October 2024

FALCONRY IN FOCUS

SPACE TO INSPIRE

Some

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SEPTEMBER | OCTOBER 2024

FEATURES

A Beautifully

Broken Virginia page 130

John Plashal’s images are poignant, powerful—and a little spooky, too.

By Madeline Mayhood

Sky Masters page 136

The ancient sport of falconry is alive and well in Virginia.

By Larry Bleiberg

13 EDITOR’S LETTER + READER MAIL UPFRONT

15 TAKE NOTE

All aboard! Take a ride on the Virginia Scenic Railway. Plus, VMFA’s Fine Arts & Flowers, the Middleburg Film Festival, Piece by Piece, and more.

25 MILESTONE

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden celebrates 40 years.

29 EVENTS

Fall into fall with our Top 10.

31 ABOUT TOWN Celebrations and swell soirées.

HOMEGROWN

33 SPOTLIGHT

p. 136

Wayne Henderson, luthier-to-thestars, reveals his next chapter.

37 VIRGINIANA

Wing walkers and more at the Flying Circus Airshow.

40 CURIOSITIES

From Foamhenge to Dinosaur Land, Virginia’s crop of oddities make great day trips.

43 NATIVES

All about the plants of The Socrates Project—they’re pretty enough to kill you.

45 RESTORATION

Diary of an 18th-century clock on the Eastern Shore.

47 DISCOVER Navigating the Channel’s maze of sandstone crevices and boulders.

49 EXPLORE

If you don’t mind tight spaces and total darkness, try caving.

51 DESTINATIONS

The picturesque riches of Tazewell and Burke’s Garden.

59 HOME

A Charlottesville couple raises a family among heirlooms and French antiques.

GOOD TASTE

73 PROFILE

A colonial culinary master cooks on open flames.

77 STARTERS

NYC bagels in VA? Plus, Greenswell Growers, and The Virginia House-Wife reissued.

79 FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Try pickling all those leftover cukes and okra.

80 DINING OUT

Nordic cuisine shines at Stock Bistro in Roanoke.

83 STAR CHEF

Star power in Staunton at Ian Boden’s Maude & the Bear.

DRINK

97 MASTER OF WINE

Joshua Grainer, Master of Wine, ushers in a new chapter at Lost Mountain.

101 NEWS

Cat cafés, winning wines, beer awards, made for muddling, and more.

105 THE SCOOP

Demystifying Virginia’s robust coffee culture.

109 ENTERTAINING Fall’s best food and wine pairings. HEALTH + WELLNESS

111 LEGACY

SpeakUp5K advocates for teen mental health.

114 SCIENCE

HaHaHeHe: exploring the triggers that make people laugh.

117 H+W NEWS

Timely health and wellness news from around the state.

119 RESEARCH

Dr. Jennifer Munson loves a rubber duck.

SPECIAL SECTION

121 TOP HOSPITALS & MEDICAL CENTERS 2024

Sixty of the state’s top facilities.

144 DEPARTURE

Recalling memories of a Sweet Sixteen.

 The results of our 2024 Best of Virginia readers’ survey—our best ever—are at VirginiaLiving.com

photo by kyle

ON THE COVER: Up close with Odin, Richmond falconer David Culotta’s red-tailed hawk.

Falconer Drake Haydock with his red-tailed hawk, Tonto, at the 2024 Virginia Falconers’ Association meet in Harrisonburg. Learn more on page 136.

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EDITORIAL DEPARTMENT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Madeline Mayhood

ASSOCIATE EDITOR Hope Cartwright

DIGITAL EDITOR Gabriela Gonçalves

EDITORIAL INTERN Lily Perkinson

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Sylvie Baggett, Heather Bien, Sherrie Page Guyer, Caroline Kettlewell, Dawn Klavon, Orrin Konheim, Bill Lohmann, Frank Morgan, Clare Osdene Schapiro, George Tisdale, Eric J. Wallace, Amy Brecount White

COPY EDITOR Vayda Tarleton

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Send to 109 East Cary St., Richmond, VA 23219; visit VirginiaLiving.com; or contact ClaireHarrelson@CapeFear.com BACK ISSUES

Back issues are available for most editions and are $12.95 ($15.95 for Best of Virginia) plus shipping and handling. Please call for availability or check ShopVirginiaLiving.com

REPRINTS & REPRODUCTION PERMISSION

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

Contributors

LARRY BLEIBERG is a past president of the Society of American Travel Writers and a contributor to BBC Travel, the Washington Post, Garden & Gun, AARP, Virtuoso, and others. LarryBleiberg.com

KYLE LAFERRIERE explores the world capturing captivating stories through photographs. Based in Richmond, he photographed our feature on falconry. KyleLaFerriere.com

Visit VirginiaLiving.com

Brush Strokes: She restores history with paint. Discover Elaine Tucker-Haviland’s endless well of talent.

Changing Tides: Get lost in the images of Chesapeake Bay photographer Jay Fleming, who captures the magnificent water worlds of the country’s largest estuary.

Capt. John Smith: Join John Page Williams, Jr. for a paddle through the centuries along Capt. John Smith’s Chesapeake National Historic Trail. Purcellville: Stop in for an overnight or make it a weekend. Either way, Purcellville should be on your bucket list.

It’s Not Too Late!

Limited stock is still available for our 2024 issues! To order, visit VirginiaLiving.com or scan the QR code.

Best of Virginia: From coffee shops to caterers and flower shops to financial planners, meet the 1,590 winners from our 2024 Best of Virginia readers’ survey.

Connect with us on to see all of the latest news and stories—plus exciting giveaways and exclusive content—from VirginiaLiving. Tag us @VirginiaLiving

ELIZABETH COGAR enjoys writing about interesting people, places, and ideas. Based in Richmond, she contributes to many publications. Sadly, she is not a fan of the Oxford comma, although we are. ElizabethCogar.com

BRETT WINTER LEMON creates imagery that connects and engages. For us, he trained his lens on Stock Bistro in Roanoke and traveled west to capture Tazewell. BrettWinterLemon.com

CRAIG STOLTZ, a former travel editor of the Washington Post, now writes about food, drink, and destinations for Garden & Gun, Fodor’s, Frommer’s, and many other publications. CraigStoltz.com

JOHN PLASHAL—photographer, author, and speaker—pursues extreme landscape photography to document places that offer beauty in decay and unique histories. He is the author of A Beautifully Broken Virginia JohnPlashal.com

Sunset silhouette scene of an ibis rookery on a duck blind in Chincoteague. “It's like they were posing for me.” —Jay Fleming

Tricks, Treats & Terrific Reads

Our October issue celebrates the season ... and more.

HEN I THINK ABOUT FALL, I see pumpkins by the field full and leaves turning bright autumn colors in my mind’s eye. It might just be my very favorite season. The air gets crisp and clear. At our river house, I swear I can sometimes see what my neighbors across the Ware are doing in their kitchens—and that’s about a mile away.

Fall is also about Halloween, which always reminds me of The Wizard of Oz. True confession: I’ve never made it through the whole movie. I’m toast once the Wicked Witch of the West shows up. My parents sat me down when I was about eight for a family viewing, and I landed behind the sofa, wracked with sobs.

But being that Halloween is such an iconic holiday, with upwards of 75 percent of Virginians intending to celebrate it somehow, you’ll see the spooky and the scary as a common thread throughout our pages. Explore some of Virginia’s oddest oddities, and beware of poisonous plants growing in your garden—they can literally kill you. Throughout our pages, watch for our special QR codes, where you can dive deeper into the state’s most convoluted corn mazes, add recipes to your repertoire, read about Virginia’s winning spirits, and more.

Then our feature, courtesy of John Plashal, meets our spooky threshold where his eerie images of the state’s most neglected and aban-

Reader Letters

CHAMPIONING THE CHESAPEAKE

“Reflections on the Chesapeake” (Aug. ’24) is simply stunning. We are all so excited to see Jay Fleming and the Bay featured in Virginia Living !

—Chelsea Bowers, The Nature Conservancy

home

doned structures are showcased in the most beautiful light. This gifted photographer crisscrosses the Commonwealth, training his lens on these forgotten and decaying places. Ironically, they’re all haunting and highly photogenic, with a dose of beauty and sadness thrown in. Plashal calls them “beautifully broken Virginia,” also the title of his book, and we think October is the perfect season to highlight his images.

For the uninitiated, falconry is absolutely fascinating, and after experiencing an introductory

AUGUST ACCLAIM

Loving the August edition of Virginia Living! All the nature I want to read about. And the photography is just beautiful. Bravo! Well done!

—Ann Hardy, Varina

STRATFORD HALL SALUTES

We were so honored to see the Stratford Hall Oyster Roast & Auction featured in the “About Town” section of the August issue. Thank you for highlighting our efforts in education, preservation, and interpretation in the bucolic Northern Neck of Virginia. We are truly grateful for the support!

—Karen Daly, President, Stratford Hall

DEPARTMENT OF CORRECTIONS

A photo in “Flourishing Food Trucks” (Aug. ’24) was misattributed. The credit goes to the very generous Chincoteague Chamber of Commerce.

We were honored to run an obituary of the great chef Marcel Desaulnieres, “the guru of ganache,” of The Trellis fame in Williamsburg He died in 2024, not in 1978. We regret the error.

class at the Omni Homestead last fall, I wanted to know more. Our group, led by the encyclopedic falconer Linda Spence, flew Peanut, the Harris hawk who lives at the Homestead’s Falcon Center Mews, along with a huge Eurasian eagle owl named Sampson and an assortment of hawks and falcons. In this issue, the talented Larry Bleiberg presents a riveting look into the Virginians who embrace this “sport of kings” and their birds of prey. These creatures are one of nature’s most extraordinary hunters, laser-focused on their next meal.

We also encourage you to hop aboard for a well-timed story on the Virginia Scenic Railway. Fall means an explosion of kaleidoscopic leaves, especially in the Shenandoah Valley, and this three-hour ride-and-dine excursion that leaves from Staunton showcases one of the state’s most beautiful regions in peak season. There is so much more in our pages, so find a comfy spot and enjoy this issue of Virginia Living

Madeline Mayhood Editor-in-Chief, Virginia Living

In “Savoring the Seasons” (Aug. ’24), we incorrectly stated that The Clifton’s 1799 is a Michelin-star restaurant. As deserving as it is, it is 1799’s Chef Mathew Bousquet who brought with him Michelinstar experience when Mirapoix, his acclaimed Northern Califonria restaurant in Windsor, earned the coveted award in 2010.

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

Would you like to sell copies of Virginia Living in your shop, tasting room, or office? Send an email to our favorite circulation manager, Claire Harrelson at ClaireHarrelson@CapeFear.com, and she’ll be happy to share the details

Corra takes a walk through Cyrus Ridge Farm’s pastures with Ivory, Izzy, and Kyra.

Once

to a bank executive, this long-abandoned home is located outside of Chilhowie, in Smyth County. See more of John Plashal’s haunting photography on page 130.

UPfront

TAKE NOTE

ALL ABOARD!

With the Virginia Scenic Railway, Staunton brings train travel back to Virginia.

By Heather Bien  | Photo by Kate Simon

Before the Acela hit 160 miles per hour and turned train travel into a race from one destination to the next, riding the rails was an occasion. Sweeping vistas right outside the window and meals served with silverware made traveling by train an experience—one that a dwindling generation looks back on fondly.

But the Virginia Scenic Railway is restoring the allure of train travel with its three-hour round trips departing from Staunton.

Passengers from all walks of life line up, anxiously awaiting that far-off roar of the vintage train making its

approach. As soon as it’s heard in the distance, passengers grab their phones, ready for the moment when the 1940s railcar chugs into the station, transporting passersby back in time with its iconic red body and black and yellow stripes.

The railway runs two main routes, and the Alleghany Special route is particularly scenic. It lurches westward from Staunton through pastoral scenes, past working farms, and toward the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. In the fall, the route comes alive with the fiery colors of Shenandoah Valley foliage.

Excursions on the Virginia Scenic Railway depart from the Amtrak station in historic downtown Staunton.

THE CROWD ABOARD THE DAY’S train has a quiet murmur of excitement. Boarded and ready for adventure, a young man on break from college accompanies his grandfather. He looks over across the table and a pair of freshly poured beers. He eagerly says, “I’m already having fun!”

Other groups have their professional cameras by their sides, hoping to capture shots from the gangway. The savvy among them know the real prize comes from being in just the right spot as the engines switch positions in Goshen.

As the train passes through small towns, one can imagine some were once bustling stops along the railway.

Alongside the train, passengers notice a duo with cameras reappearing at each scenic vista. The two seem to be train enthusiasts, hopping in their car to race along rural roads and catch the perfect shot of the locomotive speeding by.

The Virginia Scenic Railway launched in August 2022, and, for the first year, tickets were completely sold out. It doubled its capacity the next year, and the passengers kept coming. Young and old alike are fascinated by the experience of zipping through the valley.

“The older generations like to reminisce about the train rides they made in their early years to visit family or travel to the city. Young children are intrigued by the locomotive and rail cars—it’s the sheer size and sounds of the equipment,” explains Powell.

Runaway Popularity on the Rails

Steve Powell, president of Buckingham Branch Railroad, which owns the Virginia Scenic Railway, expected the railway to be a hit with riders— no one would take on such a huge investment if they didn’t. But he couldn’t have dreamt of the runaway popularity.

A Past and Future Fleet

Part of the experience is getting a peek at what train travel used to be in a time before rider volume was a top priority. That means sourcing historic cars from across the country, which Powell has found to be a lengthy and involved process, particularly when updates and renovations come into play. But it’s the visual appeal and comfort of the railcars that elevates the railway’s trips and keeps passengers coming back.

“We want our customers to be wowed when they go inside the car and see new carpet, tables, chairs, and modern bathrooms. The process of restoring cars takes many months and sometimes even years, and we are willing to wait until we get the right car ready before adding it to our fleet,” says Powell.

Buy Tickets Early to Ride the Rails with Santa

From Saturday, Nov. 23–Sunday, Dec. 22, Santa’s reindeer are getting a break. Old Saint Nick will take children and children-at-heart on a 40-minute ride— just the right amount of time to bask in the wonder of it all. The ride starts in Staunton’s historic downtown and makes a stop at Santa’s workshop before heading home, cookies and hot chocolate in hand. Festive attire is welcome. Tickets are $65 per person and sell out fast. VirginiaScenicRailway.com

One of the occasional members of that fleet is the “Queen of Steam,” a Norfolk & Western Class J No. 611, which is one of the last remaining passenger steam locomotives. For train enthusiasts, that railcar alone is reason enough to plan a trip.

His dreams for the future of the fleet include more cars and a significant investment in terms of route, equipment, and infrastructure. Partnerships with local hotels, restaurants, and businesses are underway, including a current collaboration with the Blackburn Inn in Staunton, and Powell expects the railway to grow as a draw for Staunton.

He hopes to bring the 611 back again this year and continue to grow the enthusiasm for the nostalgic train experiences. “Seeing all of the crowds on the train as well as the fans along the route is worth all of the time and energy required to make it happen.”

Writer and content creator Heather Bien crafts stories about trends, culture, and travel for Garden & Gun , Washingtonian , Martha Stewart Living , and more. HeatherBien.com

photos

(clockwise from top)

by:

jon hollif, kate simon, les kipp, kate simon, kathy moore

The Blue Ridge Flyer heads west through Crozet, toward the Blue Ridge Tunnel and the Shenandoah Valley.

Steve Powell, president of the Buckingham Branch Railroad.

The railway partnered with the Virginia Museum of Transportation to bring the iconic 611 steam engine back to mainline service, as the “Shenandoah Valley Limited,” in fall 2023.

Tickets for the three-hour round trip include a bistro-style meal.

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Active Cemetery. National Treasure. Outdoor Museum.

Located on the banks of the James River overlooking the Richmond skyline, Hollywood Cemetery is a fully operational cemetery and registered arboretum. Designed by noted architect John Notman in 1847, the cemetery is unlike the common grid-like layout of modern cemeteries and offers a 135-acre picturesque garden setting amongst rolling valleys and hills.

Explore on your own or take an official tour of one of the most visited historic cemeteries in the country. Open 8am - 5pm Daily

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Photo by Bill Draper Photography

Flower Power

Fine Arts & Flowers at VMFA.

by MADELINE MAYHOOD

Flowers like you’ve never seen will be in their full glory at Fine Arts & Flowers at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts in Richmond, Oct. 23–27.

“IT’S A MUSEUM-WIDE EXHIBIT that pairs original interpretive floral arrangements with works from the museum’s permanent collection,” explains exhibition co-chair Alexandria McGrath, who adds that the event will include more than 70 art-inspired floral arrangements on display, all created by members of the Garden Club of Virginia, Virginia Federation of Garden Clubs, and Ikebana of Richmond.

“Fine Arts & Flowers is a fascinating intersection of art and floral design, two modes of artistic invention that hinge on the perspective of the maker— and that’s what keeps it interesting,” says Dr. Susie Rawles, American painting and decorative art associate curator at VMFA. Rawles is also a past president of the James River Garden Club, and her roles give her unique insight. “Sometimes the floral displays are nearly literal translations of the work of art, the blooms and other materials operating like signposts, mapping the viewer’s visual experience. And sometimes they are complete abstractions, where you are forced to look back at the work of art and ask: what did I miss?!”

Interpreting Through Flowers

Anne Thompson, a Richmond-based artist and veteran Fine Arts & Flowers exhibitor, says that while the process for participants is straightforward, it can also be nerve-racking. “As exhibitors, we’re given a list of works of art in the museum’s collection that are available to participants,” she explains. “But signing up is a whole different story.”

rewarded with their top choice: Gilbert Stuart’s “Portrait of Rebecca White Pickering (Mrs. Timothy Pickering),” a woman of some station from early 19th-century Massachusetts (her husband was the third secretary of state). “Her costume reflected a certain degree of exoticism,” says Kunz, “but it’s tempered by her expression that suggests New England restraint. We thought our design

Sometimes they are complete abstractions, where you are forced to look back at the work of art and ask: what

did

I

miss?!

—Susie Rawles

At Thompson’s first rodeo as an arranger, she and her team studied the list of art the museum had made available and prioritized their own wish list. “But as soon as the list goes live, you have to be at the ready to sign up for the piece you want,” she says. A little slow on the draw, her team didn’t get their top choice. Or their tenth. But they were thrilled with the Robert Henri they were assigned. “We all just loved ‘Her Sunday Shawl,’” Thompson says, who added that researching the artist, the period in which he painted, and his contemporaries informed their ultimate design.

For 2018’s event, Thompson joined Lisa Kunz and Catherine Bugg, and a speedy response was

“ Queen Anne of Denmark, Wife of James I” (detail) , from the workshop of Marcus Gheeraerts the Younger, Flemish. Floral arrangement by Diane Burgess, River Road Garden Club, Crozier, Richmond Designers’ Guild (2021).

“ Portrait of Rebecca White Pickering (Mrs. Timothy Pickering),” by Gilbert Stuart, American. Floral arrangement by Anne Thompson, Lisa Kunz, and Catherine Bugg for the 2018 event.

should reflect a taut balance of symmetrical neoclassicism and design elements that evoke graceful encircling movements evident in Stuart’s treatment of her robe, turban, and pearls.”

The trio—all members of the James River Garden Club—selected plant material that suggested fine textiles: Queen Anne’s lace, lady slipper orchids, red fountain grass, and ‘Café au Lait’ dahlias for their arrangement, along with sarracenia and lomelosia, which both reflected the pattern of the ermine trim on Mrs. Pickering’s shawl. They chose an antique Nepalese rice container in which to display their arrangement, its timeworn red paint alluding to the frescoes of Herculaneum and Pompeii. “It all came together beautifully,” Kunz says, adding they knew they hit the jackpot when both keynote speakers enthusiastically endorsed their choices. “They actually jumped up and down!” recalls Kunz.

The Big Day

VMFA is electric the day teams descend on the workrooms to begin creating their arrangements. There are strict rules—no foraged or homegrown plant material is allowed, lest something nefarious like molds or pests be transmitted inside the building and find their way onto the gallery floors, potentially damaging the museum’s collection. For nearly four decades, Strange’s has been the exclusive supplier of flowers and plant material for Fine Arts & Flowers, and they carefully control what they source and the plant material being used. Exhibitors can requests specific flowers, but they may not correspond to what’s available.

“It’s such a fun and imaginative way to revisit the art and experience the museum,” says Susie Rawles. “I hope people will take advantage of it.”

Madeline Mayhood is editor-in-chief of Virginia Living

Fine Arts & Flowers will feature a wide range of exciting special events throughout the exhibition—from floral designer presentations and luncheons to guided tours, floral workshops, curator talks, fashion shows, and family activities. More than 10,000 people are expected to attend the four-day extravaganza. Highlights include:

Wednesday, Oct. 23, 6:30–9:30 p.m.

Thursday, Oct. 24, 10 a.m.

Ingrid Carozzi, floral designer, author, teacher. Named “Best Florist” by New York magazine, owner of Tin Can Studio, specializing in floral design for weddings and corporate events.

Thursday, Oct. 24, 1:30 p.m.

Book signing: Flowers by Design: Creating Arrangements for Your Space (Abrams, 2021), by Ingrid Carozzi.

Thursday, Oct. 24, 2:00 p.m.

Robbie Honey, Zimbabwe native, international horticulturist, and floral designer, set up shop in London, where his clients included Hermès, Dior, Valentino, Armani, and more.

Thursday, Oct. 24, 3:30 p.m.

Book signing : The Accidental Botanist: The Structure of Plants Revealed (Clearview, 2018), by

Friday, Oct. 25, 10 a.m.

Atlanta native Canaan Marshall, known as “The Flower Whisperer,” has a knack for all things green and growing. His work is featured often in the pages of Flower Magazine

Untitled , by Howardena Pindell, American. Floral arrangement by Karen Abramson and Tegwin Smith, Hunting Creek Garden Club, Alexandria (2021).

“29 Little Dancer Aged Fourteen,” by Edgar Degas, French. Floral arrangement by Michael Rider, The Madison Garden Club, Etlan (2021).

Serpent mask (detail), c. 19th-20th century, artist unknown, Burkina Faso and Mali. Floral arrangement by Kathy Ward, Midlothian Garden Club, Joanne Wallace, Salisbury Garden Club, Richmond Designers’ Guild (2021).

Fine Arts & Flowers Gala and Preview of the floral installations.

Fine Arts & Flowers events,

photos

Robbie Honey.

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HOLLYWOOD IN HORSE COUNTRY

NAMES LIKE Emma Stone, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Kenneth Branagh carry serious star power. And while they’re typically associated with Tinseltown, these celebrities have also been spotted in one of Virginia’s most charming towns for a special brand of film festival. Not Los Angeles, New York, or even Sundance. Instead, they head to Middleburg.

The Middleburg Film Festival has become one of the premier destinations for the film circuit since its founding in 2013. For four days, festivalgoers are privy to advanced screenings of prestige films and the opportunity to network with industry creatives, along with panels, talks, and more.

Last year, half of the 10 films eventually nominated for the Best Picture Oscar—Maestro, The Holdovers, Anatomy of a Fall, American Fiction, and Past Lives—were screened here.

The directors behind 2023’s buzziest hits like Emerald Fennell (Saltburn), Sofia Coppola (Priscilla), Alexander Payne (The Holdovers), and Todd Haynes (May December) showed up for Q&As

with the audience. Talents like Maestro ’s awardwinning makeup artist, Kazu Hiro, and Pulitzer Prize–winning author Kai Bird, who wrote American Prometheus (Knopf, 2005), the book on which Oppenheimer was based, were also present.

“The success of the festival is the result of the quality of the films we screen, the filmmakers and other special guests who attend, and our enthusiastic and devoted cinephiles who join us year after year,” says executive director Susan Koch. “We feel very lucky on all counts.”

Koch founded the festival with Sheila Johnson, BET network founder. The duo inaugurated the festival the same year that Johnson established the luxury Salamander Resort on the town’s outskirts. Contrary to many film festivals that take place throughout venues in large cities, the charm of the countryside and the limited number of locations allow guests to experience film in a unique atmosphere as part of a shared experience.

The 2024 Middleburg Film Festival is Oct. 17–20. MiddleburgFilm.org —by Orrin Konheim

PLASTIC FANTASTIC

Pharrell’s Piece by Piece brings legends to Lego life.

WITH GWEN STEFANI, KENDRICK LAMAR, Timbaland, and Snoop Dogg joining the cast, Pharrell’s new movie Piece by Piece has serious star strength. But the real charm lies in its Lego power.

Debuting Oct. 11 and featured at Something in the Water festival in Virginia Beach Oct. 12–13, the animated documentary follows the life and career of American musician, producer, and Virginia Beach–native Pharrell Williams through the lens of Lego animation. The unique biopic underscores how the artist rarely does anything run-of-the-mill. Plus, viewers get to see superstars like Jay-Z in miniform. For Pharrellophiles, don’t get Piece by

Piece confused with Atlantis, the working title of the musical inspired by Pharrell’s childhood in Virginia Beach that’s been filming in Richmond, Hopewell, and Tidewater.

The Lego Group created minifigure pieces to represent the Piece by Piece cast and collaborators and designed new pieces for music equipment. Pharrell produces and also composed two original songs for the film. Oscar-winning documentarian Morgan Neville, known for 20 Feet From Stardom and the Mister Rogers–centric Won’t You Be My Neighbor?, directs.

—by Madeline Mayhood

MAN’S BEST APP

Ditching public dog parks for private yards.

SNIFFSPOT FOUND A SOLUTION for unruly ruffians of the canine variety—and their oblivious humans—who wreak havoc in public dog parks. A true community for dog owners, the app is a platform to access private dog parks hosted by locals, who agree that SniffSpot has surged in popularity for one main reason: safety.

Catawba-based host Dawn Jones joined in 2022 to provide a space for dogs to run and play. “Public dog parks can be a good thing,” she says. “But not everyone is a responsible dog owner, which can lead to unpleasant, even unsafe situations.”

Alyssa Crozier, a host in Richmond, likes SniffSpot’s positive community. When a frequent guest lost her sweet pup, she told Crozier, “He loved your space, and honestly for an owner with a reactive dog, you were a godsend. Thank you so much for caring for him and opening your space.”

Anne Markiewicz’s ample backyard in Norfolk is dedicated to Penny, her late dog, whom she says would have benefited from a stress-free environment during playtime. “Many dog owners might agree that public dog parks are a little unpredictable when so many personalities come together. Here, you can come solo or you can bring friends along,” says Markiewicz.

Virginia has more than 200 SniffSpots throughout the state. Active across 3,600 cities nationwide, it has more than 20,000 hosts. Visits can be booked on the SniffSpot app and range from $5–15 per hour, depending on amenities, and listings are vetted and reviewed by guests. Owners are responsible for cleaning

Cailee Spaeny, the star of Sofia Coppola’s Priscilla, with the film’s costume designer, Stacey Battat.

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden Turns 40!

From humble beginnings to world-class status, LGBG celebrates a flourishing legacy.

By HOPE CARTWRIGHT

If you remember Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden (LGBG) in its early days, you’ll recall it was often referred to as Bloemendaal, Dutch for “valley of flowers.” It opened to the public in 1987, and the entrance to Richmond’s newly minted jewel was a modest shed with a meandering path that led to Bloemendaal House, the garden’s anchor at the time. In front, a garden tended by volunteers was also part of the visitor experience.

THE THREE-ACRE FLAGLER GARDEN came several years later, with a babbling brook and a robust collection of perennials, bulbs, woody plants, and blooming shrubs—all surrounding a grassy glen. “Once the Flagler Garden went in, it really served as a community catalyst to gather additional support,” says Frank Robinson, who joined the garden as its executive director in 1992. The garden’s potential—as an oasis of beauty, an economic driver, a community center, an educational resource, and a way to connect people and plants—was no longer an idea. It was becoming real.

Establishing the Flagler signaled the garden’s possibilities, and as that became clear, the community rallied. The Garden Club of Virginia soon joined the effort to elevate the property and restored the Grace Arents Garden—that original space in front of Bloemendaal House—based on its early 20th-century Victorian design with period-appropriate plants that had an “old fashioned” feel—peonies, roses, bulbs, and a traditional boxwood border. It honored Grace Arents, niece of the wildly successful business magnate

Lewis Ginter for whom the garden is named. Miss Arents was also a beneficiary of her uncle’s wealth, and she used her inheritance to buy his Lakeside Wheel Club, a structure he built in 1895 when cycling was all the rage. She renamed it Bloemendaal after the family’s Dutch ancestry.

Back then, cyclists relaxed on the ample veranda with fresh lemonade and homemade ice cream while boaters drifted on the lake below. More than a century later, children run laughing through what was then known as Bloemendaal Farm and couples tie the knot under white lattice arches amidst the classic blooms of Miss Arents’ eponymous garden.

“I knew we were sitting on a gem with enormous potential,” Robinson recalls. He went on to become the garden’s president and is now its president emeritus. In his 23-year tenure at LGBG’s helm, the garden expanded in leaps and bounds, developing more than 50 acres of themed gardens and major public facilities, including a visitor’s center, an education complex, and classical conservatory—additions that elevated the Garden to international acclaim. Today, after 40 years, it’s consistently named as one of the top

botanical gardens by all manner of media—from Condé Nast Traveler to USA Today. Plus, says Brian Trader, LGBG’s fourth leader, “It’s a powerful community connector.”

Trader brings with him an extensive background in leadership management at premier public gardens, his own horticultural expertise, and a belief in the healing power of gardens. “It’s important that our communities see themselves in nature,” he says. He’s witnessed invaluable educational and emotional moments at the garden, recently describing LGBG guests who had never seen a real-life turtle—their first experience with one was at the property’s Sydnor Lake.

An archival image of Bloemendaal House, c. 1918.

“When they see one with their own eyes for the first time, it’s magical,” Trader says.

“The evolution of the garden has been a remarkable journey,” notes Mary Wick, longtime LGBG board member and a former board president. “I was around in the early days, and to see how far the garden has come is incredible.”

Flourish is the Garden’s celebration of its four decades, honoring the past, present, and future. Classes, tours, a speaker series, plus favored events and new ones have signaled the milestone all year. As well as hosting multidisciplinary, Richmond-based artist-in-residence Kyle Epps,

“It’s important that our communities see themselves in nature.”

—Brian Trader, LGBG President & CEO

who’s created tapestries and augmented reality art to enhance the garden experience, LGBG has filled its many gardens with several Flourish plant exhibitions, courtesy of its horticulture team.

