By Bob Tagert With February temperatures spring like, we decided to take a road trip to Mathews, Virginia and stay at the Inn at Tabbs Creek. After years of sailing my own boat and sailing with others I had heard a lot about the maritime history of Mathews County. During the 18th and 19th centuries, more than 2,000 vessels were built in Mathews. The demand for sailing ships increased during the Revolutionary War and the industry dominated in the county until before the Civil War. During this time period, more vessels were constructed in Mathews than anywhere else in Virginia. The history of Gloucester and Mathews counties revolves around the Chesapeake Bay and those who worked its waters for generations. Those old enough to recall the days when buy boats came in and out of the harbors will tell you that many of the vessels were crafted by local boatbuilders. Today, there are those who work to keep the history of these artisans and their boats from being forgotten. Mathews and Gloucester counties lie along the Chesapeake Bay and are bordered by the Rappahannock and the York Rivers. There are a number of routes to take to get there. We decided to avoid I-95 and Fredericksburg and chose to head into Maryland, take route 5 south to Waldorf and continue down Route 301, across the Potomac River, across the Rappahannock River and into Port Royal. From there we picked up Route 17, the “Tidewater Trail” and headed south. After traveling for about 45 minutes you will come to the county seat and you can either take route 3 or continue on 17. As you go deeper into the county you will need a good map or GPS. Here the driving is like Rappahannock County…no traffic lights and spotty internet service….
By Bob Tagert …sort of. This month’s Road Trip started out as a day trip but by the time we reached Annapolis, we decided to stay the night. It was a good decision all the way around. Having more time in Annapolis is always a bonus. About forty years ago, when I still had a motorcycle, I would take day trips to the waterfront towns in Maryland. One of my favorite stops was the Swamp Circle Saloon. A bawdy kind of place and very inexpensive. It is no longer there, but we decided to take the drive to see who remained. Our first stop took us to Deale, Maryland on Tracy’s Creek and Happy Harbor Restaurant. Happy Harbor has been there alongside the creek as long as I can remember. As one comment read, “Great local place that is no frills, but good food with realistic pricing. If you’re looking for a local place to enjoy some live music without breaking the bank, get happy and happy harbor. Try the crushes, there’s enough variety to keep you coming back for a while!” This truly is a view into the life of folks in Deale. Hard working, fun loving people that know what it is all about. Happy Harbor has their own charter fishing operation and story has it the captain always finds the fish. On our day there, the place was standing room only but we found two seats at the far end of the bar. Our bartender was Peggy who is fantastic. Clearly she is part of the fabric which is Happy Harbor. The earlier quote was accurate. The price of the drinks alone encourage you to stay. Once you settle in, it is hard to leave…but we did. Our next stop was Skippers Pier – across and a…
By Bob Tagert As is our practice every January, we revisit our Road Trips from the previous year. In 2022 we were finally able to hit the road with less worry about masking up and the stigma of the pandemic lightened up. Whew! February – Harrisonburg, VA February found us on the road to Harrisonburg in the central Shenandoah Valley of the Commonwealth. The city has come to represent a large community of ethnic and linguistic diversity in recent years. Over 1,900 refugees have been settled in Harrisonburg since 2002. Language learning software Rosetta Stone was founded in Harrisonburg in 1992 and the multilingual “Welcome Your Neighbor” yard sign originated in Harrisonburg in 2016. This part of the Commonwealth is home to James Madison University and Massanutten Ski Resort. It is also in close proximity to the Shenandoah Wine Trail wineries and lots of outdoor activities. The food scene in Harrisonburg is as diverse as its residents – a good place for you “foodies” to visit. March – Leonardtown, Maryland We decided to “Rediscover a most Exceptional Place”…Leonardtown. Many of you may recognize the name Leonardtown since it is famous for sponsoring the annual oyster-shucking championships held at the St. Mary’s County fairgrounds. Although most of Southern Maryland is surrounded by water, the only water access to Leonardtown is Breton Bay which leads to the Potomac River. Today, historic Leonardtown remains the only incorporated municipality in St. Mary’s County with its own elected mayor and town council. The town is experiencing a renaissance of its downtown as witnessed by the recent and continued openings of several new restaurants and businesses, some which are located in historic buildings. The ever changing Leonardtown Wharf is open as a public attraction for both locals and tourists, Facilities for boating, kayaking and canoeing are…
