get, I consulted preeminent typewriter collector Tom Hanks. (Thanks, YouTube!) Tom’s expert advice: They’re all pretty good, just get one. My first was an Olivetti Lettera 35 from an online seller. Days passed. A week. Had it been shipped by tramp steamer? Not good at delayed gratification, I hit a thrift shop and scored a Smith Corona Sterling. It’s a 1951 American classic built like a Sherman tank, only heavier. Then I spied an Olivetti Lettera 32 at an estate sale. I often splurge on highend Italian brands (e.g., Nutella, Barilla), but buy a second Olivetti before my first arrived? Yes, indeed. And like that, I became a collector of typewriters. Sort of by accident, really.

Barbara Kingsolver, who requests contact by snail mail, responded to my perfectly-typed letter (sixth try, 25 percent cotton fiber stationery) with “I stopped using a typewriter the minute I was able to afford a 60-pound Kaypro portable computer.”

David L. Robbins emailed a more thoughtful response: “I’m guessing the convention is an artificiality to slow the author down. I applaud that.” I took a virtual bow. When I type too fast on my Italian-made Lettera 32, its keys jam as if scolding “Adagio, Giorgio! Adagio! ”

David Baldacci, Dean King, Jan Karon, and John Grisham all answered no. I was losing hope when Adriana Trigiani’s office sent a glimmer: “Adriana owns a 1962 Olivetti typewriter ... she uses [it] to type poignant quotes from her novels.” Trigiani autographs these snippets and sells them online. This was at least something.

Sharyn McCrumb’s reply took the—I can’t resist—crumb cake. When an editor gave her a mere weekend to finish a manuscript, McCrumb ditched her typewriter for good. She added, “You can’t play solitaire while you think on a typewriter.”

While Sharyn avoids the positive frustration of a manual typewriter, I like the distractionfree focus it affords. Three of them are enough for this budding collector. I might jump on a deal for a Hermès Baby or Rocket. But I’m not looking online today. Really, I’m not.

George Tisdale is a freelance writer and artist living in Richmond. He wanted to submit this essay in typewritten form on linen paper. His editor politely declined. (Typewriter illustrator James Cook, however, was granted this creative liberty.)

MLS # 641207

$1,495,000.00

A unique opportunity for the most discerning purchaser. Elevated and secluded five plus acre setting. Designed by Brown & Associates of Charlottesville. The attention to detail is remarkable. Family room and kitchen paneling, beams and mouldings milled from walnut trees harvested on the property. Expansive and private rear patio areas with hand laid stone walls provide magnificent views across the Valley to the Blue Ridge.

• 4400 plus square feet of finished living space!

• 10 foot ceilings

• Mature landscaping and plantings including multiple boxwood and a myriad of daffodils, tulips, peonies, etc. resplendent in blooming season

• Circular drive with pebble surface and cobblestone reception area

• Chippendale accent fencing

• Copper roof, gutters, and downspouts

• Two car oversized basement garage

• Steel beam basement construction

• Whole house generator

• Separate maintenance, storage, and workshop area on grounds