Outdoors

Breaks Interstate Park Brings Bugles From The Past

A repurposed school bus turns onto a gated gravel road deep in the far Southwest Virginia mountains. It climbs for 10 minutes through dense thickets and woods into a long, grassy meadow with soaring, 360-degree views of the surrounding Allegheny Mountains. We climb higher and higher until the starboard hillside drops away in a stupendous […]

by Eric J. Wallace

A Place Called Guinea

In Gloucester County, a centuries-old culture with its own dialect endures. guinea pics 01-28-2022 06 (Photography by Rob Ostermaier) A yard sign in front of the wooden house behind the white fence on Lillaston Lane summed up Guinea Neck in Gloucester County this way: “There’s no place like this place anywhere near this place so this […]

by Staff

Plunge into Planet Shark

Sink your teeth into the newest exhibit at the Science Museum of Virginia. (Courtesy of the Science Museum of Virginia) Sharks first appeared on the earth more than 450 million years ago. There are currently about 400 species and they range from a foot long (the cookiecutter shark) to 40 feet (the whale […]

by Staff

The Life-Changing Magic of Fly Fishing

For these dedicated anglers, casting a line brought new possibilities. Fly Fishing Virginia Beaver Creek (Photography by Kyle Laferriere) For Beau Beasley, it all began in the back of an ambulance. Beasley, a 23-year-old Fairfax County paramedic at the time, had responded to a call concerning an angler at Burkes Lake who […]

by Staff

The New Herbal

A beautiful book of illustrated plant portraits and botanical knowledge. With his 1543 herb manual, botanical pioneer Leonhart Fuchs created a masterpiece of Renaissance botany and publishing. This edition is based on Fuchs’s personal, hand-colored original and features over 500 illustrations, including the first visual record of New World plant types such as maize, […]

by Staff

The Vantage and the Vista

Over the last decade, an Orange County couple has created an ambitious, spectacular garden with English, French and Italian influences. But the strongest presence of all is the Virginia countryside beyond. (Photography by Roger Foley) Crowning the second-highest point in Orange County is an estate called Mount Sharon, with a garden that […]

by Staff

Touch Not the Cat

The venomous puss caterpillar is no cuddly kitten. (Illustration by Miriam Martincic) As we sat stuck at home last fall, a flurry of local news stories seized on the apocalyptic spirit of the season: “Weird-looking poisonous caterpillars are on the loose in Virginia,” one headline announced. “Alien hairball sends woman to emergency […]

by caroline kettlewell

Opossum Particulars

No rodent, this pascal packs a paunch. Although it doesn’t have the cachet of the kangaroo or the cuddliness of the koala, the Virginia opossum is the only native North American member of that strange order of non-placental mammals, Marsupialia. Like other marsupials, the opossum has a pouch in which it nurtures […]

by Henry L. Waller

Smile and Say “Sheepshead”

This fish story has teeth. (Illustration by Michael Frith) Ever tried to crack open a clam with your bare teeth? Yeah, me neither. But if you did, you’d probably want a mouthful of industrial-strength teeth that could make quick work of a shell and crush a crustacean or two, for good measure. In […]

by caroline kettlewell

Mariners’ Makeover

Newport News museum reopens after extensive upgrades. After a year-long renovation, the Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News is delighting visitors with a fresh look and new exhibits and activities. “We are thrilled to finally throw the doors open and welcome our community back,” says Howard H. Hoege II, the museum’s president […]

by Markus Schmidt

Back to Nature

Rivergate, on a bluff overlooking the James River near Lynchburg, is a Prairie-style home that echoes many of the principles espoused by Frank Lloyd Wright—natural materials, an open floor plan, integration with nature. It’s also a peaceful “escape.” (photos by Philip Beaurline) What is remarkable about the very private, cross-shaped residence of […]

by stark-rankins amanda

Make a Connection with Bay Direct

Now it’s easier than ever to eat local foods, supporting local merchants. Rob Ostermaier Consociate Media oylster fishing watermen 02262020 15 Billy Smith and Chris Coates dump oysters freshly pulled from the Rappahannock river onto the sorting table on the Guinea Girl. Finally, a way to find local seafood—fresh off the boat—without […]

by Konstantin Rega

The Thrill of the Hunt

At preserves across Virginia, you’ll find good dogs, good birds, and great camaraderie. Kyle LaFerriere Photography LLC I was eight the first time I stepped into a covey of quail, while taking a shortcut through a neighbor’s field. Without a bird dog to warn me, I was rattled by the feathered explosion. But in that moment, […]

by jones clarke c.

