#miles wood signed SIX YEARS with the avs

[icedhockey]

christ there’s no whiplash quite like the first day of free agency

[stereax]

GOT AN IDEA

tell me whos gonna get the cup next year. like who would u say will get it. ik u cant say but who you do think it will be, lets make predictions

Hmmmmm. I did do a bit of an analysis on that a bit ago, but with Free Agency Frenzy almost fully in the rearview mirror, things have changed...

Here are my WAY too early predictions for the playoffs.

Metro -

1. Devils - Conference Leaders

2. Hurricanes

3. Rangers

4(WC2). Penguins

Atlantic -

1. Maple Leafs

2. Panthers

3. Bruins

4(WC1). Senators

Central -

1. Stars

2. Avalanche

3. Predators

4(WC1). Wild

Pacific -

1. Golden Knights - Conference Leaders

2. Oilers

3. Kraken

4(WC2). Kings

This would give us a bracket as follows:

Devils v Penguins

Hurricanes v Rangers

Maple Leafs v Senators

Panthers v Bruins

---

Stars v Wild

Avalanche v Predators

Golden Knights v Kings

Oilers v Kraken

My picks to win?

Devs v Pens - Devs. Even though I give the Pens a playoff berth (which they really could blow) because of some of the good short-term moves Dubas has made to solidify the team, I really doubt they can beat the Devils in a seven-game series. Devs v Pens games always have the aura of "our grandparents threw a party and we were the only ones that came". They're just too old to make a serious Cup run. And Jarry is more often injured than not.

Canes v Rags - Rags. The top three teams in the Metro last year have what could be described as a rock-paper-scissors relationship. Devils overpower Rangers through offense, Canes stifle that offense with good defense, Rangers goaltending blocks Canes volume shooting. Plus, Shesty's mad.

Leafs v Sens - Sens. That's a hot take, but let me justify it. Despite the Leafs breaking the curse this year, they have many glaring issues - most notably, they've gotten way worse over this offseason and are even more cap-strapped than usual. They can't really acquire at the trade deadline even if they want to. On the flipside, the Senators' main issue was goaltending. They got a good goalie in Koorpisalo. I do see this going six or seven, but I honestly believe the Sens can upset the Leafs.

Cats v Bruins - Cats. The Cats already beat the Bruins last year. Arguably better Cats versus clearly worse Bruins? Not even a contest.

Stars v Wild - Stars. The Wild can't seem to crack the first round and they're dealing with $14.7m in dead cap. Contrast with the Stars, who are able to make deep runs for the Cup and don't have $14.7m less to play with. Easy choice here.

Avs v Preds - Preds. The Preds made some really good moves in free agency, adding Ryan O'Reilly and Luke Schenn, among others. The Avs lost their captain for another year and coped by signing Miles Wood to a 6x2.5. Holy overpay. It's almost like they're trying not to contend.

Knights v Kings - Knights. The Kings are an aging husk of a team that managed to lose the PLD trade where Winnipeg was begging for anyone to take him. The Knights just won the Cup. How is this a contest?

Oilers v Kraken - Kraken. The Kraken have depth and have four solid lines of players. The Oilers shipped off Yamamoto and Kostin to the Red Wings for literal table scraps. Darnell Nurse is on one of The contracts in history. Campbell is massively underperforming. C'mon, further the tragedy of the Edmonton Oilers. I know you want to.

Round 2 becomes:

Devils v Rangers

Panthers v Senators

---

Stars v Predators

Knights v Kraken

Predictions:

Devs v Rags - Devs. Shesty probably gets a panic attack when he sees Timo's smiling face. The Devils have learned that the speed game is paramount for them (which is what they use to beat the Penguins as well) and they can track meet the Rangers seven days a week. This really becomes Devils Offense versus Shesterkin. I think the Devils win this one.

Cats v Sens - Cats. This one's gonna set some penalty minute records. The Tkachuks are going to kill each other and their teams' penalty kills. While the Sens upsetting the Cats would be ironic and further a Senators Cinderella Run, I think the Cats win here. I mean, one solid hit on Stützle and half the offense is gone.

Stars v Preds - Stars. The Predators have a Saros, the Stars have an Oettinger. What the Stars have is their top point scorer NOT being a defenseman. That's right - the Preds' top point scorer last year was a defenseman (Roman Josi). I put the Preds above the Avs because the Avs are seemingly trying to be bad now, but I can't put them above the Stars.

Knights v Kraken - Kraken. I just want to see a battle of the expansion teams in the playoffs. Giving the edge to the Kraken only because of Knights playoff fatigue, but it can go either way. Just make it happen, Bettman. That's all I want.

So the Conference Finals become:

Devils v Panthers

Stars v Kraken

My predictions here?

Devs v Cats - Cats. This one could REALLY go either way. I'm giving it to the Panthers because they're a more physical team that the Devils have historically struggled with. Expect this to go to six or seven if nobody's injured.

Stars v Kraken - Stars. I think the Stars beat the Kraken seven days a week. There's no real reason for this (maybe outside of Oetter>Grubi) but just a general vibe that the Stars are just the better team in that matchup.

So your Stanley Cup Final is:

Cats v Stars.

And my winner?

Stars. Anything can happen in the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This one can go either way (damn, I've said that before). I'm calling Stars in six or seven because I think they can be slightly more consistent over the Cats, who can be notorious for being hot and cold. Once again, injuries will play a big role here - if Robertson, for example, is out of commission, the scales tip drastically towards the Cats. If Benn is injured it might be better for the Stars...

[thatkidwholikesthunderbirds]

TAG Mini Bang 2021

Hey fam, This is mine and the amazing @katblu42′s contribution to the @tagminibang. Katblu42 wrote the story, of which I love so much, and i made a couple of doodles to go with it.

We both worked really hard on it, hope you enjoy.

***

Deep Water

The summer is drawing to an end when an almost-twelve-year-old Virgil is lumped with looking after little bro Gordon for the day. When a simple walk in the woods becomes more than they bargained for, the pair must work together to overcome their fears.

Written by @katblu42

***

“Hey, Virgil. Whatcha doin’?” Gordon bounced down the stairs and watched his brother carefully pack his brand-new artist’s set of watercolour pencils, mini easel, and sketchbook into his backpack, using one of his hoodies for padding. “I’m gonna go out on the top track and try out my new pencils. It’s gonna be a really nice day for practicing landscapes. I want to try and capture the way the light filters through the trees and . . .” As Virgil excitedly rambled on about all the things he wanted to draw, Lucy emerged from the kitchen with a lunchbox packed with sandwiches and snacks and two water bottles for Virgil to add to his bag. She ignored the eye-rolling from the younger boy, who obviously didn’t share the enthusiasm for artistic inspiration. Placing a hand on Virgil’s shoulder as she handed him the last of the supplies, Lucy smiled. “Sounds like the two of you are going to see all kinds of wonders today,” she said. Virgil opened his mouth to question, but she didn’t give him a chance to speak. “You’re going to take your brother with you.” “But . . .” was all Virgil managed to squeak out, while Gordon sported a look of surprised incredulity. “It will do you both the world of good to spend some time together, just the two of you.”

Lucy knew these two didn’t always get along, mostly due to Gordon’s talent for finding exactly the right buttons to push to try Virgil’s patience. In fact, Gordon did that with everyone, but it somehow affected Virgil the most potently. Lucy, Jeff, and the other boys had little tolerance for Gordon’s annoying antics, but the fact that Virgil usually had an abundance of patience was exactly why Gordon got under his skin so much. With Virgil, Gordon would keep on pushing, keep needling, insistently nagging until that patience wore thin and caused Virgil to react in frustration. As a result, Lucy had noticed Virgil tending to avoid spending too much time with Gordon. But today she needed to pair them up together. Grandma would be by any minute to pick up Scott, as she was helping him log extra flying hours towards his pilot license while Jeff was away for work. John had already left for the library where they had been running a special summer program in the AV centre focussing on early space exploration because today was the last day he’d be able to see it. “Aw, Mom!” Virgil whined. “If he comes, I won’t get any drawing done.” “Yeah, Mom,” Gordon joined in, wrinkling his nose, “can’t I stay with you?” “Nope!” Lucy ruffled Gordon’s unruly blond locks. “I have errands to run today.” Gordon groaned. He hated being dragged all over town when his mom was running errands, mostly because the entire day was usually spent listening to her tell him he couldn’t run off too far or do anything fun – getting up to mischief, she called it. Lucy knew her day would be difficult enough with a toddler in tow without adding a hyperactive six-and-a-half-year-old to the mix. For a moment, she felt for Virgil. In a way, he had a point. He’d have to keep Gordon occupied, which would take his focus away from his artistic endeavours, but she had faith that the two of them would find a way to make it work. She stood between the two boys and, with a hand on a shoulder of each, pulled them into a hug. “You two go out and have fun.” She placed a kiss on first Virgil’s and then Gordon’s forehead. “Be good, look after each other, and don’t get into any trouble!” She ushered them through the door and watched them head out, turning back to wave goodbye to her from the front gate before continuing westward towards the top track. She would always worry about her boys out there on their own, but they all knew the rules and had repeatedly been warned of the various dangers contained within their little patch of wilderness. Virgil was not inclined to be reckless or break the rules, but the lure of an interesting view could distract him at times. Looking after a younger brother would help keep his attention more focused. It was one of Lucy’s secret weapons. Pairing a big brother with a little one always seemed to make the big brother more inclined to obey the rules and watch for dangers.