Floral favorites from the Victorian era fill the

Grace Arents Garden. Lush beauties bloom on the Flagler Garden’s arched entrance. Bog plants thrive in the West Island Garden, kids of all ages connect with nature in the Children’s Garden, and thousands of pounds of vegetables are harvested in the Kroger Community Kitchen Garden that feed Central Virginia’s hungry children and homebound seniors. Plants blossom and flourish all over the garden, and so too does their iconic home. LewisGinter.org

Hope Cartwright is Virginia Living ’s associate editor.

photos (from

left): by tom hennessy, by will nelson, courtesy of lewis ginter botanical garden, by sarah hauser / @virginiaflair (courtesy of virginia tourism corp.),

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden’s retrospective, Flourish, features a number of displays including “Tropical Treasures,”pictured here in the Central Garden.

Flourish features the multidisciplinary work of artist-inresidence Kyle Epps, including tapestries and augmented reality artworks.

Kyle Epps’s LGBG residency included live painting in the garden and a class on using earth pigments to make paint.

The garden’s Conservatory, the “Jewel of the Garden,” houses exotic and unusual plants from around the world in its permanent collection and features beautiful seasonal displays. The conservatory will nearly double its size, part of LGBG’s two-year expansion plan that also incudes new guest experiences and programming and eight acres of new gardens, all designed to meet community needs and enhance the visitor experience. For more information, visit the garden’s THRIVE campaign at LewisGinter.org

FLOURISH IN FULL BLOOM

Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden marks 40 years with four extraordinary exhibits open through October.

1 Natural Connection Sensory Garden

By Elizabeth Fogel, Associate Director Of Horticulture

Find the plants that make our lives possible—from the food we eat to the clothes we wear—in the Sensory Garden. Then, explore the bustling Children’s Garden, where okra, cotton, pineapple, rosemary, and funky-shaped gourds sprouting here offer an education on the inextricable connection between plants and humans, for both little ones and lifelong learners.

2 Shaded Serenity

Flagler Perennial Garden

By Megan Lacey, Horticulture Section Leader Shaded beauties have the chance to shine in full bloom on the living arch welcoming guests to the Flagler Garden. Begonias, creeping wire vine, Australian sword fern, dichondra, and more decorate the structure shaded by looming trees, hinting at the tranquil pathways onwards, where scattered spots of dappled sunlight offer a cool, calming retreat from direct, sweltering sun.

3 Tropical Treasures Central Garden

By Horticulturists Danny Cox, Dean Dietrich, Jayton Howard, and Claire Reines

A slice of paradise awaits in the Central Garden, where an impressive living sculpture of a turtle hosts an array of bromeliads and other enchanting, tropical plants across its head and back and spouts water from its mouth into an idyllic fountain pool. Colorful florals encircle the peaceful waters where water lilies rhythmically float and bob around the mythical looking creature.

4 Victorian Splendor Grace Arents Garden

By Elizabeth Fogel, Associate Director Of Horticulture

Take a step back in time entering the Grace Arents Garden, designed to convey what a Victorian garden might look like in Arents’ own lifetime. In that age, exotic, tropical plants, particularly from far off places, showed off one’s wealth and status. Bright shades of dahlias, zinnias, and pentas, and tall, vibrant green ferns here reflect that elite, eye-catching look. —by H.C.

Virginia’s Fall Favorites

Top 10 events to harvest the fun.

1  CHARLOTTESVILLE

EVAN FRISS: THE BOOKSHOP

SEPT. 14: Author and Harrisonburg resident Evan Friss presents his new release The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore (Viking, 2024), described as “a love letter to bookstores,” at New Dominion Bookshop. It’s books on books on books—what more could a reader ask for? NDBookshop.com

2  RICHMOND

IRON BLOSSOM FESTIVAL

SEPT. 21 – 22: Two days of summery folk and breezy rock tunes hit Richmond as the sweltering heat fades into fall. Down-toearth Ohio trio Caamp, known for their fireside-esque rhythms, and indie rock band Mt. Joy, hot off the heels of their third album release, headline. IronBlossomFestival.com

3  STAUNTON

QUEEN CITY MISCHIEF & MAGIC

SEPT. 28 – 29: A weekend of wizardry and whimsy takes over downtown Staunton in an annual celebration of magic in fiction, drawing thousands of Harry Potter fans and other magic enthusiasts alike. Ride a mock Hogwarts Express, join a Quidditch match, and dress in your spellcasting best. QueenCityMagic.com

4  WILLIAMSBURG

HALLOWEEN WEEKENDS

OCT. 4 – 26: Both family-friendly and spooky, Williamsburg Campground’s Halloween weekends throughout October feature costume parades, decorating contests, and trick-or-treating. Pack your bags with all things ghoulish and ghostly,

and enjoy a scary fun outdoor retreat in boo-tiful autumn woodlands. WilliamsburgCampground.com

5  FAIRFAX BALLET HISPÁNICO

OCT. 5: Concert Hall at George Mason University’s Center for the Arts welcomes the critically acclaimed, New York City–based ballet company to bring rhythms of Spain, Cuba, and more to the stage. The breadth of Hispanic cultures is explored in captivating dance form, influenced by mambo, rumba, and other styles. CFA.GMU.edu

6  SALEM

SALEM HALF MARATHON

OCT. 12: It’s not the Olympics, but you can still go for gold at Salem’s scenic Blue Ridge fall races, with a half marathon, 8K, and kids’ fun run through neighborhoods and the Roanoke River Greenway. A portion of event proceeds go to local charities. SalemHalfMarathon.com

7  TYSONS DEAR EVAN HANSEN

OCT. 18 – 20: Both humorous and poignant, the six-time Tony Award–winning show became a quick Broadway sensation in 2016, spotlighting the emotional intensity and awkwardness of growing up and fitting in. Broadway in Tysons recommends the musical for audiences 12 and up. CapitalOneHall.com

8  ROANOKE

ANTHEM GO OUTSIDE FESTIVAL

OCT. 18 – 20: An event for all those outdoorsy, adventurous Virginians, Roanoke’s

Sand sculptures from the International Sandsculpting Championship 2023.

HAND (AND SAND) SCULPTED

THERE’S NOTHING LIKE COOL SAND between your toes on a hot day in Virginia Beach—except for the awe of beholding the massive sand sculptures at the annual Neptune Festival. The International Sandsculpting Championship is part of the celebrated Boardwalk Weekend, Sept. 27–29, which embraces the area’s beachfront with surfing, beach yoga, dog diving, and boardwalk vendors. The sand sculpture gallery is a crowd favorite that remains open until Oct. 6. Intricate portraiture, architecturally

destination sports fest offers hiking, fishing, camping, climbing, kayaking, and more. Learn a new survival skill like knottying, catch a concert, or watch mega athletes defy physics in far-out sports like highline slacklining. RoanokeGOFest.com

9  FISHERSVILLE

BRICKUNIVERSE

OCT 19 – 20: Elaborate architectural feats, high-tech robots, oversized intricate murals, and more come together under the roof of the Augusta Expo—in Lego form. One of the most expansive, diverse, and

expert towers, and fantastical fairytale scenes come to life thanks to 32 sculptors from 12 countries, competing solo and in teams of two—solo competitors get 15 pounds of sand to utilize and duos get 22. In 30 hours over four days, they create masterpieces in sand, with $58,000 in prizes distributed to winners in several categories. “It is truly incredible to see the level of detail and thoughtfulness,” says Christopher “Kit” Chope, president and CEO of the festival. NeptuneFestival.com by Hope Cartwright

talked-about exhibitions of Lego-building talent in the world, it impresses guests brick by plastic, colorful brick. BrickUniverseUSA.com

10  NORFOLK

MEAN GIRLS

OCT. 22 – 27: Broadway performances at Chrysler Hall go big and go pink with Mean Girls, a fresh, fun hit musical from a slew of star creatives like Tina Fey and Nell Benjamin. Dedicated devotees of the 2004 film of the same name will find familiar favorite characters and surprising new laughs. SevenVenues.com

FOR FANS WHO PINE FOR A pilgrimage to the famous antique market in Round Top, Texas, you might not need to travel so far. Tucked up in Leesburg is Lucketts, and perusing their Fall Market, Friday–Sunday, Oct. 11–13, held at the Clark County Fairgrounds in nearby Berryville, is a shopper’s paradise. In its 25th year, this three-day extravaganza showcases more than 200 of the East Coast’s best vintage-hip vendors, attracting more than 10,000 visitors on the hunt for that special something. Discover amazing design pieces, vintage furnishings, unique antiques, and repurposed treasures that will elevate any space. Lucketts’ weekend markets are held twice annually—in the fall and spring—and feature live music, Vanish Beer gardens, a variety of food trucks, and fun workshops. Get early-buyer tickets for $45, good for all three days and purchased prior to the event. Day-of general admission tickets can be purchased at the gate. Kids ages 12 and under are free. LuckettsMarkets.com —by Dawn Klavon

In-person

We

Northern Virginia Conservation Trust—An Evening at River Farm, Rise to the Occasion River Farm

The sun glistened on the Potomac River as the Northern Virginia Conservation Trust (NVCT) kicked off its annual gala at River Farm, the headquarters of the American Horticultural Society, in Alexandria. “It was a fitting location given NVCT’s leadership of the Save River Farm committee in 2021, a success story the organization is tremendously proud of,” explains NVCT’s executive director Alan Rowsome. Approximately 225 guests helped commemorate the trust’s 30th year of land protection and nature conservancy throughout the area, raising more than $140,000 to support NVCT’s initiatives like their new land acquisition projects. “They demonstrate to donors and supporters the tangible difference they are making in protecting Northern Virginia’s natural treasures for all time,” says Rowsome.

VBSPCA Wags & Whiskers Gala

New Realm Brewing Co.

Nearly 450 attendees gathered on April 27 to raise money for the Virginia Beach Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (VBSPCA) and the animals without homes in their care. The gala’s theme this year was “Sunset Speakeasy,” and guests came appropriately decked to the nines in finery and flapper-era fashion. It was an evening of glitz, glamor, and animal-loving guests coming together for a common goal, with casino games, live music, delicious food, and adoptable animals. As the nonprofit’s largest fundraising event of the year, it raised more than $300,000—an amount that is critical to maintaining the quality of the shelter’s services.

“This year’s Wags and Whiskers Gala was a huge success, all thanks to the support of our community,” says Mandi Kowaleski, VBSPCA director of marketing and communications. “We are grateful for the guests, sponsors, volunteers, and staff members who came together for an unforgettable evening that benefitted animals in need of a second chance.”

 RICHMOND

Little Hands Virginia— Spring Tablescapes Showcase

The Jefferson Hotel

In a two-day exploration of tablescapes and celebration of global cultures, Little Hands of Virginia’s Spring Tablescapes Showcase raised $310,000 to support the organization and its mission to provide essentials to infants and toddlers in need. The fundraiser kicked off on May 2 with “An Evening at Tablescapes,” revealing 34 tablescapes themed “What a Wonderful World” amidst live music, hors d’oeuvres, a silent art auction, and a donation drive. Tablescapes awed guests with diverse cultural references and art styles from a myriad of countries. Festivities continued the following day with more activities and tablescape viewing at a luncheon where famed British designer, stylemaker, and hostess India Hicks delivered keynote remarks. Bubbles and wine flowed, and attendees enjoyed the last hours of the silent auction until its close. Planners from 34 states and 50 Virginia localities gathered to participate.

ALEXANDRIA

 VIRGINIA BEACH

L-R: Keynote speaker India Hicks. Emma Bazillian, author of Charm School. Emily Eerdmans, author of Mario Buatta. Design panelists for a panel moderated by KK Harris of McKinnon and Harris.

Barbara Taylor Creech and Mary Donnan Harrison, recipients of the 2024 VBSPCA Lifesaver Award, at the Wags & Whiskers Gala.

Bruce Rader with a puppy from the gala.

Lexie Barker-Taplett addressing the crowd. Charles Barker Automotive served as the event’s presenting sponsor.

VBSPCA board chair Angie Lombardi (The Franklin-Johnston Group), VBSPCA CEO Derby Brackett, and board member and gala chair Leila Bradley (TowneBank).

NVCT board member mingles with supporters.

NVCT’s conservation landowners mingle with an NVCT board member.

Historic River Farm.

Musician Wilfredo Morales.

NVCT staff.

Little Hands Virginia founder and executive director Taylor and Carter Keeney.

Anne Pulliam’s table, Anne Pulliam Interiors.

HOMEgrown

SPOTLIGHT STILL MAKING MAGIC

made

Wayne Henderson is the sort of man, humble and genial, with a funny story ever at the ready, who always seems among friends.

Which was precisely the scene in June as the renowned guitar-picker and -maker took the outdoor stage that bears his name at Grayson Highlands State Park in Mouth of Wilson for the last set of the final Wayne C. Henderson Music Festival & Guitar Competition. As the lateafternoon sun descended toward a neighboring ridge, more than 2,000 festivalgoers rose from their lawn chairs to cheer Henderson, a favorite son of Southwest Virginia.

“I guess it was impossible to know everybody there, but I bet I knew almost everybody somehow or other,” Henderson said later at his workshop in the nearby community of Rugby, where he was born and raised and which, he likes to say, has a steady population of seven.

The Crooked Road, Virginia’s heritage music trail, runs within a half-mile of his home.

Henderson, 77, pulled the plug on the festival after 30 years, because “we’re all worn out,” he says, from producing the annual event, but he doesn’t want to give the wrong impression.

“People think because we’re quitting the festival that I’m dead or something,” he says.

He’s still performing regularly and building his highly sought-after acoustic guitars, a pursuit that thrills him when he strings a new instrument and it utters its first, rich sound.



The man who

Rugby famous. By Bill Lohmann  | Photos by Bob Brown

HENDERSON ALSO HASN’T changed much. “Genuine” is the way former Virginia folklorist Jon Lohman describes the man who has forged a remarkable path out of Grayson County, playing Carnegie Hall and Fenway Park (a singular joy for the Boston Red Sox fan), being honored at the White House, entertaining the Queen of England, and performing around the world. He’s surely the only Rugby resident to play a gig in Pakistan. Yet, he is most comfortable working amid piles of sawdust in his shop.

Henderson famously took a decade to make a guitar for rocker Eric Clapton. The delay, Henderson explains, was that Clapton “didn’t pester” him.

“You meet a lot of famous people, and they disappoint you,” says Lohman, executive director of the Center for Cultural Vibrancy. “Wayne is everything you would hope he would be. He’s just the most welcoming, nicest guy.”

Generous, too. Over the years, the festival raised more than $500,000 for scholarships—almost $48,000 this year alone from a raffle with the prize of a new Henderson guitar—to help young musicians pay for lessons and camps, a deeply personal mission that will continue. Henderson recalled having no one to teach him to play guitar when he was a child and having to attend fiddlers conventions to watch and study older players.

“But none of them wanted to show a kid how you do this lick or that one,” he says. “The best teacher I had was when I got a phonograph and Doc Watson’s records.” Years later, the Grammy-winning Watson became a friend and a frequent visitor to Henderson’s shop.

As good a player as Henderson became, he is as well-known for his handcrafted guitars, which stand out because of his “intimate

understanding of the great pre-war guitars, developed by decades of studying them, repairing them, and playing them,” says Allen St. John, author of the book Clapton’s Guitar: Watching Wayne Hender son Build the Perfect Instrument

Henderson famously took almost a decade to finish a guitar for rocker Eric Clapton. The delay, Henderson explains, was that Clapton “didn’t pester” him.

Thing is, pestering doesn’t always get you a guitar. Lots of people want Hendersons, but demand far exceeds supply. In 60 years, Hender son has painstakingly produced fewer than 1,000 guitars, including for musical luminaries such as Vince Gill, Ricky Skaggs, Gillian Welch, and Wat son. Brad Paisley showed up at the last Hender son festival to pick up his and played it on stage a few minutes after strumming it for the first time.

Henderson says he’s been “behind on orders” forever, but “orders” would imply an organized system. As far as St. John can tell, there is no waiting list, “except possibly in Wayne’s head, and that one seems to be a work in progress.”

On the secondary market, Henderson’s guitars fetch tens of thousands of dollars, yet Henderson typically sells new guitars for less than $5,000. Why not charge more? “I don’t want to,” he says.

“I’m not in it for the money,” Henderson explains, noting he retired from a career as a rural mail carrier and doesn’t need a job. “Guitarbuilding is super fun for me.”

To close out the festival, Henderson was joined on stage by a collection of accomplished musician friends, which for this occasion was made even more special by two additional players: his daughter, Jayne, and 3-year-old granddaughter, Matilda. Jayne is among many young luthiers men tored by Henderson; after studying environmental law, she changed course and followed her dad into the instrument-making business. Matilda is show ing early promise on the ukulele.

“For my little grand-young’un to get up and play a tune with us is pretty exciting,” he says. “Maybe she’ll end up being a musician. You never know.” WayneHenderson.org

Now retired, Bill Lohmann was an awardwinning columnist for the Richmond Times-Dispatch

From left: Henderson performs at the 2024 Wayne Henderson Festival at Grayson Highlands State Park; Detail of the intricate inlay work on a handmade guitar; Henderson delivers a guitar to Brad Paisley at the 2024 festival. Above: A Henderson guitar owned by photographer Bob Brown, a longtime friend of Henderson.

Henderson hard at work in his luthier shop in Rugby.

everyday. Stroll our historic downtown or explore country roads full of lovingly preserved manors. Try a wine flight, a beer flight, or a spirits flight prior to enjoying a delicious meal. Take in an outdoor concert or a live performance at our historic theater. All just a short drive away in Berkeley County, West Virginia.

High-Flying Heritage

From wing walking to dogfights, the Flying Air Circus brings the golden age of aviation and aerobatics

to life.

By ORRIN KONHEIM | Photography by VERNON POOLE

ON PAPER , the Flying Air Circus is a volunteer-run organization dedicated to promoting and preserving historical aviation. But few organizations dedicated to preserving and promoting aviation put on such a spectacular show.

The Flying Air Circus, founded in 1971, has been continuously operating for 53 seasons, making it the longest-running show of its kind in the nation.

Recreating the milieu of the barnstorming shows after World War I when many people had their first exposure to planes, the 90-minute show that runs May–October on Sundays uses authentic vintage planes and skilled pilots engaged in acrobatic stunts. There are also theatrical ele-

ments with a show announcer, a red baron playing the role of the villain, a damsel in distress, and wing walkers.

All of the acts can be traced back to the early days of aviation in both civilian and military traditions. When the planes drop flower packets onto the airfield, it harkens to a military technique used to simulate dropping bombs from airplanes. The wing walk—one of the show’s trademarks—was a way for barnstorming to advertise their shows. Even the work of mailmen in the early days of aviation is incorporated into a trick where a plane picks up a mailbag hanging on a rope between two mailboxes. The most spectacular acrobatics, however, come from dogfighting. “There was a lot of dogfighting and develop -

Aerobatic pilot Ric Conn flying in his Stearman PT-17, while rolling left to pursue another balloon.

Joe Bender demonstrates the classic wing walker maneuver, the Hangdown, with his legs braced on the “N” wing strut. The Flying Circus Airshow is the only one of its kind in the world to demonstrate classic wing walking skills from the barnstorming era of the 1920s. On any given Sunday, wing walkers might demonstrate the Loop, the Roll, the Hammerhead, the Hangdown, the Javelin—and anything else that comes to mind.

ment of very specific skills with a steep learning curve in WWI, and that was what led to such advanced acrobatics,” says Mark Lepusic, manager of the show’s operations.

Lepusic’s father was one of the co-founders of the original show. At the time, pilot Ken Hyde saw a great opportunity in a 200-acre farm with a quaint Victorian house in Fauquier County. Hyde drew inspiration from a flying circus in the Catskills of New York and took his pilot friend, Stan Harris, along to see the show. Harris was a decorated Air Force veteran who was serving in Virginia’s House of Delegates. He would later help clear the bureaucratic hurdles for Virginia’s Flying Air Circus.

Seventeen people formed the show’s first board. Most were aviators, and many brought their own vintage planes to the act. The rest came from a British film company that sold off their inventory when a series about the Royal Air Force never materialized.

Today, all but two planes are owned by the individual pilots themselves. Many of the original pilots passed their planes to their kids who are now part of the rotating cast of flyers involved in the show.

A lot of the pilots’ parents have flown, so it’s like a family. We’re a very closeknit group, and that’s part of what keeps us here. It’s like a tradition.

—Mark Lepusic

Pilot Frank Isbell started building model airplanes at the age of 3 and soloed by the time he was 16. Another pilot, Dave Conn, saw this very air show when he was 11 and got the opportunity to buy the plane he currently flies from his dad some 40 years ago.

Pilot John Potock’s father, Walt, was an esteemed Air Force pilot who was honored by the Commonwealth upon his death. Potock followed his father into the air, and like many other pilots in the fleet, he is a commercial pilot.

“A lot of the pilots’ parents have flown, so it’s like a family. We’re a very close-knit group, and that’s part of what keeps us here. It’s like a tradition,” says Lepusic.

Similarly, the show has lifelong fans among its participants.

Alexandria resident Michael Constandy grew up in a family of aviation enthusiasts and has seen the show many times. “Going just to see this dramatic recreation once wasn’t enough,” he says. “We would not only see the show but we would

see the Stearman aircraft and take rides and do aerobatics. That never gets old.”

Another fan, Nick Wukovich, was first attracted to the show by billboards he’d spotted along Route 17. And since he’s a local, he also sees the planes flying overhead on Sundays. “It has universal appeal,” he says. “They’re obviously passionate about the planes. You can tell they love what they’re doing. And you can tell it’s a wonderful hobby to have—to fly for fun.” 5114 Ritchie Rd., Bealetown. FlyingCircusAirShow.com

Orrin Konheim is based in Northern Virginia and specializes in writing stories about communities and culture.

Wing walker and aerobatic pilot Joe Bender is on the upper wing stanchion during this photo flight, with pilot and wing walker Chuck Tippett flying the plane. This aircraft is the Flying Circus Airshow’s special, high-performance 1943 Boeing Stearman PT-17 with a Pratt & Whitney 9-cylinder 985 engine, delivering 450 horsepower— twice that of a standard Stearman biplane—and the Hamilton Standard variable pitch propeller to handle the extra power.

Dave Brown flying his PT-17 through a vertical roll as part of his aerobatic display.

The annual Flying Circus Airshow Hot Air Balloon Festival is the special Saturday and Sunday airshow event (check website and Facebook for dates and schedules). The FCA is the only airshow in the world where you can see (and ride) these classic biplanes and balloons at the same time in the same airspace.

The FCA aircraft line up after the show when the spectators are invited to meet the pilots and wing walkers, who welcome autographs and photos.

DEER HAVEN

$1,550,000 | MLS 652636

Custom built home situated on 101 private acres in beautiful Madison County. The four bedroom and 3.5 bath home was built in 2000, and offers a fabulous great room with stone fire place, vaulted ceiling, and custom kitchen. Most of the living space is on the main floor, with elevator access to both the walk out lower level, and bedroom suite upper level. Other features include an attached sunroom/greenhouse, fireplace in the first floor primary bedroom, wrap around screen porch, second kitchen on the lower level, and a whole house generator. Property also has a large heated shop/ garage with a half bath, and car lift, great for storing cars. Property is protected by a conservation easement.

JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528

PROSPECT HILL

$1,675,000 | MLS 648803

A classic Georgian Colonial built in 1842, overlooking the Rapp. River Valley. This 70 ac. property is just minutes from Fredericksburg, yet very private. The 5,000 sq ft Flemish bond brick manor house was renovated in 1986 keeping in place all of its original woodwork. A matching addition connects a large family room through the kitchen. The second floor includes a master suite with bath, two additional bedroom, and a full bath. English basement includes an office/bedroom, wine cellar, laundry, and utility rooms. Other improvements include a detached 3-bay garage, workshop, kennel, garden sheds, and formal gardens.

JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528

SPRING HILL

$1,795,000 | MLS 630710

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

GREENVILLE

$6,995,000 | MLS 650903

One of the State’s finest examples of Classical Revival architecture, sited on 716-acres of rolling, highly productive cropland with long frontage on the Rapidan River. The home is instantly recognizable with its 4 massive Doric columns and “M” shaped copper roof. Built in 1854, the residence was meticulously restored by Alexander Nicholson to its present condition. The river and its lowlands offer endless recreation including some of the area’s best duck hunting. Additional improvements include a restored, period summer kitchen, conservatory, pool and pool house, stables, numerous cottages, and farm infrastructure.

JUSTIN H. WILEY | 434 981 5528

PETER A. WILEY | 434 422 2090

Oddly Bizarre Virginia

Exploring the state’s most curious destinations.

BY ELIZABETH COGAR

“WHERE TO GO AND WHAT to see and do?”

Such is the dilemma for Virginia’s modern-day explorers. The state is chock-full of A-list attractions like the big three: Mt. Vernon, Monticello, and Colonial Williamsburg. But if you stick to the usuals, which are indeed worthy of their notable status, you’ll miss out on all kinds of treasures tucked here and there. You’ve got to dig deeper to find a jet covered with pennies or an old (3100 B.C.), iconic structure replicated in Styrofoam. These are just a few of the trove of artifacts that make Virginia so much fun. We’ve compiled a short list to get you going, but get your spyglass out, because once you hit the road, you’ll spot many, many more.

CHANGE PLANE

Created in 2008 by artist Courtney S. Hengerer, Pennies from Heaven installation of a mini F-14 fighter jet (6 feet tall) in Falls Church, slathered with 14,000 copper pennies. That’s $140! Up front, pennies are affixed heads up, and on the tail, tails are up, of course. Extra points if you can spy the six United Kingdom pennies scattered among Lincoln’s heads. Arlington Blvd., Falls Church. CourtneySHengerer.com

HEADS OF STATE

The story of the 42 President Heads began when Houston artist David Adickes, inspired by Mount Rushmore, created concrete busts ranging from George Washington to George W. Bush. They resided in Williamsburg’s Presidents Park until they fell upon hard times, but a fan, Howard Hankins, saved them by moving them all (18 feet tall and 22,000 lbs. a piece) to his property in Croaker. They’re accessible with an event ticket or enrollment in a photo workshop. Near Williamsburg. ThePresidentsHeads.com

Said to be the largest corn maze (34 whopping acres) in the country, Liberty Mills Farm challenges visitors with four different trails ranging in difficulty—the easiest trail takes 30 minutes and the hardest is a mystery maze with no map! Wander around tall corn day or night (with flashlights). Open Sept. 14 for the 2024 season. 9166 Liberty Mills Rd., Somerset. 434-882-6293. LibertyMillsFarm.com

top: by john plashal, by liberty mills farm,

courtesy of courtney

MAIZE MAZE

PREHISTORIC BEASTS

The brainchild of Joseph Geraci, Dinosaur Land is home to more than 50 life-size, faux, fiberglass dinosaurs that have lived peacefully in an enclave about 20 minutes north of Front Royal since 1963. Other large animals on display include King Kong (big enough for kids to sit in his palm), a 60-foot shark, and a 70-foot octopus. Best of all, it’s OK to touch the statues. 3848 Stonewall Jackson Hwy., White Post. 540-869-2222. DinosaurLandVa.com

TREE CARVING

TRAIL

Children and other fans of cultural icons like SpongeBob SquarePants and The Grinch frequently skip along a woodsy path in what Warsaw locals call The Enchanted Forest, and it’s all thanks to tree carver Tom Rhodes who learned his craft in Cub Scouts. Find a sweet fawn curled up in a tree trunk nook and Batman standing ready for action, just two of more than 80 characters that can be checked off on a free map. 211 Wallace St., Warsaw.

PETIT ELVIS

It’s three feet tall and located in someone’s yard, but Roanoke’s Miniature Graceland is every bit as exciting for true fans as the full-scale Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee. Complete with velvet curtains in the windows and a mini gold statue of Elvis in his environs, the site has fallen into disrepair several times but was resurrected by devotees of The King. 605 Riverland Rd. SE, Roanoke.

ROUND THINGS

Near the Gold Mining Camp Museum are two large, hollow concrete orbs called Hornet Balls that have defied explanation for decades. Measuring 7 feet tall, 20 feet in circumference, and weighing 7 tons, their purpose remains a mystery. The current best guess is that they crushed stone at the local gold mine in the early 1900s, however where the name “hornet balls” came from remains elusive. 14421 Gold Dust Pkwy., Goldvein. 540-422-8170.

LIGHTWEIGHT LANDMARK

Created by artist Mark Cline, this replica of English antiquity and ancient mystery Stonehenge is made of Styrofoam and called Foamhenge. Previously located at Natural Bridge until it was dismantled and stored, public outcry demanded its return, so Cline erected it at Cox Farms. An astronomer advised him on how to position each “stone” to align with the summer solstice. Open for limited hours in spring and summer and during the farm’s Fall Festival. 15621 Braddock Rd., Centreville. 703-830-4121. CoxFarmsVa.com

BIG BOTTLES

Originally built for the Richmond Dairy Co. in 1913 with oversized 40-foot milk bottles on three corners of the brick building, this legendairy complex has seen its fair share of interesting occupants. After serving as a creamery until 1970 and later as a homebase to creatives like world-famous GWAR and fabulous hat designer Ignatius, it was converted into 99 apartments in the 1990s. 201 W. Marshall St., Richmond.

ART AL FRESCO

More than 100 outdoor sculptures are planted in a 10-acre grassy field at the Robert F. Cage Shanti Sculpture Farm and Studio, where the large-scale work of the late tobacco auctioneer and artist Robert Cage is on display. The range of construction is wide—surplus industrial materials, color and whimsy, abstract and representational. You can’t walk the field without contacting the owner, but you can park on the side of the road and have a look. 1041 Cage Trail, South Boston. RobertFCage.com

Elizabeth Cogar is a Richmond-based writer whose work has appeared in numerous publications. The author of the book Really Richmond: A City Guide (2020), she especially enjoys crafting stories about great houses, interesting people, and unusual travel destinations. ElizabethCogar.com

Pretty Poisonous

The Socrates Project wants you to know that just because it’s natural, doesn’t mean it’s nice.

By CAROLINE KETTLEWELL | Illustration by ALE & ALE

PICTURE THE PALE PINK BLOOMS of mountain laurel. Or perhaps the vibrant yellow-orange of the native flame azalea. Maybe the delicate white bells of American lily of the valley. Or the ephemeral springtime jack-in-the-pulpit and mayapple.

