Feature Articles

Letting folks sample history using socially distanced outdoor fun by Larry Chowning   During this COVID-19 pandemic, a safe historical Rivah experience is taking the walking or driving tour of Urbanna's Museum In The Streets, which provides an outdoor atmosphere with plenty of room for social distancing. In 2014, former Urbanna resident...

by Tom Chillemi Nestled just off Main Street in Gloucester’s Historic District is “The Village Blacksmith,” created, owned and operated by George Cramer. His craft is a throwback to a time when metal was shaped using hand tools and heat. Here, the senses are greeted by the ring of the hammer...

by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi Java Jacks Cafe is a great name for a coffeehouse. But the tiny, salmon-colored building on Church Lane in Tappahannock is much more than that. Oh, there’s a coffee bar where baristas mix mouthwatering hot and cold brews filled with caramel, vanilla, mocha, chai and exotic spices,...

by Larry Chowning -  The Northern Neck Coca-Cola building on Main Street in Montross is one of the last reminders of bygone days when small town Coke bottling plants were located throughout the Tidewater region. Coca-Cola was invented in 1886 by Atlanta, Ga. pharmacist John S. Pemberton. His bookkeeper Frank Robinson...

by Megan Schiffres -  The heritage of the Northern Neck is waiting to be discovered just below the surface. Today, archaeologists and amateur artifact collectors are steadily uncovering it. “Every time you dig that hole and you see a big piece of silver or a buckle or something like that, your...

by Tom Chillemi -  Lynda Smith Greve, lead singer in the eight-piece party band 7th Street, grew up in a musical family. At the age of 2, she first sang on stage at Donk’s Theater, “Virginia’s Li’l Ole Opry.”  She’s been singing there ever since. She will return to emcee the...

by Jackie Nunnery -  At Terrie's Place, the first customers drove up almost as soon as the windows opened. All regulars, they didn’t even have to place their order. In addition to knowing their names, owner Terrie Alderks remembered what they always have for lunch. Terrie’s Place has built a loyal...

by Tom Chillemi -  Sugar toads were long ignored by most as food. But for those who know, these “puffers” are a delicacy. Steve Hearold of White Stone, whose family has lived on Indian Creek for seven generations, is one of those in the know. “When I was coming along, a lot...

Exploring the hidden gems of the region's Natural Area Preserves by Jackie Nunnery -  Spring is here with its longer days, budding plants and the arrival of songbirds. It’s time to get out of the house, enjoy nature at its most fertile and shake off the gloom of isolation. When feeling...

by Lisa Hinton-Valdrighi -  Wende Szyperski lives in Weems with her husband, Jeff. They have four grown children. She’s a graduate of St. Catherine’s School and the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. A creative artist for decades, she has focused her efforts on oils over the last 11 years, studying...