The two boys made quick progress across the open paddock towards the trees, Virgil striding out confidently, Gordon occasionally having to run for a few steps to catch up. Once they reached the track that wound its way through the trees, the pace began to slow. Virgil’s gaze wandered as he walked, noticing in great detail the colours of the foliage and tree bark, the stark contrasts formed by shafts of sunlight filtering between the trees and highlighting this branch or those leaves. He would hear the cry of a bird and look up, searching the treetops to see if he could catch sight of the culprit. Despite the distractions, however, Virgil didn’t stop walking. He had a destination in mind, and he was keen to get there so he could start drawing. Gordon found distractions of his own along the track. He’d hear skittering noises in the dirt and leaf litter beside the track and stop to see if he could spot the creature that had scuttled away. He found spiderwebs woven between the trees and bushes, and noted with interest whether or not the spider was home and if they’d caught anything. He, too, would search the trees and sky for birds that called out their various songs. Unlike Virgil, Gordon stopped often and would have to run to catch up to his bigger brother, usually after Virgil called out to him to hurry up. After falling behind for the fourth time, Gordon decided to run ahead along the track a bit. That way Virgil would have to catch up to him! He stopped short when he came to the fork in the track. An idea struck him, and he jogged back to his brother. “Hey, Virgil?” He had a glint in his eye that the older boy knew well enough to be worried about. “We should go down to the lake!” “No.” “Oh, come on! Why not?” His voice was verging on whiny and his expression close to a pout. “We’re not supposed to go to the lake on our own, it’s –” “We’re not on our own, we have each other!” Gordon didn’t want to give Virgil a chance to argue or talk about possible dangers. “We’re not gonna do anything dangerous or anything. It’s nice by the lake. Besides, you said your pencils were watercolours. Shouldn’t you draw something with water?” “That’s not . . . Uugghh!” Virgil sighed, rolled his eyes, and rubbed a hand through his hair. He knew steering this particular brother away from water was going to be a hard sell, and if he was honest with himself, his little brother was right about the lake being a good place to draw. It would give him an opportunity to practice drawing reflections, which was something he’d been wanting to experiment with. And the view across the lake was pretty spectacular. But swimming in the lake could be dangerous. If they went to the lake, Virgil knew his entire day would be spent watching Gordon in the water. Gordon studied the expression on his brother’s face for some sign of what he was thinking. He had that look of intense concentration he used when he was figuring out how to fix something. Virgil slowed to a stop and looked down at Gordon. “If we go to the lake –” As Virgil spoke, Gordon’s face broke out in a wide gap-toothed grin as he sensed he had won. “I said if! If we go to the lake, you have to promise me you won’t go for a swim. I came here to draw, not play lifeguard.” “Aww! Virge, it’s summer! It’s a great day for a swim.” His smile was gone, and he now had to trot alongside his brother as Virgil began walking again, setting a brisk pace. He was going to have to fight hard to get his way. “Pleeeeease!” No reaction. “What if I promise not to go in any deeper than up to here?” He indicated his waist. Virgil’s eyebrows drew down into somewhat of a scowl, but he slowed his walking pace again. “You have to stay dry above the knees,” he said. “Yes! Okay, I can do that.” Gordon’s big, infectious grin was back, and he literally bounced with happiness and excitement at his victory. “I promise I won’t go in past my knees, and I’ll be good so you can just do your drawings.” Virgil tried to keep his expression serious, but his little brother’s glee was so irresistible he couldn’t stop the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth. Pretty soon he was grinning too, and they headed down the left fork in the track towards the lake. As they descended the narrow trail, weaving between trees and larger rocks, the hard-packed dirt underfoot gradually giving way to sandy soil, Gordon’s excitement was barely containable. He ran ahead down the track, calling to Virgil to hurry, ran back to his brother urging him to walk quicker, tugging at his hand, gave up, and ran ahead again before he could even see Virgil roll his eyes. The whole process was then repeated. Twice. Soon enough the trees lining the track thinned out, allowing glimpses of dark blue water. The track curved, and suddenly they emerged from the trees onto an expanse of silty sand with the lake spread out before them, rippling and glistening in the sunlight. The dark greens of the trees on the far side of the lake separated dark blue water from pale blue sky on the horizon. Gordon ran straight to the water’s edge, while Virgil took a moment to take in the entire scene. The lake itself didn’t cover a particularly large area, but it was very deep in places. Virgil estimated that it was more than half a mile from side to side, north to south, and possibly as far as three hundred metres to the trees on the other side from where Gordon now stood. The hills to the north funnelled water down into the lake via a network of creeks and streams. The surface of the lake looked relatively calm, but it hid unpredictable undercurrents as the water worked its way to the small stream that trickled away from the natural dam at the lake’s southern tip. There were a few tiny islands dotted throughout the lake, most of them closer to the far side, some large enough to have trees growing on them, others no more than large rocks with their tops protruding from the water. A short walk along the water’s edge northward took Virgil past a small wooden pier with a little dinghy tied to it, gently rocking and bumping with the lazy motion of the water. Beyond that, the flat sand gave way to a series of rocky, sloped banks. Picking his way up over some of the lower rocks, Virgil climbed up onto a large, relatively flat boulder that afforded him a good view and room to set out all his materials. He could see the beach (as Gordon called it) and his brother discarding his shoes and socks so he could explore the shallows and the little boat attached to the pier, with the water stretching away before him. Once he had carefully unpacked his easel and sketchbook and placed his pencils beside him within easy reach, Virgil began to sketch out some rough outlines. It wasn’t long before Gordon popped his head up over the edge of Virgil’s rock platform.

“Is that all you’ve done so far?” he asked with curious disbelief. “You should use more colours.” “Gordon.” Virgil’s tone was a warning. “Okay, okay,” Gordon said, raising his hands, palms outwards. “I just wondered if it’s lunchtime yet. I’m hungry.” Virgil resisted the urge to roll his eyes as he looked at his younger brother, searching for any signs of mischief and finding none. He realised Gordon was probably right, it was time for lunch. Virgil had been too caught up in what he was doing to notice how long it had been since they’d eaten breakfast. “All right, let’s see what Mom packed for us to eat.” He dug the lunchbox and water bottles out of his backpack while Gordon climbed up onto the rock and sat cross-legged beside him. Neither boy was surprised to find their mom had provided each of them with their favourite sandwich toppings, and they ate hungrily. Gordon would have polished off all the snacks too, but Virgil prudently suggested they should save those for later. They washed the sandwiches down with a hearty helping of water, making sure to save some of that too. When their little picnic was done, Gordon started to scamper back down over the rocks. “You can go back to drawing now,” he delivered a parting shot with that cheeky grin, “I’m gonna go see if I can find any fish.” “Stay out of the water,” Virgil warned. “You just ate.” “Ugh! I’m not stupid, Virgil! And besides, I’m only going in up to my knees, remember!” “I remember. I’ve just gotta make sure you do!” Virgil watched as Gordon started to clamber down the rocks. “Stay where I can see you!” he called after him. “And be careful! The rocks can get slippery.” “I’ll be fine!” Gordon yelled back, and added under his breath, “Spoilsport.” “I heard that!” Virgil didn’t see Gordon poke his tongue out before he ran off along the sand to go and get his feet wet again. He stood in the shallow water, running his hands over the slimy reeds looking for little fish. He spent some time digging his toes into the sand to see what little creatures came darting out into the water as it clouded around his feet. Virgil’s focus was split between the landscape that was rapidly developing on the paper and keeping tabs on Gordon. Every little, excited exclamation had Virgil looking along the beach, wondering what his brother had found. But his attention was inevitably pulled back to his watercolour sketch. Coming out of the water for a while, Gordon picked his way along the sand, gathering a pocketful of stones before finding a spot to stand and skip them across the surface of the lake. He was pretty proud of the one he managed to get to skip eight times before it sank. The clicky slap of the first skipped stone had Virgil’s head turning to watch, making sure his brother was still keeping out of trouble. He wondered who had taught Gordon to skip stones and fondly remembered Scott showing him how it was done. Gordon was actually pretty good at it, and he kept at it for quite a while. After that, Gordon wandered closer to the trees looking for beetles and interesting insects. He even took one or two of them over to show Virgil. He did the same with some of the smooth pebbles he’d found, especially the ones that had pretty colours or unusual patterns. Virgil liked those ones, he could tell. And every time he returned to Virgil up on his rock, while he munched on a snack or took a drink of water, he took a peek at what his brother was drawing. There was one main drawing of the view across the lake that was more and more detailed every time Gordon saw it, but there were some other smaller sketches too. Gordon wasn’t sure if they were like little practice drawings for things that Virgil wanted to add to the main one or if they were something else. It looked like some of those extra sketches included him, some were of the treasures he’d brought to show his brother, and some he couldn’t quite decipher yet. The afternoon sun beat down on them, too high in the sky for any shadows long enough to provide decent shade. Virgil barely noticed, but Gordon felt the heat. He had climbed back down from Virgil’s perch and was now sitting on the end of the little boat dock dangling his feet in the water. He kicked his feet, splashing and watching new ripples form. The water was pleasantly cool against his legs, but his head and shoulders yearned for that same refreshing feeling. He looked out across the lake, longing to jump in and immerse himself in liquid heaven. He was regretting his promise. “Gordon,” Virgil called down to him, “stop splashing around so much. I don’t want you falling in.” In response, Gordon just sighed. A gull squawked nearby, and he watched it wing its way to a large rock protruding from the water, joining other gulls and ibises sunning themselves. It was the closest island to where he sat, and it didn’t look too far to swim to. It was so hot. It would just be a quick swim. “Hey, Virgil,” Gordon called out, twisting his body around to look up at his brother, “how far do you think it is to that big rock out there?” Virgil took a moment to stand up and stretch muscles that he hadn’t really moved in nearly two hours. He looked where Gordon pointed and couldn’t help doing a rough calculation in his head to estimate the distance, but he knew where this question was leading. “Too far,” he answered. “You’re not going to swim to it. No deeper than your knees, remember?” “But, Virge . . .” “No, Gordon! It’s dangerous. We don’t swim out that far when Mom and Dad bring us down here, I’m not letting you go out there alone.” “But I’m a good swimmer, and the water’s really flat and calm, and it’s so hot . . .” “I said no!” Virgil was almost shouting now. Why wasn’t Gordon listening to him? Couldn’t he see how bad an idea this was? “It’s gotta be at least eighty metres out to that rock, and you can’t see the currents at work under the surface or the reeds or the cold spots or how deep it is. It’s not like swimming in the pool in town.” “Eighty metres is easy! I already have my two-hundred-meter freestyle achievement certificate. I’ll be out there and back in no time.” As he spoke, Gordon started removing his T-shirt. “Gordon, don’t!” Virgil’s heart was hammering at his rib cage like it was trying to break free, and he started making his way down the rocks towards the boat dock, knowing he wasn’t going to be quick enough. “Bet I’ll do it in the fastest time ever. Time me, Virgil.” And with a flash of a wicked grin, he turned and dived into the water. Virgil ran across the sand and onto the wooden dock, heart still pounding fit to burst as Gordon swam away. All he could do was stand there and watch. As scared as he was, he couldn’t help being a little bit in awe of his little brother. Even though he was little, he was a good swimmer. From his very first swimming lesson two years ago, he had been very much at home in the water. He learned fast and seemed to have the knack of skimming the surface of the water when he swam – unlike Virgil, who always felt like he was fighting the water, trying to stop it from pulling him down. He didn’t mind admitting that Gordon was a better swimmer than he was, but the little fish had no experience with open water – or getting out of trouble on his own. It wasn’t long before Gordon was halfway to the rock island, and everything seemed to be going fine. Virgil even managed to start to relax a bit. It seemed like he was going to make it out there just fine. His pace had slowed a little, but that was to be expected. Then suddenly something wasn’t right. Gordon had slowed right down, almost to a complete stop, his legs no longer breaking the surface with his kicks. He rolled onto his back and made a couple of awkward backstrokes, then he went under. Just for a millisecond. But it was enough to have Virgil scrambling to get into the dinghy. Gordon tried to shout, but the effort seemed to cause his head to bob under again. Virgil rowed as fast as he could, his head twisted to look over his shoulder, not wanting to take his eyes off his little brother, praying each time he went under that he’d see blond hair break the surface again. Swear words repeated over and over like a mantra with every stroke of the oars. Strong, long strokes propelled the little wooden boat through the water. He fought back panic. He would get there in time. He had to get there in time. He had to save his brother. Gordon seemed to be losing the battle to stay afloat, arms flailing, panicking, bobbing and spluttering. He knew Virgil was trying to get to him, and he was desperate to keep his head above water until he got there, but kicking was difficult and painful. His left leg was not obeying. He’d never experienced a cramp like this before. Virgil finally reached the spot where Gordon had just gone under again. Leaning over the side of the boat, mindful of leaning too far and capsizing, he grabbed a flailing arm with one hand and reached the other into the water to grab a handful of blond hair. He ignored the shock of the cold mere inches below the surface and hauled his brother up far enough for him to gasp for air. He adjusted his grip and dragged Gordon into the boat, where he lay coughing and spluttering, shivering and absolutely terrified. Virgil sat, boat rocking beneath them, breathing hard and equally terrified, watching his brother, grateful for the coughing because at least he knew he was still breathing. “You okay?” Virgil panted out once the coughing had died down a little. “Cramp!” Gordon gasped out in reply, indicating his left leg. “Calf muscle? Here?” Virgil was kneeling with Gordon’s left foot resting on his thigh, fingers gently kneading into his calf. Gordon responded with a nod and a little groan of pain. Virgil spent a few minutes massaging the cramped muscle. He wasn’t sure if Gordon’s tears were from the pain in his leg or fear or relief, but he suddenly felt like he’d do anything to stop them. All he could offer were words of reassurance. Words that comforted both of them. “It’s okay, Gords. You’re okay. You’re safe now.” Virgil’s fingers worked methodically, gently, gradually relaxing the muscle, relieving Gordon’s agony, and calming both of them down in the process. Gordon was soon wriggling his leg free of Virgil’s grasp to sit up on the floor of the little rowboat. He pulled his knees up to his chest, wrapping his arms around his legs, still shivering. “Hold on, Gordon.” Virgil shifted himself back onto the seat and took up the oars. “Let’s get you back to shore and then we can warm you up.” Rowing back to the wooden dock seemed to take so much longer than it had to row out into the lake. Virgil wasn’t sure if this was because there were currents working against him or if he was just a great deal more tired now. Or maybe it was the lack of terrifying urgency driving his actions on the return trip. Either way, he was grateful to make it safely to the dock and get the boat secured. Gordon was adamant he could get out of the boat on his own, but Virgil’s assistance was accepted readily when he found himself unsteady on his feet. Virgil retrieved the T-shirt Gordon had so hastily tossed aside earlier and draped it over his little brother’s back. It didn’t take much convincing for Gordon to remain sitting on the dock in the same knees-huddled-to-chest position he’d adopted in the boat while Virgil raced up to his rock platform to retrieve all his gear. He also made a quick dash across the sand to find Gordon’s discarded shoes before returning. He didn’t like how quiet and still the normally boisterous boy was. The paleness of his skin and the fact he was still shivering – or perhaps trembling – worried him even more. The now damp T-shirt had been pulled on over his head but offered little in the way of warmth. “Hey, Gordon. Arms up,” Virgil instructed, holding his own hoodie ready to slip over the blond head. Gordon did as he was told without comment or complaint, seeming to Virgil a little like some sort of robotic puppet. The hoodie was way too big, but it was soft and thick and most importantly dry. With head and arms now inserted into their correct holes, Virgil knelt in front of Gordon and pulled the hoodie down over his entire tucked-up body. Not even his feet protruded from beneath the hem. He then wrapped his arms around the whole bundle of little brother and rubbed vigorously to generate some heat. “Virgil?” Glossy brown eyes peeked out from beneath the sweater’s hood. The voice was quiet and had a quality to it that felt somehow small and uncertain. “I’m sorry.” The look in his brother’s eyes, more than the words, stung Virgil somewhere deep inside. “What?” Virgil answered. “What for?” “I didn’t listen. You told me not to and I . . .” “That doesn’t matter now.” Virgil’s arms tightened ever so slightly around him, and Gordon rested his head against his big brother’s shoulder. “All I care about right now is making sure you’re okay.” For a moment, the two boys stayed locked in the embrace, Gordon letting the feeling of safety envelop him, Virgil feeling the rise and fall of Gordon’s chest with every breath. He was relieved to find his brother relaxing into an even, steady pattern of deep breaths. There was no sign of any wheezing, and the coughs and splutters seemed long gone. “Come on. Let’s get you home,” Virgil said softly, giving Gordon’s back one final rub before releasing the hug. He slipped his backpack straps over his shoulders, held his hands out for Gordon to take so he could help him onto his feet, then lifted him up into a reverse piggyback hold. Gordon’s arms looped around his neck, and his legs wrapped around his waist without hesitation or protest, and Virgil set off for home at a slow but steady pace. The gentle but constant incline of the path back to the top track gave Virgil quite a workout with the additional weight he carried, but he took it in his stride. Gordon remained so still and quiet, hooded head resting against his left shoulder, Virgil thought he might have fallen asleep. He tried not to jostle his bundle of brother too much as he picked his way up the hill. When he reached the relative flat ground where the lake path rejoined the top track, Virgil took a moment to catch his breath, and Gordon stirred. “Hey, Virgil?” he said quietly. “When we get home . . . we don’t have to tell anyone what happened, do we?” “Gordon, we have to tell Mom. You nearly drowned!” Gordon caught his brother’s gaze and for the first time saw there was fear in those deep brown eyes. It made something in his insides feel fluttery. “But I’m okay,” he pleaded. “You saved me.” “I pulled you out of the water, but . . .” Virgil wasn’t sure how to finish that sentence and sighed. “If you got any water in your lungs, that would be bad. I’m not sure exactly how it works, but sometimes it can make a person have trouble breathing hours after they’ve been rescued from drowning.” “Oh.” The initial response was almost whispered, then Gordon’s features and tone brightened. “But –” “Did you swallow any water?” Virgil cut him off. “Because the water in the lake could make you sick if you did.” Gordon’s brow creased. “No. I don’t think so. Maybe?” Virgil sighed once more, then began walking again. “I don’t want to scare you, Gords, but what happened out there was a big deal.” “I know,” Gordon whimpered, and held on to Virgil a little tighter. “But I’m not scared now. I’m safe. I was afraid. In the water, when I thought . . . when I couldn’t . . . It was scary, but now I’m not scared because you’re here and you saved me.” Virgil remained silent. “Would it be less scary for you if you stay with me until you know I’m not going to get sick or stop breathing?” Gordon whispered. The rhythm of Virgil’s footfalls faltered for a step or two. “I promise I won’t leave your sight until you’re sure I’m okay. Then we don’t have to tell Mom unless I get sick. Okay?” For a moment, Virgil couldn’t say anything. The lump in his throat was too much of an obstacle. He blinked a few times to clear his swimming vision, huffed out a ragged sigh, and hitched his brother a little higher on his hips. “Okay, Little Fish. You got a deal. I won’t tell Mom, and you and I stick together like glue for tonight.” Not long after their deal was struck Virgil’s steady paces brought them out of the trees and into the paddock, with home in sight. It seemed they had beaten Lucy home, as her car wasn’t parked in its usual spot, but John’s bike was neatly leaned on its stand next to the others, and Virgil suspected Scott was already home too.