These native plants are praised and prized. You would welcome them into your garden. And yet, as the leading ladies of so many film noir classics remind us: sometimes beauty can be deadly. Each of these plants is among the 25 mostly natives (with a handful of non-native interlopers) documented in The Socrates Project (University of Virginia, 2020), a brief yet compelling booklet with a succinctly tothe-point subtitle: Poisonous Plants in Virginia

The Socrates Project makes up one-third of a fascinatingly macabre trio of works that also includes The Cleopatra Project (poisonous and venomous animals in Virginia) and the soon-to-come The Claudius Project (poisonous mushrooms in Virginia). The three works represent a joint effort between the all-volunteer Virginia Master Naturalist program, the Blue Ridge Poison Center at UVA Health, and its School of Medicine’s Division of

Medical Toxicology. The guides are educational (the grapeleaf skeletonizer caterpillar produces hydrogen cyanide; drinking milk from cows that have consumed white snakeroot can result in an unpleasantness known as “milk sickness”), but also full of interesting tidbits of history and commentary. Monkshood, for example, “is also known as Wolfsbane because its poison is so toxic that it was reputedly once used to kill werewolves” (so far, at least, not a species known to inhabit Virginia, but note for future reference just in case).

“We wanted it to be accessible to everyone, so if we came across an interesting anecdote, we tried to add it in there,” says Heather Borek, M.D., one of The Socrates Project authors, who is also a medical toxicologist, an associate professor at UVA, and the former associate medical director of the Blue Ridge Poison Center.

The Socrates Project includes in its pages a familiar cast of troublemakers: poison ivy, foxglove, nightshade. And there’s jimson weed, which originally, according to the project, was known as “Jamestown weed” thanks to a mass poisoning of British soldiers in Jamestown.

Yet there are also some seemingly innocuous plants, like native azaleas and rhododendrons, that can pack a mean punch. All parts of these flowering beauties are toxic, “even honey made from the nectar,” the guide notes. The sinistersounding “grayanotoxin” is the troublemaker here, and “grayanotoxin-containing honey, called ‘mad honey,’” can cause “confusion, muscle weakness, low blood pressure, lowered heart rate, seizures, and an irregular heartbeat.”

Thanks, I’ll take my tea plain.

According to The Socrates Project, jimson weed was originally known as “Jamestown weed” thanks to a mass poisoning of British soldiers in Jamestown.

Perhaps less familiar, but decidedly deadly, is water hemlock. It’s “an attractive perennial herbaceous plant,” the guide begins mildly, before gathering steam to point out that “water-hemlock is considered one of North America’s most toxic plants.” Death can occur as fast as within 15 minutes of ingestion; the details are not pleasant. There are a few unsavory outsiders in the guide as well—non-native plants that have taken root in our Commonwealth. Poison hemlock is famously supposed to have been the death of Socrates (in whose unfortunate honor, of course, The Socrates Project is named). It’s a member of the carrot family, but not one of any self-respecting salad vegetable would want to claim as kin. Something of an impersonation artist, poison hemlock can in various parts resemble Queen Anne’s lace, yarrow, wild fennel, elderflower, caraway (seeds), and wild parsnip (roots). Here’s the kicker: “Even small internal doses can cause respiratory collapse and death,” the guide notes.

Another troublemaker in Virginia and one that you may have seen horror stories about is giant hogweed. True to its name, the plant can grow to a towering 15–18 feet, and it looks like something that might illustrate the pages of a particularly grim work from the Dr. Seuss oeuvre. It’s noted for the severe, blistering, burn-like wounds that can result from contact with the juice or sap. The wounds can leave scars that last for years. Rub it in your eyes and you could go blind. And yet someone, somewhere, sometime in the 19th century or so, thought giant hogweed would make a great ornamental garden plant. And that’s who you can thank should you ever have the misfortune of meeting this plant in person.

More delightful anecdotes like these await you within the pages of The Socrates Project It’s just the right reading for the spooky season.

Caroline Kettlewell writes on all manner of topics. She has a particular interest in stories about science and the natural world. CarolineKettlewell.com

Scan here to read

The Socrates Project: Poisonous Plants in Virginia at Med.Virginia.edu

Our nation’s heroes - combat veterans, first responders, and their families - deserve to have the training, skills, and support they need to transform struggle into strength, and live great lives. Boulder Crest Foundation is committed to this effort.

Headquartered in Bluemont, Virginia, Boulder Crest Foundation is the home of Posttraumatic Growth. Built to assist those struggling with invisible wounds of war, Boulder Crest programs ensure that combat veterans and first responders can be just as productive and service-oriented in the civilian world as they were when they wore their uniform.

The generosity of supporters across our nation allow us to offer these programs at no cost to combat veterans and first responders at our retreats in Virginia and Arizona, through 2 Mobile Training Teams, and at 10 partner organizations. Your continued support, as individuals, organizations and foundations, ensures that our heroes can make peace with their past, turn strength into struggle, and live great lives in the aftermath of trauma.

An 18th -Century Treasure

Synchronicity, magic, and talent helped Carrie the Clock come to life.

By GABRIELA GONÇALVES | Photos by LEVI SMITH

‘‘W

HAT’S GOING ON WITH THAT clock?” one member of The Woman’s Club of Accomack County asked fellow member Annemarie Edgar one early autumn day in 2022. The piece had been overlooked in a corner of the group’s Carrie Watson Clubhouse in Onley for as long as anyone could remember.

With her curiosity piqued, Edgar turned to local clock expert Mike Gould. He determined the tallcase clock, also called a longcase clock, dated from the 18th century. He could tell it was special, albeit in rough shape.

Glue had been used to patch everything together instead of what would have been original and period-accurate: dovetail and mortise and tenon joinery. It was surprising it was still standing—normally the glue would have disintegrated after so many years.

Conversations about restoring the clock tentatively began, but Gould, an engineer-turned-horologist, was already hooked. He would handle the works—the face and timekeeping mechanisms— but he needed the expertise of Tim Smith, a celebrated conservation and restoration expert, to restore the wooden case. Smith signed on and recruited his son, Levi, to spearhead the project.

“It was a total wreck and neglected for many years,” says Smith. “But once I saw the maker, we knew we had something.” The clock face had the maker’s signature: Philip Antrobus, a highly regarded British clockmaker, who constructed the piece in Manchester, England, in the 18th century.

Soon, the decision to greenlight the restoration was made, and fundraising began.

Mildred McClaren immediately stepped up. A member of the Woman’s Club, she was impressed to hear how old, rare, and valuable the piece was. With funding secured, Smith began the meticulous process of research, determining what the wood case should look like, identifying what was missing, and the modifications that were necessary.

Edgar tracked the restoration in her journal.

“Tim Smith sent a link to the clock in progress. In pieces!” she wrote in an entry last summer. “A giant jigsaw puzzle to be completed by the masters.”

It was a methodical, 18-month restoration. Levi Smith made metal pieces by hand, with historical accuracy driving decisions on parts that had to be purchased.

Meanwhile, Gould worked on the timepiece. It was his most challenging project. Two specific parts were the troublemakers: a wheel in the movement had a broken tooth, which required replacing with a new, soldered one, and a handful of screws was entirely incorrect. Gould had to

It was a total wreck and neglected for many years. But once I saw the maker, we knew we had something.

—Tim Smith

source replacements with the right profile.

He laid out the pieces on his dining table and worked on the project for four months full-time.

The piece—which had been officially named Carrie the Clock—made her debut last spring,

now too important to be relegated to a corner in the Accomack Woman’s Club. She was moved to Shore History’s Ker Place in neighboring Onancock, a house museum that features a fine collection of 18th- and 19th-century antiques, where she’d be in the company of her peers.

Her stalwart fans gathered to celebrate. When she struck 6 o’clock and chimed, a wave of awe and deep satisfaction filled the room.

“All of us have an awareness of the synchronicity and almost magical way in which Carrie’s restoration came to be,” remarks Linda Nordstrom, Woman’s Club of Accomack president, whose mother, Mildred McClaren, was the project’s donor. “It’s as if all the pieces just fell into place and were meant to be.”

Carrie the Clock will stay at Ker Place for the Women’s Club’s 100th anniversary, until summer 2025. “The story behind the Woman’s Club clock really fascinated us,” notes Luke Kelly, collections manager at Ker Place. “To have an Eastern Shore connection made it all the more appealing.”

Though some questions are left unanswered— namely how Carrie the Clock came to the Eastern Shore—she can nobly carry on, beautifully restored and no longer forgotten in a corner.

Gabriela

Gonçalves is digital editor of Virginia Living

Detail of the restored clock face by Mike Gould and pieces of the clock in Tim Smith’s workshop.

The clock face by restored by mechanical engineer and clock hobbyist Mike Gould. Left: This image shows the wooden case restored by Tim Smith, prior to restoration of the face.

Mike Gould

Tim Smith

We challenge all Virginians to love her as she loves us. Keep Virginia Beautiful is helping to end littering, improve recycling and beautify Virginia’s communities. You can do your part and help us make a difference. Please help Keep Virginia Beautiful with your tax deductible donation.

Natural Wonder

The Channels Natural Area Preserve offers beautiful views and solitude.

By ERIC J. WALLACE | Photo by SUNSHINE SOLIMEN

The tough, three-mile hike winds through stands of maturing oaks, hickories, and near-magical rhododendron thickets. It opens abruptly onto a boulder-strewn, 4,200-foot outcrop and a startling panorama of forested Appalachian peaks and valleys that hill unremittingly into Kentucky, Tennessee, and West Virginia.

There is the indifferent clamor of wind in leaves as sunlight daggers through a puffed tapestry of low-hanging cumulus, spotlighting verdant lowland pastures.

Minutes blur into timeless silence. The beauty of this place is overwhelming.

EVENTUALLY, I FORCE MYSELF to continue along a ridgeline trail that passes under a decommissioned 1939 fire tower then descends through tight, canopied groves of rhododendrons and gnarled dwarf oaks. Clustered stacks of 20-, 30-, and 40-foot boulders begin to appear after a few hundred yards. The route dips past a rectangular, cave-like formation, and suddenly I’m inside a long, tunnel-like crevice lined with high, rounded stone walls. This proves to be the centerpiece of far southwest Virginia’s 721-acre Channels Natural Area Preserve—a sprawling sandstone labyrinth geologists say was carved by natural processes over the course of 400 million years.

“I love taking people up here for the first time, because their reaction is always the same,” chuckles Zach Olinger, who manages the surrounding 4,836-acre Channels State Forest. “They’re shocked and amazed that something like this exists in Virginia.”

The Tazewell County native discovered “The Channels”—about 20 miles north of Abingdon—as a teenager when the underthe-radar attraction was privately owned and took some guile to access.

“That view knocks your socks off, then you hike in a little further, and it’s like stepping into another world,” says Olinger. “There’s nothing like it anywhere in the state and probably along the entire East Coast.” And yet, by the late 1990s, the Channels’ future was unsure. A developer sought to mine the property’s sandstone and turn the area “into a high-end gated community,” says Olinger.

Indignant residents in Washington and Russell counties partnered with conservation organizations to fight the project. Their efforts paid off when the stymied developers sold to the Nature Conservancy in 2004. The nonprofit turned the property over to the state in 2008.

“I feel incredibly blessed to have and be able to continue to play a role in preserving this natural wonder for future generations,” says Olinger. “I take deep pride in knowing people will be seeing and experiencing this magical place long after I’m gone.”

After exploring the Channel’s 20 acres of near-mythical passages, I know just what he means.

Eric J. Wallace is an award-winning journalist who has contributed to WIRED, Outside, Backpacker, Atlas Obscura, Modern Farmer, All About Beer, and more.

The Great Channels of Virginia were formed while the highelevation sandstone cap was under the influence of permafrost and ice wedging some 400 million years ago. Today, it’s a natural area preserve that welcomes adventurous hikers and sightseers, like Sunshine Solimen and her trusty companion, Sancho, pictured here. Right: The old fire tower that leads to the Channels.

• Arches National Park

• Capitol Reef National Park

• Canyonlands National Park

• Dead Horse Point State Park

• Canyonlands by Night Cruise

• Grand Junction, Colorado

• Scenic Byway 128

• Colorado National Monument

• Monument Valley

• Monument Valley Scenic Drive Tour

•

• Goulding’s

• Colorado

•

HIGHLIGHTS & EXCURSIONS

• 6 Included Excursions

• Porto City Tour & Wine Tasting

• Porto By Night

• Lamego Tour

• Guimarães Tour

• Vila Real & the Mateus Palace Tour

• Salamanca, Spain Full Day Excursion with Tour, Lunch & Leisure time

• Onboard Entertainment including Fado, Flamenco & Folklore

• Optional Wine Trails of Porto Excursion

• San Antonio City Tour

• Alamo

• Riverwalk Cruise

• IMAX Theatre & San Jose Mission

• LBJ Ranch & Hill Country

• Tower of the Americas

• Austin City Tour

• Texas State Capitol

• LBJ Library & Museum at UT

• Fredericksburg

• Nat’l Museum of the Pacific War

• Fiesta de las Luminarias

• 4 Nights at One Hotel

Depth Defying

Take a moonlit trip into a wild Shenandoah Valley cave.

By ERIC J. WALLACE |

Photo by KYLE L A FERRIERE

MOONLIGHT FALLS BRIGHT and dappled through the cedars as we shimmy into a narrow passage beneath the overhang of a hillside boulder that, in the shaky glow of my 13-year-old daughter Zoë’s headlamp, looks like the probable home of a rogue mountain lion.

“Don’t worry, I’ve been in here a thousand times and can assure you there are no lions, tigers, nor bears,” echoes the voice of Outdoor Adventure Experiences guide, Derek Young, 60, from the opening.

“Famous last words,” I tell Zoë as we maneuver into a long craggy tunnel that opens to five, six, then ten feet high as we go. Inside the air is a chilly 54 degrees and wet. The walls and floors glisten with moisture and otherworldly limestone formations that seem to have oozed or bubbled into place then hardened. For the next hour, we climb, crawl, creep, or repel up, down, and forward through a subterranean maze of natural staircases, knee-deep springs, jagged ledges, pits, tunnels, and thin passages that open here and there onto cavernous rooms filled with stalactite or stalagmite pillars that gleam eerie and spectacular in the beam of our headlamps.

We reemerge muddy, elated, and panting onto the starry, moon-bright Bridgewater hillside about two-anda-half hours later. “Quite a different experience from a visit to Luray, huh?” chuckles Young.

The veteran spelunker has been leading small-group guided tours—night or day—through wild caves in the Shenandoah Valley and eastern West Virginia for more than 35 years. Most entrances sit on private lands or those managed by the National Forest Service and require special permissions or permits to access. While the karst systems* boast features and formations similar to those in show caves like Luray Caverns or Grand Caverns, these are totally undeveloped. There’s been no digging or blasting to open up corridors; there are no paved walkways, handrails, electric lights, or formal staircases. Excursions are physically demanding, last two to five hours, and range in ability level from beginner to expert.

“I don’t do this to get rich,” says Young. “I do it because I love it,” adding that the caves are precious natural resources, and “I want to introduce people to them and help them appreciate something beautiful they probably didn’t even know was here.”

Young was raised in Manassas. He was introduced to caving as a first-year student at James Madison University by a local pastor.

“He took me to this very spot,” says Young. An adventure similar to ours left him “blown away.” He remembers thinking, “This is the coolest thing ever,” and begged the pastor: “‘Please, please, please take me to every cave you know about!’”

The experience ignited a lifelong passion. Young explored five wild caves with the pastor then looked for more. He studied geology and took drives through mountain areas searching for limestone cliffs, outcroppings, and caps. When he spotted promising features, he’d stop at a post office, country store, or at nearby homes to ask about caves.

Derek Young inside Glade Cave, a beginnerfriendly cave in Augusta County, often referred to as Virginia’s

I want to introduce people to them and help them appreciate something beautiful they probably didn’t even know was here.”

—Derek Young, Outdoor Adventure Experiences

“Believe it or not, that’s how I found probably 80 percent of the caves I’ve been in,” says Young, who’s explored about 30 noteworthy systems in Virginia, West Virginia, and Kentucky to date. He founded Outdoor Adventure Experiences in 1988 and now does about 50 private tours a year in 14 different caves, in addition to offering guided canoeing, kayaking, and rafting trips— mostly throughout the Shenandoah Valley and Alleghany Highlands. While he enjoys leading adventures for adults, kids and teens are his favorite.

Back in the Bridgewater field, Zoë beams. And almost on cue, she begs me to take her on another trip.

“You know, geologists say there are likely as many unexplored caves in Virginia as there are ones we know about,” Young tells her. He says it fills his heart with joy to know she could be the first to crawl or step foot in one of them. OutdoorAdventureExperiences.com

KARST?

Karst is a type of landscape where dissolving bedrock has created sinkholes, sinking streams, caves, springs, and other characteristic features. Karst is associated with soluble rock types like limestone, marble, and gypsum. A typical karst landscape forms when much of the water falling on the surface interacts with and enters the subsurface through cracks, fractures, and holes that have been dissolved into the bedrock. After traveling underground, sometimes for long distances, this water is then discharged from springs, many of which are cave entrances.

muddiest cave.

adventure starts here

Revival on Route 16 Grassroots efforts

are reclaiming Tazewell.

By AMY BRECOUNT WHITE | Photography by BRETT WINTER LEMON

In 1799, the location of Tazewell County’s courthouse was determined the old-fashioned way: a fistfight. The two opposing camps “each chose a champion, a Mr. Bailey and a Mr. Thompson,” says Amanda Killen, a Tazewell resident and owner of The Well, a coffee and dining spot. Thompson won, and the resulting placement gave Main Street its beautiful sunset view over volcano-shaped Deskin Mountain.

“I love that story,” says Killen. “It tells a lot about our spirit here. We have a fighting spirit. We’re very resilient.”

Local artisan bagmaker Tanner Hale and his wife, Amanda Killen, owner of The Well coffee shop and Tazewell County executive director for the chamber of commerce, stand on Tazewell’s Main Street, with Deskin Mountain in the distance.

Smack dab in coal country, the town of Tazewell has needed such a spirit to survive. In 2015, after years of decay and with buildings along Main Street falling apart or infested by opportunistic critters, a grassroots collection of private citizens formed Tazewell Today, a group that advocates for and seeks funding to revitalize the area. Killen is a visible member and its former executive director.

EVER SINCE THE COAL COMPANIES pulled out in the 1990s, an occurrence often referred to during my visit, Tazewell—both the town and county—has struggled. The 2020 Virginia Main Street designation was a much-fought-for and deserved gold star that has fueled growth. Most residents see tourism as their best route forward.

Nevertheless, there’s a prejudice outsiders sometimes convey about Appalachia. “We’ve been faced with some unfair stereotypes and are fighting against those,” says Killen. “We’ve been exploited by the coal industry. We’ve been exploited by the media. People really underestimate us.”

Her voice and eyes full of sorrow, Killen recounts how outsiders have cruised through a former coal camp town, Amonate, and taken devastating shots of its poverty and the people who’ve found themselves stuck

there. The visitors then post images and deprecating commentary on social media. A coal camp, I found out, is a community entirely built and controlled by a coal company. That included paying the miners with company scrip that they usually had to use to pay for groceries, rent, and medical treatment at company-run sites. Amonate residents have recently pooled resources to tear down blighted properties and raise money to fund a local park, says Killen, who advises them.

At the Historic Crab Orchard Museum, I find the display of scrip and coal camp relics that reveal Tazewell’s story particularly moving.

A County Transected

Tucked into the southwestern part of the state, Tazewell County is pretty much divided in half by a mountain

Burke’s Garden General Store, a must-visit in Tazewell County’s serene countryside, offers a variety of local Amish goods.

Local muralist Ellen Elmes and a small team of Tazewell community members painted this mural, Standing Tall and Proud, to honor the town’s African-American residents on the Tazewell County Courthouse.

Killen’s coffee shop, The Well, is a Main Street staple, with specialty coffees and a variety of sweets and sandwiches on the menu.

TAZEWELL COUNTY

TOWN OF TAZEWELL

It dawned on us en masse that we do have this marvelous, spectacular scenery. We’ve been attempting to capitalize on that.

—Nancy Brooks, Tazewell artist

ridge: to the east, you’ll find some of the richest rolling farming and livestock land you can imagine. It’s also stunningly beautiful, and one area, Burke’s Garden, is known as “God’s thumbprint”—a lush valley surrounded by mountains. In 1994, the last Lassie movie was filmed in another verdant area known as the Cove. West of the ridge, it’s mostly craggier, wilder coal country. The county also boasts the pristine headwaters of four rivers, including the Clinch.

From the late 1880s and into the mid-20th century, high-quality coal production boomed in Pocahontas Fields, which straddles the West Virginia border. Immigrants sought these abundant mining jobs, and flush companies built coal camp towns, like Amonate. Main Street Tazewell thrived, and charming, historical banks and other buildings still line the street. After coal pulled out, though, the town nearly died.

“When I first came back here, you couldn’t buy a Coke on Main Street because it was all lawyers and bail bondsmen,” says Larry Davidson, an Army veteran who grew up hereabouts and whose business acumen was vital to Tazewell’s rebirth. Now the downtown area boasts five eateries, restored buildings, and bright murals touting Tazewell’s attractions and achievements.

Nancy Brooks, a seventh-generation resident who grew up in Burke’s Garden on their family farm, was one of the first to return, purchase, and revivify a decrepit former bank. She completely restored it, preserving the original tin ceilings. “It dawned on us en masse that we do have this marvelous, spectacular scenery,” says Brooks. “We’ve been attempting to capitalize on that.”

People—Killen, Davidson, Brooks and her family members, along with The Happy Goat deli and hikingfishing-camping gear shop’s owner, Vince d’Amato and his wife, Lucie—may leave Tazewell County for decades to pursue education and careers, but later they return to be with the family and landscape they love. If able, they buy a neglected building which may come cheap, particularly if it has a large hole in the roof and a pigeon infestation, as did the 1832 town jail. With the help of

historical restoration funds, Cecilia and Mike Hymes lovingly restored the building to create a popular inn, The Old Jail. One of their frequent guests refers to himself as “a repeat offender,” Cecilia jokes, as I tour the welcoming, sturdy, and well-appointed cells. Er, rooms. Many entrepreneurs get funding from VCEDA—the Virginia Coalfield Economic Development Authority— which has been a lifeline for the town. And some residents seem able to nearly spin straw into gold. When the high school prom, usually held in the gym, was canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, Killen’s two daughters happened to be seniors.

“Mom’s got it,” Killen told them. “We’ll have prom on Main Street.” That year, the town threw an outdoor prom for three county high schools, and everyone came out. Now it’s a Tazewell tradition. “The whole community comes out to watch them walk in.”

OUT & ABOUT

Take a trip to Tazewell.

SHOP

Appa Bagworks: Hand-crafted leather products like cross-bodies, totes, and shoulder bags. Owner Tanner Hale learned the art from his granddad. 145 Main St. Facebook: AppaBagworks

Between Friends: Shop for locally made goods like wood carvings, artwork, jewelry, and bright quilts. 293 Main St. Facebook: BetweenFriendGifts Burke’s Garden Artisans Guild: Showcasing regional artisans and featuring the work of glass artist Nancy Brooks. 7154 Burke’s Garden Rd. Facebook: BurkesGardenArtisansGuild

Clothing Palette and More: Home to 60+ local small business owners and artisans. 273 Main St. ClothingPaletteAndMore.com

STAY

Foxtail Orchard Cabins: In beautiful Thompson Valley, these fireplace-equipped cabins provide cozy retreats. 148 Mackey Ln. Facebook: FoxtailOrchards,Inc

The Litz Mansion: This Greek Revival home is close to Tazewell’s Main Street and has ample guest rooms. 115 Thompson St. LitzMansion.com

The Old Jail: A favorite among visitors for its quirky past and welcoming owners. 194 N. Central Ave. Facebook: TheOldJailLLC

The Traveler on Main: Vacation suites meticulously renovated for cozy and comfortable stays. 465 Main St. TheTravelerOnMain.com

Prom on Main, once a pandemic-era necessity, has since become a Tazewell tradition.

Taming the Dragon

In Tazewell County, there are few straight roads. In its 32 miles between the towns of Tazewell and Marion, Route 16 is one of the hilliest, windiest roads you’ll encounter, and Davidson knew who likes to ride such challenges, himself included. Giving this route an irresistible moniker—the Back of the Dragon (BOTD)— added allure to this fired-up destination for motorcyclists and classic cars. Back in 2008, Davidson printed T-shirts with that catchy slogan and passed them out to see what would happen. After an enthusiastic response, he took his show to Richmond and eventually got official VDOT designation. The 438 curves of BOTD jumpstarted the town’s revival and now draw nearly 400,000 riders a year.

My husband, Pete, and I take a spin on BOTD in one of their newest acquisitions, a topless, low-seated 1,700pound, 200-horsepower Polaris Slingshot that most resembles the Batmobile. The drive is a nearly constant maneuvering challenge with both stunning overlooks—the second overlook on the first mountain is the “million dollar view,” says Davidson—and dense forests as we climb, take hairpin corners, and descend. Then we drive it back.

“We’ve got people coming here from all over,” says Davidson, whose businesses include a BOTD brewery, shop, and lodging options. He bemoans the current lack of

larger hotels, but Tazewell isn’t about to give up. “We want everybody to rise because that makes us all stronger.”

Overlooking God’s Thumbprint

To appreciate the geographical uniqueness of Burke’s Garden’s karst topography, we want some elevation. Curtis Breeding, a septuagenarian who hikes the steep Appalachian Trail even in January, is our guide as we head to Chestnut Knob on the Walker Gap trailhead.

Perched 3,200 feet above sea level—the highest valley in the state—Burke’s Garden is an unusual sunken valley about eight miles long and four miles wide. Long ago, this area was a limestone mountain that, with time and much water, simply eroded. The nearly surrounding ridge of mountains, including 4,400-foot Chestnut Knob, is mainly sturdier sandstone. In 1748, explorer James Burke planted potato peelings in the valley and, upon his return, found thriving sprouted potato plants a year later; hence, the half-joking name. The valley defines pastoral and lovely—ethereal clouds hang over the rich pastureland and between the mountains.

Tazewell residents are proud of having rebuffed the Vanderbilts who initially preferred that site over the one outside Asheville, North Carolina, for their grand Biltmore estate. Landowners, though, refused to allow

MARION SMYTH COUNTY

TAZEWELL COUNTY

TAZEWELL

Back of the Dragon Lookout

Million Dollar View

Burke’s Garden

Zero Gravity Curve

Scan here for the official Back of the Dragon interactive map, with additional scenic spots at BackOfTheDragon.com

THE BACK OF THE DRAGON

Larry Davidson, founder of the Back of the Dragon store, goes for a drive on the Back of the Dragon in his Polaris Slingshot. Now retired, Davidson successfully lobbied former Governor Bob McDonnell to name this section of Route 16 “Back of the Dragon.”

cavitt’s creek park photo courtesy of visit tazewell county

OUTDOOR ADVENTURES

Experience the heart of the Appalachians firsthand.

We’ve got people coming here from all over. We want everybody to rise because that makes us all stronger.

—Larry Davidson, Back of the Dragon

the construction of a train extension there, says Cynthia Farmer, the executive director of the Historic Crab Orchard Museum. Residents wouldn’t sell their cherished property either, Breeding says. These days you may see the horses and buggies of the Amish community who have more recently settled here.

But we find the public land—mostly the Jefferson National Forest—along the Garden’s rim gives us an ideal

Appalachian Trail: For amazing views, check out the section of the AT along the south rim of Burke’s Garden. However, the access road is steep and rutted, requiring a four-wheel drive vehicle.

Cavitt’s Creek Park: This 300-acre park with a 54-acre lake has lots of opportunity for recreation, equipment rental, and campsites and cabins. 750 Recreation Dr., N. VisitTazewellCounty.org

perch and part of the Appalachian Trail follows that rim. From Walker Gap, we climb the AT on a steep, switchbacked path. Wildflowers—trillium, native geraniums, trout lilies—abound, and Breeding points out the small chestnut trees. I haven’t seen any in the wild and feel a wave of sadness. Due to the devastating blight that wiped out these “redwoods of the East,” these little trees will never make it to adulthood or reproduce. Scientists are working on

Spearhead Trails: With winding ATV trails, plus hiking, biking, and equestrian trails through 400 miles over seven trail systems for any skill level. Plus, birding trails, kayak access points, and more. SpearheadTrails.com

Trout Fishing: The headwaters of the Clinch River are in Tazewell County and make for great trout fishing. Little Tumbling Creek, Roaring Fork, Wolf Creek, and Cove Creek are just a few spots where SWVa fishing can be supreme— all near the town of Tazewell. HeartOfAppalachia.com

A popular stop for riders, the 5,000-square-foot Back of the Dragon store opened in May 2020 and features a brewery, specialty coffee, food trucks, and merchandise.

Burke’s Garden, locally referred to as God’s Thumbprint, offers stunning views of the Appalachian Mountains from the highest valley in Virginia.

Cavitt’s Creek Park near Lake Jack Witten is a breathtaking retreat for camping, fishing, and more.

bringing back the American chestnut, and I hope to see that problem solved in my lifetime.

When we reach the knob, we catch our breath atop a picnic table—How did they get that up here?—and take in an almost Kelly-Green valley surrounded by the darker green ridge that spreads beneath us. My Merlin app, a Cornell University creation that enables bird identification by song, counts dozens of life-listworthy birds: indigo bunting, chestnut-sided warbler, rose-breasted grosbeak, ovenbird. My eyes flit through the branches trying to spy them.

As Breeding advises, I hike the AT another 20 minutes to the “balds”—high meadows that open into a breath-taking view. Bumblebees and songbirds serenade me as my eyes trace Virginia’s highest peaks— Whitetop Mountain and Mt. Rogers—along with North Carolina’s Roan Mountain. I am filled with gratitude and joy for this moment, this trip.

Arlington-based Amy Brecount White is grateful she’s been drawn to experience, read about, and write about Appalachia this year in all its beauty and complexity.

HISTORY

Crab Orchard Museum: This Appalachian cultural heritage museum celebrates Southwest Virginia. Yearround special events include a fiddlers’ convention in July, Frontier Christmas in December, along with workshops and classes. 3663 Crab Orchard Rd. CrabOrchardMuseum.com

Pocahontas Exhibition Coal Mine: The world’s first exhibition coal mine allows visitors to descend into a former and highly productive mountain mine that dates to 1882 from which 44 million tons were extracted. 215 Shop Hollow Rd. Facebook: ExhibitionCoalMine

EAT & DRINK

Bee Noodle’d: Creative noodlethemed cuisine. Honey is prevalent, and murals decorate the interior. 171 Main St. Facebook: BeeNoodled

Burke’s Garden General Store: Wonderfully prepared Amish food and occasional buggy tours. 6156 Burkes Garden Rd.

