Features

Into the Woods , by Caroline Kettlewell

If you know how to right a capsized canoe and start a one-match fire, you probably went to summer camp. A look at why Virginia’s camp tradition endures.

The Home Stretch, by Aynsley Miller Fisher

After a prolonged conflict between Virginia’s horsemen and Colonial Downs in New Kent County, the track closed its doors last year, effectively halting thoroughbred horseracing in Virginia. Has the state’s flat racing flatlined?

In Every Issue

Letters | Contributors | Natives | Reviews | Style | Bellwether | About Town | Odd Dominion | Departures

Upfront

Boat Whisperer , by Corinne Reilly

For Williamsburg boat maker Ben Thacker-Gwaltney, craft is everything.

Femme Fatale , by Caroline Kettlewell

Don’t let her lovely luminescence fool you, the firefly is a tough predator.

History Needs You! by Bill Glose

Documenting shipwrecks in Virginia Beach.

It’s A Very Dairy World , by Erin Parkhurst

Blacksburg hosts the first Virginia Cheese Festival.

Good Bones, by Joe Tennis

Two grand Victorian hotels are restored for the modern age.

Departments

Profile | Wordsmith , by Ellen F. Brown

Virginia’s new poet laureate Ron Smith wants you to like poetry.

Virginiana | Behind Closed Doors , by Whitney Pipkin

For more than 50 years, U.S. presidents, scientists and thought leaders have convened at Airlie, a private retreat near Warrenton now open to the public.

Food | Tea Time , by Lisa Antonelli Bacon

Traditional afternoon tea has a new, modern edge with inventive fare and the addition of cocktails to the menu. With recipes from Chef J Frank and photography by Mark Edward Atkinson.

Travel | Salt Life Scandanavia , by Terry Ward

An adventure in Southern Norway’s Stavanger region and its spectacular fjords.

Home | Southern Exposure , by Joan Tupponce

At Bramblewood Farm in Albemarle County, exquisite details meet thoughtful design.