He was relieved to finally climb the stairs and deposit Gordon gently on his feet on the front porch. Slipping off his backpack and rolling his shoulders to ease tired muscles, Virgil followed his younger brother through the front door and into the kitchen. He might have known Gordon would gravitate towards food. At least this was a good sign – if Gordon was hungry, then he probably wasn’t feeling any ill effects from swallowing lake water. “Oh, look. It finally happened,” Scott said with a smirk and an elbow to John’s ribs. “One of Virgil’s hoodies grew legs and walked away.” “Ha-ha,” Gordon replied as he grabbed the jug of juice from the fridge. “Seriously, Gordon,” John spoke up from his seat at the kitchen table, where he and Scott had been finishing their afternoon snacks, “what’s with the hoodie? It’s gotta be ninety-six degrees outside.” “He just wanted to prove me wrong,” Virgil chimed in, walking straight to the cupboard and grabbing a couple of glasses. “I told him he would disappear completely inside one of my hoodies.” He noted the suspicious looks but ignored them as he poured juice for himself and Gordon. “How was the space thing at the library?” As John began eagerly explaining in great detail the highlights of the interactive exhibition, Virgil met Scott’s expression of curiosity with his best nothing-to-see-here shrug. He knew the innocent look he tried to project wouldn’t be enough to prevent Scott from seeing straight through the change of subject. Scott’s sapphire-blue eyes had the ability to cut like diamonds, and right at that moment Virgil felt the full weight of their scrutiny. He tried to give a reassuring smile and turn his attention to John’s increasingly fast-paced account of the space exhibit. “Actually, that sounds pretty cool,” Gordon said with an air of surprise and a warm smile at the conclusion of John’s animated description. He drained the dregs of his glass of juice and turned to Virgil. “I’m gonna go upstairs and change clothes.” “I’ll be up in a minute,” Virgil replied. Gordon left the room at a trot and bounded up the stairs. Scott and John were both back to studying Virgil intently. “What?” “Why’s Gordon so attached to you all of a sudden?” Scott asked. “He’s practically asking you for permission to leave the room.” Virgil’s gaze flicked between the blue and the turquoise, and he resisted the urge to squirm. “I don’t know. I guess we just had kind of a good day.” It was the only thing Virgil could think of to say. “You two spent the whole day together and you’re not sick of the sight of each other?” It was John’s turn to question the lack of frustrated bickering that would normally have surfaced between them. Virgil just shrugged, finished his own glass of juice, and picked up his backpack. “I’m gonna go put this stuff away.” He left the room, deliberately not hurrying but desperate to escape from the interrogation he felt was coming. As soon as he reached the top of the stairs, Gordon’s bedroom door opened. He was wearing his clownfish pyjamas, and Virgil couldn’t help but grin. “Virgil?” Gordon packed so much uncertainty into just his name Virgil was a little concerned at what might be coming. “Do you think maybe . . . I mean could we, maybe . . . Do you wanna build a blanket fort with me?” “Actually, I think that’s a pretty great idea.” When Lucy arrived home, wrangling a grizzly Alan who had missed his afternoon nap, and exhausted from a rather frustrating day full of unnecessary delays at every stop, she found Scott and John in the kitchen getting dinner started. Neither had seen the other two boys in a while, so she settled Alan in the living room with his favourite cartoon and headed upstairs to investigate. She found them in Gordon’s and Alan’s room. At least, she found evidence that this was where they had been for some time. Half of the room was obscured by a complex construction created out of pillows, blankets, and assorted bed linen supported by various pieces of furniture and some rather ingeniously rigged clothesline string. “Well, look at you two in here together, thick as thieves!” Lucy said as her head emerged from between two blankets that served as the entrance. “Hi, Mom! We’re building a blanket fort!” Gordon explained excitedly. Virgil rolled his eyes. “She can see that, doofus.” “And it is quite an impressive feat of engineering.” She winked and smiled. “What did you boys get up to on your walk today? Lots of exciting adventures, no doubt.” A look passed between the two. “Nothing,” Gordon blurted out, just as Virgil spoke. “Not much.” Virgil added a shrug and a somewhat apologetic expression. “Just . . . boy stuff.” “Yeah, Mom. Boy stuff,” Gordon repeated emphatically. “We can’t tell you because you’re a girl.” Lucy’s head tilted slightly, an eyebrow raised, and the corners of her mouth and eyes began a slow upward quirk into a smile. She wondered what they were up to, but she was happy the two of them were getting along well. “Hmm. Does this boy stuff include any drawings I’m allowed to see?” If they wouldn’t tell her where they’d been, perhaps she could discern something from Virgil’s sketches. “Can I show you later? Tomorrow maybe?” Virgil squirmed a little under the inquisitive gaze of those soft, honey-coloured eyes. Usually he loved sharing his artworks with Mom. She always praised the bits she thought he’d done well and knew exactly how to suggest little improvements without making it seem like he’d made mistakes. Sometimes it felt like she saw more in his drawings than what he’d put in them. “Okay,” she said, changing tack. “Are you two coming out of there to join the rest of us for dinner?” Another look between the brothers. The plot thickening before her eyes. “Can we come back in here after dinner?” Gordon asked. “Could we, maybe, both sleep in here for tonight?” Virgil followed up quickly. Lucy studied the faces of her two brown-eyed boys. These two were not regular partners in shenanigans. There was something going on here that she was not quite sure she understood just yet, but there didn’t seem to be any harm in what they were asking. “I don’t see why not,” she answered, and was rewarded with two beaming smiles. “Go wash up and you can set the table while I help your brothers finish up in the kitchen.” Dinner for the most part was about as chaotic as usual. Alan was still irritable and played with more of his food than he ate, making a mess of himself and the table in front of him in the process. Scott and John both gave lengthy answers to their mom’s enquiries about how they had spent the day. There were all the usual arguments over who would get the last helpings of this or that as plates and dishes were rapidly emptied, their contents hungrily devoured. Virgil and Gordon managed to talk about the more innocent parts of their day, clinging to descriptions of what plants were flowering, the types of birds they saw, the spiders and beetles and butterflies, rather than any specific mention of the lake. As the scrape of knives and forks on plates finally died down, Lucy began clearing serving dishes off the table. “How about tomorrow we all have a day at the pool?” Standing behind her water-baby as she spoke, she gave his hair a ruffle. John and Scott were both quick to answer with excited affirmatives, Alan enthusiastically exclaimed “Swim!”, but she didn’t see the panicked look that flashed across Gordon’s face as he looked across the table at Virgil. “That sounds great, Mom,” was Virgil’s reply as he kept his eyes firmly on Gordon, trying to relay a sense of calm reassurance that he didn’t really feel. If anyone noticed Gordon’s lack of enthusiasm at the suggestion, no one made mention of it. Perhaps his reaction was lost in the flurry of activity as the table was cleared and Alan was escorted upstairs for his bath. Virgil did notice an odd expression cross Scott’s face as he watched Gordon begin loading dirty cutlery into the dishwasher, but he said nothing before leaving the kitchen. John and Scott had helped cook dinner, so Virgil and Gordon were left to load the dishwasher and tidy the kitchen. “Gordon?” Virgil caught his little brother’s attention with a gentle flick of a tea towel, and a sullen expression was his reply. “Don’t you want to go to the pool tomorrow?” Gordon shrugged. Virgil kept his voice low, not wanting anyone to hear the conversation. “You always get excited about going to the pool. You’ve been begging Mom to take us every day for the entire summer. People will ask questions if you suddenly don’t want to go.” The look in Gordon’s eyes was a complicated mixture of fear, sadness, and uncertainty that had Virgil once again wanting to do anything he could to take away the pain. He was about to say something more when he heard John’s voice carry through from the living room and thought better of it. The discussion wasn’t over, but it would have to wait. The rest of their kitchen duty was completed in awkward silence. Chores done, they headed upstairs, back to their blanket fort. They had barely begun to settle into the pile of pillows and cushions when a small hand, followed by a headful of slightly damp blond hair, poked through from beneath a blanket wall. Bright blue eyes sparkled as a giggle escaped through a cheeky grin. “Peek-a-boo!” Alan exclaimed and wriggled his way into the enclosure. “Alan!?” Lucy parted the fort’s entrance with her arms so the blankets draped like a stage curtain. As her eyes came to rest on her littlest, a wave of relief was reflected in her fond smile.  “Say good night to your brothers and I’ll read you a story.” Liberal good-night cuddles were dished out to both big brothers before Lucy ushered Alan out so she could bundle him into bed. “You two – shower or bath, teeth brushing – go!” she instructed. By the time Virgil and Gordon had washed and brushed and were attired for bed (again in Gordon’s case), Alan was asleep, the bedroom was illuminated only by Alan’s star projecting night light, and their mom was holding her finger up to her lips. “Shh. Try not to wake your little brother,” she whispered. She gave each of them a hug and a kiss on the forehead. “Don’t stay up all night!” Virgil and Gordon were soon alone and comfortably secure in their plush fortress. Their flashlights had been propped between pillows and furniture so they provided a soft glow amid the cosy gloom. “Talk to me, Fish,” Virgil said softly. “You’ve been so quiet since dinner. Are you feeling okay?” “Yeah, I’m fine.” Gordon’s slumped posture added to Virgil’s impression that his brother looked pretty miserable. “It’s just . . .” A huge sigh escaped his tiny frame. “You’re worried about tomorrow?” Virgil finished for him. “Do you think I could tell Mom I have to do some reading for school or something?” Virgil’s eyes widened and his heart dropped into his stomach. His little brother might not be physically sick or injured, but he was not okay. “You know that’s not gonna work, Gordon. You’ve been pestering her all summer to take you to the pool. If you suddenly don’t want to go, she’s going to be super suspicious. And nobody will believe that you would ditch the pool in favour of schoolwork. Especially in summer!” “I know.” Another sigh. A long silence. “It’s just, when Mom said we’d all go to the pool tomorrow I . . . Normally I’d be really excited, but this time I kind of got scared.” “What are you scared of?” Gordon thought Virgil’s question was a pretty stupid one considering what had happened at the lake, and his scowling glare communicated as much. “I mean, what exactly scares you about going to the pool? Are you afraid you might get into trouble like you did in the lake?” Gordon’s expression turned more quizzical as he considered what Virgil was trying to say. “Because the pool is going to be very different from the lake. The water is clear. You can always see the bottom. The temperature is controlled and kept fairly warm. There’s a lifeguard on duty all the time keeping everyone safe, and we’ll all be there with you. You won’t be on your own, far from shore.” “I guess.” “Gordon, you love the water. You always have, even when you were tiny. You’re always happiest when you’re in the water – even if it’s just the bath or splashing in puddles.” “Not anymore.” “You have to get back on the horse,” Virgil said absently, almost to himself. “What? What horse? What does that have to do with the pool?” “It’s a figure of speech. Something Grandpa says. If you fall off the horse, you’ve gotta get right back on. You can’t let one bad experience make you scared forever, and the sooner you get back up on the horse after falling, the easier it is to ride again.” Gordon looked uncertain. “So, you’re saying that I have to go to the pool tomorrow and get back in the water or else I might be scared of swimming forever?” “I’m saying you have to go to the pool tomorrow because swimming makes you happy. You’re good at it, and you can’t let today stop you from doing something that makes you light up like Fourth of July fireworks and grin like the Cheshire Cat.” There was another long silence. Gordon scooted a little closer to his big brother and rested his head against Virgil’s shoulder. “Will you stay with me tomorrow? At the pool?” Virgil wriggled his arm under his brother and tugged him closer. “For as long as you need me to,” he affirmed. “We’ll start off in the shallow end. Mess around for a while, just getting wet, splashing about. Pretty soon you’ll be swimming like a fish and I won’t be able to keep up. But I promise I’ll stay close and watch out for you, okay?” “Okay.” Despite how tired he sounded, there was a brightness to Gordon’s voice that caused a wave of relief to sweep over Virgil. The day’s exploits had exhausted the two boys. Their little nest was cosy and warm, and the close contact between them helped relax them both as they quickly drifted off to sleep. But Virgil’s usually sound sleep was disturbed by unpleasant dreams. Twice he woke suddenly, heart pounding and breathing hard, certain that something terrible had happened and with an unshakable need to check on Gordon, only to find him safely asleep beside him. He lay awake after each nightmare, watching the even rise and fall of his brother’s chest, noticing every little twitch and murmur made as he slept. He had a feeling it would be a while before he could completely shake these nightmares, but it was comforting to think that Gordon had been spared the same kind of disruption through the night.

