Historyland~Historic Northern Neck of Virginia~Off the Beaten Path Get-a-Ways

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We wanted a quiet place with a sandy beach without the crowds, noise & lines that a Labor Day Weekend brings to most East Coast resort towns. After a look online we found a cottage for rent on the southern shore of the Potomac River where it meets the Chesapeake Bay somewhere between Heathsville & Reedville, Va. What a delightful time we had, a perfect place to take the family for some down-time. My 5 yr old son never stopped running, fishing & playing on the beach with my husband & I got to read a magazine or two (alone). The cottage was from 1950: cozy, rustic & comfortable, having everything your might need for a family vacation at the beach. We did want to crab, but did not find a way to do it, next time, but we did have a crab feast on the screened in porch. There is much to do in this area if you like history, seafood & beach time.


We ate local seafood: crabs, oysters, she-crab soup, crabcakes, & more crab. Other local offerings: fried green tomatoes, Smithfield ham, hush puppies, grits, bbq (lots to be found) & plenty of farm stands along the way.

We found a Harvest Festival (grapes), local farmers markets, good ice cream, & more history than in most places dating back to the 1600's. Stratford Hall (birthplace of Robert E. Lee) is a must: tour the house, eat lunch, & roam the grounds. There are cliffs there overlooking the Potomac River with fossils plentiful. I found 5 shark teeth in less than 15 minutes, one a good size. The birthplace of George Washington is equally interesting & visually stunning, also on the Potomac along the way to Reedville where the cottage awaited.  Also worth checking out: Westmoreland St. Park, did make it there but was on our list of "to do's".

We saw much wildlife (blue heron, egrets, hawks, hummingbirds, all sort of butterflies, skunks, jellyfish, crabs, geese, ducks & more) but had hoped to see dolphins while we were visiting. The last hour of our time at the cottage was spent on the beach. After willing the heck out of a dolphin sighting, they came, an entire pod of them came swimming by to prove to my little boy & husband that they could come that far up the Chesapeake & into the month of September! This was the perfect way to end our time at the cottage.

If you have a heart for adventure & don't like the crowds, get online & look between the lines for places to go off the beaten path, they are most everywhere...falling fast asleep to the sounds of waves makes up for the time spent at your computer doing your research.  promise.

Labor Day Weekend, 2010

• Eight-foot shark caught in Potomac River (boingboing.net)

Montauk

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Do you ever keep going back to the same place because somehow it inspires you?  Whether it is the air, the natural lighting, the sounds of the sea, beach combing, the art, the music, the scenery, the people or simply the atmosphere the place exudes.  Something draws you back.  I feel this way about many places for different reasons.  Montauk is one of those places. 

                                    

I find that places that don't change over time maintain a romantic quality.  Last year it was Maine, which has this quality.  This year is was back to Montauk, also a place that time has in many ways left alone.  It has a vibe that is unlike anywhere else in the Hampton's.  There is no pretense.  There is little in a way of a "scene".  Though that is the one thing that has changed since our last trip to the East End now three summers ago.  There are some new hautes to spend time...still a good vibe while quiet during the week, I don't think weekends hold true to this comment.  I hear the Surf Lodge has caused some controversy over holiday weekends which is not welcomed by the locals of Montauk.  Like I said we were there during the week & life was calm. 

Checking out the local boutiques to see what jewelry designers are featured was inspiring.  I love the idea of nature becoming jewelry.  While I lived in NYC no one would have dreamed of wearing geodes hanging from ones ears or a fossilized piece of tusk as a bracelet, very cool... nature recycled as jewelry.  This movement can been seen in many boutiques along the East End, fashion magazines & online.  Agate has been overdone in this medium, the next natural phase would be to explore more elements from the earth.  Not everyone can afford nor wants a diamond, ruby, or sapphire~also gifts from the ground we walk, but for those of us who have been over-exposed to the world of jewelry we want what is new, what has not been done before.  I guess this is true with any art form.  It makes sense that jewelry would move in this direction.  Let's look for this around us, it is everywhere: department stores, lesser chain boutiques like Forever 21, even TJMaxx is featuring jewelry from new genre.

Left:  image of the fossilized mammoth bangle is by Dean Harris, sold at Barneys New York & retails for $600.00.  Right: Citrine Big Tower Ring by Paula Mendoza on Vivre for $525.00.  So much jewelry going natural...