One Lucky Lobster

It’s now living large in Newport News. When a speckled lobster turned up in a Manassas Red Lobster, a well-trained employee noticed the three-pounder’s distinctive markings and put in a call to the seafood chain’s Orlando corporate headquarters. Turns out “Freckles” was a calico lobster, so rare that the chances of catching […]

by Staff

Barefoot Luxury

With its blend of sophistication and comfort and a color palette inspired by the ocean, this dream home defines coastal modern style. Quentin Penn-Hollar QPH PHOTO It’s one thing to build a custom waterfront home. It’s quite another to complete that project after pandemic-induced construction delays, and come out on the other […]

by Meridith Ingram

Cruising Together

Explore Smith Mountain Lake aboard a 19th-century replica sidewheeler. If you want to relax and enjoy a dramatic Blue Ridge Mountain backdrop from the water, there’s hardly a better vessel than the 19th-century replica sidewheeler operated by Virginia Dare Cruises & Marina on Smith Mountain Lake. A cruise on the 63-foot-long boat takes […]

by Markus Schmidt

Something Prickly This Way Comes

For porcupines, the best offense is a deadly defense. (Illustration by Delphine Lee) When you’re a skunk, you know your story will always lead with the stink. When you’re a snapping turtle, it’s going to be the snap. And when you’re a porcupine? Well obviously, it’s all about the quill. Armed with some […]

by caroline kettlewell

Water Rodeo

In the Chesapeake Bay, extreme boat docking has long been a family tradition. They call themselves the Chesapeake Cowboys, but their herd is a fleet of boats. And when it comes to boat-wrangling skills, these guys take it to the next level. In water rodeo, also known as extreme boat […]

by Markus Schmidt

Lazy River’s Artful Canoes

These gallery-worthy showstoppers from craftsman Jim Dodd are turning heads on the water. Not all canoes are created equal, and master woodcrafter Jim Dodd, owner of Lazy River Canoes in Buchanan, is proving that point. Dodd specializes in hand-built solo wood strip canoes, which he says are traditional in “big water” states in […]

by Jill Devine

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Events

March 21, 2025

Clay Creations: A Ceramic Celebration Exhibition – Call for Entries

Crossroads Art Center

March 21, 2025

February – March @ Art Works!

Art Works

March 21, 2025

March Open House & Artist Reception

Crossroads Art Center

Restoration of 17-Century Ship in Virginia Sets Sails

—By Katie Farthing With the winds of hope and prosperity filling its sails, the Susan Constant landed at Jamestown in 1607 with 54 Englishmen aboard hoping for glory and gold. Fast forward 400 years, the original three-masted square rig has long since disappeared, but her lore has remained a vital connection to Virginia’s past, […]

by Staff

10 Speakeasies Across Virginia & How to Find Them

Tucked in hidden alleyways and behind disguised doors lie some of the state’s best-kept secrets … and cocktails. Speakeasies promising vintage vibes and low-light charm dot the map far and wide, but where to find them? Here are 10 to get you started on a journey to delicious drinks and illicit adventures of 1920s allure. […]

by Hope Cartwright

Ensuring Loudoun County’s Country Roads Remain Rural

By Regan Hofmann Something happens when you leave the pavement. Suddenly, the journey becomes more about where you are than where you are going. You have arrived somewhere special even though you are still on your way. Whether it’s the tire of your car or bike, your sneaker, or a horse’s steel-clad shoe that crosses […]

by Staff

Outdoors

Breaks Interstate Park Brings Bugles From The Past

Current Issue

Events

Clay Creations: A Ceramic Celebration Exhibition – Call for Entries

February – March @ Art Works!

March Open House & Artist Reception

Most Popular

Restoration of 17-Century Ship in Virginia Sets Sails

10 Speakeasies Across Virginia & How to Find Them

Ensuring Loudoun County’s Country Roads Remain Rural

Outdoors

Breaks Interstate Park Brings Bugles From The Past

Current Issue

Events

Clay Creations: A Ceramic Celebration Exhibition – Call for Entries

February – March @ Art Works!

March Open House & Artist Reception

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Most Popular

Restoration of 17-Century Ship in Virginia Sets Sails

10 Speakeasies Across Virginia & How to Find Them

Ensuring Loudoun County’s Country Roads Remain Rural

Get our most popularweekly newsletter: VL Today

Get our most popular
weekly newsletter: VL Today

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weekly newsletter: VL Today