*** Morning dawned bright and warm, and despite the duvet cover preventing much sunlight penetrating the sanctuary of the fort, Gordon was awake with the dawn chorus. He tried to let his brother sleep, happy to listen to the soft snores and try not to giggle, but he quickly became impatient. Virgil woke to gentle but insistent poking to the ribs and the repeated whispering of his name. When he peeled his eyes open, he was greeted with brown eyes mere inches in front of his own and a beaming smile. “We’re going to the pool today, Virgil,” Gordon whispered with a hint of excitement. “You have to get up.” “Okay, okay,” Virgil managed to somewhat grunt as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. Then he registered the expression on his little brother’s face, the gleam in the eyes and the fact that the smile still hadn’t faltered, and a smile of his own spread from the depths of his heart and across his face. The mixture of nerves and eagerness thrumming through Gordon all morning was enough to give the rest of the family the impression he was full of barely contained excitement fitting for the day of a visit to the pool. He repeatedly asked when they would be leaving and was repeatedly told they would head out after lunch. He offered to pack everyone’s towels and Alan’s floaties into a bag ready for later, and he fidgeted and bounced his way through to lunchtime. After lunch, as promised, Lucy piled all the boys into the family car and drove them to the public pool. She paid their admission, and they all tumbled through the turnstile. As usual, Scott, who had never grown out of wanting to go everywhere at top speed, and Gordon raced away to find them a spot on the grass where bags and towels could be unceremoniously dumped before they hit the water. By the time Virgil and John joined them, T-shirts had already been discarded and comments about the fate of the last person into the water were being bandied about. When Lucy was finally able to set down her load of Alan and the bagful of necessities required for their day out, her four oldest boys were already racing towards the Olympic-sized pool. Scott first, John not far behind, and Gordon practically dragging Virgil by the hand.