Cuz’s Uptown Barbeque: Eclectic and delicious food and dining option in a former dairy barn. 15746 Gov. G.C. Peery Hwy. Cuzs.com

Fisher & Company: Local favorite in a former general store known for its barbecue. 1735 State Rt. 693. Facebook: Fisher&Company

The Front Porch on Main: Steaks, burgers, and weekend brunch in a former funeral home. 254 Main St. TheFrontPorchOnMain.com

Mattie’s Place: Country store known for delicious baked goods. Bike rentals, too. 310 Gose Mill Rd. Facebook: MattiesPlace

Your Grate Escape: Extensive grab-and-go lunch and dinner menus, plus catering. 2871 Fincastle Tnpk. YourGrateEscape.com

Local artisan Tanner Hale of Appa Bagworks at work in his Main Street studio.

Dedicated in 2003, the Coal Miners’ Memorial is a testament to the heritage of the Town of Richlands.

Watch out for Amish buggies when driving through Burke’s Garden.

Stop by the Back of the Dragon store for a local brew and wood-fired pizza, like the Dragon’s Breath, with sausage, ham, pepperoni, banana peppers, and hot honey.

Timeless Beauty, Modern Comfort

From big city to brick Cape, a Charlottesville couple starts anew.

By HEATHER BIEN | Photography by STACY ZARIN GOLDBERG

After relocating from New York City in 2018, a young family with ties to the Charlottesville area found their vision of home in a charming 1930s brick Cape in the Venable Rugby neighborhood, just steps from the University of Virginia grounds. They had the good fortune of finding a house that had been beautifully renovated by the previous owners, but they had hopes of turning it into a layered, collected space, brimming with family, friends, and their beloved French antiques.

AFTER LIVING IN NEW YORK CITY for a decade, the couple made their way back to Virginia to welcome their first child. As their family grew, so did their square footage—they were thrilled to find more space to live among their antique collection and inherited treasures, with pieces dating back generations in Virginia and beyond. But, with two young children, their goal wasn’t to create a museum of vignettes, but rather a living, breathing space filled with gorgeous and functional items. The couple brought in Anne Pulliam of the Richmond-based Anne Pulliam Interiors to bring this merging of old and new to life.

For this young family, the goal was to make sure the house felt storied and happy. Pulliam let that youthful notion guide the design by laying a foundation of fresh neutrals then adding in vibrant color, pattern, and art. “Contrast and juxtaposition are the two most important elements in every room,” she says.

“The client was excited to use their collected and inherited antiques in functional ways,” adds Pulliam, who worked to seamlessly incorporate two families’ worth of stunning pieces.

The center hallway features grasscloth from Phillip Jeffries with a pendant light from Jamb. Betty, the Cavalier King Charles spaniel, snuggles under a chair inspired by Jean Royere sourced through 1stDibs.

The clients’ inherited sideboard and prized equestrian painting are on display, highlighted by a small picture light by Soane Britain.

A Love of Fun & Games

“After 10 years of shoebox apartments where we could rarely entertain friends, we fell in love with this space,” says the homeowner, who loves to host dinner parties, mahjong, and backgammon.

That fondness of fun, games, and gathering helped guide the design for an intimidatingly large living room floor plan—an incomprehensible challenge after the family’s time in the Williamsburg area of Brooklyn. Within the space, there had to be separate areas that felt both distinct and connected.

The long and narrow floor plan was a tricky arrangement that involved creating three distinct areas, including a clever and custom L-shaped banquette. Designed with Oliver Street Designs in Fermoie fabric, the banquette occupies a distant corner of the room, turning the nook into a lively game space. A modern hexagonal pedestal table is contrasted with antique chairs from the wife’s great-grandmother, originally purchased on the Eastern Shore of Virginia.

“The banquette corner is used for anything from an intimate fireside dinner table, to morning mahjong and coffee, to a cozy ‘gossip’ corner during a cocktail party,” explains the homeowner.

A Shin toaster chair from George Smith covered in a Holland & Sherry wool and a leather club fender around the fireplace add an eclectic

and nostalgic element to fireside seating, giving a nod to parties of decades past. A tall, 18thcentury Swedish clock sourced from Marston & Luce in Georgetown embodies both the current and historic, with sweeping lines that feel almost modern along with a finish that gives away its mature provenance. Meanwhile, marble and iron black nesting coffee tables from 1stDibs add a stark, sleek element to the sumptuous fabrics and rich woods that fill the room.

“The wider spaces between the sofa and the fireplace, and the chairs and the sofa allow for our children and dogs to play during family nights,” says the homeowner. “The showstopper is the lacquered ceiling. It is subtle enough with the tone on tone but the reflection when the fire is going is magical.”

“With the upholstery and art, the idea was to bring in pops of rust, blue, and green,” says Pulliam. “I wanted to make sure the antiques in the room were balanced well with color and texture, including the lacquered ceiling, to make the room feel young and fun. This is super important when layering in antiques so the home doesn’t feel too old-fashioned.” The room is painted a warm offwhite, Farrow & Ball Wimborne White, and the fireplace surround was replaced in a warmer marble with peach undertones to play off the palette.

The lacquered ceiling by Holtz & Son sets the tone for this vibrant living room.

Ruby, an English Labrador, snoozes on an antique rug sourced by the client. A stair runner sourced from Prestige Mills covers the stairs.

Durable Dining Room

Durable materials and fabrics played a key role in the design, thanks to two busy children. A set of Queen Anne dining chairs, from the client’s childhood home, were originally purchased from Pug Moore, a North Carolina furniture maker. They were refinished and reupholstered with Moore & Giles leather. They’re now suited for the loving wear and tear of family life and are accompanied by an antique table from Helen Storey Antiques in Charlottesville, along with inherited pieces from a family farm, which also include a sideboard and a 19th-century French bronze sculpture by Pierre-Jules Mene.

“A big reason we chose Charlottesville was to be closer to family and access to the beauty of Albemarle County,” the homeowner says. “We wanted the art to bring those elements into the home. The English oil painting by John Nost Sartorius over the sideboard in the living room is an heirloom piece from my husband’s family’s sporting art collection and a nod to the equestrian farm where he grew up.”

On the walls, a calming neutral mural from Schumacher adds a soft but dynamic background to the room, and three lights from Arteriors above the table add movement. A technicolor folk art–inspired landscape by Lexington-based artist Sarah Gayle Carter is a whimsical moment amidst the formality. “The contrast of unexpected colors and textures paired with antiques is what not only makes a room interesting and beautiful but also helps set a fun tone,” says Pulliam.

Contrast and juxtaposition are the two most important elements in every room.

—Anne Pulliam, Anne Pulliam Interiors

The dining room features wallpaper from Schumacher, Chik blinds from Evans & Sheldon, and a modern pendant cluster from Arteriors. The Sarah Gayle Carter painting was sourced through Palette Home in Richmond. The dining table is from Helen Storey in Charlottesville. The chairs were in the client’s childhood home, and Anne Pulliam had Holtz & Son refinish and reupholster them in Moore & Giles leather.

Designer Anne Pulliam and her assistant set the game table for an afternoon of backgammon and cocktails. The custom L-shaped banquette, covered in a Fermoie fabric, creates a cozy and inviting spot in an otherwise formal living space. Sconces sourced by Urban Electric light up this comfortable corner.

Bridging the Old and New

Since settling into their spacious home and adapting to the comfort of life in Charlottesville, the family now has room for their history, their present, and their future. And, whether it’s in a bedroom, living room, dining room, or in the foyer, every space is layered with inherited furniture, one-of-a-kind antique finds, beloved original art, specialty lighting, and pieces that work for the lifestyle of this vibrant, bustling family.

“My mother and grandmother always told me stories about antiques in their homes, the loved

ones that left imperfections, and the memories they stored,” the homeowner says. “I love continuing that tradition, and none are too precious for more imperfections to be created with our own memories.”

for the intersection of tradition, history, and home. Her work has appeared in Martha Stewart Weddings , Apartment Therapy, and more.

Heather Bien, a Virginia- and D.C.-based writer, looks

A corner vignette in the dining room displays the client’s cherished bronze sculpture next to an orange and bone hurricane from John Rosselli.

Above: The upstairs landing features an antique chest with a lamp from Bunny Williams Home. The bench is covered in a colorful Bennison fabric.

The primary bedroom features an antiqueinspired bed with Roman shades and throw pillows by Lewis & Wood. Polished nickel sconces from Visual Comfort flank the bed.

A William McLure painting hangs in the center hallway flanked by antique French lamps sourced by the client in Charleston.

Represented Buyer Keswick, VA

$9,995,000

NORTHFIELDS

Represented Seller Charlottesville, VA

$4,275,000

BENTIVAR MANOR

Supeior

$5,200,000

FARMINGTON

$5,250,000

ARABELLE

Represented Buyer Keswick, VA

WILLOWFIELDS

Represented Seller & Buyer North Garden, VA

$4,900,000

$4,275,000 SWANNANOA

GOLF

Represented Seller & Buyer Afton, VA

$3,500,000

$2,675,000

irginia TRAVELV

Virginia has it all!

For the culinary curious, the state's best restaurants, wineries, breweries, and tasting rooms will satisfy the most discerning palates. History buffs can take a step back in time with the Commonwealth's rich past, and the culturally inclined can admire the world-class collections in some of the country's top museums. From the changing leaves along Skyline Drive to the sandy shores of the Chesapeake, the rural charm of its small towns to the urban exhilarating vibe of its cities, Virginia has something for everyone.

GOODtaste

PROFILE ON FIRE!

Cooking like the colonists with Rebecca Suerdieck.

If you’ve ever wondered what it means to live to work, you need to know Rebecca Suerdieck. Her business card is humble—historian and educator provide a few hints—but the wattage of her smile gives it all away. This is a woman who absolutely loves what she does.

Suerdieck grew up in Colonial Williamsburg, where her mother was a historic interpreter dressed in period garb as she educated groups of visitors through many aspects of colonial-era life.

“I’d sort of hang around my mother’s skirts and absorb everything,” she says. “She would be speaking to the adult visitors, and I’d be making friends with their kids.” She adds that while it was fun for her—she made friends and even had pen pals all over the world—it was also a powerful tool that made history relatable to younger visitors. “It’s a lot easier for kids to relate to

kids than to adults having conversations among themselves. Kids tune in when they’re among their peers.”

Year after year, life in Colonial America informed Suerdieck’s path, making the 18th century the place in time where she’s most comfortable. After college, where she majored in history and English at Virginia Tech, she returned to what she knew, beginning her own journey as part of Colonial Williamsburg’s cadre of historic interpreters, assuming assorted roles—from cook and perfumer to cheese maker and seamstress—that defined women of the period. She’d make fruit pies from local orchards, flavor vinegars with herbs she harvested, and create perfumes with flowers—all from ancient recipes and notes she unearthed in library archives.

By Madeline Mayhood  |

Photography by Adam Ewing

Rebecca Suerdieck cooks in the Old Kitchen at Historic Tuckahoe. Turn the page for two colonial-era recipes.

INSATIABLY CURIOUS, Suerdieck soon became an expert in cooking by fire. Absent Wolfs and Thermadors, an open hearth was the oven of the day, and Suerdieck quickly learned there was an art to mastering it. She embraced cooking with cast iron, layering coals, and carefully monitoring temperatures for whatever was on the flame.

Now, as an independent contractor, she offers hearth cooking demonstrations, workshops, and classes through Cooking and Fire, which she primarily holds at historic sites in the region, including Scotchtown, Historic Tuckahoe, and Sky Meadows State Park. Often she works in restored kitchens or those that are replicated, preferably

oven with one side open to the flame.

The experience is a total immersion in colonial cooking and includes a full meal prep that spans several hours and requires many hands. The menu features food that might have been served at an 18th-century table, and interestingly, it’s not far removed from dishes on our own menus: salad, cornbread, chicken or pork, and dessert— often a fresh-baked pie. The day culminates in friendly fellowship over the meal.

Suerdieck pored over historic cookbooks to assemble recipes that would translate to a modern audience, becoming encyclopedic in her knowledge.

To season her dishes, she relies on herbs and spices that would have been available to colonial cooks. The slow-cooking technique she uses encourages deep caramelization, imparting ultra-rich flavors

“The recipes fill much of the cookbooks I’ve discovered, but also I’ve found that there are so many notes on how to make perfumes and salves and tinctures from plants that would have been growing in gardens,” Suerdieck says, adding that roses, lavender, jasmine, and oranges were just some of what would have been used to create fragrances. This was a period in time when full-body bathing wasn’t yet a thing, and

Apple Pie*

Put a crust in the bottom of a dish, put on it a layer of ripe apples, pared and sliced thin—then a layer of powdered sugar; do this alternately till the dish is full; put in a few tea-spoonsful of rose water and some cloves—put on a crust and bake it.

To Dress Salad*

To have this delicate dish in perfection, the lettuce, pepper grass, chervil, cress, &c. should be gathered early in the morning, nicely picked, washed, and laid in cold water, which will be improved by adding ice; just before dinner is ready to be served, drain the water from your salad, cut it into a bowl, giving the proper proportions of each plant.

Prepare the following mixture to pour over it: boil two fresh eggs ten minutes, put them in water to cool, then take the yelks in a soup plate, pour on them a table spoonful of cold water, rub them with a wooden spoon until they are perfectly dissolved.

Then add two spoonsful of oil: when well mixed, put in a tea-spoonful of salt, one of powdered sugar, and one of made mustard; when all these are united and quite smooth, stir in two table spoonsful of common, and two of tarragon vinegar; put it over the salad.

Garnish the top with the whites of the eggs cut into rings, and lay around the edge of the bowl young scallions, they being the most delicate of the onion tribe.

masking odors would have been a priority among a certain stratum of society.

“I discovered an untapped world of perfume history and how to distill flora,” Suerdieck says. And along the way, she learned that many historic somebodies were closely associated with particular scents: Dolly Madison loved roses; she planted them at the White House and at Montpelier and distilled her own fragrances. Marie Antoinette employed a personal perfumer, who created a custom scent from African violets, the most expensive perfume of the day. And George Washington loved No. 6, one of perfumier Caswell Massey’s signature scents. With herbal and citrus notes, it was created in 1772.

To say that Suerdieck has found her calling is an understatement. She’s a pioneer in her field—and peerless; there really is no one else in the country working in this unique space. From making cheese and hearth cooking to perfumemaking demonstrations and cooking on an open flame, this one-woman show uses preserved techniques of centuries gone by.

“I get to travel all over the place, sharing what I love, meeting interesting people,” she says. “It can’t get any better than that.”

CookingAndFire.com, RebeccaSuerdieck.com

Madeline Mayhood is editor-in-chief of Virginia Living

Scan the QR code for an additional sampling of Mary Randolph’s 19th-century colonial recipes on VirginiaLiving.com, many of which Rebecca Suerdieck uses in her workshops and classes.

*These colonial recipes appear unedited from Mary Randolph’s The Virginia House-Wife, 1824. Read more about this historic cookbook’s 200th anniversary on page 77.

Rebecca Suerdieck explores the gardens at Historic Tuckahoe in search of fresh ingredients for Mary Randolph’s salad (recipe at right).

MARYRANDOLPH’SMOMENT

The Virginia House-Wife celebrates 200 years.

FROM THE NUANCES OF frying veals’ feet to how to dress a lamb’s head, Mary Randolph was the 19th-century’s answer to Ina Garten. Generally considered the country’s first cookbook author, she wrote the wildly popular The Virginia House-Wife in 1824, which enjoyed brisk sales and 19 printings until the outbreak of the Civil War.

To commemorate the 200th anniversary of its original publication, Historic Tuckahoe, in partnership with Virginiana Press, has reissued this 291-page peek into life in a Virginia kitchen two centuries ago. The historic hostess, who lived at Tuckahoe Plantation in Goochland, also included entertaining tips and recipes for soap-making, ingredients for starch, and how to make cologne. “The book is jam-packed with everything a woman in 19th-century America would need to run a household,” says the project’s coordinator, Rebecca Suerdieck. Randolph’s recipes had a global flare, but with her own spin, she made them uniquely Virginian. Some have fallen out of favor—boiled mutton shoulder or pickled sturgeon, anyone?—others are downright appealing, like curry six different ways, vegetables of all kinds, and the first ice cream recipe published by an American author.

Suerdieck brings her experience as a historic interpreter and colonial foodways expert to the project, partnering with Holt Saulsgiver, Historic Tuckahoe’s gardener and grounds manager. “I look forward to seeing Mary Randolph's recipes come to life again in the Old Kitchen here at Tuckahoe, as well as in our own kitchens!” Saulsgiver says. HistoricTuckahoe.com by Madeline Mayhood

LETTUCE EAT!

Goochland’s Greenswell Growers go big.

THE “LETTUCE CONNOISSEURS” at Greenswell Growers in Goochland, as CEO Carl Gupton has dubbed himself and his team, produce about 700,000 pounds of lettuce a year—all out of an acre-and-a-half streamlined greenhouse facility. There, the plants grow from seed to salad-ready without any human hands. And though the indoor expanse of bright green sproutlings seems massive, traditional field farming techniques might require an area more than 20 times larger to yield the same amount .

The benefits of Greenswell’s method, Gupton says, are multifold; the physical footprint of the growing space is reduced, lettuce can grow in any season, and the automated process gets

BAGEL BATTLE

New York vs. Virginia: a delicious debate.

THE GREAT BAGEL DEBATE. A hot button argument over breakfasts across the country comes down to this: what makes a bagel a real bagel, and can one be found anywhere outside of the Big Apple? Luckily, Virginia bakers haven’t been deterred by naysayers and New York bagel sticklers yet—they, and their bagel dough, rise to the occasion.

Nate’s Bagels in Richmond was inspired straight from the source. Sara Wignall, director of operations and development, explains that founder Nate Mathews “spent quite a bit of time in New York and New Jersey knocking on doors and getting into bagel shops” to learn the craft. The shop’s bagels are made with an 18-hour slow proof—the practice of adding water to the dough in small amounts over a long period of time—in the walk-in cooler, followed by a rolling boil in a 40-gallon kettle and stone-baking in a massive oven, about the size of a small sedan.

A slow proof is also key at Bagel Uprising in Alexandria. “The secret is not the water, right?” says owner Chad Breckinridge, referring

to the theory that New York bagels are special because they boil in NYC water. “I think the secret is to let the dough rest in the fridge for 24 to 48 hours.” After the long proof allows the yeast and malt powder to really flavor the dough, Bagel Uprising follows the standard method of boiling and baking.

Yet, another bagel spot in Harrisonburg, Mr. J’s Bagels and Deli, does not boil its famous bagels, rather baking them in a steam oven from New Jersey. While a no-boil formula is heretical to die-hard bagelites, Mr. J’s has nevertheless developed legions of loyal fans. Could it be that the Jersey-bred steam oven effectively simulates boiling? Perhaps. But owner Angela Dean says the use of fresh ingredients and the menu’s classic Jersey egg bagel are big draws, too.

Despite the clash surrounding what makes a proper bagel, all these shops agree: Virginia loves everything (bagels, that is). “Everything seasoning has got its own following,” Wignall says. —by Hope Cartwright

product on plates quicker—meaning they’re fresher and crisper.

“You get that crunch of an iceberg, that crunch of moisture you’re looking for, but then it’s got a sweetness and a broadleaf that’s got a little bit of bitterness to it, like a romaine would,” Gupton says referring to Greenswell’s greenleaf mix.

Being in the Mid-Atlantic also gives them a premier advantage distributing to retailers along the East Coast, as reduced transportation time increases shelf life. Greenswell is extending further south; a recently expanded partnership with Food Lion will see their greens reach more than 1,000 grocery stores from Maryland to Georgia.

As the agricultural industry across the nation grapples with changing weather conditions, water shortages, and more, Gupton says, “there’s a need for us to control our own destiny when it comes to our food.” And Greenswell is aiming to do just that. GreenswellGrowers.com — by H.C.

Mr. J’s Italian bagel sandwich.

Nate’s Bagels’ Classic Breakfast-Bacon. To the right, Bagel Uprising’s Salmon Classic on an everything bagel.

Historic Tuckahoe’s reissue of The Virginia House-Wife is now available on Amazon.com

QuickRevelation Pickle

Fast, flavorful—and from garden to table in minutes.

By CLARE OSDENE SCHAPIRO |

Photo by FRED + ELLIOTT

I’M AS ENCHANTED AS THE NEXT PERSON by a shelf full of glistening jars of pickles. To me, it’s like perusing a high-end jewelry store. Gorgeous gem-tone wares, carefully arranged to show varieties— but even more, sheer abundance.

As a young woman obsessed with cooking, I briefly delved into the world of “canning” pickles. It produced a bumper crop from an overflow of garden cucumbers. It also took up most of a day—lifting, sterilizing, and processing everything—not to mention the trouble and expense of finding just the right canning jars for my aesthetically pleasing production. Truth be told, I got bored of them before my larder was bare—even having generously given them to anyone who crossed my path. In the end, many met their sad finale in the trash bin.

I’ve found that quick pickling is sort of a gateway drug. Once started, it’s hard to stop.

When it comes to what I make these days, however, it’s a completely different story—and a much happier one. Fast forward to the glorious world of quick pickles: My first exposure to my friend Pooh’s delightful okra pickles. Imagine my shock when I saw him enter the kitchen with a full basket of okra from his garden and produce a new batch in about five minutes. “Are these the wondrous okra pickles we’ve been eating all weekend?” I asked in gob-smacked amazement. No verbal reply was necessary as he looked at me with sheer pity. So what’s the deal? Quick pickles and refrigerator pickles are just a moment away and are bound to get gobbled up long before your appetite for them withers on the vine. Furthermore, almost every vegetable that comes your way is amenable to this technique and will make even the most paltry offering of grocery store cheese and crackers magically transform into a toothsome charcuterie platter. I’ve found that quick pickling is sort of a gateway drug. Once started, it’s hard to stop. My first foray was to attack a red onion. I first soaked the thinly sliced onion in icy cold salted water for about 10 minutes to make it more digestible. After discarding the soaking water, I mixed up a half cup of cider vinegar, the same amount of water, a tablespoon each of sugar and salt, poured it on top, and let it sit there for an hour while I threw some burgers on the grill. Talk about a taste sensation! Realizing it was the perfect topping for any burger, sandwich, or salad, I was hooked.

In short order, I remembered my father’s favorite cucumber salad. I thinly sliced two English cucumbers, salted them, and let them drain on paper towels. Meanwhile, I combined a half cup of Champagne vinegar, a tablespoon of sugar, and a minced garlic clove, heating them until just boiling. Once cooled, I combined the cucumbers, some of my leftover onions, and several ice cubes with the dressing, and tossed in a couple of teaspoons of chopped fresh dill. After an hour in the fridge, it was all ready to go.

Which brings me back to my guru, Pooh, and the okra. Most anything can be turned into refrigerator pickles within 24 hours. First, make the brine by combining the vinegar, salt, and sugar and bring to a boil. Add cold water and chill while you stuff the okra—or cauliflower, or beans, or, well, anything—into a quart jar. Add coriander and whole mustard seeds, a couple of peeled garlic cloves, peppercorns, red pepper flakes, maybe some dill fronds, and anything that strikes your fancy. Cover with the brine, cover the quart jar, and let sit in the refrigerator for 24 hours before serving. Then, revel in your accomplishment. No one need know how fiendishly easy it was.

Clare Osdene Schapiro is a Richmond-based, award-winning writer, cook, and author of Stories and Recipes from Clare’s Kitchen

Food of the Fjords

Stock Bistro serves a taste of Scandinavia in the Blue Ridge.

By CRAIG STOLTZ | Photography by BRETT WINTER LEMON

MY WIFE AND I WERE BROWSING

Euro-chic goods at a cosmopolitan furniture shop when a stylish waiter brought out candles and place settings to a teak dining table on the sales floor. Four diners were then seated, and a server delivered an appetizer board of cured fish and caviar. We soon headed to the bar at the rear of the store for an aquavit cocktail.

It was just another evening in Copenhagen… no, wait, we were in downtown Roanoke. More specifically, we were at Stock, a Nordic café ingeniously integrated with Txtur, a retailer of locally made modern furniture with a Scandinavian flair and a boutique hotel. The restaurant has become an improbable Blue Ridge hit, drawing in locals and visitors whose closest previous brush with Scandinavian cuisine might have been the cafeteria at Ikea.

Of all the possible styles of food to serve in this rising former railroad town, how did the fare of the fjords wind up here?

“I wanted something completely different” from other offerings nearby, Chef Jeff Farmer says; most of his cooking, in New Orleans, Mississippi, and two restaurants in Roanoke, has been Southern style. He also wanted a cuisine likely to be novel elsewhere, since the owners are bringing the same concept to additional regional markets (a second location opened in Richmond in May). Indeed, the menu is unlike any you’ll see anywhere near the Appalachian foothills. Selections include pork schnitzel with a sauce of lemon, anchovy, and horseradish, smoked sturgeon on Danish-style smørrebrød, and a whole trout with rosti—a potato cake that’s the Swiss national dish. Perhaps Farmer’s most beloved item—the one

that would “cause a riot” if taken off the menu— is the Dutch fast-food staple kapsalon. It’s a layering of hand-cut fries, chicken shawarma, melted Gouda, shredded lettuce, garlic sauce, and the Indonesian chili paste sambal. It arrives as a colorful mound laced with white and red stripes. It’s a gastronomic treat, each forkful delivering a mix of unexpected flavors, textures, and temperatures.

But wait: Chicken shawarma and sambal? Haven’t we drifted pretty far down the canal from Stockholm?

Farmer explains that the Dutch, once the center of the spice trade and the colonizer of Indonesia, brought all kinds of global tastes to Scandinavian and other Northern European tables. Immigrants continue to refresh Nordic cuisine today. “I like to play up those sharper flavors,” Farmer says.

Take, for example, the lamb dish, a handsome kebab of ground lamb curry served on a bed of golden beets. Or his crowd-favorite starter: 18-month-aged Gouda tucked into an egg roll wrapper, deep-fried, and served with a dipping sauce that’s sweet and full of punch. That dish is

Danish smørrebrød with gravlax, fresh herbs, red onion, capers, cucumbers, and everything-spiced crème fraîche. Below: Chef Jeff Farmer.

The Stock Board, featuring a selection of house smoked pickled and cured fish and cheeses with accoutrements.

cribbed from a Danish “TV dinner”–style version, Farmer says.

Stock’s appetizer board is an introduction to the Nordic palate. In addition to a variety of cheeses from goats and sheep, there is pickled, smoked, and cured fish and a deeply pungent cod liver spread. Thin discs of homemade, Danish-style sourdough rye crackers stand upright. Crisped trout skin, dried for two days then deep-fried, brings another texture. A dollop of sturgeon caviar adds a high-gloss touch.

Nordic cuisine is very seafood-focused, and “it’s tough to source good fish when you’re landlocked,” Farmer says.

He’s found ways. He imports salmon from Denmark; he finds it excellent for curing. The trout is from a source closer to home: Smoke in Chimneys, a best-in-class hatchery in New Castle whose customers include the three-Michelin-star Inn at Little Washington.

The concept is going over well enough that it can be hard to score a table on weekends. “We get people who come to look at the furniture, see the restaurant, and stay for a meal,” Farmer says. Guests of the hotel upstairs come down for a drink and wind up getting dinner. And locals are discovering it, some becoming regulars and ordering small plates at the eight-seat bar.

The cocktail program is a knockout, helmed by a veteran New Orleans barkeep, who does magical things with aquavit, the Scandinavian spirit that carries a whiff of caraway and dill. The wine list integrates some northern Europe varieties rarely seen in the Blue Ridge, including five Grüner Veltliners, from a grape similar to sauvignon blanc that’s native to Austria.

There wasn’t a misstep in our two meals. In addition to the kapsalon and fried gouda openers, we had a richly savory smoked trout and ramp pâté, served on a dense slice of toasting bread and topped by a gorgeously composed salad of watercress and local English peas, the latter so fresh you could hear them pop in your mouth.

Perhaps Farmer’s most beloved item is the Dutch fast-food staple kapsalon, a glorious mound of french fries, gouda, and chicken shawarma, with a lashing of Indonesian sambal.

We also tried the smørrebrød, a core menu item at Stock. It’s an open-faced rye sandwich served with a variety of toppings, many sourced regionally and reflecting Farmer’s playful global touches: gravlax cured on-site and served with everything-spiced crème fraîche, and Carolina blue crab with Za’atar and miso red pepper butter. We had a delightful French horn mushroom version with leeks, goat cheese, and a scattering of fried shallot crisps.

Our knopfle, the Swedish name for spaetzle, featured three kinds of local mushrooms, lingonberries, and sheep’s milk Gouda; the small noodly dumplings were flavored with ramps. It was a masterpiece of local forage. And speaking of masterpieces, our dessert, a kind of cheesecake ice cream sandwich with gingersnap crusts, uses Ski Queen, the Americanized version of the caramel-touched

Norwegian brown cheese Gjetost. It was a spectacularly creamy and delightful finish. Significantly, the menu at Stock also includes Bavarian Rock Hen, despite Nordic menus rarely offering poultry. And there’s hanger steak, whose only Scandinavian mark is the bacon gouda fondue draping the frites. This is all by design. Farmer knows not everybody who comes into Stock is pre-sold on this whole Nordic thing, and he wants to be sure they have great meals too.

In fact, to add some variety and pull in a local crowd the restaurant may not reach otherwise, Stock does a weekly pop-up featuring a wide range of cuisines. The week before Farmer and I spoke it was a crawfish boil, done in straight-on Southern style.

Although he adds, his globalist food mind whirring away, “Swedes really love crawfish…”

Craig Stoltz, former travel editor of the Washington Post , is a freelance writer. His work has appeared in Garden & Gun , Fodor’s , Frommer’s , and many other publications.

Fire Station One houses Stock Bistro and Txtur, which features locally made products from Roanoke artisans.

Scan here for a sampling of Chef Jeff’s Nordicinspired recipes and to read more about Fire Station One and Txtur, as well as its new Richmond location, all on VirginiaLiving.com

Smoked Trout & Ramp Pâté, with Smoke in Chimneys trout and wild ramps on Bread Craft English Toasting Bread, with watercress, snap peas, and cucumber salad, with herb dressing and toasted benne seed.

don’t worry, we have that too handcrafted Kombucha | two urban wineries | craft beer | Coffee roaster discover more at visitWaynesboro.com

Cadets

Community

A core value taught at Fishburne Military School is SELFLESS SERVICE. The Cadets help others, show kindness, and are active volunteers within their community.