Kimpton~Hotel Palomar~Philadelphia~Family Friendly Experience

If you are planning a quick get-a-way from the Metro DC area or for that matter from NYC, the Hotel Palomar in downtown Phili is a fantastic oasis to head off to. Family friendly in more ways than another hotel chain I have ever stayed, minus the pool.


Upon check-in, my 5 year old son was given special privileges of a voucher for a free movie & $10 to be spent in the mini-bar. Big deal for a kid! In addition he was give another voucher for free room served chocolate chip cookies & milk, anytime of day or night during your stay. Add an Arnold Palmer drink at check in time, am coffee or tea, & a happy hour with white or red wine provided...all extras. A good deal for everyone in your family. Plus they matched the best deal I found online & emailed us a follow-up note to our stay... Hotel Palomar is doing something very right. Thank you Kimpton Hotels!

Planning Your Trip From Home

If you are willing to invest a few hours into planning your next travel adventure you will be pleased at what you might find.

Arriving in a new location w/o doing your homework may leave you stranded. Knowing ahead of time all that is available to do on your vacation is key to having a successful holiday whether you are going away for a weekend or 2 weeks, to a place you have been numerous times or brand new uncharted territory. Plan ahead, better yet, explore ahead.

On a recent trip to Montauk we knew we wanted to beach it most of the time, & we did. But what to do with unexpected rain? I already new of several boutiques & restaurants I wanted to visit & experience. Every year established businesses close, in our current economic climate we are seeing too many closing their doors after decades of service, sad but true, even more reason to check ahead of time to see what is & what is no longer before heading over to Smiths for their famous lobster roll to find a sign saying "Thanks for your dedicated business for the last 52 years, we have decided to close shop". I have found this to be true too many times this summer on day & weekend get-a-ways to Prince Frederick, Md & Middleburg, VA's ever so classic Coachstop.

When the rain fell over East End I knew where to go for the best fresh fish & lobster on the peninsula: The Clam Bar, it did not disappoint...then off to Tauk for some shopping inspiration & where I found an amazing deal (things are pretty pricey there) on a Turkish bath/beach towel/blanket/mat for $39, wish I had bought two. Here we go again, I had done my homework.

I had stopped by AAA since I am a member to pick up a New York travel book a week prior to our trip. If you want off the beaten path you will not find it in there. You will find: parks, historic sites & mainstays of the area, not funky boutiques & motels. If the area is remote & not overly populated the offerings from AAA will be most limited, so keep looking & do it ahead of time as not to waste time on your vacation.

Any village or hamlet has a chamber of commerce site online, check it out. This is how I found several hotel options. Most of the motels on the east end wanted a weeks worth of capital up-front for their lodging. I personally was not willing to send a thousand plus to a motel I had never stayed, for that matter never seen. If he motel/hotel does not show pics of their rooms, be cautious in reserving there. I decided to head to Montauk without accommodations, risky yes, but worthwhile at least for me. The first resort I had on my list was not on the beach as advertised but across the Old Montauk Hwy, not a good idea with a child in tow. I kept going to the second motel, The East Deck. I did not like the fact that the motel did not have the option of ac but it was right on the beach & had a lovely pool, both features I was not going to budge on. The hotel was family owned since the 50's & worked out a good deal for us. We lucked out. If that motel had not worked out I had a list to work from that I created right here at home from my computer.

Ask about discounts, ask if the establishment has any special offers while checking out their website thoroughly ahead of time. Many times the offers are posted but not mentioned when making your reservation. Know what you want ahead of time, how much you are willing to pay or upgrade to & know what they are offering or have recently. They want these rooms filled. Stay away from large companies who manage
multiple resorts, they will not work with you on pricing. Focus on the family owned or individual type business, they just might surprise you making your vacation/get-a-way more affordable.

Good luck planning your next bunbury , for every time you leave your front door is a potential adventure awaiting you & your family.

Vacationland, Central Coast of Maine~July 2009

I was getting that feeling when planning this trip to Maine that a week would not be enough & without a doubt I was correct. In all we traveled 16 days, 9 in Maine & another 7 to & from, stopping to visit family, see sights & eat local fare.