Lucy kept an eye on her boys happily splashing about with each other in the shallow end of the pool while she got herself and Alan stripped down to their bathing suits and slid Alan’s floaties on over his head and arms. They had started a game of Chicken Fight by the time she slid herself into the water and lifted Alan down into her arms. John, sitting on Scott’s shoulders and Gordon atop Virgil’s, were locked in grappling combat. Scott and John had the advantage of both height and reach, and it was not long before Gordon toppled into the water. A rematch produced the same result in short order, and Gordon exacted revenge by distracting Scott with an underwater pantsing, causing him to break his hold on John, who overbalanced and slid from Scott’s shoulders into the pool. Lucy and Alan laughed along with the others as Scott protested foul play. Handstand competitions and a game of Freeze Tag followed. Lucy took Alan to the toddler pool where he could splash about more freely, instructing the older boys to behave and try not to bother other pool users too much while she was gone. Virgil was pleased to see that, just as he’d predicted, Gordon was happily swimming rings around them all as they played. He’d stuck close to Virgil at first, but after the Chicken Fights, he was swimming farther and faster in his efforts to escape being tagged and spending longer underwater with every passing minute. It seemed he had slipped right back into his home environment without any lasting dramas. As the afternoon shadows grew long, one by one Lucy’s boys returned to their spot on the grass. She and Alan had grown tired of the water first, and Alan had even had a short sleep amongst the pile of towels as they waited for the others to tire themselves out. Scott was first of the older boys to tire of swimming and return to towel off and dress in dry clothes, with John quick to follow. Lucy was a little surprised at how long Virgil lasted in the water until she spotted him sitting on the edge of the pool with just his feet and lower legs in the water watching Gordon as he shot back and forth across the free-play area, dodging strangers. She gave a shrill two-finger whistle. Virgil, recognising the signal, turned his head to look back at her, and she beckoned with her hand to indicate it was time to go. It seemed to take a while to convince Gordon to get out of the pool, but Lucy was not surprised. The car ride home was a fairly quiet one, the boys having spent a great deal of energy over the course of the afternoon. They brightened at the suggestion of ordering pizza for dinner when they got home, and there was a brief buzz of conversation when she mentioned their father would be home by the weekend. He had only been away for two weeks, but the older boys had never really grown out of getting excited by his return. This latest trip wasn’t as far away as Mars or even the moon, but the prospect of having Dad home again still triggered that same feeling of welcoming someone who had been long absent. He may not visit space for work any longer, and his absences could be measured in days instead of months or years, but it was always great to have him home again. “He already has big plans for this year’s Last Day of Summer,” Lucy mentioned with a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “It’s only ten days away now!” While Scott and John speculated on what their dad might have in store for the annual family day at the lake on the last weekend before they went back to school, Virgil felt a small hand slip inside his and squeeze. He looked to his left at Gordon staring silently out the car window and gave a slight hand squeeze of his own in reply. While today had helped, it was obvious his little brother was still harbouring some fear of returning to the lake. There was no chance for Virgil to talk one-on-one with Gordon when they got home from the pool. As was fairly normal in the Tracy household, there always seemed to be someone else around or something that needed doing, and before he knew it, Gordon was already tucked in bed and reading a bedtime story with Mom. Virgil took a little longer than normal in the shower, needing the time alone with his thoughts. If Gordon acted anything less than excited about going to the lake for Last Day of Summer, it wouldn’t be long before their little secret would come to light. He had to find a way to get Gordon’s confidence back, but he was starting to wonder if he could manage on his own. With something like this, he would normally talk things out with Scott. It felt wrong to be hiding something from him and even more wrong to be hiding things from Mom. He was beginning to wonder whether he should just let the cat out of the bag and tell the truth, but he really didn’t want to let his little brother down either. Unable to face revealing how close he’d come to letting his brother drown, Virgil ended up avoiding any chance of conversation for the evening and shut himself away in his room until it was time for bed. John was in and out of the shared bedroom as he began preparing to turn in for the night, but it was not unusual for the two of them to quietly do their own thing without really exchanging words. When Lucy popped her head inside the door to check on her two quietest boys and say good night, Virgil tried his best to act like everything was normal. Her gaze fell heavily on him for a moment, and he had to fight the urge to tell her everything about the day at the lake and ask her advice. “Don’t stay up too late, boys,” she playfully warned them. “Lights out by 9:30 please, Virgil, and John, no more stargazing after lights out!” “Okay, Mom,” they both answered automatically and in chorus. “Good night.” It took a while for Virgil to fall asleep that night, mind whirling with the thought of his little brother being afraid of something that had always been a source of such joy. There had to be a way to fix it – every problem had a solution, you just had to find it, that’s what Dad would say. As tired as he was, his mind kept trying to focus on finding that solution before drifting away into a sleepy fog. Gordon didn’t know exactly what time it was, but he knew it was very late. The house was quiet. The room wasn’t dark – Alan’s night-light saw to that – but he couldn’t hear any voices, any indication of anyone moving around downstairs or in the bathrooms and bedrooms. Everyone must be asleep. He had startled awake, sitting bolt upright, breathless, heart pounding, eyes prickling with oncoming tears and really wishing he wasn’t so alone. He’d been dreaming about the lake, and now he didn’t want to go back to sleep. Slipping silently from his bed, he tiptoed across the floor, careful not to disturb Alan, and crept out into the hall. He hesitated for a moment. Normally he would head for his parents’ room, but Mom would ask what the dream was about, and he didn’t want to tell her about swimming in the lake. He didn’t want to get in trouble – or get Virgil into trouble. Gordon changed direction and headed for Virgil’s and John’s room. Being very careful to open the door without a sound and close it just as silently behind him, Gordon stood in the pitch-dark bedroom for a moment and let his eyes adjust. He couldn’t understand why his bigger brothers liked it so dark, he found it a bit creepy, but he couldn’t turn on the light and risk waking John. It wasn’t long before he could make out the shape of Virgil’s bed amongst the gloom, and he stealthily padded across the carpet to stand beside his sleeping brother. Now that he was here, he wasn’t really sure how to wake him or whether he should. He stood twisting the fingers of both hands around each other, close to tears again. “Virgil?” he whispered, barely above a breath. No response. “Virge?” This time a little louder, a little more desperate, a little more whiney and accompanied by a sniff. He tried tapping Virgil’s shoulder a few times, but his brother didn’t budge from where he lay curled on his side, facing the wall. In the end, not knowing what else to do, Gordon climbed across the bottom of the bed and squeezed his way past Virgil’s knees, wriggled himself under the covers and Virgil’s arm, and curled himself into the space between his brother and the wall. It was around three a.m. when Virgil woke to find he wasn’t alone in the bed. He didn’t know how or when Gordon had come to be there, but he could hear him softly whimpering and feel him shaking with the occasional sob. “Gordon,” he whispered softly, “are you okay?” He tugged his brother a little tighter to him, feeling him struggle to get the sobbing under control and even out his breathing. “Had a bad dream,” came the ever-so-quiet response. Virgil eased his grip and shuffled over on the bed, allowing Gordon to roll over and face him, but he kept his hand resting against his brother’s back. Neither of them spoke for a moment, and the quiet darkness seemed both comforting and ominous at the same time. Gordon heaved a deep breath in and let it out in a sigh before breaking the silence. He kept his voice low, but once he started, the words tumbled out in a torrent. “I can’t go back to the lake for Last Day of Summer, Virgil. I don’t want to go back in the water and everyone will know that’s not normal and want to know why and I don’t want them to know what I did and –” “Shh,” Virgil soothed, rubbing Gordon’s back as he spoke. “We’ll work something out together. I promise.” “You mean so we don’t have to go?” “No, I mean so you won’t be afraid anymore. We have to go. It’s tradition. And I think we both have to go back to the lake and confront our fears.” “You’re scared too? Wait, what are you scared of?” It was Virgil’s turn to let out a sigh. “Gordon, as annoying as you sometimes are, you are my little brother, and if anything happened to you – anything really bad, I mean – I’d be . . .” Another sigh. “I just don’t want anything bad to happen to you. And I guess I’m scared of what might have happened. I keep having bad dreams where I couldn’t save you.” Gordon was suddenly wrapped around him like an octopus, his skinny little arms squeezing tight around Virgil like he was never going to let go and legs twining their way between bedding and body to latch on too. Despite feeling a little bit trapped within the many-limbed embrace, Virgil felt oddly comforted by it. “You don’t have to hold so tight, little octopus. I’m not going anywhere,” Virgil whispered into blond hair. “I’m not an octopus,” came the muffled reply, buried somewhere in Virgil’s neck, “I’m a squid.” “Okay then, Squid. How about we try and get some sleep and work this out tomorrow?” Gordon’s hold on his brother relaxed enough for them both to get a little more comfortable in the bed, but it was clear he wasn’t letting go. Virgil managed to get one arm disentangled enough to trace his hand back and forth across Gordon’s back, helping to lull him to sleep. Slumber quickly claimed the older brother soon after.