To embrace the spirit of fall, the Fisburne Key Club participates in the Downtown Waynesboro Halloween Costume Contest. The Cadets pass out candy and select the winners!

Opportunity awaits your son. APPLY NOW at FISHBURNE.ORG

Ante Up

Star

chef Ian Boden’s new culinary inn shoots for the moon— and sticks

the landing.

By ERIC J. WALLACE |

Photography by MILLPOND PHOTOGRAPHY

For fans of star chef Ian Boden and his famed, hole-in-the-wall, Staunton fine dinery The Shack, a visit to the newly launched Maude & the Bear culinary inn begins with a series of delightful shocks.

ATHOUGHTFULLY LANDSCAPED parking area gives way to the arched porch of a 2,500-square-foot, English-style Montgomery Ward kit-home-turned-restaurant that dates to 1926. Inside is a small but beautifully renovated midcentury–esque bar area stocked with high-end spirits and fronted by a trio of tufted leather stools. It opens into a window-lined dining room, replete with restored hardwood floors, chic wood tables, candles, and fresh flowers.

To the left is a stunningly modern, 250-square-foot open kitchen backed by a woodfired oven and staffed by a uniformed, threeperson brigade de cuisine. Boden stands stooped over a granite plating counter under the warm glow of one of three retractable brass pendant lights, applying final touches to dishes.

Waitstaff often wore band tees and jeans.

But the changes go beyond setting and vibe. For Boden devotees, Maude & the Bear’s four and seven-course tasting experiences with bonus dishes and an optional extra course bring further surprises.

We’d talked time and again about doing a culinary inn. We said, ‘Screw it, let’s bet everything on our dreams and shoot for the moon.’ —Chef Ian Boden

The tableau is radically upscale compared to its predecessor. At The Shack, eaters were confronted by world-class, prix fixe dinners served in a shotgun room that was roughly the size of a one-car garage and featured concrete floors, mismatched chairs, a deli-style checkout counter, and tiny kitchen that looked more short-order diner than gourmet. Boden typically cooked in a T-shirt and apron with a lone sous chef.

Yes, there are now marvelously executed wine pairings ($120 for the full service) and a mixologist-crafted cocktail menu. A survey of the weekly, sometimes nightly shuffle of plates reveals techniques and ingredients that would have seemed out of place at The Shack. Here, Boden dramatically expands the boundaries of the hyperlocal, Appalachian-inspired cuisine that’s made the 44-year-old a two-time James Beard Best Chef semifinalist.

Pan-seared, foraged morel mushrooms, for instance, may be sprinkled with starflowers and served in a buttery, citrusy nettle-ramp sauce and injected with liquified scallops. A house-made schmaltz focaccia is topped with crème fraîche, crisped chicken skin, edible flowers, and hackleback caviar from Mississippi. International delicacies like Galician gooseneck barnacles and scorpion fish also make appearances. The decadent experiences last about two hours and are Michelin star–worthy.

Ian Boden oversees Maude & the Bear’s open kitchen, staffed by his brigade de cuisine.

From left: Roasting bones for stock in Maude & the Bear’s wood-fired oven; wood-fired gem lettuce salad with paw paw, foie gras, and hickory nuts; caramelized sweet potato, sour and spicy hazelnuts and pumpkin seeds, and sweet onion soubise.

GOODtaste

Why tinker with the ethos that made him famous? Boden sees the cuisine at Maude & the Bear, which opened this past April, as both an evolution and throwback to his time at downtown Charlottesville’s wildly ambitious, 100seat Glass Haus restaurant.

“There were no rules beyond letting your talent and creativity take you where it wanted,” says Boden. “I love the idea of revisiting that no-holdsbarred approach, but with the restraint and [culinary voice] that I’ve cultivated over the past decade.”

He and his wife, Leslie, further up the ante with an immersive stay experience.

With Maude & the Bear, I wanted to take everything I’ve learned in the course of 25 years in the fine-dining and hospitality industry and funnel it into a comprehensive vision.

—Chef Ian Boden

Maude & the Bear—a combo of the Bodens’ nicknames for their two children—offers a pair of spacious upstairs suites and a cozy little backyard cottage nestled amid lush landscaping. All feature sitting rooms, bedrooms, and upscale baths with walk-in showers and jacuzzi tubs. They’re chock-full of accoutrements like king beds, leather sofas, original paintings, espresso machines, and vintage lamps. The cottage offers a kitchen and dining room area and a private, pergola-covered outdoor patio. Multicourse breakfasts are part of overnight packages and are as stunning as dinners. Sunday brunches—also open to the public, not just reserved for overnight guests— are to die for. Imagine smoked sable, au poivre mayo, aidalias, and fried egg stacked on schmaltzy focaccia. It’s as delicious as it is pretty.

But don’t worry, The Shack isn’t gone. Boden partnered with longtime sous, Mike Skipper, to transform it into a wood-fired pizzeria and gourmet burger joint with a full menu of opulent small plates that’s open Thursday through Saturday.

“With Maude & the Bear, I wanted to take everything I’ve learned in the course of 25 years in the fine dining and hospitality industry and funnel it into a comprehensive vision,” says Boden. The culinary inn seeks to combine the inviting coziness of The Shack with the subtle but mind-bogglingly innovative gastronomy of Glass Haus and his time in New York cooking under icons like Bill Telepan.

And by all metrics, the Bodens have pulled it off.

Eric J. Wallace is an award-winning journalist who has contributed to WIRED, Outside, Backpacker, Atlas Obscura, Modern Farmer, All About Beer, and more.

THE MAKING OF A STAR CHEF

Ian Boden: A Chronology.

IAN BODEN’S CULINARY PASSION blossomed as a kid, as he helped his family craft traditional Jewish dishes like potato latke and chicken matzo ball soup for parties. His mother was so impressed she arranged an internship with Marc Fusilier at his Manassas-area fine dinery, Chez Marc Café 28, when Boden was just 13. The mentorship lasted through high school. Boden matriculated to New England Culinary Institute and landed a breakthrough job with star chef Alain Lecompte at Prince Michel Restaurant in Madison County after graduation. Next came a 10-year run at famed New York eateries like Home Restaurant, Payard Patisserie, and Judson Grill.

But the advent of reality TV shows that launched chefs into megastardom changed things. “Everyone started jockeying for attention,” says Boden. It stopped “being about working as a team to create the best food and dining experience you possibly could.”

Boden moved to his parents’ adopted hometown of Staunton in 2006 and launched his first restaurant, The Staunton Grocery, a year later. But the farm-to-table movement was in its infancy and the city wasn’t the tourist haven it is today. Most residents preferred baby back ribs to, say, a short rib bourguignon made with locally sourced ingredients. Boden struggled to fill the Grocery’s 60 seats, and it closed after five years.

Still, he’d won an underground following among refined regional eaters, which led to a lead role at Charlottesville’s now legendary Glass Haus in 2013. Praise from Washington Post critic Tom Sietsema and others landed Boden a spot on 2013’s James Beard Best Chef semifinalist list, yet he stepped away before the winners were announced.

Why? Owners wanted to make him a celebrity while 80-hour work weeks and 45-minute commutes to and from Staunton meant he rarely saw his wife and kids. “I felt I was losing myself and getting away from what was most important,” says Boden.

He and his wife, Leslie, hatched a plan: gamble their life savings on turning a cinder block building on the outskirts of downtown Staunton into a tiny, food-first eatery with minimal overhead. The Shack opened in 2014 and was soon celebrated by power eaters like the late Esquire food critic Joshua Ozersky. Boden earned a second James Beard semifinalist nod in 2017.

But as The Shack approached its 10th birthday, he grew restless.

“That’s a long time for any [restaurant concept], and we’d talked time and again about doing a culinary inn,” Boden says. When an acquaintance offered the couple a deal on the “perfect property, we said, ‘Screw it, let’s bet everything on our dreams and shoot for the moon.’”

Maude & the Bear’s inn features three suites for rental, each named for Aesop’s fables. Guests at the inn can indulge in an exclusive multicourse breakfast. The restaurant is open via reservation Thursday through Sunday.

Virginia Home Grown As VPM’s longest running program, “Virginia Home Grown” enriches growers and gardeners of all levels by connecting to new voices and fresh ideas while highlighting the unique richness of gardens and natural ecosystems throughout Virginia.

Photo Courtesy of Monica Pedynkowski

Plays. Symphonies. Opera. Concerts. Museums. Music Festivals. Ballet. Virginia offers countless ways to engage with the state's world-class cultural scene. And Virginia Living's State of the Arts is the ultimate resource that showcases the commonwealth's firstrate offerings, where you can catch the biggest hits, the most exciting exhibits, and cutting-edge performances. It's a compendium for the culture-curious who want to witness creative expression first-hand—from theater to dance to music—and to explore visual arts and connect with artists in their milieu.

ARTSFAIRFAX

Serving over 200 nonprofit arts and culture organizations throughout Fairfax and its surrounding cities, ArtsFairfax is your goto destination to explore where to go and what to see in Northern Virginia. Choose from hundreds of performances, exhibitions, festivals, workshops, and more arts activities with the ArtsFairfax Events Calendar, discover artwork in the wild with our free Public Art Locator web application and find artists, vendors, and arts businesses on the ArtsFairfax Arts Directory. Let Fairfax arts and culture spark your curiosity and ignite your creativity! 703-642-0862 • ArtsFairfax.org

BARNS OF ROSE HILL

The Barns of Rose Hill in Berryville is a community arts center housed in two beautifully restored historic dairy barns. Brimming with rustic charm and superb acoustics, the Barns offers yearround programming including live music of every genre, rotating art exhibitions, arts education, films, and free community programs like acoustic jams and open mic nights. It also houses the Berryville-Clarke County Visitors Center, where visitors can find local and statewide tourism information. Discover more and explore upcoming events. 540-955-2004 • barnsofrosehill.org

BLUE RIDGE INSTITUTE & FARM MUSEUM

On the fourth Saturday of October, the Blue Ridge Folklife Festival has presented musicians, moonshiners, craftspeople, cooks, motorheads, mule jumpers, horse pullers, coon dog racers, antique tractor buffs, and old-time gamers for a celebration of the rich heritage and traditions of the region. The Blue Ridge Institute & Museum of Ferrum College, the official State Center for Blue Ridge Folklore, produces the festival. Always the fourth Saturday of October.

CHARLOTTESVILLE BALLET

Charlottesville Ballet’s The Nutcracker features our world-class professional dancers alongside a cast of over 120 community performers from across Central Virginia. Experience Tchaikovsky’s treasured score with live music conducted by Benjamin Rous of the Charlottesville Symphony on select dates. Visit our website for details on interactive VIP children’s events plus a new sensory-friendly performance!

434-973-2555 • CharlottesvilleBallet.org/Nutcracker

CHARLOTTESVILLE OPERA

Charlottesville Opera presents professional opera and musical theater performances at the beautiful Paramount Theater in downtown Charlottesville each summer. Throughout the year, the company brings exquisite artists from across the country for concerts and specialty events at a variety of venues. Don’t miss the new Duets Concert Series beginning October 18, 2024 and our annual gala on October 4, 2024. Details and information available on our website.

434-293-4500 • CharlottesvilleOpera.org

DOWNING-CROSS CULTURAL ART CENTER

Celebrate our 16th season at the Downing-Gross Cultural Arts Center in Newport News! Get ready as we bring you a year filled with unforgettable moments. The 52,000 square foot center is home to the 276 seat, Ella Fitzgerald Theater and the Anderson Johnson & Newport News Community Galleries, there's something for everyone! Prepare to be blown away by sensational concerts featuring both regional and national artists. And that's not all! We're bringing you a community production of the highly acclaimed musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Join us in building community through the arts!

757-247-8950 • www.downing-gross.org

State OF THE Arts 2024

DOWNTOWN NORFOLK COUNCIL

FORD'S THEATRE

202-347-4833 • www.Fords.org

FRONTIER CULTURE MUSEUM

Experience the 9th Annual NEON Festival, where Norfolk’s vibrant arts district comes alive with creativity and culture! Celebrate the rich cultural fabric of the region with two nights of art exhibitions, interactive installations, live performances, and local vendors. Discover the talent of local and national artists, explore unique galleries and studios, and experience the NEON District like never before. Whether you’re an art enthusiast or just looking for a night of excitement, the NEON Festival is an unmissable celebration of art and community. Don’t miss this celebration of Norfolk’s creative spirit! 757-623-1757 • neonnfk.com/festival

Mister Lincoln is a witty and revelatory one-man show starring Scott Bakula as President Abraham Lincoln, Mister Lincoln—as the President preferred to be called—shares stories of himself during some of our country’s most important historical events. From his own personal perspective, first as a prairie lawyer and anti-slavery advocate in Illinois, to later in Washington as president of the United States, when he signs the Emancipation Proclamation and becomes the liberator, this insightful play leans on Lincoln’s own brilliant language to reveal surprising aspects of the life of one of our nation’s greatest presidents.

The Frontier Culture Museum of Virginia in Staunton offers a fascinating journey through time, showcasing the diverse cultural heritage of early American settlers. Spanning several centuries, the museum features authentic, recreated farms and homes from Europe, Africa, and America. Visitors can explore interactive exhibits, engage with costumed interpreters, and witness traditional crafts and daily activities, providing a rich, immersive experience into the lives of pioneers and their global influences. Plan your visit, get tickets, and view upcoming special events. 540-332-7850 • FrontierMuseum.org

HIGHLAND COUNTY TOURISM

Virginia’s First Barn Quilt Trail – This fall, go leaf peeping with added purpose as you experience Virginia’s first barn quilt trail! Barn quilts are colorfully painted wooden squares that adorn buildings, and there are over 70 to discover throughout the beautiful mountain community of Highland County. Grab the new brochure to learn back stories, and explore the country roads of Virginia’s least populous county on the self-guided Highland County Barn Quilt Trail! Combine the experience with the Hands & Harvest Festival on October 11 – 13, 2024, where you can enjoy farm tours, the Sounding Knob Fire Tower, square dancing, and more with the entire family! 540-468-2550 • HighlandCounty.org

INSTITUTE FOR CONTEMPORARY ART AT VCU

The Institute for Contemporary Art at Virginia Commonwealth University is a noncollecting institution that showcases a changing slate of exhibitions, performances and programs, providing an open forum for new ideas, dialogues and collaborations. The ICA’s fall 2024 season presents Dear Mazie, a group exhibition inspired by Virginia’s trailblazing Black queer architect Amaza Lee Meredith (1895-1984), alongside solo shows by Loie Hollowell and Caitlin Cherry, two artists whose distinctive practices blend painting with sculpture to explore female experiences and identity. Open Tuesday-Sunday, 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Café open 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Admission is free. 804-828-2823 • icavcu.org

LONGWOOD CENTER FOR THE VISUAL ARTS

The LCVA serves as a physical, intellectual, and cultural bridge between Longwood University and our ever-expanding community. As the only museum of its scope in the area surrounding our home base in Farmville, our commitment to improving the quality of life in the region by providing full access to the arts is the heart of our mission. We believe there should be no barriers to exploration of the arts. Admission to the LCVA and its programs is – and always has been – free for everyone. Hours: Tues-Sat 11-5; Sun 1-5. 434-395-2206 • lcva.longwood.edu

MASON ARTS

Mason Arts encompasses the seven academic programs of George Mason University’s College of Visual and Performing Arts, seven community arts programs, seven galleries, two performing arts centers, and our digital venue, Mason Arts Amplified. The impact of this work shows up as the largest arts presence in Northern Virginia. At every stage of life, Mason Arts enables people of every age to explore their creativity and passion for art and artistry in all its forms. Learn more and join us. 703-993-2787 • cvpa.gmu.edu

MOSS ARTS CENTER

Located at the intersection of campus and community in the heart of downtown Blacksburg, Virginia Tech’s Moss Arts Center presents performances, exhibitions, and experiences that inspire, inform, and entertain. In its spectacular theatre and captivating galleries, the center presents renowned artists from around the globe and close to home, with a special focus on experiences that expand cultural awareness and deepen understanding. Here, the arts are a catalyst for engagement, inspiration, and discovery. Learn more about the Moss Arts Center’s performances, exhibitions, and experiences. 540-231-5300 • MossArtsCenter@vt.edu

SHENANDOAH VALLEY ART CENTER

Experience the 53rd Annual Fall Foliage Festival Art Show on October 12 and 13 in historic downtown Waynesboro, Virginia. Watch as 160 artists and artisans transform the streets into a vibrant gallery featuring exquisite paintings, pottery, jewelry, woodwork, glass art, and more. Enjoy live local music that sets the perfect backdrop, sip on regional craft beers, and indulge in gourmet treats from various food trucks. With free parking and admission, this festival is an unmissable celebration of art and autumn. Don’t miss out on this unique experience. 540-949-7662 • SVACART.com

SIPE CENTER

Sipe Center is Bridgewater’s municipal theater that hosts a variety of live performances, ranging from music, dance, and plays to comedy, magic, and prominent speakers. Concerts feature a variety of genres by both local and regional performers. Sipe Center also presents weekly movies and seasonal children’s cinema series. The theater holds open mic nights and video game tournaments for the local community quarterly. More information is available on our website. 540-908-4208 • sipecenter.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. Opening October 24 is Eternally New: The Art Nouveau World of Alphonse Mucha, featuring original works on loan from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts and other collections. Bringing Mucha’s Art Nouveau world to life is an accompanying Immersive Art Experience from the Grand Palais in Paris. The Taubman is the first museum outside of Europe to showcase this immersive. Instagram + Facebook: @TaubmanMuseum 540-342-5760 • TaubmanMuseum.org

VENTURE

RICHMOND

The Richmond Folk Festival returns to celebrate its 20th anniversary! Over the past twenty years, the Richmond Folk Festival has become one of Virginia’s largest and most cherished events. It draws fans to Downtown Richmond’s riverfront each year to celebrate the roots, richness, and variety of American culture through music, dance, traditional crafts, storytelling, and food. The Richmond Folk Festival, a free event that welcomes 200,000 people over a three-day weekend, is a testament to the power of diversity and inclusivity. With six stages and over 30 performing groups from around the nation and worldwide, the festival is a vibrant tapestry of cultures and traditions. September 27-29 richmondfolkfestival.org

The 2nd Street Festival returns this fall marking its 36th anniversary! The FREE annual festival celebrates the rich culture of Downtown Richmond’s historic Jackson Ward neighborhood. 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 and was known as “the Harlem of the South.” The 2nd Street Festival is a celebration over two days that features three stages of live music and entertainment along with a Kidz Zone, popular food vendors, a marketplace and Artists Row to shop, and the Richmond Metropolitan Antique Car Club. This year’s festival features headliner Arrested Development on October 5 and many other talented artists. October 5-6 venturerichmond.com/our-events/2nd-street-festival

VIRGINIA CAT FESTIVAL

Calling all cat people! The Virginia Cat Festival is dedicated to creating a PAWsome place for cat lovers to gather and celebrate all things feline, learn more about their beloved furry friends, and engage with cat celebrities and each other. This two-day event features a marCATplace, hands-on workshops, feline-focused film screenings, special guests, & more amazing activities! Join us for some CATastic fun November 9 & 10 in Williamsburg, VA. VACatFestival.com

VIRGINIA REPERTORY THEATRE

Virginia Repertory Theatre's 2024-2025 season features captivating dramas, family magic, and Broadway hit musicals. This fall, beginning August 31 through September 29, follow the cat-and-mouse twists of Stephen King's hit drama Misery at the November Theatre. Then explore our Family Series at the Virginia Rep Center with the timely Grace for President coming this October. Finally, bring the whole family to a musical for all ages—Roald Dahl's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at the November Theatre. Visit our website to view the full season, and learn how to save on multiple shows. 804-282-2620 • www.va-rep.org

WAYNE THEATRE ALLIANCE

The Wayne Theatre in Waynesboro offers its own productions in theatre with entertaining and enriching plays and musicals, as well as presentations of performances in dance, magic, stand-up comedy, and much more. As a concert venue, the Wayne Theatre hosts live music from all genres. Films on the big screen, as well as history and science talks, are also presented. Arts education through Studio Wayne features classes for learners of all ages. 540-943-9999 • WayneTheatre.org

DAVE ELLSWORTH OF TIME, AND THE TOWN 6 SEPTEMBER 2024 — 21 JANUARY 2025 DR. DEBRA JEAN AMBUSH LETTERS FROM FARMVILLE: REFLECTIONS ON ANCESTRAL ARRIVAL INTO DESCENDANT MEMORY 6 SEPTEMBER 2024 — 21 JANUARY 2025 NICK BRUEL BAD KITTY DOES NOT LIKE ART MUSEUMS 16 OCTOBER 2024 — 9 FEBRUARY 2025 CHOOSE YOUR OWN ADVENTURE 31 JANUARY — 25 MAY 2025 LONGWOOD CENTER FOR

SCHOOL OF DANCE AND DEWBERRY SCHOOL OF MUSIC STUDENTS

MASON EXHIBITIONS ARLINGTON ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

HYLTON PERFORMING ARTS CENTER MANASSAS, VIRGINIA

Upper left photo by Will Martinez/thewillmartinez.com; Upper and lower left photos by Evan Cantwell/George Mason University; Lower left photo by Ron Aira/George Mason University

BARNS OF ROSE HILL ROSE HILL

Rustic Charm Meets Artistic Inspiration in the Northern Shenandoah Valley

MASTER OF WINE BETTING BIG

New owners, same steward signal a new chapter in Virginia viticulture.

By Frank Morgan  |

Chase

As the first rays of morning sun fall over the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Joshua Grainer is already in the vineyards at Lost Mountain. He’s walking up and down vineyard rows checking on the vines before meeting with the vineyard team to discuss the plan for the day.

He knows these vineyards well. He’s watched the vines mature and evolve over the 15 vintages he’s farmed on this land to make RdV Lost Mountain, widely considered an iconic American wine grown here in Virginia.

Growth and evolution have been a theme in Grainer’s work since he first stepped on this granite hillside. He had more curiosity and passion than experience then. Today, he’s one of the most accomplished and respected wine professionals in the world. Now, the journey continues for Grainer.

Photography by Jennifer

RdV Becomes Lost

IN JUNE, RDV VINEYARDS WAS ACQUIRED by brothers Martin and Olivier Bouygues, French billionaires who operate a conglomerate of telecoms, media, and construction interests. Under the deal, RdV Vineyards will be renamed Lost Mountain and become part of the Bouygues’ Eutopia Estates, a portfolio that includes the acclaimed Chateau Montrose in Bordeaux and Clos Rougeard in the Loire Valley.

This is the Bouygues family’s first winery purchase outside of France, bringing a lot of attention to the Virginia wine industry and a brighter spotlight on Grainer and the vineyard.

Originally named for founder Rutger de Vink, a Dutch-American who served in the U.S. Marine Corps and did a stint working in hightech before opting for a life among the vines, RdV Vineyards was established in 2006 in the town of Delaplane, about 45 minutes west of Washington, D.C. De Vink purchased the 93-acre property in 2004 following a three-year search for land with the perfect combination of climate and soil for cultivating Bordeaux grape varieties.

From the beginning, de Vink had big plans for RdV, enlisting the world’s top experts in viticulture. Grainer joined RdV for its first vintage, in 2008, and has played a key role in its rise from nascent start-up to globally respected wine brand.

Situated on the southernmost knoll of the Blue Ridge, the estate is home to 18 acres of vines planted to Bordeaux varieties: cabernet sauvignon, merlot, cabernet franc, and petit verdot.

Tall and thin with a friendly, unassuming demeanor, Grainer grew up in New Kent County and attended James Madison University, where he earned a degree in geography. Preparing for a career as a professor, he enrolled in the zoology and physiology masters program at the University of Wyoming.

A trip to Italy would change his career direction.

Although [Grainer] has the title of winemaker, he is so much more. He is a real technical expert and belongs alongside the top people in the wine world— from Napa to Bordeaux.

—Rutger de Vink

photography by jennifer chase

Joshua Grainer inspects grapes in the early morning. Right: Sampling wine in RdV Vineyards’ barrel room.

A Suitcase Full of Wine

“My mother traveled around the world while working for an art institute, and I happened to join her during spring break,” Grainer recalls. “I ended up in Tuscany and fell in love with wine there.”

He returned to the U.S. with a suitcase full of wine bottles and a desire to learn more about wine and viticulture. “While I loved the outdoors component of the program at UW, I was longing to be more creative and pivoted to pursue my passions for food and wine ultimately landing an internship with Jim Law at Linden Vineyards in 2006, where I could marry both the art of winemaking with time outside farming.”

Law, known as a pioneer in the local wine industry, reflected fondly on Grainer’s three vintages at Linden. “Joshua was great to work with and fit in so well here because everyone is laid-back,” Law says. “He was focused and introverted and very intellectual in his approach to winegrowing.”

Grainer worked harvests in Bordeaux and Tasmania to further hone his skills, blending old-world traditions with new-world techniques that would prove valuable in Virginia.

a real technical expert and belongs alongside the top people in the wine world—from Napa to Bordeaux. What makes him successful is his work ethic and attention to detail. He’s never idle, always working to push the envelope.”

The Master

In February 2023, Grainer earned the Master of Wine designation after six years of rigorous study, becoming the 58th American and first Virginian to earn the coveted designation. His MW research paper, which addresses the future impact of climate change on Virginia’s most planted varieties, won the prestigious Quinta do Noval Award in 2023 for best research paper by a new Master of Wine.

It was during his time working with Law at Linden that Grainer met de Vink. They became fast friends and bonded over their love of wine and viticulture.

“When we started working together nearly 20 years ago he knew the fundamentals, but now he’s a leading expert in the wine world,” de Vink says. “Although he has the title of winemaker, he is so much more. He is

Lost Mountain marks the beginning of an important new chapter for Virginia wine and for Joshua Grainer. As a Master of Wine with two decades of hands-on experience growing and crafting fine wine, he is uniquely qualified to lead Lost Mountain.

“My goal is to move this brand from being more about an individual to being more about this special place,” Grainer says.

Frank Morgan lives in the Tidewater area and writes the wine column for The Virginian-Pilot and Daily Press newspapers and is a contributor to other publications. He serves as director of judging for the Virginia Governor’s Cup Wine Competition.

Rutger de Vink makes his rounds in the vineyards. Above: As RdV Vineyards’ managing director and winemaker, Joshua Grainer oversees crucial steps of the winemaking process.

Rutger de Vink, founder of RdV Vineyards.

Belmont Farm Distillerv - Culpeper, Virginia

SIPS & SCRAPS

How Birch & Bloom is redefining cocktails.

TThe Forum Hotel in Charlottesville, presents no shortage of fresh Virginian ingredients— veritably high-quality and invaluable to the flavors found on plates and in cocktail glasses. For Daniel Beedle, the hotel’s chief mixologist and assistant food and beverage director, every last scrap of farm-fresh herbs, fruits, and other produce is worth using. To him, doing otherwise would be a waste of opportunity, skins, pulps, and pith.

With Beedle’s implementation of a zero-waste cocktail program, emphasizing garden-to-glass ingredients, the drinks at Birch & Bloom burst with unfamiliar yet enticing tastes. By utilizing all the extra bits of produce, Beedle says, “you get more of a weighty mouthfeel, more interesting flavors that are alive in essence.”

“The idea is to use what you have on hand,” he says. For instance, with the huge strawberry harvest from the spring, Beedle immersed leftover

PURRFECT ESCAPE

Where furry friends and flavored teas make the perfect pair.

berries in a Thai pickling spice to be used as garnishes later. To incorporate the pickle juice, he’ll add it to a future mocktail. “Fresh ingredients are very perishable,” he explains. “The act of finding ways of preservation while they’re in their peak of season is enormously valuable.” Plus, he adds, “it actually allows for a much more complex array of flavors that people typically don’t get to utilize.”

Just as the eatery’s new executive chef Ryan Collins puts fun twists on culinary classics, Beedle applies the same inventiveness to Birch & Bloom’s menu. “How do you elevate it? It has to have texture, it has to have aromatics, it has to have a point of interest and engagement,” Beedle says. “You break it down to make sure that it checks off all of those boxes before it becomes a complete product.”

BirchAndBloomRestaurant.com —by Hope Cartwright

SLOW SIPS AT SOLSTICE FARM BREWERY

Ales brewed with local love and flavor.

TO ED AND ANNA SHORE, founders of Solstice Farm Brewery in Catawba, their brewing post nestled in the Roanoke Valley amid scenic peaks and woodlands is more than a spot for drink; it’s a community organization.

“I call it an indigenous brewery,” Anna says. “We use things from the area to make our beer, but we also support and promote the very people that live in our area.”

Solstice Farm has about 40 beers rotating through their taps, many drawing flavors from the surrounding environment—like the Forager Berry Wheat Ale, using wild berries Anna foraged, or Tapio Maple Spruce Wheatwine, infused with local maple sap. And it’s situated ideally for day hikers, cyclists, and other outdoor explorers to stop by for a pint and a warm welcome, as the brewery’s games, acoustic music, food trucks, and friendly regulars provide respite and relaxation.

As she tends the bar, Anna says, “I see this bigger picture of humanity through beer.”

SolsticeFarmBrewery.com —by H.C.

“THIS ONE,” says Amanda Atwell, as she points out a particularly posh, fluffy-tailed calico stalking across the room. “She’s the queen, as you can see. Look at her tail twitch. She’s saying, ‘Look at me. Tell me I’m beautiful.’” Jada, the fancy feline in question, is not one of Atwell’s own cats but rather a resident foster feline at Aristocat Café + Tea House in downtown Harrisonburg. Atwell opened the café in 2023, and the spot quickly became a community pillar for critter-cuddling and gourmet tea-sipping.

She started the business because she’s an animal- and tea-lover herself and wanted to facilitate better lives for local cats in need of homes.

Atwell’s love for the 10–15 felines living in the space at any given time is palpable—she knows

all their breeds, backstories, names, and personality quirks. She set up a certifiable kitten kingdom in a closed-off room at the café. It’s air-purified, full of cat trees and climbable obstacles, and encased in glass windows to give café customers a peek inside. All cats fostered at the café are adoptable through the Humane Society of Shenandoah County, and Atwell adores and remembers all 130-plus of those cats who have found homes, too. With more than 80 artisanal tea blends (including eight varieties of chai) and cat cuddles galore, it’s the coziest kind of café. Aristocat.cafe —by H.C.

