waterlife

Set Sail for Adventure Around the Commonwealth

Virginia was the setting for many maritime adventurers from yesteryear—the good and the bad. Capt. John Smith famously charted the Chesapeake, and the notorious pirate Blackbeard terrorized Virginians, preying on ships and their crew entering coastal Virginia waters. Today, you can sail the York River in true pirate fashion with the Yorktown Pirate Ship Adventure. […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Headwaters Down Productions navigates the James

If you know Richmond, you know river people. People who spend every free moment on the James, lounging on rocks at Belle Isle or paddling through whitewater rapids. In 2020, UVA grads Will Gemma, Justin Black, and Dietrich Teschner weren’t your average river people. Gemma was a writer in California, Black a touring musician, and […]

by Hope Cartwright

This fashion line is a tribute to kin and coastline

Coast Guard officer Kenneth Jones wears his heart—and his hometown—on his sneakers. He serves at the Atlantic Area Communications Command Center in Norfolk, but also designs apparel rooted in service and seaside pride. Jones was raised in coastal Virginia with a father who served in the Navy for decades. Years later, Jones himself joined the […]

by Hope Cartwright

Chincoteague Food Trucks

“The true creator is necessity, who is the mother of invention.”—Plato, The Republic On Virginia’s Eastern Shore, water is the necessity, and food trucks are the invention. It has been a decade since Chincoteague Island issued a permit for brick-and-mortar restaurant construction, something that’s given the food truck scene an opportunity to flourish. The barrier […]

by Michael C. Upton

Beach House Beauty

NoVa interior designer Erika Bonnell creates a sleek Sandbridge stunner.

by Meredith Lindemon

Exploring Capt. John Smith’s Waterways Around the Chesapeake

“Heaven and earth never agreed better to frame a place for man’s habitation.”

by Staff

Return of the Ghost Fish

The Atlantic sturgeon is back. When he tagged his 2,000th Atlantic sturgeon in May, “sturgeon general” Matt Balazik marked an exciting milestone. Balazik, founder of the sturgeon program at VCU’s Rice Rivers Center, produces the data that guides the fish ecologists dedicated to its restoration and protection. Decimated by the caviar […]

by tricia pearsall

Joystick Sailors

Model yacht racing takes off in Virginia. The colorful sailboats zip across the water, looking like toys. On shore, people pace back and forth excitedly, remote control devices in hand. You’re watching model yacht racing. Also known as radio-controlled (RC, for short) yacht racing, it’s one of the most exciting hobbies to […]

by peggy sijswerda

Seeing the Light

Virginia’s lighthouses still show the way. Photographer’s Mate 1st Class Ke U.S. Navy 041028-N-0318R-001 Lighthouses are quintessential coastal Virginia, with their towering beacons and systems of lamps and lenses used as navigational aids for sailors to find their way. At one time 37 lighthouses operated along the Virginia coast. Now, with nine […]

by Konstantin Rega

Mission Alliance

A couple’s love brought historic schooners back to the Chesapeake Bay. Schooner Alliance Scooner Alliance on James River The evening finds captain Laura Lohse nosing her 75-ton, 105-foot sailboat, the schooner Alliance, out of Yorktown’s Riverwalk Landing Pier into the York River current. Cotton candy clouds drift on a soft breeze […]

by Eric J. Wallace

Teenage Tidal Wave

This Virginia Beach phenom was practically born on a surfboard. Cose Stoyanoff started surfing when he was just four years old. His dad and brothers would gently push him into the waves, his floaties strapped on tight for safety. They’d help stand him up on the wobbling board to gain balance and stand […]

by Vayda Parrish

Lazy River

Tubing lets multiple generations unplug and reconnect. Kyle LaFerriere VA Living Tubing My family has always felt at home on the water. To us, a salty ocean, brackish bay, or freshwater river feels like a baptism. We feel renewed, made whole. So when my parents visited us in Richmond to celebrate their […]

by Staff

The Soft Shells of Summer

Checking the peeler pot was a river ritual. (Illustration by James Albon) I was probably in my 30s before it dawned on me that I could order soft shell crabs in a restaurant. In the summers of my childhood, soft shells came from the York River, where we’d anchor a slatted wooden […]

by Constance Costas

Saltwater Crossing

Back this year, the annual Pony Swim from Assateague to Chincoteague is the stuff of Virginia legend. For the wild ponies of Assateague Island, the swim across the channel to Chincoteague is an annual rite of passage. A crowd gathers on Pony Swim Lane before sunrise, mucking their way through the water’s […]

by Staff

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

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

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

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

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Events

July 8, 2025

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

Carlyle House Historic Park

July 8, 2025

Waitress at Virginia Repertory Theatre

Virginia Repertory Theatre

July 9, 2025

June – July @ Art Works!

Art Works

New Innovative Virginia Tea Rooms to Try

Around the world, as both a beverage and a pastime, tea is steeped in history and ritual. From the casual to the ceremonial, tea is a throughline for many cultures, and now, it’s enjoying a renewed interest from beverage pros who are drawn to tea’s unique flavor characteristics, health benefits, and cultural connections. Recently, two […]

by Stephanie Ganz

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

Eight Virginia schools received the National Blue Ribbon 2024 award for their high performances. The Exemplary High Performing Schools are Spring Hill Elementary in McLean, Green Run Collegiate in Virginia Beach, Bethel Manor Elementary in Hampton, and St. Andrew the Apostle School in Clifton. The Exemplary Achievement Gap Closing Schools are Central Academy Middle […]

by Gabriela de Camargo Gonçalves

Virginia’s Top 10 Summer Festivals and Events 2025

STAUNTON – Festival of Concerts June 26–Aug. 2: The stunning strums and resounding chords of classical music echo through Staunton’s mountain landscape as Heifetz International Music Institute students from around the world take the stage, with new concerts every day. HeifetzInstitute.org GLOUCESTER – Food Truck Frenzy July 13: Virginia’s most mouthwatering food trucks descend on […]

by Hope Cartwright

waterlife

Set Sail for Adventure Around the Commonwealth

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Events

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

Waitress at Virginia Repertory Theatre

June – July @ Art Works!

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New Innovative Virginia Tea Rooms to Try

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

Virginia’s Top 10 Summer Festivals and Events 2025

waterlife

Set Sail for Adventure Around the Commonwealth

Current Issue

Events

Yoga on the Magnolia Terrace

Waitress at Virginia Repertory Theatre

June – July @ Art Works!

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Most Popular

New Innovative Virginia Tea Rooms to Try

The U.S. DOE Labeled These Virginia Schools Outstanding

Virginia’s Top 10 Summer Festivals and Events 2025

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weekly newsletter: VL Today

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weekly newsletter: VL Today