*** Morning crept up on them, dawning overcast and gloomy, despite being summer warm. As a result, Gordon slept later than he normally would and was woken by John’s quiet movements as he rolled out of the bed on the other side of the room and shuffled towards the bathroom. If John noticed the interloper in Virgil’s bed, he didn’t say anything, so Gordon took the opportunity to unceremoniously climb over his brother and hightail it back to his own room. Virgil woke with a start after yet another nightmare. Sitting up and trying to reacquaint himself with reality, he realised Gordon was no longer with him, and his heart rate ratcheted up a few more notches in brief panic. Catching sight of the clock and taking a few slow, deep breaths, Virgil managed to convince himself that everything was fine, Gordon had obviously just woken up earlier and was more than likely perfectly okay. But he needed to check. He tumbled out of bed and, after a brief detour to the bathroom, stumbled his way down the corridor in search of Gordon. Finding the tiny two’s bedroom deserted, he headed downstairs and found his target in the living room. Virgil stood in the doorway watching Gordon playing with Alan for a few minutes. Seeing his goofball brother being his normal, animated self and hearing the shrieks and giggles his antics prompted from Alan were enough to reassure him that yes, Gordon was just fine. Sometime after Virgil had found himself some breakfast and begun to consider himself properly awake, John found him sitting at the piano, absently staring out the window. John didn’t recall hearing Virgil play any practice exercises, and Virgil’s brow was furrowed in deep concentration, so John concluded that he was there more for the familiarity than the urge to play music. He did this sometimes – sat there just thinking, wheels turning, gears shifting, working something out in his head – and John always found it interesting to watch the thought process play out through Virgil’s expressions. But the expression wasn’t changing. “Virgil?” John prompted with some concern. “You okay?” With a jolt, Virgil tore his eyes away from the view he wasn’t really seeing out the window and focussed them on John. “Yeah.” Virgil sighed. “I just have something I need to do, something that needs fixing, and I don’t know how to do it.” “Look it up,” John answered with a shrug. “That’s what I’d do. There’s probably a book about it somewhere or a repair manual or instructional video. If I want to know how something works or how to do something, I start with research.” With that, John walked away, leaving Virgil to ponder how to research fixing a fear of swimming in a lake. And then it hit him. Research was the answer, he just had to look up the right thing – not how to fix the fear, but all the things there were to be afraid of. The more information you know about the thing you’re afraid of, the less scary it becomes. So, all he had to do was look up everything that could cause someone to get into trouble swimming in a lake – and maybe rivers, streams, and oceans too – and learn everything about them. If he knew how to spot the dangers or how to prevent them and how to get out of trouble, then maybe Gordon wouldn’t be afraid anymore. Virgil set off at a run to go and find Gordon. At first, Gordon wasn’t sure about this idea of Virgil’s. Sitting in front of a holoscreen looking up information sounded a lot like homework. But Virgil was insistent that they at least give it a try. After all, it couldn’t hurt to know more about different waterways. “Okay, so where do we start?” Gordon asked as they settled themselves at the big desk in the corner of the living room. “Well, what scares you most when you think about going swimming in the lake?” “Getting another cramp.” Gordon’s reply was quiet, and suddenly Virgil hated himself for making his little brother revisit that moment when everything had gone wrong. He put his hand on Gordon’s shoulder and offered a reassuring squeeze. “Then let’s start there. We can find out what causes cramps when you swim and learn how to prevent them or how to manage them.” Virgil found a great deal of information on muscle cramps related to swimmers, which he quickly became quite absorbed in. He had to remind himself to stick to the sites with simple wording and steer clear of the ones that crossed too far into medical jargon territory. The boys learned the importance of warming up before swimming, being careful not to overexert the muscles, and staying hydrated. They also found that cold water could increase the chance of cramping. Virgil physically shivered at the memory of plunging his arm into deceptively cold water to grab at one of the only parts of his little brother he could still see. They researched swimming in cold water, what caused cold spots in lakes and rivers and whether you could spot them, and ways you could avoid them or deal with them. They learned about different types of currents – ones you could see, and ones you wouldn’t know about until you felt them. Submerged objects, reeds and seaweed, rocks and tree roots . . . “What are you guys doing?” Scott startled them so badly Virgil jumped and Gordon squeaked. “Researching water safety.” Virgil decided honesty was the best way to go . . . to a point. “It’s for Rescue Scouts.” “But we don’t go back to Rescue Scouts until a week after school goes back.” Scott eyed both brothers suspiciously. “We know, but there’s no harm in getting in early, and Gordon really wants his Water Safety badge.” Virgil had to resist the urge to squirm under the scrutiny of his big brother’s gaze as Scott remained silent for what seemed like a whole minute. “Well, it’s time for lunch,” Scott finally said before turning his back on them and heading for the kitchen. Gordon grinned up at Virgil, who huffed out a long exhale in relief. He didn’t think Scott completely believed the Rescue Scout story, but it seemed as though they would be able to continue their research unquestioned. In fact, no one questioned the time these two spent together in snatches of an hour or two here and there over a couple of days, continuing to search out information on the best ways to stay safe in just about any body of water. Gordon had even made a scrapbook of notes and pictures so he could keep track of all the things they’d learned. Excuses aside, when Rescue Scouts resumed after the summer break, Gordon would already be well on his way to earning his Water Safety badge in earnest. As promised, Jeff was back home by the time the boys awoke on Saturday morning, and he began dropping hints about his plans for the best Last Day of Summer yet. It was to be bigger and better than ever before because, for the first time since they began making the end-of-summer vacation a celebration, it coincided with Virgil’s birthday. The first hints encouraged the boys to check their tents and sleeping bags. It wouldn’t just be a day out with a picnic lunch this year, it would be an overnight campout. There was a promise of campfire tales and s’mores and a special surprise that required the night sky as a backdrop. There were hints about guests that prompted a whole day of guessing who might be joining them at the lake. Grandma and Grandpa were the first confirmed additions to the guest list, along with “Uncle” Lee and a mysterious extra guest from England and his daughter, who was apparently around Virgil’s and John’s age. Amidst all the building excitement about the big event at the end of the week, signs of Gordon’s nervousness about returning to the lake were easily missed by the rest of the family. Only Virgil saw the signs – the slight frown at Scott’s mention that they’d all need to remember to bring their swimmers and towels, the look of horror at John wondering if he’d see more stars if he rowed out into the lake after dark. Virgil decided he’d have to take Gordon back to the lake before the weekend. They needed to return to the scene of the crime. Gordon, having come to much the same conclusion in his own way, approached Virgil after breakfast on the Wednesday. The day was clear and bright, much like it had been on the morning of that fateful day little more than a week before. It seemed like a good day to go back and face the monster that the lake had become. “Virgil,” Gordon said quietly, despite there being no one else in the living room at the time, “can we go back to the lake today? Can you take me?” “Today seems like a good day to me,” Virgil answered with a gentle smile. “We’ll have to tell Dad we’re going out for most of the day.” Now that Jeff was back from his trip and working from the home office, Lucy was spending more time at work. The boys were expected to look after each other and only interrupt their father if it was important, but Jeff would check up on them all throughout the day. “Do we have to say where we’re going?” Gordon twined his fingertips around each other, raising his eyes to meet Virgil’s from a head trying to look down at the floor. “We’ll tell him we’re going back to the place we visited last week to finish the drawing,” Virgil suggested. “It’s not exactly a lie. We are going back to the same place.” The knock on Jeff’s office door was tentative but loud enough that he heard it over the voice of the colleague on the other end of the video call. He muted his audio to tell his visitor to wait a moment before unmuting and bringing the phone conversation to a conclusion. “Come in,” he finally called towards the closed door. He was a little surprised by the request for this particular pair to spend a day out together on their own, but he remembered Lucy mentioning something about these two having been out on the top track the week before. He gave them permission to go provided they tell Scott and John where they were going and promise to be back by five. “Take something to eat and plenty of water, Virgil,” he reminded the older boy, “and look after your brother.” “I will, Dad.” Virgil gave a solemn nod, and the two boys slipped back out of the office, closing the door behind them. Bag packed with sandwiches and water bottles, art supplies for the sake of appearances, and towels, the boys were soon striding out across the paddock towards the top track. This time there were no lingering looks at the scenery as they walked – the birds, spiders, and bugs were largely ignored. Unlike the last time they had set out together, Virgil had no desire to hurry, and he let his younger brother set the pace. He noted with a small amount of pride the purposeful strides, the determination in the set of squared shoulders, and the fire in amber eyes as Gordon focused his energy on reaching their destination so he could do what needed to be done. Gordon’s determined march stuttered to a somewhat abrupt halt when they rounded the last curve and stepped onto the silty sand of the lake’s beach. With his eyes fixed on the water, shoulders drooping, it seemed Gordon’s fire had died. Without a word, Virgil placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder, the simple gesture having the desired effect – lending the younger boy enough resolve to steel himself once again, lengthen his spine, and straighten his shoulders. Virgil steered them over to a patch of sand where he could spread out a towel for them to sit on. Shoes were shed in preparation for the inevitable trip to the water’s edge, but the boys remained seated. “What do you see out there?” Virgil asked. “It’s the same. Calm. Flat. But it’s different from last time too.” Virgil waited for a moment before trying again, wanting Gordon to see past the feeling of fear. “Remember what we learned about studying the ripples?” he prompted. “Is it really flat and calm?” There was silence as Gordon’s gaze focused intently on the expanse of blue stretching before them. The embers of the fire that had previously lit his eyes seemed to ignite anew as he studied the surface, looking for telltale signs. “There are reeds just under the surface over there,” he said, pointing a little to their left, “and the ripples over here are different to that bit farther out where it looks really smooth.” Virgil could see Gordon’s confidence growing as he gestured to various parts of the lake, telling his big brother what the differences in the rippled and smooth areas were likely to mean in terms of what was going on beneath the surface. Pretty soon they were on their feet and striding into the shallows to test the waters. Gordon entered the water at a slow walk, which Virgil thought was through caution or trepidation at first, but then Gordon gently trailed fingertips through the reeds and beckoned his big brother over. “Virgil, come look,” he called, looking up at him with a grin. “There are fish that feed in the reeds.” The next half hour was spent following Gordon through the shallows exploring the aquatic life found therein. As the younger boy got more caught up in watching the fish, finding different types of reeds, discovering eels, and excitedly pondering all manner of life in the depths of the lake, they wandered deeper into the water. Virgil followed and listened, answering questions as best he could when asked, smiling fondly all the while. The Squid was in his element. “Hey Gordon,” Virgil said as he playfully splashed a well-aimed hand scoop of water into the side of his little brother’s head. “You realise you’re getting your shirt wet, right?” Gordon looked down at the water that was now up to the middle of his chest and back up at his brother with a grin. “Oops.” They briefly returned to the little beach, shed their shirts, and laid them down in the sun to dry. “You know, when we come back this weekend, we’ll mostly be swimming out here where we just were.” Virgil nodded his head back towards the little patch of lake they’d just explored. “We could go a little deeper, actually lift our feet off the bottom and swim for a while. This is the only part of the lake any of us have ever really swum in before.” Gordon’s eyes sparkled with light reflecting off the water as he pondered Virgil’s words for a moment. Mom and Dad had always suggested the boys shouldn’t swim out past where they could touch the bottom and definitely never past the end of the wooden pier. Looking at the pier and the dinghy tied securely to its mooring drew his eye to the rock island beyond, tantalisingly close, yet so terrifyingly far. Virgil watched his squid brother scanning the water, casting his gaze over the safe and familiar. He saw the moment the line was crossed and thoughts turned to the challenge just that little farther afield. Once again, he placed a hand on Gordon’s shoulder, hoping to redirect his thoughts. “Why don’t we just go back in, swim around for a while, have some fun where we know it’s safe?” “Yeah, okay,” Gordon agreed, a little half-heartedly. Virgil took his brother by the hand, and by the time they’d taken two steps, they were running towards the water. He only let go once they were in deep enough that a tug of the hand lifted Gordon’s feet off the bottom and propelled him a short distance through the water. He received a splash to the face for his efforts, but his little brother was smiling and treading water. In no time at all, Gordon was literally swimming rings around his big brother, splashing at him and darting away, taunting him, daring him to swim after him. It was hunger that drove them out of the water and back onto the dry sand sometime later. PB&J sandwiches were retrieved from the backpack and devoured. The late summer sun warmed their shoulders as they sat in content silence, listening to the lapping of the water and the cries of the birds. Virgil would have been happy to remain there soaking it all in, but Gordon soon became restless, his gaze drifting back to where water birds were drying their outstretched wings. “Virgil, I wanna swim to the rock.” The fire was back in Gordon’s eyes. Virgil studied him for a moment, seeing that same determination that had driven the march to the lake. He wasn’t asking for permission, he was making a statement. It was what he’d come here to do – the demon he needed to conquer. Virgil wasn’t feeling anywhere near as courageous as his little brother looked at that moment. “Gordon . . .” “I need to do it, Virgil.” He turned his head, those glowing embers burning straight into his big brother’s wide brown eyes. “But I need you.” “I can’t . . .” “Use the boat. I’ll swim, you row. If I get into trouble, you’ll be right there.” Virgil had to look away. The intensity in those eyes, the body language, the strength of will in his little brother were too much. But it was the faith Gordon was placing in him that was twisting his gut. He caught sight of the rock island, out there beyond the boat docked at the pier. He was suddenly very aware of his own heartbeat thumping just a little too hard and a little too fast. Gordon needed this – needed him to do this with him. He couldn’t let the Squid down. “Okay,” he agreed with a sigh. He had expected a look of triumph, a smile, a victory dance . . . something. Anything but the simple nod and determined knitting of Gordon’s brow that he received in reply. The younger boy then grabbed his water bottle and took a long draught. “Staying hydrated helps stop you getting cramps, right?” Gordon asked. Virgil nodded. “And I should do some warmup stretches before I swim out there.” “Right again.” Virgil was gladdened by the amount of thought and preparation Gordon was putting into the task ahead of him this time. “And you’ll stay close in the boat?” There it was, the uncertainty just below that confident façade. “Right beside you all the way, little brother.” Virgil tried to school his expression into one of reassurance, but he wasn’t sure he managed it. They made their way across the sand and onto the wooden planks of the pier, then stood studying the expanse of water for a moment, watching the ripples and trying to read currents. Looking for dangers. At last Virgil could put it off no longer. Gordon was warmed up and ready to go, they had assessed the risks and had plans in mind for just about any eventuality. It was time to untie the boat and take up the oars. Sitting in the gently rocking dinghy, Virgil had to take a moment to close his eyes and concentrate on a few deep breaths to quell the hammering in his ribcage before looking back up at Gordon and giving a nod. He was as ready as he’d ever be. This time when Gordon dived in, he began his swim with a measured pace rather than a burst of speed that he wouldn’t be able to maintain. Virgil didn’t have to work too hard on the oar strokes to keep up with him. Not far out there was a brief moment of panic when Gordon suddenly stopped his forward momentum and started treading water. An odd expression furrowed his brow, then he ducked his head under the water. Dropping the oars and preparing to make a grab for his brother, Virgil was sure his heart stopped beating altogether for a second before the blond head re-emerged above the surface. Seeing the panic in his big brother’s eyes, Gordon grinned and held up the weed he’d just untangled from his leg. “It’s okay, Virge, no cramps, just waterweed.” And with that, he resumed his swim with a flurry of swift kicks and smooth strokes. By the time Virgil could regather the oars – and his wits – his little brother was ten meters ahead of him. It took only a few strong pulls on the oars to catch up again, but Virgil knew his pulse rate was not going to climb down out of the stratosphere until they were both on dry land. It felt like an eternity, but in reality, it was only a few minutes before Gordon was able to lay his hands on the slippery surface of the rock. Finding a decent hold, he clambered up far enough to sit on a crag, feet still in the water, triumphant grin lighting up his features, water droplets catching the sunlight, causing his hair and skin to glisten as he caught his breath. “I knew I could do it!” he panted as Virgil drew the dinghy close beside him. “I never doubted you, Squiddo,” Virgil agreed, practically beaming with pride at his brother’s achievement. “Now, are you gonna swim back? Or do you want a lift?” Gordon’s eyes widened in surprise. He hadn’t really thought about the return trip. Virgil chuckled. “Um, I think maybe I’ll just come back with you in the boat.” He scrubbed a hand through his hair, dragging it back from where it was dripping into his eyes. “No problem, Fish. You’ve proved enough for one day.” With a bit of manoeuvring, jostling, and boat rocking, Gordon was able to climb into the dinghy and settle himself into the seat at the prow. To him, the journey back to the dock seemed to take no time at all. Virgil’s strong, steady strokes with the oars propelled them quickly and smoothly through the water as though it took no effort at all. He jumped out of the boat and onto the pier before Virgil had even finished drawing the oars into the boat, then waited for Virgil to climb out and secure the mooring. “Virgil?” It was all the warning the older boy got as he turned to face his little brother, who closed the space between them at a run and launched himself into what became a squid hug, arms and legs tightly wrapped around Virgil’s torso. It took Virgil a couple of backward steps before he could steady himself under the sudden additional weight. “Thank you. You are the best big brother.” Virgil returned the embrace, allowing a chuckle to escape as he rested his head against damp hair. “You are a pretty amazing little brother, Squid.”