HE KITCHEN AT BIRCH & BLOOM , the modern steakhouse and bar at Kimpton

Scan for Beedle’s Milk Punch recipe on VirginiaLiving.com to make the most of your preserved fresh ingredients.

Birch & Bloom’s Aspen and Pineapple Julep cocktails. Below: Mixologist Daniel Beedle’s Milk Punch.

Jada, resident foster feline at Aristocat Café + Tea House.

Ed and Anna Shore celebrate Oktoberfest 2023 at Solstice Farm Brewery.

To find a Virginia cat café near you, scan this code.

VIRGINIA’S

WIDE WORLD OF WINES

VIRGINIA’S WORLD OF WINES IS rich and diverse, and the 67 restaurants throughout the state that received Wine Spectator ’s recently announced 2024 Award of Excellence are proof that a ticket to Napa or Burgundy isn’t necessary to enjoy outstanding food and wine. The Commonwealth has plenty of world-class options.

The Wine Spectator awards extend far beyond the wine list from which a guest orders. They represent a deep and well-oiled team—from owners to operations—that reflect restaurants making wine a priority. And they’re the only industry program focused exclusively on recognizing the best in restaurant wine service. From Rio to Richmond and Florence to Fredericksburg, nearly 3,800 restaurants from more than 75 countries and all 50 U.S. states made the cut.

Early Mountain Vineyards in Madison was one of the recipients. Spearheading its outstanding program are executive chef Tim Moore, who sharpened his knives as sous chef under Patrick O’Connell’s tutelage at the Inn at Little Washington (which once again secured the competition’s Grand Award, its top honor), along with lead winemaker Maya Hood White and Michael Cain Seay, director of wine and hospitality.

“Our unique culinary program integrates Early Mountain wines alongside guest wines to complement dishes, providing our guests with a world-class experience,” says Seay. “Since curating our wine list, we have chosen to feature global selections that mirror our production styles, varieties, and flavors.” —by

Madeline Mayhood

Virginia winners also include Primland’s Leatherflower, Houndstooth at Glen Gordon Manor, 1799 at The Clifton, plus Shagbark in Richmond, Eurasia in Virginia Beach, and Fleurie in Charlottesville. For a complete listing of the winners in the state, scan here.

BEER OLYMPICS

BREWERIES FROM ALL OVER the globe gathered in Las Vegas in the spring for the largest beer competition in the world, the World Beer Cup. 9,300 beers, 2,060 breweries from 50 countries, and 290 judges from 37 countries turned out for the event. Nine Virginia breweries brought medals home. Caiseal Beer & Spirits Co. from Hampton won gold in the “Belgian-Style Quadrupel” category with Namur, based on the brewing methods of Belgian monasteries. It features raisin, plum, and caramel flavors, as well as a special Belgian yeast, says Todd Emr, head brewer and distiller.

“In today’s booming craft beer industry, with an ever-growing number of breweries competing, standing out is a significant challenge,” says Emr. “It means that our dedication to quality, innovation, and craftsmanship has been recognized among a vast field of talented brewers.”

“Winning at this global competition is very difficult, so we were very honored to win two awards!” says Afton’s Blue Mountain Brewery owner and brewmas-

MURLARKEY’S MUDDLING MAGIC

If you can dream it, you can muddle it.

MUDDLING IS A MIXOLOGY TECHNIQUE sometimes taken for granted—listed as an instruction on countless classic cocktail recipes with no explanation given for the amateur, at-home bartenders following along. But George “Papi” Zwetkow, master distiller at MurLarkey Spirits in Bristow, bets that most cocktail drinkers are muddling already without even knowing it.

ter Taylor Smack. They earned a silver for their Classic Lager in the American classic category “Cream Ale,” which demands the most careful brewing specifications of time and temperature. They won another silver for Wild Pear, a fruited version of the German gosestyle of beer in the “Contemporary Gose” category. Devils Backbone Brewing Co., based in Roseland, produced silver-winning Belgian Wheat in the “Belgian-Style Witbier” category. “We are very proud of how our products have done in competitions this year,” says Matt Casto, master distiller. “The fact that we literally pulled samples off production runs and sent them to competition shows the consistency and quality of every batch.”

Other winners include Alexandria’s Port City Brewing Co., Norfolk’s COVA Brewing Co., Chester’s Three Leg Run Brewery, Bluemont’s Bear Chase Brewing Co., Stafford’s Barley Naked Brewing Co., and Charlottesville’s Decipher Brewing. Check out all the 2024 winners on WorldBeerCup.org —by Gabriela Gonçalves

For MurLarkey Spirit’s best made-for-muddling recipes, check out this QR code.

“If you get a drink in a cocktail lounge, and you use a straw to mash the lemon or lime to get more flavors out of that, that’s muddling in a roundabout way,” he says.

Muddling is merely crushing flavorful elements in a drink to

extract the oils and juices to imbue into the liquor. It can be done with a true cocktail muddler, a flat-end spoon, a wooden dowel, a rolling pin, or even the ice in your glass. Just add the subject of muddling to the shaker and grind. Then, combine the other ingredients, shake, strain, and serve. Strawberries, apples, watermelon, mango, cucumber, and herbs like mint and thyme are just a few items on Zwetkow’s list of muddle-able ingredients. “Really, any herb qualifies for muddling,” he says. “The citrus part is also something you’re going to consider muddling. I can muddle an orange, lemon, lime, grapefruit, anything that has a rind.”

As long as one uses fresh, in-season ingredients, there’s no end to the possibilities. MurLarkey.com —by Hope Cartwright

George “Papi” Zwetkow muddles a Pear Thyme Martini.

Jason Oliver with Devils Backbone Brewing Co.’s award-winning Belgian Wheat beer.

Beyond the Bitter

Discovering coffee’s true taste.

By HOPE CARTWRIGHT

Coffee—the universal good morning, driving force behind business superpowers, perhaps the most prolific beverage in all pop culture—is naturally bitter. Aside from the addictive properties of caffeine, what inspires such fascination in coffee is a mystery to those who question the initially unappealing taste. Haden Polseno-Hensley, co-owner of Red Rooster Coffee in Floyd, recalls growing up around coffee-sipping adults and thinking, Why is everybody drinking this? This is ridiculous.

AND THEN, A MAGIC MOMENT.

Someone takes a sip of a quality, specialty brew, and realizes, “Wait, this is not just bitter,” Polseno-Hensley describes the spark. “All of a sudden, they’re in love with it.”

It’s a phenomenon that any specialty coffee roaster will recognize: “You have this revelation moment,” says Sam Kayser, head roaster and coowner at Lone Oak Coffee Co. in Winchester.

“I thought I knew what coffee flavor was, but this is something else entirely.”

morning cup.

Specialty coffee roasters take the same seed behind mass-produced coffee and pay it more attention—it’s one of the most elaborate drink-making processes out there, from growing the seeds and shucking the cherries to transporting, roasting, and grinding the beans and finally brewing the final product. Like wine, coffee from disparate regions of the world will taste vastly different. Like beer, the methods of small-batch production can bring out the most unusual flavors of the original crop. But unlike beer (or wine), the coffee drinker plays a role in the end result, often brewing the grounds themselves at home every morning.

The subtle flavors and notes accenting the taste of your morning brew can range from cocoa to jasmine to walnuts. Each roaster has a different approach to highlighting the flavors in their blends. Some, like Lone Oak or Pinup Coffee Co. in Virginia Beach, favor a medium roast, where beans are typically heated to around 400–430°F and removed from the roaster between the “first crack” and the second.

WHAT IS A “FIRST CRACK”?

In coffee roasting, a “crack” is a literal cracking noise from beans releasing steam and bursting open, like popcorn. It provides a guideline for roasters to know at what stage of the process the beans are.

Stephanie Wein roasts coffee beans at Pinup Coffee Co. in Virginia Beach. Above:

A flavor wheel can be a helpful tool to decode the subtleties in your

Medium roasts are known for creating a balance, encouraging that characteristic acidity and bitterness of coffee but also bringing forward the attributes of the bean’s origin country.

“We never roast anything so dark that the coffee loses its intrinsic flavor,” says Stephanie Wein, roaster and co-owner of Pinup Coffee. Pinup’s house medium roast blend, Tailwind, uses Brazilian, Ethiopian, and Colombian beans and has “a little bit of brightness to it, a little fruitiness, a little citrus to it, and also makes a fantastic iced coffee,” Wein explains.

Reviresco Coffee Co. in Richmond takes a different approach, specializing in low and slow dark roasts, still looking to retain key characteristics in each bean to complement the final blend. Roaster and co-owner Steven Dalton endeavors to create specific flavor profiles with familiar associations to make the coffee approachable to

java newbies. Reviresco’s Manchester blend was inspired by the taste of a chocolate-dipped berry, drawing from Colombian, Blue Moon Bali, and Ethiopian beans. According to Dalton, coffee’s one-of-a-kind appeal is in its diversity and unexpectedness. With all the bean varieties, possibilities become near endless.

“Depending on what region of the world it was grown in and what else grows in that region, if handled properly, coffee can have flavors that are reminiscent of mango, pineapple, cherries, chocolate, pipe tobacco,” he says.

To find those flavors in coffee, says Bryce Wein, the other Pinup Coffee co-owner, all one has to do is “come into it with an open mind that coffee can taste different than just hot brown.”

Hope Cartwright is associate editor at Virginia Living

AROUND THE WORLD IN SEVEN BEANS

A guide to coffee’s regional flavors.

Much like wine, coffee takes on excitingly diverse flavors depending on its region of origin, or terroir. Country names like Ethiopia, Colombia, and Mexico get thrown around in roasteries constantly, but the flavors behind such

BREW LIKE A PRO

Tips for better coffee in your kitchen.

“There’s a few main rules to live by when it comes to starting to make better coffee at home,” says Stephanie Wein of Pinup Coffee Co. By the time it reaches the customer’s hands, high-quality coffee has already been through a lengthy, detailed, international process. The last thing you want to do is ruin it in the last step before it reaches your mug, so the specialty roasters of the Commonwealth offer a few tips for home brewing happiness.

perfect cup. Freshly roasted local beans, like Reviresco's Manchester blend, further enhance the experience.

ȕ Grind at home “The number one thing is to buy a grinder and grind it yourself,” says Haden Polseno-Hensley of Red Rooster Coffee. Once the coffee is ground, it’s more easily altered by exposure to light, temperature, air, and moisture, so reducing the amount of time between grinding and brewing is paramount.

Low acid, mellow, nutty, like a trail mix

Sweet, chocolaty, citrusy, mild

ETHIOPIAN

Brighter, more acidity, fruity, floral, full-bodied, jasmine

GUATEMALAN Bright, tart acidity, toffee and chocolate flavors

MEXICAN Sweet, caramely, well-balanced, cocoa-forward, easy-to-drink

ȕ Store beans in a cool, dark spot in an airtight container. “For all that is good, don’t refrigerate or freeze coffee,” says Steven Dalton of Reviresco. Though it’s a pervasive myth that coffee is better preserved in an ultra-cold environment, the moisture in residential refrigerators affects the quality. Plus, “coffee is very porous and absorbent,” adds Sam Kayser of Lone Oak Coffee. “If you have a bag of coffee in your fridge next to a bunch of onions, your coffee might taste like onions.”

number one thing is to buy a grinder and grind it yourself.

—Haden

ȕ Use a scale. A scale helps with the precision of your morning brew, making your coffee and water measurements consistent from day to day.

Polseno-Hensley, Red Rooster Coffee, Floyd

photos (from top): courtesy of reviresco coffee, by adam ewing

A pour-over method gives great control in brewing the

SUMATRA Earthy, spicy, smoky, cedar, dark chocolate

RWANDAN Fruity, red winey, pit fruit and plum-like, chocolaty

COLOMBIAN

BRAZILIAN

Oh, the (Pairing) Possibilities

Making the most of Virginia’s food and wine scene this autumn.

By SYLVIE BAGGETT | Photography by ADAM EWING

Now that summer’s approaching its curtain call, we can drop the charade: the season was a sweltering, sticky mess not worthy of its devout following. Sure, there are backyard barbecues and occasional fireworks, but it doesn’t stand a chance compared with autumn—gloriously cool autumn.

ONE OF THE MOST TANTALIZING qualities of this vibrant season is its wine and food pairing possibilities. Put away your riesling and sauvignon blanc; it’s time to bring out the big guns. Rich, earthy, seasonal ingredients beg for full-bodied wines. Though there’s no right or wrong way to mix and match, we asked Kristen Gardner Beal and Lance Lemon, owners of Penny’s Wine Shop in Richmond, for some expert guidance.

Rule number one: there are no rules. “Don’t ever let food and wine intimidate you,” Beal says. And Lemon adds, “Keep it fun, keep it simple, and keep experimenting! Don’t overthink it.”

One way to hone your palate is to stop by a local wine spot and enjoy a flight. That way, an expert is just across the bar, ready and willing to answer any questions you may have. “It’s just nice to try things, talk through the flavors and the history, and enjoy some self-discovery,” the duo adds.

& FRIED CHICKEN

Thibaut-Janisson — Blanc de Blancs Brut

While this bottle is not a true Champagne, France native, it was crafted by one. Winemaker Claude Thibaut brings his French expertise in sparkling wine to the Blue Ridge Thibaut-Janisson Winery, creating this brut wine with pear and apple notes, a delicious companion to indulgent Southern fried chicken.

ROSÉ & SEARED SCALLOPS

In addition to a cornucopia of flavorful local produce, Virginia is home to incredible wineries. Penny’s often works closely with Common Wealth Crush Co., Early Mountain Vineyards, Blenheim Vineyards, Patois Cider, and more. “The Virginia wine scene has a newfound energy: it’s giving, ‘Put a little respect on our name,’” Beal says. “There is a true community here, and you can tell everyone is working together to bring the best out of what Virginia wine has to offer.”

When it comes to food and wine pairings, there are endless choices. Here are a few ideas to get the corkscrew turning.

For those unafraid to mix high- and lowbrow, opt for a flute of Champagne alongside some homemade fried chicken. Crispy, crackly chicken parallels Champagne’s fizzy pop— it’s the punchy flavor duo you never knew you

Lightwell Survey — Redirecting the Light Rosé Lightwell Survey is ever evolving its signature rosé, a mixture of vidal blanc, chambourcin, and other hybrid grapes, including subtle touches of traminette. The textural yet delicate composition evokes cherry and strawberry flavors, a lovely fruity side to a seared scallop topped with butter and shallots.

needed. The sparkling wine’s acidic tendencies help slice through the rich fat of the chicken, leaving nothing but goodness on your tongue.

MANSENG & GRILLED FISH Common Wealth Crush Co. — 2022 Teacher’s Pet-It Manseng B orn from grapes perfectly suited to the Virginia environment, petit manseng is a fuller-bodied white that is often served as a dessert wine but also complements the buttery savoriness of grilled fish. Common Wealth Crush Co.’s 2022 variant blends with 5 percent chardonel grapes in a delightful twist.

If you’re hosting a dinner party and looking to impress guests with your pairing prowess, pick up a bottle of petit manseng—a Virginia darling—to serve alongside grilled fish. “The style, body, and texture complement grilled fish incredibly well,” Lemon says. Typically grown in southwest France, petit manseng is a dry white wine bursting with notes of candied fruit, like peach, citrus, pineapple, honey, and more. These vivid flavors help brighten the buttery nature of the fish (bonus points if the fish is encrusted with local herbs!).

Nothing spells autumn like butternut squash. Whether roasted, toasted, or puréed, this coolweather staple invites you to enjoy it with a glass of nebbiolo. Commonly found in Italy’s Piedmont region, this red grape is one of Virginia’s hidden gems. Powerful, earthy, and rich, nebbiolo’s dark fruit flavors and notes of anise add a warming spice to any butternut squash dish.

“Virginia wines and wine regions are on the rise,” the couple asserts. “When we speak to winemakers, vineyard managers, and friends in the industry, they love the opportunities that Virginia wine offers.”

As you plan your menu (and break out your jackets), whether it’s for a casual get-together or a high-end dinner party, don’t forget to take advantage of what lies in your backyard: seasonal produce, intriguing Virginia wines, and adept wine professionals ready to guide you on your tasting journey.

Sylvie Baggett spent her childhood roaming the woods of Nellysford and stealing tomatoes out of the neighbor’s garden. Today, she is a writer and editor in New York City.

Kristen Gardner Beal and Lance Lemon, owners of Penny’s Wine Shop in Richmond’s Jackson Ward district.

PETIT

CHAMPAGNE

HEALTH+Wellness

LEGACY STEPS OF HOPE

CKG’s SpeakUp5k has everyone talking about teen mental health.

By Sherrie Page Guyer

To anyone who met Cameron Gallagher, she was a shining star, with sparkling blue eyes and a heart of gold. To those that knew her, she was intelligent, vibrant, and reflective. But inwardly she struggled, as many teens do, with bouts of anxiety, depression, and self-doubt. And she was frustrated that issues around mental health were frequently overlooked, with shame preventing many teenagers from talking about their struggles and getting needed help.

Cameron excelled in academics and athletics as she navigated her high school years. But when she was a sophomore at Douglas Freeman in Richmond, she died tragically in 2014 at age 16 from sudden cardiac arrhythmia. Though her life was cut short, she left a powerful legacy. After her death, her parents discovered a detailed blueprint for an event she imagined, SpeakUp5K , in notebooks she left behind—a community event to raise awareness about teen mental health.

The Cameron K. Gallagher Foundation’s SpeakUp5k is held at Byrd Park in Richmond every September. The course’s Quote Alley features quotes taken directly from Cameron’s journals, to inspire hope and positivity.

Cameron Gallagher

HEALTH+Wellness

C2023’s SpeakUp5k race had over 2,000 participants and helped raise more than $100,000 for the Cameron K. Gallagher Foundation.

HANNELING THEIR GRIEF, her parents, Grace and David Gallagher, marshaled their strength in the most significant way they could to honor their daughter. They launched the Cameron K. Gallagher Foundation, a Richmond-based nonprofit that provides education and resources to support teen mental health. Its flagship event is Cameron’s race, exactly how she had imagined. Though revolutionary a decade ago, SpeakUp5k is now an annual run through the city’s Byrd Park, providing literal steps to destigmatizing challenges around mental health and encouraging an open dialogue when people need help; 2024 marks its 10th anniversary.

“Growing up, Cameron struggled with anxiety and depression and felt frustrated that these diagnoses were too often unfairly regarded with stigma and shame by others,” says her mother, Grace, who is also the executive director of the CKG Foundation. “Cameron wanted everyone to feel valued. We are blessed that she left us a guide for this potentially life-changing race that would become her legacy and impact thousands.”

like checking on a friend to more serious subjects such as suicidal ideation. She also took a topic that often has negative associations and focused on the positive by including inspirational quotes in her notebooks, which the Gallaghers have incorporated into the race. “You are not alone” and “you are worth it all” are just some of Cameron’s quotes that participants see on posters—in Cameron’s actual handwriting—as they run through Quote Alley.

The genius of Cameron’s design was that she made the SpeakUp5k all-encompassing, with a built-in message in its title.

According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), 17 percent of youth experience a psychiatric disorder, with 50 percent of all lifetime mental illnesses beginning by age 14. “Since early intervention makes a difference in long-term outcomes, being comfortable with speaking up and getting help is critical when it comes to taking care of one’s mental health,” explains Dr. Melissa Nelson, a Richmond pediatrician whose practice focuses on behavioral health.

an engaging community event creates connection, helping the SpeakUp5k to instantly combat the issue it serves.

“We especially love seeing school teams because that shows conversations are happening where teens spend most of their weekdays,” says Tara Lantz, CKG’s director of race operations.

“The SpeakUp5k is a great way to start the school year,” says Karen Brockenbrough, Ph.D., licensed clinical psychologist at St. Catherine’s School in Richmond, and faculty sponsor for their SpeakUp Club. “Helping teens take agency for the mental health of themselves and their community is timeless.”

The genius of Cameron’s design was that she made the SpeakUp5k all-encompassing, with a built-in message in its title. Speaking up can be about anything—from something seemingly simple

A major goal of the SpeakUp5k is to underscore that no one is alone when it comes to mental health struggles. “We all have physical and mental health on a continuum,” continues Dr. Nelson. “And every person will go through phases when they don’t feel well physically and/or mentally. It’s part of being human.”

Amid increasing national rates of teen depression, anxiety, and suicide, providing people with

Dr. Brockenbrough also appreciates how the CKG Foundation helps schools create a culture of positive mental health through the online SpeakUp Club and educator resources that help instill Cameron’s vision well beyond race day. Related toolkits for middle and high schools are provided free on CKG’s website.

“To watch the race grow in numbers each year has been very rewarding,” says Lantz. “We’ve had over 21,000 participants since 2014, with last year boasting 2,165 participants, over 250 volunteers, and over 50 sponsors/vendors.” She notes one positive of the pandemic was the creation of a virtual option which resulted in participation in all 50 states. “Every time someone crosses our finish line, it’s a win for Cameron’s goal of giving people a sense of accomplishment and hope.”

“Throughout the years I’ve watched people open up,” Grace says. “Their comfort level talking about mental illness has grown exponentially. The first few races people would pull me aside and whisper about their or their loved ones’ struggles. Now, conversations are much more out in the open. The stigma is going away and being replaced by strength. Asking for help when we need it makes us stronger. It’s a beautiful thing to witness.” CKGFoundation.org

Richmond-based writer Sherrie Page Guyer is a registered nurse and teen mental health advocate.

REFRESH REWIND ENHANCE

U ARY COSMETIC CENTER

Sanctuary Cosmetic Center is a state-of-the-art body and face aesthetic center with locations in McLean and Reston. 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 Medical Weight loss using Peptides, CoolPeel skin resurfacing for Co2 results without the downtime, Matrix Pro, Opus, and Renuva Treatments. Matrix Pro combines the best of microneedling, and radiofrequency

and Opus uses RF technology 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.

Funny You Should Ask…

Everything you want to know about laughter.

By DAWN KLAVON | Illustrations by SAMMY NEWMAN

“A day without laughter is a day wasted.”

—Charlie Chaplin

INDUSTRY COMES TO AN ABRUPT halt when a new cat video or Jimmy Fallon clip hits the internet. Millions of viewers stop whatever they’re doing at the moment—work, shopping, exercising—and glue themselves to a screen.

When Charlie bit his big brother’s finger, more than 886 million viewers tuned in. That’s about a tenth of the world’s population.

When Adele joined James Corden for a round of Carpool Karaoke, it tickled the funny bones of 264 million people.

And when native Virginian and comedian Wanda Sykes talked about her kids saying grace on the Ellen DeGeneres Show, YouTube clocked four million viewers.

The common denominator? Each clip brought laughter to people all over the globe. Such a funny thing, laughter. Its meanings are many, and its roots are deep. So intriguing is the subject of laughter that three professors at the University of Virginia lead classes or studies on the topic. The nuts and bolts of why and how we laugh are examined in order to study society—both now and in days gone by. But can the laugh-worthy fodder of yesteryear tell us anything useful?

Ancient Funny Bones

UVA assistant professor of classics Inger Kuin, Ph.D., teaches the class “Engaging Difference: Why Do We Laugh?” A student of ancient Greek authors who used humor, Kuin came up with the idea after considering how humor can survive over the years.

“What can we know about what people find funny in times and places and cultures so far from us?” Kuin wonders, adding, “How is it that these things are still funny and what does this tell us about human psychology? If we can share something as fundamental as what’s funny over such a great geographical and chronological time span, does that say something about some things that are universal about human psychology?”

Kuin has a lot to say about funny business. Laughter, she says, has been around as long as humans. And we are not the only ones who laugh—monkeys and dolphins are just a few other species who like to get their giggle on.

Humor throughout the ages is reflected in society. Though times change, some things do not, Kuin says.

“Sort of the fundamental workings of the joke— namely that you laugh at things that are surprising or unexpected, or incongruous somehow—is very much the same,” she says.

The Best Medicine

As it turns out, there are plenty of positives to laughing—as a tension soother, pain reliever, mood enhancer, immune booster, stress buster, and relationship builder—according to studies from the Mayo Clinic.

“It is intrinsically rewarding because of those hormones that get released. It smooths out social interactions by undoing any awkwardness or misunderstandings,” says Adrienne Wood, Ph.D., UVA assistant professor of psychology. “It is one

of the best behavioral markers of social connection—we can tell whether two people are friends based on how much they co-laugh, meaning laugh at the same time. Some of my work has shown that individuals who laugh a lot are seen by others as being more relatable.”

But anyone who has ever watched America’s Funniest Home Videos or Instagram clips of all manner of falls and foibles knows laughter has a darker side.

“There’s the outright unpleasant laughter we’re all familiar with; sometimes it’s obvious someone is laughing at you or another person,” says Wood, who runs the Emotion and Behavior Lab in UVA’s Department of Psychology. “It’s used to convey messages like derision, teasing, and disdain.”

And superiority, says Kuin.

Theories of Humor

“There’s one major theory about laughter and humor which is to say that we laugh out of superiority—the feeling when you see somebody fall and slip on a banana peel. Part of that laughter comes from the notion that at least it’s not you, right?” says Kuin. “This is something that is not very pretty to realize about the way that our humor works. But once students sort of get over that initial shock, they start to analyze all the things that they find funny.”

Generally speaking, there are three main theories about why people laugh: in addition to superiority, the others are relief or incongruity. John may find clips of people tripping and falling absolutely hysterical, but Jane doesn’t find them funny at all. His laughter may be triggered because he sees himself: he may feel relief that he’s not the one cascading down those steps (relief), and he also may be laughing at the unexpected because he’s being taken entirely by surprise (incongruity). If John were a different sort, a clip of someone tripping and falling might elicit a reaction

like, “I’m certainly not that uncoordinated” (superiority). Jane, on the other hand, may be a star athlete and highly coordinated. She can’t relate at all to watching people fall and can’t possibly imagine herself teetering in her Jimmy Choos and tripping her way down a sidewalk.

So What Is A Laugh?

Here’s a quick 411 on the science of laughter: Wood describes it as “repetitive forceful exhalations”—when you breathe normally, your body (your diaphragm and the muscles around your ribs) does most of the work while you’re inhaling. And then exhaling is fairly passive, but when we laugh, we actively push air out of our lungs, and inhalation is mostly passive.

“If you’ve ever laughed so hard you felt like you couldn’t breathe, it’s because you were depending on little moments of passive inhalation between forceful bursts of exhalation,” Wood says. “Some evidence suggests it releases hormones in your brain—endogenous opioids—that feel pleasurable.”

Wood says UVA’s Emotion and Behavior Lab studies social connection and is interested in how people connect with each other using nonverbal behavior (like laughter) and conversation, as well as how connections between individuals add up to become complex social networks. When two people laugh at the same thing, it’s a way for them to connect. A group of strangers might bond more successfully (and enjoy themselves more) over laughter than they would if the conversation veered into serious territory like Keynesian economics or Thomas Hardy’s poetry. “We’re particularly interested in helping people be more socially exploratory and willing to interact with new potential friends,” Wood says.

Laugh Class

UVA assistant media studies professor Pallavi Rao teaches the class “Just Kidding: Humor and Laughter Across Popular Media.” Humor-minded students learn comedy’s backstory—how the art form has gone through phases of low-brow humor, slapstick, and cheap laughs, to evolve intellectually to satire and more. Essentially, Rao says, what makes people laugh is evolving.

“A lot of the course is coming from a very critical media study standpoint; we think about the social, cultural, and political context under which certain kinds of humor can be conveyed and so it ends up being quite critical,” Rao says. “We are very much talking about ‘is laughing at disability acceptable? Who can laugh at certain ethnic groups?’ ”

Not surprising, Rao says the waitlist for her laugh-centric class is almost as long as the class roster itself. Learning about laughter is a big draw for college coeds.

“I think getting students to think seriously about what they do so easily is often the charm of this class,” says Rao. “It’s the class that fills up straight away within a day of enrollment opening.”

Dawn Klavon writes about barrier-breakers, obstacle-overcomers, and game-changers. She’s constantly inspired by Virginia’s fascinating people, innovative ideas, and spectacular cuisine. Bio.site/DawnKlavon

Humor-minded students learn comedy’s backstory—how the art form has gone through phases of low-brow humor, slapstick, and cheap laughs, to evolve intellectually to satire and more. Essentially, Rao says, what makes people laugh is evolving.

HOMEGROWN HUMORISTS

Five of the comedians pictured above are from Virginia. Can you guess which ones?

ANSWERS:

Wanda Sykes, Patton Oswalt, Jason Sudeikis, Danny McBride, Jay Pharoah

COMMITMENT to you...

Being your PARTNER on your health care journey.

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Bringing INNOVATIVE medical technology & services to our communities.

Striving for EXCELLENCE & exceeding expectations.

HELP AT YOUR FRONT DOOR

DispatchHealth’s house calls are changing medicine.

ARK PRATHER, EMERGENCY ROOM physician, and Kevin Riddleberger, physician assistant, pooled their brain power to launch DispatchHealth, which delivers medical services directly to patients in the comfort of their own homes. The model is a game-changer in the delivery of healthcare. DispatchHealth’s medical teams now serve NoVa communities around Fairfax and Arlington as well as the greater Richmond area.

Prather and Riddleberger’s goal was to create healthcare that improves patient outcomes, provides better patient and provider experiences, and

VCU HEALTH’S HOSPITAL AT HOME PROGRAM provides in-home, acute hospital-level medical care and monitoring, with physicians overseeing treatment plans and patient progress.

Studies show that hospital-at-home programs can improve a patient’s care experience and health outcomes, with benefits ranging from reduced mortality, faster recovery, and fewer hospital readmissions.

Patients with conditions like sepsis, heart failure, and pneumonia, who would otherwise be candidates for inpatient admission, now have the option to receive hospital-level care at home. Through video and remote patient monitoring and acute care nurses and other

lowers medical costs. The medical professionals making house calls are the same people in hospitals—physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and medical technicians—and are aided by the remote support of an emergency medicine physician. Additionally, they cover a vast array of treatment options—from viral infections to physical injuries.

By eliminating hospital visits that could be solved more simply and avoiding appointments that require weeks of waiting, the DispatchHealth teams provide faster attention that meets the specific needs of each patient.

DispatchHealth.com —by Lily Perkinson

AT HOME

SCREEN TIME

Inova recommends health screening for prevention.