By Bob Tagert We have been writing Road Trip articles for at least 30 of the almost 35 years we’ve been in publication. They began as a story about a destination near Alexandria. Then we got into Day Tripping when I had my 1974 Fiat Spider which was perfect for a day’s excursion. As our publication grew we expanded our focus and ventured farther out. Most of these involved an overnight stay near the destination and in fact, sometimes the destination was the the place we stayed. Our recent visit to the beautiful Swanendele Inn in Southern Maryland is a good example. A number of years ago we decided to write about our beautiful Old Town Alexandria every December as this is a time to stay home with family and friends…Welcome Home. I will start with a brief history of what it was like when I arrived in 1977. Old Town was approximately six blocks long. It was King Street from the Potomac River to Washington Street. There were a few restaurants on the other side of Washington Street but only a few…the concentration was near the water in the old seaport town which was founded in 1749. Old Town, as we know it today, was in its infancy. The town’s daring merchants transformed a neglected area and gave it a heartbeat. When I arrived, there was live music in almost every restaurant, mostly local folks playing their own music while covering favorite songs for their dedicated customers. Parking was plentiful and pedestrian traffic was minimal…but what a good time! Today, over time and like the Old Town Crier, things have changed. The town is now one of the most vibrant waterfront cities on the east coast. Some of the places that provided music are now gone replaced by more…
By Bob Tagert For this month’s Road Trip we decided to head south in St. Mary’s County to where the water meets the road where our ultimate overnight goal was Swanendele Inn in Ridge. The drive down Maryland Route 5 is about one and a half hours through St. Mary’s County and it takes you past scarred fields from this year’s harvest and the many remaining tobacco Barns from the days when Maryland was a top producer of tobacco. In comparison to those barns standing like headstones to a lost industry, you will pass beautiful Amish farms and maybe catch a wave to an Amish family out for a buggy ride. When we arrived at the town of Ridge we turned into the driveway of the Inn and were met by owner Gerald Meyerman. This proper Dutchman walked with us to the front entrance and explained that Swanendele was Dutch for “Valley of Swans”” and named after the resident pair of swans. The property was purchased in 2001 by Meyerman and his wife Victoria O’Hara – Alexandria residents at the time. The couple were impressed by the natural beauty of St. Mary’s County and the property features 800 feet of waterfront on St. Jerome Creek. The couple planned and built the Inn between professional assignments overseas, resulting in the opening of Swanendele Inn in June of 2019. Although the Inn resembles a beautiful building from yesteryear, the house also features modern systems and conveniences, including geothermal heating and cooling, ultraviolet filters in all air handling units while preserving the warmth of a large loved and lived in family home. Both Gerald and Vicky have lived and worked all over the world in professional capacities. The furnishings and artwork at Swanendele represent the many destinations of their travels. On one of…
By Bob Tagert To get a jump on the folks seeking fall foliage in October, we hopped on the Potomac Eagle for a leisurely trip through the heart of the West Virginia Potomac Highlands and the South Branch of the Potomac River in Romney. The vintage diesel locomotive took us on a three hour round trip ride through the beautiful mountains and fields that border the South Branch of the Potomac. The journey begins at Wappocomo Station located next to a charming homestead and a sprawling view of the mountains. Once you get out of the station, the train tracks are about 25 to 50 feet back from the river. The summer foliage that we encountered made for difficult views of the river except when the train came to the occasional clearing and then views of the rapids and kayakers were spectacular. Although the foliage was dense in some spots, by the time this column is read, fall will be upon us and the leaves will have started to turn and begin to fall. Since October and November in the West Virginia Highlands will be colder, the viewing will be much better as well as more colorful. Soon the fields and pastures began to disappear as the mountains closed in on the river from both sides. We had entered a part of the canyon named The Trough. The Trough is a 6-mile long wooded gorge carved by the river as it continues northwestern course with several bends in the river and large boulders dislocated from the ridges above dotting its shores. The steep slopes of the Trough are forested primarily with oaks, hickories, Virginia pine and large quantities of paw paw; with several rock outcrops visible on both sides. The two wooded ridges that define the Trough make it inaccessible…
By Bob Tagert So what is Glamping? Glamping is short for “glamorous camping” and has become a mainstay of outdoor recreation over the past decade. If your essential list contains things such as a real mattress, running water or an actual toilet, you can still find numerous options that bridge the gap between traditional camping and the comforts of home. Last month we returned to one of our favorite places, the Shenandoah Valley near Luray, Virginia. We are familiar with both sides of the mountain at Thornton Gap since we do the Blue Ridge distribution each month. Our normal route is to come in on the east side at Sperryville and then cross the mountain into Luray. This we did, and when we reached Spacious Skies Shenandoah Valley Campground we discovered that it was only a few hundred feet from Route 340 which runs between Luray and Front Royal. When we returned home we took Route 340 north to Front Royal and then picked up Interstate-66. This reduced the driving time substantially. A very pleasant discovery. We like to take every back road possible on our treks to Road Trip destinations and then the “fastest” way back on the trip home. The good thing about “Waze” and GPS is that you can pick and choose part of your route coming and going. The Grounds. Spacious Skies Shenandoah Valley is a serene slice of heaven, conveniently located just 20 minutes off I-81 and about four miles from Skyline Drive and Thornton Gap. The complex is nestled in the farmland atop a hill. Surrounded by the Blue Ridge Mountains, the views are spectacular. The campground is close to Luray Caverns, the famed Skyline Drive in Shenandoah National Park, the Shenandoah River and several Civil War sites. In addition to camp sites and…