*** The Last Day of Summer celebration, and Virgil’s twelfth birthday turned out to be a fantastic, fun-filled event for all involved. Nothing could hold Gordon back from spending as much time as possible in the water, and so no one knew there had ever been a problem. The nightmares had run their course too. Summer vacation came to an end, and with the start of the school term, life returned to normal. A few weeks later a chance meeting at school pickup resulted in a few puzzle pieces slotting into place for Lucy. Gordon’s class teacher spotted Lucy waiting in the Kiss & Drop zone and made a passing comment about his wonderful piece of creative writing for the obligatory “What I Did Over Summer” assignment. When they got home, with the boys all occupied with snacks or homework and various afterschool activities, Lucy dug out Gordon’s writing workbook and found the story in question titled “My Summer Vacation,” with a large A+ written in red at the top of the page. My Summer Vacation I did lots of things in summer with my big brothers and we had lots of fun but there was one scary day. I went swimming in the lake when I wasn’t supposed to and I nearly drowned but my brother was there and he saved me. After that I was scared to go swimming, but he told me it would make him sad if I didn’t swim anymore because he says swimming makes me happy. We looked up all the ways you can get into trouble swimming in lakes and rivers and oceans. We found out all the ways you can look for dangers and get out of trouble in the water and how to be safe. Now I’m not scared to go swimming anymore. Well, that explained a great deal. Lucy smiled to herself and shook her head a little. She would have words with Virgil about the kind of secrets that needed to be shared with an adult, but she was struck once again by how amazing her boys could be and just how far they would go for one another.

***

[businessweekme]

California Highway 1 Road Trip

Six weeks ago, Highway 1 fully reopened in Big Sur, following devastating mudslides in May 2017. After $54 million worth of repairs and the removal of millions of tons of earth, rocks, and debris, travelers can once again enjoy an uninterrupted drive along the gorgeous coastal highway between San Francisco and Los Angeles.

But it’s not just the views that make the trek one of the most famous road trips in the world. There’s also the food to contend with: Dotted along the winding route, you’ll find peppery smoked-fish tacos, juicy burgers smothered in eggs and melted cheese, and homemade doughnuts oozing with jelly.

Our version of this journey begins in Point Reyes Station, north of San Francisco. There, you’ll want to stock up on triple cream Mt Tam cheese from Cowgirl Creamery and scarf as many straight-from-the-bay oysters as you can get down. Your eating adventure will continue from there—you’d better start hungry.

  Point Reyes

Side Street Kitchen

The specialty at this year-old, bright, modern diner is the crispy skinned rotisserie chicken, fragrant with herbs and served half or whole with an array of sauces, including curried yogurt, salsa verde, and chimichurri rojo. The other specialty: puffy, sugar-coated, fruit-filled apple fritters. 60 4th St., Point Reyes Station

The Boat Oyster Bar

Hog Island Oyster Co. is famed for the oysters it pulls out of the bay and supplies to top dining rooms around the country. A reservation-only café on the water features those world-class bivalves; the menu changes often, but it frequently includes Hog Island’s singular kumamotos. You can get a dozen raw for $36; even better are the barbecued ones, grilled and dripping with chipotle bourbon garlic butter. 20215 Shoreline Highway, Marshall

Half Moon Bay Area

  La Costanera

Peruvian food is having a moment in the U.S., and La Costanera, with its wall of windows overlooking the water from a second-floor dining room, has been recognized by Michelin’s Bib Gourmand. The menu has a mix of classics such as antichuchos (grilled skewers) with marinated beef heart and pork belly; empanadas; tender beer-braised lamb shank; and lomo saltado (beef tenderloin with onions, soy sauce, and a fried egg, if you want one). 8150 Cabrillo Highway, Montara

Dad’s Luncheonette

Chef Scott Clark used to cook at San Francisco’s Michelin-three-starred Saison. He’s transformed a red-painted train caboose into a cozy, wood-lined diner with a small menu of comfort food favorites. The $12 hamburger sandwich has melted cheese, a soft egg, and red onion pickles on grilled white bread; the mushroom version substitutes maitakes for the grass-fed beef. 225 Cabrillo Highway South, Half Moon Bay

Sam’s Chowder House

Seafood makes up almost the entire menu at Sam’s, including a “Captains Platter” of oysters, clams, shrimp, poke, and ceviche; an appetizer of grilled sardines; steamed clams (with the option of linguine); and lobster rolls, “naked” with butter or “dressed” with aioli. At night, the place highlights fresh catches such as Pacific swordfish and local halibut. The seats on the deck offer a panoramic ocean view. 4210 Cabrillo Highway, Half Moon Bay

Hop Dogma Brewing Co.

The rotating array of craft brews at this locally popular beer hall might include Pyro’s Prost chili beer (pilsner brewed with jalapeño); Every Third Inquiry, a Bourbon barrel-aged stout; and the flagship Alpha Dank IPA. Guests can order food from nearby Lamas, a Peruvian and Mexican restaurant, and the tacos, burritos, and arroz con pollo will be delivered to the taproom. 270 Capistrano Rd., Half Moon Bay

Duarte’s Tavern

Dating back to 1894, when Frank Duarte bought the place for $12 in gold, this venerable restaurant specializes in a California version of Continental cuisine. The menu runs the gamut from shrimp cocktail to pork chops with fresh applesauce. The specialties are anything with artichokes, plus the cioppino, packed with clams, shrimp, cod and especially crab, which people drive down from San Francisco to eat. 202 Stage Rd.

Santa Cruz

The Picnic Basket

Set on the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the picturesque luncheonette has an all-day menu with a powerful breakfast selection: golden-brown turnovers stuffed with seasonal fruit or Niman Ranch ham and cheese; an egg-potato-greens frittata sandwich on toast; and house-made jelly doughnuts. Later in the day, hot dogs and elbow macaroni and cheese turn up on the menu. The nearby Penny Ice Creamery, where everything is house-made under the same ownership, is equally popular. 125 Beach St.

Monterey Peninsula

The Meatery

A serious, whole-animal butcher shop with impressive cuts of meat on display, this white-tiled space also serves as a deli. Sandwiches range from a hefty Reuben to banh mi made with caramelized pork belly slices, pickled vegetables, a hit of cilantro, and kewpie mayo on a French roll. A highlight is the house corned beef with sauerkraut on rye. The hot food offerings change daily: On Sundays and Mondays, there’s buttermilk-fried chicken; on Thursdays, visitors line up for the baby back ribs. 1534 Fremont Blvd., Seaside

The Bench Restaurant

Set on the impossibly scenic Pebble Beach Golf Links 18th hole, the Bench has a crowd-pleasing menu that offers all kinds of pizza-styled flatbreads: with pepperoni; with ratatouille, fennel ricotta and heirloom tomatoes; and with bench bacon and grilled, pickled red onion. The 24-ounce short rib, the Smokey Joe, is smoked for 10 hours. Aside from the best views, the outdoor deck has fire-pit tables. 1700 17 Mile Dr., Pebble Beach

Aubergine at l’Auberge Carmel

Chef Justin Cogley operates one of the country’s best under-the-radar fine-dining restaurants. Set in a Relais & Châteaux property, the intimate dining room has a $175 tasting menu that combines local ingredients in unexpected ways: A Morro Bay oyster with caviar has a hit of sea water, and seared abalone is accompanied by romaine lettuce that’s been braised and sliced in thick rounds, with lobster-infused lettuce puree. Monte Verde at 7th Ave., Carmel

Big Sur

Big Sur Bakery & Restaurant

Amid the trees in the hills off the highway, this exceptional café produces terrific pizzas from the wood oven, with a charred, bready, chewy crust and such toppings as creamy greens, mushrooms and tangy taleggio, and red sauce meatballs. The place is first and foremost a bakery: The creamy lemon curd pie in a pistachio crust is addictive, as is any pastry in the display case. 47540 Highway 1

Sierra Mar at Post Ranch Inn

Post Ranch Inn, renowned for its modernist, cliffside, treehouse rooms overlooking the ocean, has a new manager, Gary Obligacion, formerly of Chicago’s celebrated Alinea. The property’s Sierra Mar restaurant is home to one country’s largest wine collections, with 14,000-plus bottles. It complements an elegant four-course tasting menu from which the seared foie gras has a garnish of hazelnuts and king salmon is paired with smoked split peas and sweet apple. 47900 Highway 1

The Sur House at Ventana Big Sur

In 2017, Ventana went through a multimillion-dollar renovation. The renovated Sur House restaurant now has outdoor fireside seating and a bar menu with smoky spice-rubbed chicken wings and open-faced tuna melt accented with pickled fennel. The dinner menu has deceptively simple dishes, such as grilled pork loin on a bed of jalapeño-spiked grits. The wine cellar is also notable: some 10,000 bottles with a focus on the Central Coast. 48123 Highway 1

San Luis Obispo

Ruddell’s Smokehouse

There’s not much barbecue along Highway 1. The notable exception is Ruddell’s, where founder Jim Ruddell set up shop in 2001 in a small building with a few tables outside. The place smokes albacore and salmon with a brown sugar and kosher salt rub; chicken is slow-cooked over hickory. The smoked seafood and poultry are available as tacos in a big French-roll sandwich or salad—and by the pound. 101 D St., Cayucas

Cracked Crab

In the surfing town of Pismo Beach, the unpretentious Cracked Crab has a blazing neon sign and lines stretching out the door. The menu changes according to availability of seafood and features an ocean’s worth of crab: dungeness cocktail with lime and avocado; puck-size, pan-seared lump blue crab cakes; and New England-style lobster rolls stuffed with crab instead. The seafood buckets offer the opportunity to mix and match wild Gulf shrimp, Alaskan crab, clams, mussels, and lobster tails; they go for $61 for one person and $79 for two and come with all the mallets and scissors you’ll need to extract the shellfish. 751 Price St., Pismo Beach

Santa Barbara

Jalama Beach Store & Grill

In Lompoc, the epicenter of Santa Barbara winemaking, is this grill, set inside a store that’s set inside the county park. The specialty is the Jalama burger: It’s quintessential Cali-style, with shredded lettuce, tomato, onions, special sauce, and a griddled bun. The burger has gotten so popular over its almost 40-year history that the name is trademarked. 9991 Jalama Rd., Lompoc

La Super-Rica Tacqueria

Famous for being name-checked by Julia Child, Super-Rica is a cheerful, white-and-turquoise stand with a large selection of options that feature stellar homemade tortillas. The tacos are filled with all kinds of grilled meats—chunks of spiced, brick-colored chorizo; adobado with tender strips of marinated pork. The Super-Rica Especial is made up cheese-stuffed green pasilla chiles that are roasted and draped over tortillas with marinated pork and more cheese, for $6. 622 N. Milpas St., Santa Barbara

Santa Barbara Shellfish Co.