WE’VE ALL HEARD ABOUT THEM and, more than likely, many of us have been advised to get them. But what exactly is a health screening? Inova, the Fairfax-based nonprofit healthcare provider, offers a definition: a preventative process to identify health complications or chronic diseases before they become problematic. Inova also emphasizes the importance of screenings when planning your medical care. They can play a significant role in decreasing the risk of sudden health concerns, like high blood pressure, artery blockage, diabetes, and many more conditions that can often be successfully managed if they’re identified and treated before they become complex. Screening recommendations change depending on age—from growth and dental checks for children to cancer screenings for adults. —by L.P.

Scan the QR code for a comprehensive list of Inova’s recommended screenings by age at Virginia Living.com

UVA HEALTH WINS BIG

UVA WINS BIG

In a list of more than 400 hospitals, Newsweek named the University of Virginia Medical Center the number one hospital in Virginia. It scored 39th nationally.

“Our goal is to become the top public academic health system in the country, and this ranking shows the great strides we are making,” says K. Craig Kent, M.D., UVA Health’s chief executive officer and the university’s executive vice president for health affairs. “It’s a tribute to every member of our team and their commitment to providing exceptional patient care.” UVAHealth.org —by G.G.

staff who visit patients in person, support is available around the clock. The program support patients and families by ensuring services and supplies like oxygen and medications are available.

Since its inception, Hospital at Home has achieved high marks in satisfaction, quality, and safety, says Jay Holdren, VCU Health at Home senior director, who adds that clinical decompensation requiring hospital admission is only 3 percent “Hospital at Home directly aligns VCU Health with the future of healthcare delivery,” he continues. “Our patients love it, our providers love it, and it improves our overall health system capacity.”

—by Gabriela Gonçalves

(L-R) Mark Prather and Kevin Riddleberger, DispatchHealth’s co-founders.

Rubber Duck Research

VT’s Fralin team hopes ocean current models may inform cancer treatments.

By MADELINE MAYHOOD | Illustration by AGUSTKOV

Remember that story that made international news, where thousands and thousands of rubber ducks got dumped into the Pacific Ocean? In 1992, the container ship they were traveling on was caught in a storm, which toppled the ship’s cargo and sent nearly 30,000 of the little bath-time play toys to bob in the Pacific for eternity like Wilson, or wash up on shores around the globe.

MOST OF US FILED THAT STORY in our mind’s department of curiosities, ripe for anecdotal cocktail party chit-chat and watercooler banter.

But in the world’s more erudite circles, it created a rare opportunity for great minds who took that seemingly benign story and developed lessons using data on ocean currents to predict—with a high degree of accuracy—when and where the ducks would wash ashore.

Enter Dr. Jennifer Munson, the director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute Cancer Research Group at Virginia Tech. She and her team at the eponymously named Munson Lab study tumor microenvironment in cancers, including glioblastoma, the deadliest form of brain cancer.

The rubber duck lessons inspired Munson’s biotech spinoff based on fluid-flow research using parallels between oceanographers’ predictions on the floating ducks and her team’s work in mapping fluid flow to predict the spread of glioblastoma in adults.

Munson and her team are some of the pioneers behind the burgeoning field of fluid-flow research. Brain cancer invades in distinct patterns that correlate to fluid flow, a process of fluid ebbing and increasing in between cancer cells in the brain tissue, especially along the advancing borders of the tumor. This part of the tumor is important to examine, given its ability to interact with other brain matter and tendency to evade treatment. Munson believes that fluid flow can determine the ways that tumors respond to drug therapies.

With noninvasive MRI and fluid flow mapping, Dr. Jennifer Munson and the Cairina team hope to better understand how cancer spreads and grows.

Called Cairina—the name is drawn from the Latin genus for the Muscovy duck—the biotech’s goal is to improve cancer treatment.

“We need better treatments for patients facing complex and hard-to-treat cancers,” says Munson, who is also an associate professor with the Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics and a co-director of the Virginia Tech Cancer Research Alliance. “The five-year survival rate [for glioblastoma] is just under seven percent. We want to provide oncologists and neurosurgeons with a roadmap for an individual patient’s tumor microenvironment so that they can offer more targeted therapies.”

In surgeries to treat brain cancer, doctors sometimes remove both the tumors and surrounding tissue where the cancer may have spread. With noninvasive MRI and mathematical modeling to map fluid flow, the Cairina team hopes to better predict these areas where cancer is spreading and growing. The aim is for doctors to use the team’s tools to target at-risk tissue more effectively.

Beyond cancer, fluid flow is also important to healthy functioning of other tissues and contributes to how the body responds to other diseases. The lab is working on applying its findings to better understand immunity, aging, and women’s health.

“Our eventual goal will be to partner with imaging device companies that make the MRIs and integrate it directly into their software,” says Caleb Stine, a senior research associate in the Munson Lab. The Cairina team is commercializing their years of research. “Our business is predicting where tumors are going to progress,” he continues. “It’s not something that’s been possible before.”

Madeline Mayhood is editor-in-chief at Virginia Living

CENTRAL VIRGINIA

VCU Medical Center

Richmond VCUHealth.org, 804-828-9000

Thanks to a $3.2 million grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, two VCU Medical Center programs partnered with EMS agencies for comprehensive EMS training, at advanced and basic levels. First responders will be educated on how to react in different emergency situations like overdoses.

UVA Health Medical Center

c h a R l ottesville UVAHealth.com, 434-924-0000

UVA Health Medical Center opened its new outpatient laser eye surgery clinic in June. Vision correction procedures, such as LASIK surgery and photorefractive keratectomy surgeries, will be available. Patients begin with a screening appointment. Surgeries take less than an hour, and patients go home the same day.

Mary Washington Hospital

F R e de R i cksbu R g MaryWashingtonHealthcare.com, 540-741-1100

Mary Washington Hospital received approval for a new anesthesiology residency program. With only two similar programs in Virginia, Mary Washington will provide further education in all areas where anesthesia is currently being used. The hospital hopes to also increase the number of anesthesiologists in the state.

Johnston-Willis Hospital

Richmond HCAVirginia.com, 804-483-5000

HCA Virginia’s Johnston-Willis Hospital is the first hospital in the United States to provide treatment in a new clinical trial for patients with brain metastases from lung cancer. This clinical trial investigates the benefit of combining noninvasive focused ultrasound with systemic immunotherapy as an alternative.

outstanding leaders of Virginia’s healthcare industry

VIRGINIA LIVING IS PROUD TO PRESENT its annual list of the state’s leading healthcare facilities in Top Hospitals and Medical Centers 2024. This extensive guide features 49 hospitals delivering superior and cutting-edge care, along with 12 specialized medical centers. Among these, you’ll find ambulatory surgery centers known for expertise in outpatient procedures and cancer centers recognized for their comprehensive treatment approaches. All 61 facilities exemplify excellence in healthcare, technology, patient satisfaction, and innovative therapies across the Commonwealth.

Chippenham Hospital

Richmond HCAVirginia.com, 804-483-0000

HCA Virginia’s Chippenham Hospital has been certified by the Virginia Department of Health as a fully designated Level I burn center, becoming only the second hospital in Central Virginia with this status. This comes after the hospital updated its burn intensive care unit and added a burn director to the staff.

Bon Secours St. Francis Medical Center

m idlothian BonSecours.com, 804-594-7300

Bon Secours St. Francis is wrapping up renovations after more than two years of construction and a nine-figure expansion project. The two-story, 110,000-square-foot addition to the hospital includes 55 new acute care beds. The area’s booming population growth fueled the expansion that also includes renovations to existing units.

SENSORY INCLUSIVE HOSPITAL

Sentara Williamsburg achieves notable designation.

EARLIER THIS YEAR, Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center (SWRMC) became the first medical facility in Virginia to be certified as sensory-inclusive. The certification was provided by the Alabama-based KultureCity, the nation’s leading nonprofit on sensory accessibility that encourages hospitals to welcome and care for those with sensory needs.

One in four individuals have sensory needs, a group that includes people with autism, PTSD, anxiety, stroke, early onset dementia, and more. Public places, where lights, crowds, and smells can be overwhelming, become a challenge for those with sensory needs. Hospitals are prime examples of places that can trigger sensory overload.

Now, signage at SWRMC announces that the hospital is sensory-inclusive. Resources include two sensory rooms designed to provide a quiet, secure, and soothing environment. In addition, there are sensory bags with noise-canceling headphones, fidget toys, and a feeling thermometer that patients can borrow. Outside, two bench swings offer an additional haven.

KultureCity’s annual certification process requires half of the hospital’s 405 staff members to complete training to recognize

and respond to patients experiencing sensory overload by deploying a “mobile sensory station.” Designed to calm patients, the station includes a large, liquid-filled cylinder swirling with plastic fish and bubbles and illuminated by multicolored lights. According to Amy Lassiter, the hospital’s patient care services manager, who heads the program, the community and hospital staff have been very supportive. The initiative “creates an acceptance for all,” adds chief nursing officer Donna Wilmoth. “Everyone’s welcome. And I think that’s incredibly important.” — by Madeline Mayhood

Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center. Right: SWRMC President Amber Price (L) and Amy Lassiter, manager of patient care services, stand in a sensory room at SWRMC.

Henrico Doctors’ Hospital

Richmond HCAVirginia.com, 804-289-4500

For three decades, the Women’s Hospital at Henrico Doctors’ has been providing expert maternity care, delivering approximately 4,500 babies every year. From prenatal care that includes managing high-risk pregnancies to midwifery and low-intervention birth services, the focus is on respectful, patientcentered maternity care.

Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital

c h a R l ottesville

Sentara.com, 434-654-7000

Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital announced plans for a new Health and Wellness Center that will offer programs on healthy lifestyles, ranging from eating habits to exercise programs. The center will also address health equity with a food pantry, mental health services, and chronic disease management.

Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital

Richmond BonSecours.com, 804-285-2011

In February, Bon Secours St. Mary’s became the first hospital in the state to offer a new FDA-approved treatment for atrial fibrillation. The Medtronic PulseSelect Pulsed Field Ablation System uses pulsed electrical fields rather than the traditional method of thermal ablation. The result is a decreased risk of damaging surrounding tissue.

Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center

m e chanicsville

BonSecours.com, 804-764-6000

Nationally recognized for its stroke treatment program, the 225-bed Bon Secours Memorial Regional Medical Center features a suburban campus with a spectrum of healthcare services, including obstetrics, comprehensive cardiac care, a wound care center, and a 24-hour emergency room. Several outpatient services are available at the adjacent Hanover Medical Park.

Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU Richmond CHRichmond.org, 804-828-2467

Children’s Hospital of Richmond knows family life is busy, so they’re making access to nationally ranked pediatric specialty care easy and convenient. The outpatient pediatric care offered at the VCU Health Short Pump Pavilion is expanding by more than five times and now includes cardiology, nephrology, neurology, and more.

NEW ER STANDARDS START

Physicians required to be on-site in all emergency departments across Virginia by summer 2025.

Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital

s ou th Boston Sentara.com, 434-517-3100

Upgrades and renovations to Sentara Halifax Regional Hospital will create a hub of comprehensive healthcare services, increasing access to quality healthcare in rural areas. The ambitious plan expands the hospital’s current footprint to include general surgical services, intensive care, inpatient treatment, observation beds, an emergency department, and much more.

UVA Health

Children’s Hospital

c h a R l ottesville Childrens.UVAHealth.com, 434-924-0123

UVA president Jim Ryan ran his 13th Boston Marathon in April, raising more than $52,000 for UVA Health Children’s Hospital—his most successful run ever. The facility has been ranked by U.S. News & World Report as the No. 1 children’s hospital in Virginia for three consecutive years.

Parham Doctors’ Hospital

Richmond HCAVirginia.com, 804-747-5600

The Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services awarded Parham Doctors’ Hospital a five-star ranking. This recognition reflects high quality medical performances in five categories: safety of care, mortality, patient experience, readmission rates, and timely and effective care, reflecting the hospital’s commitment to an investment in staff, technology, and overall quality.

ARLIER IN THE YEAR, two Virginia bills were signed into law requiring every emergency hospital department in the state to have at least one physician on-site at all times, starting in July 2025. The current law mandates there must be a physician on-call, but not physically present in the emergency room (ER).

The Virginia College of Emergency Physicians (VACEP) took an active role in guiding the specifics of the law. VACEP is a nonprofit made up of emergency physicians and an extension of the American College of Emergency Physicians. VACEP supports the law, explaining that physicians are trained and uniquely prepared for emergency situations which other medical professionals may not be, making their presence in an ER crucial.

Retreat Doctors’ Hospital

Richmond

HCAVirginia.com, 804-254-5100

Retreat Doctors’ Hospital participated in a clinical trial that included 137 HCA hospitals nationwide to prevent life-threatening intensive care unit infections, specifically to determine whether mupirocin or povidoneiodine decreased antibiotic resistance. The results revealed that the nasal antibiotic ointment mupirocin outperformed an antiseptic solution at preventing Staphylococcus aureus infections in critically ill patients.

Sheltering Arms Institute

Richmond

ShelteringArmsInstitute.com, 804-877-4000

Sheltering Arms Institute announced plans for an expansion of its inpatient physical rehab hospital at its West Creek location. The $25 million project, which includes 30 new patient rooms, is fueled by the need for increased access to high-quality physical rehabilitation services so patients can maximize their quality of life.

The new legislation also gained support because it aims to bolster the care at rural ER locations where on-site physicians are rare and in-need. Often, when circumstances happen that require immediate attention— sometimes to keep the patient alive—the on-call physician needs to perform services that would typically be performed by other specialists. This puts a heavy responsibility on the on-duty team. Virginia will be one of the first in the nation to implement this kind of law. The delay until summer 2025 is due to smaller hospitals needing time to find the staff to satisfy this requirement. The Virginia Department of Health has yet to estimate the amount of feedback from the law’s effect but is ready to accommodate any received. —by Lily Perkinson

VCU Comprehensive Massey Cancer Center

Richmond MasseyCancerCenter.org, 877-462-7739

In June, clinicians and community members gathered at the Science Museum of Virginia for the Director’s Distinguished Visiting Scholars Seminar Series from VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center. Speaker Patricia Ganz, M.D., UCLA medical oncologist, discussed symptom management and quality of life care as important components in cancer treatment.

UVA Health Cancer Center c h a R l ottesville UVAHealth.com Charlottesville: 434-924-9333; Gainesville: 703-753-4045

Seven other community health centers and UVA Health Cancer Center are partnering to launch the Virginia Cancer Screening Collaborative. The initiative aims to provide more approaches to effective cancer screenings as well as to encourage health screenings, particularly for cancer, which are key to early detection.

KEEPING RURAL VIRGINIA HEALTHY

Sentara takes action to promote the spread of hospitals.

Sentara Martha Jefferson

Outpatient Surgery Center

Charlottesville Sentara.com, 434-654-5000

For more than 20 years, Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital has been host to its Outpatient Surgery Center at Pantops. Designed to deliver the highest quality clinical care, the center is host to many of the surgeons on Sentara Martha Jefferson’s medical staff, many of whom regularly operate at the hospital.

UVA Health

Surgical Care Riverside

Charlottesville

UVAHealth.com, 434-293-4995

In a unique strategic alliance, Riverside Health System and UVA Health recently partnered to enable residents of Eastern Virginia to access innovative care for complex medical conditions, transplantation, and the latest clinical trials. Under the agreement, the two healthcare systems will collaborate in multiple areas, including clinical program development and research.

Surgi-Center of Central Virginia

Frederi C ksburg

SCCVa.com, 540-371-5349

Surgi-Center of Central Virginia covers outpatient surgery in areas such as gastroenterology, ophthalmology, and urology. The center includes four operating rooms and three treatment rooms. With an emphasis on patient care, the center has achieved a 95 percent patient satisfaction rate from surveyed patients.

Virginia Eye Institute

r i C hm ond VaEye.com, 804-287-2020

The Virginia Eye Institute now offers Light Adjustable Lens, the first and only lens that can be customized after cataract surgery. Patients can now truly design their own vision by working with their eye care physician to customize their visual outcome. Customization is done through a short series of painless, office-based procedures.

EASTERN VIRGINIA

Sentara Norfolk General Hospital

n o r F ol k

Sentara.com, 757-388-3000

Norfolk General is partnering with programs and agencies to address maternal health, with a focus on prenatal care and high-risk pregnancies. Urban Baby Beginnings encourages using doulas, while Welcoming Baby and Watch Me Grow promote proper prenatal care, full-term deliveries, and active monitoring of newborns during their first year.

Chesapeake Regional Medical Center Chesapeake ChesapeakeRegional.com, 757-312-8121

Chesapeake Regional Medical Center hosted its first open-heart surgery in April. Performed by renowned cardiac surgeon Edward J. Coleman, M.D., and Chesapeake Regional’s open-heart surgical team, the operation was a huge success. This procedure moved the department one step further in addressing the need for cardiovascular services in the area.

SENTARA HEALTH is committed to maintaining hospital locations that cater to community needs, even in rural areas of Virginia. Recently, Sentara increased its investment of $70 million to more than $107 million toward the reconstruction of the Halifax Regional Hospital in South Boston. The current building is more than 70 years old and was dated. To ensure the facility has up-to-date systems, the plan is to rebuild the hospital from the ground up. Additions to services include general surgical procedures, intensive care, and observation beds with an estimated completion date of summer 2026. There will also be more attention focused on making the rooms comfortable for patients

Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital

n ewport n ews

BonSecours.com, 757-886-6000

After a significant donation from Weighted Angels, a local pregnancy and infant loss nonprofit, the newly renovated Birth Place at Bon Secours Mary Immaculate Hospital opened to great fanfare. The 2023 renovations encompassed the labor, delivery, and postpartum units, and room upgrades included new flooring and furniture and bathroom updates.

Riverside Regional Medical Center

n ewport n ews RiversideOnline.com, 757-594-2000

Last year, Riverside Regional Medical Center broke ground on its new facility, expected to open in 2026. This summer, staff celebrated the placement of the final structural beam of the building. The new building will include an emergency department, diagnostic imaging services, four operating rooms, and additional units.

Sentara CarePlex Hospital

h ampton

Sentara.com, 757-736-1000

Sentara CarePlex Hospital was the first hospital in the state to join Project SEARCH, an initiative to prepare high school students with intellectual and developmental disabilities for the workforce. Last year, several participating students graduated with improved social and professional skills, such as being prompt, dressing appropriately, and communicating effectively.

and creating more green space around the hospital, which speaks to integrating nature into the healing process. Since only about one-third of the original hospital was occupied, the new acute hospital will be smaller than its previous footprint, decreasing in size from 300,000 square feet to about 100,000 square feet. With its updated infrastructure and design, the new layout will provide a longer-lasting facility equipped with all the tools and technology needed for years to come. While rural hospitals are witnessing a nationwide decline, services are still in demand. Healthcare systems like Sentara continue to prioritize the health of residents across the state, wherever they may be. —by Lily Perkinson

Sentara Leigh Hospital

n o r F ol k

Sentara.com, 757-261-6000

Nurses at Sentara Leigh Hospital recently created a homegrown algorithm to help even nurses’ workloads and increase patient safety. The Patient Acuity Nursing Tool improves the equitable distribution of patient assignments, preventing overloading by rating patients based on their care needs, then using that rating to make assignments.

Sentara Obici Hospital

s u FF o lk

Sentara.com, 757-934-4000

Sentara Obici Hospital was awarded the designation of a Magnet Hospital by the American Nurses Credentialing Center, universally considered one of the most reputable recognitions in the industry. The distinction showcases facilities where patient care and nursing skills are of the highest quality and skill level.

Sentara Princess Anne Hospital

v i rginia b e a C h

Sentara.com, 757-507-1000

U.S. News and World Report recognized Sentara Princess Anne Hospital as highly ranked in procedures and conditions related to orthopedics as well as cardiology, heart, and vascular surgery. The specialized units and teams are equipped to provide exceptional care for complex situations in these distinct specialities.

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA’S Highest Ranked Hospital

The top-rated care you deserve, in the community you call home. We’re proud to provide that at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital — and to be recognized as a no. 3 hospital in Virginia by U.S. News & World Report.

Discover how research, innovation and clinical excellence in 85 specialties are making the latest in care available in southwestern Virginia at CarilionClinic.org/news/SWVAbesthospital.

Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital

Virginia Beach

Sentara.com, 757-395-8000

Sentara Virginia Beach General Hospital has the only Level III trauma center in the Tidewater region, providing seriously injured patients with immediate and comprehensive medical care. Expert staff are trained through the advanced trauma life support course sponsored by the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma.

Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center

Williams B u rg

Sentara.com, 757-984-6000

The Auxiliary of Sentara Williamsburg Regional Medical Center donated more than $100,000 to assist the hospital in purchasing a second 3D mammography device, the group’s last contribution before disbanding in June. The auxiliary has supported the hospital since 2006, helping raise over $2 million for various programs.

Bon Secours Surgery Center at Harbour View

s uf folk

BSHV-SC.com, 757-673-5832

With six operating rooms, Bon Secours Surgery Center at Harbour View’s state-of-theart technology aids physicians in providing services in treatment areas like OB/GYN, neurology, orthopedic, urogynecology, and more. Its focus on offering a high-quality, service-oriented environment explains its 97 percent patient satisfaction score.

NORTHERN VIRGINIA

Inova Fairfax Hospital

f a lls c hurch

Inova.org, 703-776-4001

In April, Inova Fairfax announced a $20 million grant from the Peterson Family that will help fund two areas in the hospital. Inova Life with Cancer, which the family has supported since 1988, will receive $15 million, with the remaining balance to help finance the Fairfax Emergency Room expansion plans.

A VIRGINIA FIRST

Carilion Clinic introduces innovative therapy for stroke survivors.

CARILION CLINIC IS THE FIRST in Virginia to offer a new treatment for post-stroke patients to restore upper limb function.

Paired with occupational therapy, vagus nerve stimulation with the Vivistim implant can improve a patient’s arm and hand function—two to three times more improvement than solely doing therapy.

“The vagus nerve, when it’s stimulated, promotes healing in the brain and plasticity in the brain. It's helping create healing and networks around that damaged tissue to help you relearn the tasks that you were able to do prior to the stroke,” explains Dr. Justin Weppner, D.O., section chief, Carilion Roanoke Physical Medicine and Rehabilita-

Carilion vagus nerve stimulation patient undergoes occupational therapy exercises to improve arm and hand function post-stroke.

tion. “Generally, we start seeing recovery and improvements within that first one to two weeks with therapies.”

The FDA approved Vivistim in 2021, and Carilion Clinic reached this milestone with patients this past May. During occupational therapy, the therapist sends signals to the implant while the patient performs functional tasks, like buttoning a shirt. This pairing strengthens neural connections.

“Collaboration among Carilion neurosurgeons, physiatrists, and occupational therapists for enhanced stroke therapy provides an incredible approach, which we believe can drastically improve the quality of stroke patients’ lives,” says Weppner. —by Gabriela Gonçalves

VHC Health

a r lington

VHCHealth.org, 703-558-5000

VHC Health, formerly Virginia Hospital Center, is a member of the Mayo Clinic Care Network that enables the hospital to work closely with Mayo Clinic, a world leader in healthcare. Unique benefits to patients include collaborating physicians and access to Mayo expertise, close to home and at no additional cost.

Inova Alexandria Hospital a lexandria Inova.org, 703-504-3000

Inova Alexandria is partnering with the City of Alexandria to redevelop the 52-acre Landmark Mall, infusing the project with more than $1 billion. The current facility will expand to employ more healthcare workers and add four million square feet for a larger ER, new parks, and transit hubs.

Inova Fair Oaks Hospital f airfax

Inova.org, 703-391-3600

Inova Fair Oaks’ orthopedic trauma team joined a multicenter trial for infection prevention in closed pelvis and extremity fractures. The study, involving 25 hospitals in the U.S. and Canada, compared DuraPrep and ChloraPrep—both surgical skin prep solutions—and revealed a marked decrease in post-surgical infection when DuraPrep was used.

Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital f a lls c hurch

InovaChildrens.org, 703-776-4002

Inova L.J. Murphy Children’s Hospital has provided comprehensive, high-quality services to meet the diverse needs of children from prenatal through adolescence for more than 50 years. Its vibrant new logo, with brighter colors and playful imagery, reflects the hospital’s commitment to pediatric care and children’s health and happiness.

Inova Loudoun Hospital l e es B ur g

Inova.org, 703-858-6000

Inova Loudoun Hospital is now offeringLoudoun County Public School athletes free baseline concussion tests to improve concussion management for all student athletes. These tests assess cognitive function and will enhance care at every point of the injury, from preseason injury to post-injury care.

Inova Mount Vernon Hospital a lexandria Inova.org, 703-664-7000

Inova Mount Vernon Hospital president Roberta Tinch was named one of Modern Healthcare’s top 25 Emerging Leaders. The designation recognizes the industry’s rising stars who guide their organizations to innovate and exceed financial, operational, and clinical goals. While in her role, she has expanded the acute behavioral health program.

Reston Hospital Center

Reston HCAVirginia.com, 703-689-9000

In May, Reston Hospital Center opened its new Spine and Orthopedic Center. The center meets more specific needs and includes a multidisciplinary approach from the spine and orthopedic navigators and rehabilitation and physical therapy teams. The unit includes 33 rooms dedicated to caring for spine and orthopedic patients.

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center

Woodb R i dge Sentara.com, 703-523-1000

Sentara Northern Virginia Medical Center recently expanded its mobile PET/CT program. The unit is now available for four extra days each month, allowing for more appointments. Its software combines PET scans and CT scans simultaneously, providing more complete information and more accurate diagnostics.

Stafford Hospital

s ta ffo R d

MaryWashingtonHealthcare.com, 540-741-9000

The American College of Radiology reaccredited the Stafford Hospital for its Computer Tomography Scan Department. The equipment and images the department produces are held to stringent standards, guaranteeing physicians and technologists involved in CT imaging procedures have the necessary training to interpret and perform these procedures accurately.

StoneSprings Hospital Center

s t e R l ing HCAVirginia.com, 571-349-4000

StoneSprings Hospital Center recently named Tammy L. Razmic its new CEO. With more than 30 years of work in the healthcare industry, Razmic was previously COO of two hospital facilities in Florida. Her experience expanding programs and past success within a complex healthcare environment will move StoneSprings and its team forward.

Reston Surgery Center

Reston RestonSurgeryCenter.com, 703-639-3100

Reston Surgery Center was named the number one surgical care center in Virginia in 2024 by Healthgrades. It comprises six large surgical suites and procedure rooms for pain management and minor procedures. The center hosts upward of 140 surgeons and is dedicated to performing a range of private surgical procedures.

UNLOCKING HEALTH

UVA Health researchers explore gene-driven diets for precision wellness.

Inova Loudoun Ambulatory Surgery Center

l e esbu R g Inova.org, 571-209-6465

The Inova Loudoun Ambulatory Surgery Center, on the Inova Loudoun Hospital campus, performs common surgical procedures—from orthopedics and podiatry to ENT and urology. The facility includes a fully equipped operating room, with recovery assisted by skilled nurses. Personalized service and comfortable and convenient facilities are some of the center’s hallmarks.

Inova Franconia-Springfield Surgery Center

a lexand R i a Inova.org, 703-922-9501

As a full-service ambulatory outpatient facility, the latest technology and highly trained teams combined here provide costeffective outpatient services using state-ofthe-art technology in a caring environment. The facility earned a high-performing rating for colonoscopy and endoscopy procedures from U.S. News & World Report

Inova McLean Ambulatory Surgery Center

Mc l e an Inova.org, 703-663-1440

U.S. News and World Report ranked this center as one of the best performing ambulatory surgery centers for gastro health services in the country. As part of Inova, the facility provides outpatient services with advanced medical technology and a highly skilled, compassionate staff.

Northern Virginia Eye Surgery Center

f ai R fa x NoVaEyeSC.com, 703-289-1290

The Northern Virginia Eye Surgery Center specializes in cataract surgery, corneal transplants, oculoplastics, and glaucoma procedures. With a facility that offers a relaxed, patient-focused environment and modern equipment, its experienced staff includes more than 20 highly trained ophthalmologists and a team focused on providing preventive care and comprehensive treatment plans.

SHENANDOAH VALLEY

Winchester Medical Center Wincheste R ValleyHealthLink.com, 540-536-8000

The first in the tri-state area to gain the distinction, Winchester Medical Center has been accredited for their rectal cancer program by the National Accreditation Program for Rectal Cancer. From screening to surgery, pathology, and more, the team and technology meet the needs of patients employing the highest national standards.

Sentara RMH Medical Center h a R R i sonbu R g Sentara.com, 540-689-1000

For the second year in a row, Sentara RMH Medical Center received a high-performing rating for their maternity care by U.S.

COULD THERE BE any better source of information for your health than your own genes? A team of researchers at UVA Health doesn’t think so, which explains why they are exploring nutrigenomics for precision health.

The UVA team is composed of Sibylle Kranz, Susanna Keller, Heather Ferris, and Mete Civelek (pictured at right) Their goals are to test the effects of different diets on body weight, nutrient metabolism, and gene expression, and find out how genetic backgrounds are involved. The study is in its preclinical stage, based on a pilot test feeding four genetically diverse mouse strains four common diets: American, Mediterranean, vegetarian, and vegan.

The team found that different nutrient transporters in adipose tissue—also known as body fat—vary with the amount of sugar in diets, but only in certain mouse strains.

At some time in the future, the team expects that people will be able to visit their healthcare provider and complete testing to look at both their individual genes and nutrient levels. Then a customized diet—backed by science—could be developed to help address health issues, such as maintaining healthy body weight and reducing the risk for future diseases, like cancer, diabetes, or dementia. —by Gabriela Gonçalves

News & World Report. The hospital’s Family Birthplace is served by a team of more than 100 professionals, including 80 registered nurses, and has a history of few delivery complications.

Augusta Health-Fishersville f is he R sville AugustaHealth.com, 540-332-4000

In July, Augusta Health-Fishersville opened its Community Clinic, a primary care facility for adults focusing on a patient-centered approach in an all-inclusive environment and timely access to services. Resident physicians there address chronic conditions and provide acute care and preventative services, utilizing team collaboration to elevate care.

VCU MATERNITY IS TOPS

Newsweek awards hospital five ribbons.

SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA

Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital

Roanoke CarilionClinic.org, 540-981-7000

Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital received the prestigious Focused Verification designation from the American College of Surgeons Quality Verification Program. It offers hospitals a proven, standardized method for establishing, measuring, and improving quality structures across all surgical departments. The designation demonstrates Carilion’s commitment to high-quality surgical care.

