Feature Articles

by Larry Chowning -  Thomas Calhoun (T.C.) Walker was born an enslaved child in Gloucester County and died in 1953 having made an enormous impact on the future of African-Americans in Virginia and beyond. Born June 16, 1862, in a small cabin on a plantation in Gloucester, Walker was raised by...

The Chesapeake Bay area was once an under-the-radar destination for wine lovers. But over the past decade, there’s been an almost cult-like devotion to wineries in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula as the industry expands and the area offers one of the state’s premier wine trails.  In the past...

by Tom Chillemi -  Building a model boat from wood has many facets. Model builder Don Good of Mathews knows that. It’s a pastime that can take you away from the hum-drum of everyday life. “It’s therapeutic,” said Good. “It’s relaxing and challenging and it keeps me stimulated mentally.” Model building...

Story and photos by Jackie Nunnery - To say that there are a lot of seafood restaurants in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula would be an understatement. But one of the latest entries into the region, Bubba’s Shrimp Shack, stands out for its homemade approach to preparing seafood....

We asked. You voted. This is the 6th year of The Best of the Rivah Contest and once again, our readers let us know what makes the Rivah special!  From wineries to oysters, chicken to bait, art to ice cream and much, much more… you have chosen our area’s favorites. Thank...

by Tom Chillemi -  I push off from shore, breaking gravity’s bond. On a thin layer of water I float away from reality and into a magical world that humans can only visit. The instant my kayak floats I know I am “there,” where I want to be — free from...

by Jackie Nunnery -  There’s always been a love of theater in the Northern Neck and Middle Peninsula. One hundred years ago, folks traveled to Reedville, Kilmarnock or Irvington when the James Adams Floating Theatre came to town. These days the theaters may be on land, but they are still...

Story and photos by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi -  At the center of Warsaw’s Main Street is Old Rapp Taphouse, a brewery, restaurant and beer garden that adds a bit of nightlife to a town that once rolled up its sidewalks after dark. Andy Beale’s Old Rappahannock Development Company transformed a commercial...

by Larry Chowning -  When the late John Frye wrote the history of the Chesapeake Bay’s menhaden fishery in 1978 there were still a good many fishermen around who could recall why he named his book “The Men All Singing.” For generations, fishermen pulled nets by hand and as a way...

It’s 4:15 a.m., the sky is in the transition from black to indigo still clad with stars, salt is in the air and a Tyler Childers tune is playing. Before any rooster can crow, Captain Cory Rice and First Mate Troy Ward of Northumberland are untying their lines from...