By Bob Tagert That is, the movie Dirty Dancing! With the 1987 iconic movie celebrating its 35th year along with young people and dance, we decided to take our Road Trip to the primary filming location. Most of us are familiar with the movie and when we had the chance to visit and stay at the site of the movie we took advantage of the invitation. Don’t be fooled, however, there is so much more to Mountain Lake Lodge than Dirty Dancing fame. Mountain Lake Lodge is located in the southwest mountains of Virginia in Pembroke, VA. Nearby is the campus of Virginia Tech, the New River, Appalachian Trail and plenty of mountains. At approximately 4,000 feet on Salt Pond Mountain you will find the stone lodge, rustic cabins and cozy cottages that make up Mountain Lake Lodge. Upon our arrival, after a winding, uphill climb, we arrived at the lodge nestled in a bowl and surrounded by an old growth forest. The stone lodge is very impressive on first sight and more so after entering the beautiful hotel. We checked in and they gave us directions to our cottage in the center of the compound. We were given a cottage named Norfolk. All of the cottages and cabins have names from back in the days they were built. Our accommodations were very comfortable and complete with a balcony overlooking the volley ball and badminton courts, the two pools, Baby’s cottage and in the distance the dried up lake (we will get to that shortly). The cottage included a king size bed, stone fireplace and a jacuzzi tub. The tub came in handy after a day of kayaking on the New River. Even though the evenings were cool, it didn’t warrant a wood fire in the evening, however we did…
By Bob Tagert With gas prices still high, we decided to take a road trip closer to home. About 55 miles north-east of Alexandria you can find Fells Point along the Patapsco River near Baltimore, Maryland. In 1726, English Quaker, William Fell bought land he named Fell’s Prospect. This eventually became Fells Point and it appears that you can spell it Fell’s or Fells. I’m going with use Fells. My relationship with Fells Point began over 30 years ago when I crewed on the Patricia Divine, a two-masted schooner, in the Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race. The race actually starts in Annapolis and ends along the waterfront at the Norfolk Mall in Norfolk, Virginia. The boats gather in the Patapsco River around Fells Point a day or two before the race to prep for the great race. This is how I first discovered Fells Point. Looking ahead to a few days on the water racing we all took a little liberty and visited the town of small shops, restaurants and an array of really cool bars. We spent the majority of the night at the Cat’s Eye Pub, truly a sailor’s kind of place. Back then the area was undergoing a revitalization period and the results show today. The main attraction is still the selection of watering holes and restaurants along Thames Street, the main drag. Like Old Town Alexandria, they have all adjusted to the additional outdoor dining space (result of the pandemic protocols) that takes up former parking spots. There are also a number of fine establishments a block or two off of Thames Street. One of these popular places is Bertha’s Mussels. Bertha’s was established in 1972 when the area was run down and trying to find its way…similar to the situation in Old Town Alexandria around…
By Bob Tagert Another month and another Road Trip to explore what lies beyond Old Town Alexandria. Since I arrived in Old Town some 45 years ago there have been many changes, but none like what we have seen in the past two years. In that short time the closing of the 100 block of King Street occurred and the beginnings of a pedestrian mall, so to speak, was created. This was not a sudden epiphany, but had been studied for years. The cause and effect of the pandemic hurried things along. Although the end effect of the street closure and additional outdoor space for businesses is yet to be determined, we decided to take a road trip to Winchester, Virginia and visit their Walking Mall. It shows that Winchester encountered some of the same issues that Alexandria faces now in the beginning. In the early 1970’s Loudoun Street was the heart of Winchester’s shopping district. A few of the downtown businessmen came up with the idea of converting the street into a two block pedestrian walkway. An advisory board was created to oversee the special district. In 1974, the Loudoun Street Walking Mall was born. Like Old Town Alexandria, poor downtown drainage resulted in frequent occurrences of high water along the newly created pedestrian mall. The mall remained in a state of flux until 2013 when the city replaced the downtown’s underground water system, which at the time was the third oldest in the United States. Today, the Loudoun Street Mall features cultural events, concerts, outdoor screenings of classic movies, lamp posts with banners displaying works by local artists, holiday celebrations and much more. There is a Civil War Museum and many historical locations throughout the Mall as well in the blocks surrounding it. We went to…
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