For someone who has spent little to no time in New England, I was mesmerized with Maine. Being near the sea is calming, comforting & music to my soul. We did everything a visitor to Maine for the first time could possibly do. I couldn't get enough. My two favorite places I would like to return & just dig roots for more time to explore would be Acadia & Monhegan Island; two worlds unto themselves.

With the death of Andrew Wyeth earlier this year Maine was teaming with glorious exhibitions celebrating his life & art. The Portland Museum & The Farnsworth in Rockland had the two best retrospectives, both were a delight & a surprise. The surprise came in finding such well-rounded collections of art, not just the Wyeth's' but Old Masters, modern photograph, Mid-Century & an impressive array of arts who have been drawn to Maine's coastline for over a hundred years. Stunning!

Our cottage just happened to be a stones throw & a hop & a skip on the back roads to Cushing. If you happen to be a Wyeth fan you know exactly what this means. Cushing is where Andrew & Besty spent their earliest of years together & continued doing so into the present. Cushing is where Andrew meet up with the Olson Family & their home. Cushings is what put Andrew on the map of true American Artists when he painted Christina Olson in 1948 with the finished product being the ever so famous Christina's World. We were staying in Wyeth Country North & did not even know it when we decided on our cottage, what a gift. Another gift was finding out Andrew Wyeth wanted to be buried next to Christina Olson in Cushing in her family graveyard on Olson property. There it was Andrew Wyeth's bright headstone standing out amongst a few old weathered ones tucked up there in the trees with an ocean breeze blowing through. What a lovely spot to rest. The graveyard must be exactly where Christina was crawling on that lawn looking up at her home that would be forever memorialized on canvas & sitting in the Museum of Modern Art, NYC.

Travel to Maine

More things to do & not to miss: The Farnsworth Museum, Rockland, Maine. Jamie Wyeth's show Seven Deadly Sins~until August 30th, 09 & A Tribute to Andrew Wyeth~until October 18, 09

http://www.farnsworthmuseum.org/

More Maine

I sure hope we make it to Acadia National Park, looks so amazing!

http://www.nps.gov/acad/

Travel Plans to Maine, July 2009 Road Tripping

While I have never been to Maine, I have learned enough so far planning this upcoming trip that I want to go again next year & stay longer. How's that for never stepping foot in the state of Maine?

About two wks ago I got the idea that going to Maine sounded romantic & scenic beauty nonstop. I began looking online for cottages to rent & remembered that I had the name of a local Maryland lady who had a cottage there. I began digging in my millions of little notes & old date books. There it was in a 2004 date book in the month of April my old note, my handwriting saying:
Waterfront cottage, Waldoboro, Maine, circa 1954, Sat-Sat rental, sleeps 4, two bedrooms, deck, gas stove, need to bring own sheets & beach towels, rowboat included, go dig for mussels on Back River, blueberry season end of July.

My one wk in Maine has now turned into two, with stops in Stoningon, Conn, a few nights in Duxbury, Mass, a friend pick-up in Boston, a night in Falmouth or two, then onto our cottage in Waldoboro. Did I mention I rented the cottage sight unseen? The price was right & I needed to know what our plans would be so my girlfriend from Upstate NY could make her arrangements to meet us in Boston a night prior to our July 18th cottage adventure. The couple who owns the cottage will not be back in Maryland until the weekend of July 4th when I will pay they the wks rent for the cottage. Not making a commitment until July 4th would mean only two wks to get ready for travel. Waldoboro is about 600 miles from Maryland & said about 12 hrs of a drive.

The travel entourage will be me, female age 44, my son age 4 1/2 yrs, & a girlfriend, over 60 yrs from my days in NYC, she now lives in Upstate New York. I have put the invite bug into several girlfriends ears who might join us for a few days here or there?

Maine certainly seems to offer bounds of activities, mostly outdoor due to the sheer beauty of the coast line, mountains & lake areas. What we hope to do: blueberry picking, farmers markets, lobster, lobster & more lobster consumption, whale watching, perhaps puffin watching too, visit a light house, stop by as many quaint towns as possible, see Acadia State Park & Bar Harbor, Farnsworth Museum & Olsen Farm (big Andrew Wyeth fans), walk the coast line, fish, mussel, swim, rowboat around, & just sit quiet soaking in the natural beauty of this place.

We leave in two wks time for our road trip...I can taste the fresh just picked blueberries!