VCU MEDICAL CENTER achieved Newsweek ’s highest ranking— five ribbons—on its list of “America’s Best Maternity Hospitals 2024,” one of only 15 hospitals in Virginia and among the state’s top six maternity hospitals to make the list.

“We are proud to be recognized as one of the Commonwealth’s top hospitals for maternity care,” says Tina Mammone, Ph.D., R.N., chief nurse executive at VCU Health. “This prestigious accolade reflects our unwavering commitment to providing exceptional, compassionate care to mothers and their babies.”

Mammone congratulates the healthcare professionals who collaborate to ensure the highest standards of safety, comfort, and support. “Our expert team of doctors, midwives, and nurses

Carilion Children’s Hospital

Roanoke CarilionClinic.org, 540-266-5437

The Child Life Program at Carilion Children’s Hospital is the only of its kind in western Virginia. Utilizing recreational activities, education, and psychology, a specifically trained team is available to provide support to young patients and their families to help them understand the illness, treatment plans, and hospitalization.

Buchanan General Hospital

gR und y BGH.com, 276- 935-1000

In a nationwide competition, Buchanan General Hospital received the runner-up position from Health Quality Innovators in the Rural Health category. The awards celebrate successful healthcare interventions implemented to improve health outcomes. As an example of intentional care, the hospital partnered with local pharmacies to help patients find affordable treatment options.

Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital

collaborate with our patients and community partners to ensure we deliver personalized, safe care,” adds David Chalmow, M.D., chair of the Obstetrics & Gynecology Department. “We are honored to be recognized for our high-quality, patient-centered care.” Hospitals on the Newsweek list scored well in multiple performance metrics that have been deemed important to expectant families, including maternal care expertise and infection prevention. The evaluation was based on three components: an online survey of healthcare professionals and hospital managers with knowledge of the maternity process, results from patient experience surveys, and quality metrics. Nationwide, Newsweek awarded five ribbons to 168 hospitals, while 236 hospitals received four ribbons.

Madeline Mayhood

Carilion New River Valley Medical Center

Rocky Mount CarilionClinic.org, 540-483-5277

Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital has completed its three-phase, three-year renovation and expansion plan. The process started in 2021 and was phased in over time to ensure medical treatments were not interrupted. Renovation updates included adding more than 5,000 square feet of space and pharmacy updates.

Carilion Giles Community Hospital

Pea R i sbu R g CarilionClinic.org, 540-921-6000

Carilion Giles Community Hospital launched two new Moxi Robots this year as part of a cutting-edge implementation of robotic solutions in healthcare delivery. The robots deliver lab samples, fetch items, run supplies, distribute equipment, and support the nursing staff, allowing providers to prioritize patient care.

c h R i stiansbu R g CarilionClinic.org, 540-731-2000

An expansion to the pediatric clinic in Carilion New River Valley Medical Center has officially opened. The multispecialty clinic houses relocated pediatric services under one roof while also introducing several new services to the Valley. With the increase in space, there are more rooms for procedures, exams, and waiting areas.

Carilion Tazewell Community Hospital t azewell CarilionClinic.org, 276-988-8700

The Carilion Tazewell Community Hospital received $335,000 from an emergency rural healthcare grant. Accessible healthcare infrastructure in rural areas is critical to the health and well-being of the millions of people living in small towns. The grant will support the entire telehealth system within the Carilion system.

Clinch Valley Medical Center Richlands ClinchValleyHealth.com, 276-596-6000

Clinch Valley’s radiation therapy team now has a 4D CT unit. This equipment allows for new treatments such as stereotactic radiosurgery and stereotactic body radiation therapy. Being extremely precise and noninvasive, it’s ideal for smaller tumors.

LewisGale Medical Center s a le M

HCAVirginia.com, 540-776-4000

The City of Salem and LewisGale Medical Center partnered to create “Stroke Smart City,” an initiative to educate the surrounding community about the signs of a stroke. With increased awareness of strokes, the better the outcomes will be for survivors.

This section was produced in part by Lily Perkinson, our summer editorial intern, a junior in JMU’s School of Media Arts.

—by

VIRGINIA LIVING’S TOP HOSPITALS

LIGHTNING BOTTLE in a

By MADELINE MAYHOOD |

The haunting images of John Plashal.

Photography by JOHN PLASHAL

john plashal portrait by adam ewing

The history of a place isn’t just about what’s documented in books and on display in museums.

Another world is often overlooked— throughout the urban and rural landscapes, in towns, cities, and neighborhoods. They’re the churches and homes, the town halls and schools, once epicenters of family and community life all over the Commonwealth, that have been abandoned. Now, they’re skeletons of what once was, nearly unrecognizable, with peeling paint, sagging roofs, and broken windows—shells of a past life, often with no one left behind to tell their stories. But to photographer John Plashal, these abandoned places are magical. “There’s nothing prettier,” he says. To him, they are “beautifully broken.”

Dr. Otho Clement Wright, a physician from Richmond, built this gorgeous Victorian in Jarratt at the turn of the 20th century. Many locals know it as the “Wright House,” although it was purchased by the Owen family nearly 80 years ago and converted to a funeral home that operated for decades. The house is positioned in front of train tracks that run parallel to South Halifax Street, and in 1917, Dr. Wright was tragically killed by an oncoming train on his way home. Above left: John Plashal in the Chapel at St. Francis de Sales School at Belmead, an abandoned historic property in Powhatan frequented by the Richmond photographer. Plashal leads regular tours of the 2,300-acre property to keep its incredible story alive.

The Richmond-based photographer remembers the first time he knew he’d caught lightning in a bottle, when he stumbled on two crumbling schools, long abandoned, that stopped him in his tracks.

He was exploring Powhatan and came upon what turned out to be Belmead on the James and two historic schools that once occupied the land. “Some say that the land whispers to them through their feet,” says Plashal, “and that certainly happened to me.” He was so moved that he grabbed his camera and started shooting.

After a bit of detective work, he discovered that the schools were started in the late 1800s, specifically to educate Black children— St. Emma Military Academy for boys and St. Francis de Sales School for girls. The fact that

“Some say that the land whispers to them through their feet, and that certainly happened to me.”

both were on property that was once a plantation was a powerful irony. “The fact that almost 15,000 African-American students were educated on the grounds of a former plantation is a story that needs to be told,” he says, adding that he has initiated coverage on local news stations, as well as CNN and CBS. It’s been a gratifying journey for Plashal, and it all began by committing a crime: trespassing.

That fateful day was a turning point for Plashal, who has spent the last 13 years chronicling what many people find easy to drive by, to overlook. He calls his work “Beautifully Broken Virginia”—also the title of his 2019 book—where he captures the soul of structures through his camera’s lens. From churches to mansions, asylums, prisons, and restaurants, they’re all abandoned. Mother Nature is doing her best to reclaim them—“it’s like she has a sixth sense,” he says—as vines snake through cracks in walls and tangled weeds consume walkways. Tree seedlings sprout from roofs and weeds choke erstwhile gardens.

Belmead was built in the 1840s by Confederate general Philip St. George Cocke, who hired New York architect Alexander Jackson Davis to design a Gothic Revival plantation on the banks of the James River in Powhatan. Jackson made his mark designing country homes in the Hudson River Valley for society’s upper crust—Lyndhurst in Tarrytown is perhaps his most famous— as well as buildings on campuses across the country, including VMI, the University of Michigan, and UNC Chapel Hill. Cocke died in 1861, and in 1897, the Belmead property was conveyed to the Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, a Philadelphia-based Catholic religious order founded by Sister Katharine Drexel, who would become St. Katharine Drexel. An heir to the massive Drexel family fortune, she was deeply religious and committed her life and her fortune to educate Indian and Black children all over the country. Katharine Drexel was posthumously canonized by Pope John Paul II in 2000, the second person born in the United States to be declared a saint,

He explores hollow husks that reveal little of what they once were, as well as the gorgeous, ornate mansions, crumbling and dilapidated, that might contain a host of artifacts about lives left behind. A pair of shoes, a suitcase, a newspaper, photographs are some of the clues he finds in the structures he explores—as if someone ran an errand and

never came back. While hints might surface, they trigger even more questions that go unanswered.

Hamilton High School in Cartersville was shuttered 60 years ago; its last class was dismissed in 1964. Now, its 250-seat auditorium sits empty, layered in dust and memories. What plays were performed on that stage?

Despite decades of neglect, the Chapel at St. Francis de Sales School features Gothic Revival craftsmanship at its finest. Details include stained glass windows, carved wainscotting, an intricate altar, a chancel rail, and gothic-inspired arches, windows, and columns.

The Belmead mansion was purchased by Louise Drexel Morrell—Mother Katharine’s half-sister—in 1893 and converted to the St. Emma Industrial and Agricultural Institute in 1895. It was renamed the St. Emma Military Academy in 1947. To this day, it is the only Black Catholic military academy to ever exist. It educated more than 10,000 young Black male cadets over the course of 77 years, from 1895–1972. Both schools—known collectively as RockCastle—are credited with shaping the lives of 15,000 Black students. The campus, which once included more than 40 structures, has been abandoned since the 1970s when the schools closed.

Constructed with bricks made from nearby clay pits, the St. Francis de Sales Chapel was meticulously designed with input from Mother Katharine Drexel. Operational from 1899–1970, St. Francis de Sales School educated approximately 5,000 Black girls over the course of seven decades.

Sometimes Plashal is rewarded by meeting people connected to the abandoned properties he shoots. He does this through practiced, down-home sleuthing, which he accomplishes by spending time in the communities he explores. “I interview loggers, bribe firemen with donuts, initiate conversations with locals in diners, and approach patrons at gas stations,” he says. “Many times, I’ll just knock on doors. Rural Virginians are super friendly. All they want to do is accommodate me, especially when they realize my intentions of learning about their community in genuine.” And when he meets someone who actually grew up in a house or worshipped in a church or attended a school—“that’s the icing on the proverbial cake,” Plashal says, flashing a confident smile.

Richard Avedon photographed models, Ansel Adams, the landscape—all images of conventional beauty. But think of Plashal as being more like Diane Arbus, who captured those on the fringe, people who were shunned and not revered. Through Plashal’s lens, beauty is in the unconventional. His work introduces us to parts of our communities that otherwise go ignored. And now, in a world in which TikToks and Instagram posts set expectations unrealistically high—for what we see, how we look, and what we consume—he reveals the beauty in what’s broken.

A pair of shoes, a suitcase, the newspaper, photographs are some of the clues left in the structures Plashal explores—as if someone ran an errand and never came back.

Were it not for the ivy creeping through the wall and peeling paint, this vignette looks as if someone stepped out for tea. The marble-topped dressing table with wedding photos prominently displayed, clothes casually draped from an open drawer, spools of thread, sheers, and an open book all look frozen in time.

Though dilapidated over time, this living room, in an abandoned farmhouse in Richmond County in the Northern Neck, signals the cozy nature of a well-lived in space— from the sizeable wood stove, assorted photographs, a chandelier, draperies, upholstered chairs, candlesticks, a corner cupboard, and Sheraton-style dining chairs.

A Journey Through Virginia’s Abandoned Afterworld

JOHN PLASHAL has a corner on eerie Virginia as well as an emotional connection to the subjects he photographs—the diners, asylums, churches, schools, and homes he has discovered all over the Commonwealth. He says they represent Virginia’s “abandoned afterworld” that offer intriguing and cryptic clues about the people who once thrived in these forgotten and decaying places. His attachment to these

structures drove him to commemorate their unique appeal through A Beautfully Broken Virginia, his 120-page art book with 80 powerful and haunting images he’s managed to capture throughout the dozen years he’s been roaming the state. Listen to his podcast, dive deeper into “extreme landscape photography,” learn about upcoming shows and lectures, purchase prints, and more at JohnPlashalPhoto.com.

A Beautifully Broken Virginia is available for purchase at JohnPlashalPhoto.com

Photographer John Plashal stumbled on this neglected beauty in Russell County. Once a private home converted into a community center, it was abandoned decades ago. Today, it’s perilously positioned, leaning at a 45-degree angle into the mountain that supports it.

Virginia falconers preserve an ancient sport.

By LARRY BLEIBERG |

Photography by KYLE L A FERRIERE

Virginia Falconers’ Association member Gary Kershner’s Harris’s hawk, Squeekers, gets ready for a hunt.

OOn a chilly January morning, Jacob Roberts steps into the woods off a country road outside Harrisonburg and begins hitting brush with a long stick.

“Ho, ho, ho,” he yells, and a moment later he gets a response. A squirrel jumps from the growth and darts into the snow-covered forest. Athena, Roberts’ red-tailed hawk perched in a tree above him, dives toward the gray streak.

For the next few minutes, the action progresses deep into the woods. The raptor misses its mark, and the squirrel races up a towering tree. But when it jumps to a higher branch, the bird strikes again. Trigger warning here for the faint of heart: There’s a flurry of feathers and fur as they both tumble to the ground.

Roberts rushes over and pulls off his bird, trading him a piece of meat for the now-dead squirrel, which he places in a bag to feed Athena later. It feels like I’ve watched a nature documentary play out in front of me.

Jasmine Peak, who drove from Hampton to learn about falconry, is equally wowed. “You get a connection to nature like I’ve never had.”

This morning’s hunt, part of the annual winter meeting of the Virginia Falconers’ Association (VFA), has convinced Peak and her husband that they want to start the multiyear process to be certified to train and own a raptor.

Jacob Roberts and his red-tailed hawk, Athena, pose proudly after catching a squirrel at the annual VFA’s meet in Harrisonburg in January.

EEarlier that morning, I had joined the scruffy group of falconers and visitors in the lobby of the meet’s host hotel, the Harrisonburg Ramada Inn.

It felt like I’d wandered into a bizarre coffee shop, with some patrons holding cups and others with raptors perched on their arms. Most of the birds are docile, but occasionally one flutters in midair, trying to fly until it reaches the end of a short tether.

I was in select company. Falconry is strictly regulated with about 4,000 people in the nation licensed to own birds, and about 120 in Virginia, counting owners and apprentices. It takes at least two years to get credentialed, a lengthy process requiring a sponsor. Every bird

caught and raised by a falconer is registered with the state and federal wildlife authorities, and owners must report when a bird is released, escapes, or dies.

The falconry season runs roughly from November through March. Many start by trapping a bird in the fall, first teaching it to eat from a gloved hand. Eventually, it will hunt with a human, working together to track down prey.

But come spring, falconers often release their bird to the wild in what can be an emotional moment—for the human.

“There’s a lot of poetry and magic,” says Eden Elmore, an electrical designer from Richmond, who has come out for the meet. “It’s the most connected relationship you can have with an animal.”

However, there’s one thing a falconer can’t forget, she tells me. “The bird doesn’t love you. You have to remember that. But you absolutely fall in love with your bird.”

No Cuddly Plaything

Falconers know that their raptor is no cuddly plaything. It’s a perfectly engineered killing machine, spying prey from the air and attacking often before the victim even knows it’s at risk.

It’s something Charlottesville-based nature writer Jennifer Ackerman learned several years ago. The New York Times best-selling author recalls how a falconer had her and a couple dozen others lie on their backs in a grassy field with their eyes shut. Without telling them what to expect, his assistant released a Harris’s hawk to swoop over their bodies.

“It was the most incredible experience,” she says. “You heard the swoosh. You can feel the breeze. You could hear the noise. It was the experience of being prey, honestly. You never see what’s coming.”

The Harrisonburg meet also attracts people like David Culotta, 71, of Richmond. He traces his interest in the

VFA member Gary Kershner and Squeekers on the hunt in Harrisonburg.

Visitors and members of the VFA at the annual Harrisonburg hunt in January.

Fluffy Ruffles, a hawk belonging to VFA president Brian Cullen (below, in orange) perches on a branch to search for squirrels.

“All of sudden he took off. I figured this is the end. I could barely faintly hear these bells going, and I thought Oh my gosh, he’s coming back. I can’t believe it.”

—David Culotta, Richmond falconer

sport to a childhood viewing of a 1958 Kirk Douglas movie, The Vikings. But it remained in the back of his mind until about eight years ago when he attended a VFA meeting and felt the pull of the sport.

“You have a wild bird, and first it doesn’t want anything to do with you,” he says. But with work the dynamic changes. “You can blow a whistle and call their name, and they’ll fly to your hand. It’s exciting and thrilling.”

First, Get a Bird

But first, you must get a bird. While they can be purchased, many falconers catch their own. Late last November, Culotta got a call from Roberts, the falconer whom I had seen nab a squirrel in Harrisonburg. He knew Culotta was looking for a raptor and told him he had seen a few hawks in Midlothian. Working together, they laid out a trap behind a Target store that was baited with two live gerbils protected by a cage. Within minutes they had captured Odin, quickly attaching anklets with bells and hooding his eyes. Culotta then took him home to a spacious aviary called a mews that he had built in his backyard in Richmond’s Northside.

It was Culotta’s second hawk, and he knew he had to be tough, offering the bird food only when it jumped to his gloved hand. Within days the bird was responding, and over the next few weeks, Culotta began to blow a

whistle and call Odin’s name when he offered him food. Training progressed to flying across the mews when leashed. Soon Culotta felt confident enough to let the bird fly untethered.

Returning is Roulette

But a falconer always wonders if the bird will return. Culotta remembers flying Odin in Caroline County. “All of sudden he took off.” For 45 minutes there was no sign of the bird. “I figured this is the end. This is the way it was supposed to be,” Culotta remembers.

He blew the whistle one last time. “I could barely faintly hear these bells going, and I thought Oh my gosh, he’s coming back. I can’t believe it.”

Some falconers keep birds for several years, but Culotta let Odin go. On March 25, the falconer’s birthday, he removed the bird’s anklets and took him to a field in Hanover County.

“I kind of felt like I was doing the bird a big favor,” says Culotta. “This is where he’s supposed to be anyway. Being a falconer, you’re lucky you can borrow the bird and be with it for a while.”

Odin left Culotta’s arm and flew to a tree branch. “I stood around for 10 or 15 minutes, but he never really flew away. It was a pretty morning and eventually I thought: Okay, this is it. And I had to turn around and drive away.”

FALCONRY HAS A LONG and noble history, stretching back more than 4,000 years. The practice is believed to have begun in the Arabian Desert, where hunters learned how to work with birds to catch prey. Merchants, traders, and Crusaders brought the practice to Asia and Europe, and, over time, it became popular with nobility, giving it the name “sport of kings.” In recent years, falconry has been recognized by UNESCO as part of the world’s Intangible Cultural Heritage collection.

Sport of Kings

Jacob Roberts’ hawk, Athena, receives care after getting a scratch from capturing a squirrel during the hunt (above).

Richmond falconer David Culotta trains his red-tailed hawk, Odin, to perch on his glove by using a whistle and rewarding with beef hearts. Culotta first captured Odin last November behind a Target store off Midlothian Turnpike.

“I doubt there are many raptors in the world that someone has not attempted to train and hunt with.”

—Brian Cullen, VFA president

VFA president Brian Cullen and his female Harris’s hawk, Logos, at the VFA meet in January.

Raptors at the Ramada: VFA members posed with their birds before heading out for an early morning hunt. Clockwise from top left: Eden Elmore with red-tailed hawk, Pumpkin; Kevin Markey with aplomado falcon, Peewee; Corine Hagan with red-tailed hawk, Cleopatra, and hunting dog, Racer; Robert Gettleman borrows Gary Kershner’s Harris’s hawk, Squeekers.

ABOUT THE VFA

THE STATEWIDE ORGANIZATION works closely with the Virginia Department of Wildlife Resources to train falconers and regulate the sport. The group holds three annual public events. Two hunting outings include a winter meet typically held in Harrisonburg, and a New River Valley Field Meet, usually held in March near Blacksburg. Each has educational activities and the possibility to join a hunt by invitation of a member. A summer picnic, which includes educational sessions, is held in August at Lake Arrowhead Park in Luray. VaFalconers.com

Raptor Speak

Back at the Ramada Inn, Brian Cullen, the president of the state falconry association, began to assemble members and their birds in the parking lot for a photo. The group made a curious collection, like a Game of Thrones fan club meeting with regal birds posed on leather gloves.

The most common Virginia raptors used by falconers are hawks, both red-tailed and Harris’s, and several are on display this morning with names like Tziporah, Pumpkin, and Cleopatra. There’s also a hybrid gyrsaker falcon named Polly, along with an aplomado falcon and a Eurasian goshawk.

Raptors face a high mortality rate in the wild. They’re often hit by cars as they eat roadkill or die after consuming a poisoned rodent. Captive birds have

THE INSIDE Virginia Falconers’ Association

much better odds at survival, falconers say.

“I doubt there are many raptors in the world that someone has not attempted to train and hunt with,” Cullen says, citing native North American birds including American kestrels (the smallest raptor), along with prairie falcons, peregrine falcons, merlin falcons, gyrfalcons, American goshawks, and golden eagles, one of the continent’s largest raptors.

In addition, some falconers use old-world species like Eurasian goshawks, Bonelli’s eagles, and several types of falcons, including lanner, merlin, and laggar.

Eventually, our group—raptors and falconers alike— pauses for a picture. Then everyone piles into cars to fan out to privately owned properties around Harrisonburg where the birds will soar.

A Wild Connection

Drake Haydock of Charlottesville traces his falconry interest to YouTube videos he began watching at age 12. Two years later, he was an apprentice. Now 24, he is raising and training Tonto, a regal red-tailed hawk he caught in a Sheetz parking lot on New Year’s Eve. I met the pair at the Harrisonburg meet, and Haydock invited me to watch him train his bird. A few weeks later, we got together in an open field near Charlottesville where the day’s lesson was to fly from Haydock’s gloved hand to my gloved hand while attached to a long leash. It’s a crucial skill before free-flight.

When Haydock lifts his arm, Tonto pumps his wings to stabilize himself. I stand about 15 yards away, extend my arm and call out a command: Up!

Tonto rotates his head, his pinpoint eyes focusing on me. His wings pump again, and he zips across the gap separating us, pouncing on the leather glove covering my forearm. He tears a piece of meat from my hand, and turns to me, wanting more.

It feels like a dance—and a threat. And for a moment, I sense the same emotion I had felt on that cold morning hunt in Harrisonburg: a direct connection with the wild.

Charlottesville-based freelance writer Larry Bleiberg is the past-president of the Society of American Travel Writers, and a contributor to BBC Travel , the Washington Post , Garden & Gun , AARP, Virtuoso, and others.

during training.

Close with a Raptor

Virginia offers several places to see birds of prey in flight and even interact with them. Read on for details on three:

BOAR’S HEAD RESORT, Charlottesville:

Interact with a variety of captivebred, trained birds, including owls, falcons, and hawks Falconry at the Boar’s Head includes both beginner and introductory levels where participants learn about the history of the sport, watch a flying demonstration, meet the birds, and enjoy the thrill of a hands-on experience. BoarsHeadOutfitters.com

OMNI HOMESTEAD RESORT, Hot Springs:

Master falconer Linda Spence leads educational and interactive workshops that introduce guests to the resort’s menagerie of birds, including lanner and aplomado falcons, a Eurasian eagle owl, and three Harris’s hawks. Guests can take a walk with a raptor and may see them attack prey. OmniHotels.com

RAPTOR HILL FALCONRY, Stanley:

Master falconer Jennifer Westhoff offers five different experiences, including an owl encounter and a half-day falconry course in the Shenandoah Valley. Her bird inventory includes two lanner falcons, a barn owl, an Eurasian eagle owl, a red-tailed hawk, a Harris’s hawk, a saker falcon, and an augur buzzard. RaptorHill.com

SALAMANDER RESORT, Middleburg:

Birds of Prey Interaction, a twohour session, covers the history of the sport, a flying demonstration, hands-on instructions in basic bird-handling, and a chance for participants to call a hawk to their gloved hand. The birds used vary, but may include a Harris’s hawk, a peregrine falcon, and a gyr-saker falcon. SalamanderResort.com

Take your hawk to work:

David Culotta trains Odin to perch in his Ashland carpet workroom, Divine Designs. Thawed, day-old chicks serve as encouraging nourishment.

Above: Culotta pauses training at his Richmond home to take a call.

Below: A Richmond police officer encounters Culotta and Odin

Odin left Culotta’s arm and flew to a tree branch. “I stood around for 10 or 15 minutes, but he never really flew away. It was a pretty morning and eventually I thought: Okay, this is it. And I had to turn around and drive away.”

Flying off the Shelf

In her New York Times best-selling books, Charlottesville resident , naturalist, and science writer Jennifer Ackerman delights readers with the latest research about bird behavior. Her newest release, What an Owl Knows (Penguin, 2024), introduces us to birds like the late Papa G’Ho, a rescue owl at the Wildlife Center of Virginia in Waynesboro, who served as a foster parent to owlets. His fierce devotion led Virginia Living to once name him the state’s Coolest Dad. In this edited conversation, she describes why birds fascinate us.

Q: What draws you to birds?

A: For me it’s almost a spiritual experience, I just love observing another form of life and thinking about how birds might experience the world.

Q: Why are we so interested in them?

A: It’s partly flight. It's also song. Birdsong is just so beautiful and often musical. And over the ages, birds have really been kind of thought of as visitors from the spirit world, from another realm.

Q: Your work has taken you around the globe—and Virginia. Tell us about joining researchers to band Northern saw-whet owls in the Powhatan Wildlife Management Area.

A: They’re very, very hard to spot. One of the best experiences I had was to go out on Halloween with mist nets to capture them and talking to the people who are doing the work. The first time I held the owl it was just so transporting and powerful. They’re the owl on the cover of my book. They’re small and so cute, but they’re really, really ferocious hunters.

Q: Is Virginia a good place to see birds?

A: Absolutely, we’ve got all the shorebirds on the coastal areas and marshes, and then warblers passing through … woodpeckers and owls and herons—just the full gamut. When I moved into my house in Charlottesville, the people that had been there before me said that my yard had 80 species. Virginia is just a terrific place to bird.

David Culotta trains his red-tailed hawk, Odin, in Culotta’s Ashland carpet workroom. Culotta released Odin into the wild in March, just four months after first catching him.

Author Jennifer Ackerman with a great grey owl.

Lady, Sugar, and the Sweet Sixteen

Memories of a father and son’s epic quail hunt.

By GEORGE TISDALE | Illustration by ALAN BAKER

ACERTAIN SMELL CAN RETRIEVE THE OLDEST OF MEMORIES, ones tucked away in the mind’s basement in a filing cabinet labeled “Childhood,” seldom recalled but especially vivid when they are. One of mine that instantly returns me to age 8 is an autumn bouquet of cool outdoors, earthy woods, and eau de dog that clung to my father’s hunting jacket. It’s a poignant experience, that smell.

The Typical Tisdale Bird-Hunting Party then comprised my father, his two bird dogs, a World War II–era Willys Jeep, and a Browning semiautomatic shotgun—dubbed the “Sweet Sixteen”—made by Fabrique Nationale in Belgium. And, on occasion, me, toting a BB gun made by Daisy in the U. S. of A.

The dogs, given names Lady and Sugar, were white and liver-spotted English Pointers—and gun dog royalty. Daddy had driven all the way to Alabama to buy them. “I never told Lillian how much I paid for those dogs,” he once admitted to a hunting buddy. It had been $600 in late-1950s dollars, roughly $6,500 today. My mother never found out.

The Jeep, in contrast, had been military surplus—more than 640,000 had been manufactured in WWII; the government had plenty to unload afterward—a four-wheel-drive bargain. My father probably thought they should’ve just given it to him, a parting gift, as it were, for having to jump overboard into the Pacific when a kamikaze slammed into his troop ship at the Battle of Leyte Gulf. On vacation with us at Myrtle Beach, Daddy would stare at the ocean. Even if it was the Atlantic, he still wasn’t going in.

If a boy learns, in some measure, how to be a man by participating in a father’s cherished activity, my initiation into manhood commenced in a wilderness classroom in Southside Virginia. The course synopsis covered the love of the land, the camaraderie of men on a quest, an appreciation for where food comes from, the invaluable help of well-trained dogs, and, always, always, respect for the deadly potential of a firearm. Daddy had been an expert rifleman in the army; he was an expert with that shotgun, too.

The sensations and events of one day’s class remain forever in my mind.

There was the Jeep, bucking up and down over roadless ground. The claws of eight paws scrambling for purchase on the metal floorboard behind us. Panting snouts hovering between our shoulders. Warm drops of dog drool anointing my cheek.

Walking into a clearing. Dogs out ahead, quartering: darting side-to-side, heads up, sniffing the air. Dogs crisscrossing a small area, heads down, tails wagging madly; getting “birdy” it’s called. Dogs on point, frozen, tails straight up to say Here we are!—perfect, living copies of a bronze statue in Union Springs, Alabama, otherwise known as Bird Dog Field Trial Capital of the World—and pointer body language for “Quail!” It’s a moment of stillness. And exquisite tension.

The Sweet Sixteen went to Daddy’s shoulder. He stomped a foot. Lady and Sugar leapt into the brush. The air exploded with the tiny thunder of a covey on the wing. Boom! went the Browning. In the near distance, a puff of feathers, suspended in air like a blown-on dandelion. Slight barrel shift. Boom! Puff of feathers. Barrel swing. Boom! Puff.

Three shells, the shotgun’s capacity. Three birds.

I questioned ownership of the tally. After all, I’d made a snap shot with my Daisy. In the spirit of hunting-party fellowship, Daddy allowed that I just might have bagged one. Back at the Jeep he took a photo of me holding a bird. A few days later, we had the quail for dinner, two to a plate, looking like miniature chickens of dark, succulent meat. Inside awaited the occasional number-six birdshot to discover mid-bite. But, to my disappointment, no BB.

When I was 13, I lost my father to cancer, and it felt as if I’d been ripped from childhood into adulthood in a flash. Of all his personal effects, I treasured the Sweet Sixteen the most. Wish I had it now—our home in Chase City was burglarized, and it was stolen. But I’d recognize that shotgun even to this day. Daddy had gone through a spell of missing birds. Had to be the gun, he thought. It was; the barrel was bent. Where it had been straightened, the bluing had a telltale tarnish.

But I’ll always have that crisp autumn day with Daddy and Lady and Sugar and a display of bird-shooting rarely seen. The memory eases me back into the boyhood I lost. And over the many decades since, it’s kept father and son connected in the sweetest of ways.

In his spare time, writer and painter George Tisdale trods mountain trails, wades trout streams, pets other people’s dogs, and wrangles grandchildren. He lives in Richmond.

A young George Tisdale poses by his father’s Jeep. Left: Lady and Sugar with family friend Stanley Tucker.