At the end of a dock on the harbor, this photogenic counter started out selling local seafood almost 30 years ago. Customers can still buy fish from commercial fishermen here. (There’s also a robust online store with trays of uni and stone crab claws.) The chopped caesar comes with a choice of grilled, skewered shrimp or sweet scallops. There’s more local shrimp, coated with coconut and crispy fried, garnished with onion rings. Also highly recommended are the linguine studded with garlic-sauteed clams in the shell and the monumental, steamed two-pound crab, along with a selection of local wine and beer by the pitcher. 230 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara

The Los Angeles Area

Malibu Farm

What started as a pop-up dining room by Helene Henderson in 2013 is now a farmers market-driven restaurant and café on the Malibu Pier, with outposts in Miami and Hawaii. The all-day café at the end of the dock has a lightbulb-lit menu that boasts a pile-up of Swedish pancakes with whipped cream and whatever the seasonal berries are, as well as kale caesar and BLTs with lemon aioli brushed on whole wheat. Down the pier, a slightly more serious version of the restaurant offers a tofu, spinach, and tomato scramble on weekend mornings, and nachos, featuring blue corn chips laden with black beans, melty cheese, and drizzles of sour cream in the evenings. 23000 Pacific Coast Highway, Malibu

Tallula’s

Chef Jeremy Fox, who heads up the nearby vegetable-focused Rustic Canyon, now puts a creative spin on the Mexi-Cali dining room. In a colorful space decorated with hanging plants, Fox uses exceptional local corn, served Mexican-style with smoky chipotle aioli, and accents black-cod tacos with malt tartar sauce in tender, house-made tortillas. A daily taco special is dreamed up by rotating cooks in the kitchen. The serious bar program features mezcal Manhattans on draft, as well as the obligatory margaritas. 118 Entrada Dr., Santa Monica

Father’s Office

Chef Sang Yoon began serving one of the—if not the—country’s first gourmet burgers almost 20 years ago. The Office Burger is made from freshly ground, dry-aged beef, so it’s got a deep, meaty flavor that’s further accentuated by sweet caramelized onions, bacon, gruyere, and blue cheese. Accompanying fries, standard or sweet potato, are presented in a mini-shopping cart. Father’s Office is equally known for pouring dozens of local craft beers. 1018 Montana Ave., Santa Monica

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[nagsale]

THE PERFECT WEEKEND GETAWAY GUIDE TO CAPE CHARLES, VIRGINIA

Last year while driving home from a Virginia food & wine themed road trip, we decided to form a last-minute detour to Chatham Vineyards, Virginia’s only Eastern Shore vineyard before heading home. We also decided that we’d do a touch exploring on the way. Anytime we saw a symbol we felt like following, we did. Did it take for much longer to urge home? Yes. Did we discover some pretty cool places off the beaten path that we probably never would have known about otherwise? Absolutely. That’s how we found a touch hidden gem called Cape Charles.

Located on the southern end of Virginia’s Eastern Shore on the Chesapeake Bay side of the peninsula, Cape Charles is one among America’s coziest little beach towns. There are not any mysterious wild ponies here like in Chincoteague or any of the flashy or touristy boardwalks you would possibly find in Virginia Beach. But what you'll find here may be a charming and historic laid back small-town vibe with sweet little shops, great food, kind people and a gorgeous (and quiet) public Chesapeake Bay Beach with free parking and calm, clear waters that you simply can wade out dozens of yards from shore and still be waist-deep. Adjacent to the beach may be a fishing pier perfect for bringing in some fresh catch or taking in of Cape Charles’s spectacular Chesapeake Bay sunsets. And you actually can’t leave Cape Charles without snapping a couple of pics or selfies ahead of their iconic “LOVE” sign sitting at the doorway of the pier, one among 180 public “LOVE” artworks across Virginia.

Love Art Sign Cape Charles Beach Virginia And the word seems to be spreading about this sweet little seaside retreat. Recently voted one among “America’s Happiest Seaside Towns,” by Coastal Living in 2018, Cape Charles is additionally unique for having one among the most important concentrations of late-Victorian and turn-of-the-century buildings on the East Coast. it's numerous that the town has earned status as a Historic District on the Virginia Landmarks Register also as on the National Register of Historic Places. Nature lovers will love the nearby Kiptopeke State Park and therefore the Eastern Shore Wildlife Refuge which are perfect for hiking and birding, while golfers have their option to play at either an area Jack Nicklaus or Palmer 18 hole golf courses which are the sole two side by side courses designed by these golf icons on an equivalent property within the country. While golf isn’t necessarily my thing, driving a golf cart around the streets here is legal and encouraged, which I can drag.

Cape Charles Beach shallow waters The shallow and calm waters of the Cape Charles Beach.

Our first visit to Cape Charles was a brief stop at the beach and pier and a walk down the tiny downtown main street with plans to return this year and that we made it happen even with the likelihood of a hurricane storm surge on its way. Luckily all the town experienced was some early morning wind and rain.

Cape Charles Fishing Pier Here’s what where we ate, where we stayed and what we did on our short two-day trip back to Cape Charles.

Where to remain Cape Charles Hotel Building and Rooms Hotel Cape Charles 235 Mason Ave, Cape Charles, VA 23310 hotelcapecharles.com (757) 695-3854

There are many lovely B&Bs and vacation rentals in Cape Charles. except for the right spot within the center of downtown, yet walking distance to the beach, we stayed at the Hotel Cape Charles. one among only two hotels in town, this 101-year-old boutique hotel with an unbeatable location seamlessly blends into the tapestry of Cape Charles’ downtown and therefore the fabric of this very town. So seamlessly actually that we drove past it twice. If you wish historic buildings but you furthermore may just like the experience of a contemporary hotel, Hotel Cape Charles delivers on both.

Hotel Cape Charles Front Desk And Lobby Lobby At The Hotel Cape Charles

Recently renovated, with no two rooms being exactly alike, the vibe here is peaceful, light, clean, modern and cozy with vintage accents, exposed brick walls and preserved original architectural details that nod to the building’s rich history. The bathrooms are gorgeous too! If you like spacious accommodations choose one among their “lofts” with open floor plans, exposed brick, full kitchen, dining areas that define the word spacious.

While there are Keurig coffee makers within the rooms, we looked forward to heading right down to the lobby each morning for a few delicious freshly brewed locally roasted coffee in their Hotel Cafe and bar. They also offer guests a light-weight complimentary breakfast, featuring organic, homemade granola and a few light fare and food for purchase.

At night we recommend unwinding on the third-floor veranda with gorgeous views of the town with a glass or bottle of wine from the hotel’s list. If you’re in town and need to require a swim when the weather is warm, guests may purchase each day pass for the Bay Creek Beach Club only 2 miles from the Hotel which has two outdoor pools and an outsized fitness center. On each day you only want to explore Cape Charles, a couple of steps in any direction from the hotel entrance and there are great places to dine, shop and galleries to browse.

A 5-minute walk will land you at Cape Charles’s main attraction – the beach and fishing pier. For those that love a motorcycle ride, the hotel has six cruisers available for guests on a primary-come first-serve basis. except for something a touch extra, the hotel also will secure you a golf cart to urge around town. does one need to if you've got a car? Probably not. But it’s THE thanks to getting around Cape Charles. And is it a blast? Totally. While in town I happen to ascertain my cousin and her husband driving by on one returning from the beach as I used to be packing up the car to go away. It clothed they were also staying at the Hotel Cape Charles, two doors down from us and that we both had no idea. That’s the type of magical little moments that happen at the Hotel Cape Charles.

CAPE CHARLES CANDY COMPANY 300 Mason Ave, Cape Charles, VA 23310 capecharlescandy.com (757) 655-1338

When you’re in Cape Charles and your appetite strikes, stroll over to the Cape Charles Candy Company located in one among Cape Charles’s new group of outlets on Mason Ave. they need an eye-grabbing sort of classic and modern candy that will please any sugar addict. You’ll scoop your thanks to sugar heaven with their selection of gummies, jawbreakers, and saltwater taffy.

Don’t miss their freshly crafted fudge (samples encouraged!) made with real cream and butter that comes in an irresistible selection of flavors like spread chocolate, cake, cookies, bourbon chocolate, maple walnut, rocky road and cookies, and cream. for a few local flavor infusion, their bittersweet chocolate caramel sea salt and salted caramel fudge are made using sea salt harvested from Virginia’s Eastern Shore from the Barrier Island’s Salt Company.

CAPE CHARLES DISTILLERY 222 Mason Ave, Cape Charles, VA 23310 capecharlesdistillery.com (757) 695-3737

With rich leathers, dark woods and moody colors, Cape Charles Distillery is simply the sort of place you’d want to cotton up inside while sipping artisan craft spirits. Cape Charles’ very own speakeasy with talented mixologists won't only pour and educate you about what you’re close to sipping but also whomp up their signature cocktails made with unique ingredients, fresh herbs and sometimes a touch fire. Plus, they’re located right across from the road from Hotel Cape Charles.

Cape Charles Distillery crafts their bourbon, whiskeys, moonshine, and vodka with locally grown corn and grains with pristine Virginia mountain spring water. If you are trying any of their spirits and fall crazy, make certain to bring home a bottle or two… or three.

Where To Eat

AMBROGIA CAFFÉ & ENOTECA 321 Mason Ave, Cape Charles, VA 23310 ambrogiacc.com (757) 695-3049

You probably wouldn’t expect to seek out super authentic, hand-crafted, farm to table style Northern Italian during a small beach town on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. But in Cape Charles, you can. At Ambrogio Caffe everything here which will be made up of scratch is, and love and keenness for nice food are clear in every bite. a replacement women-owned addition to Cape Charles, business partners Cristina Carollo, an Italian born oceanographer turned chef from Milan and Maria Goerner, a Ukranian with 20 years experience working within the NY restaurant scene, are serving up a number of the simplest food on the shore in their vintage chic space. that has their homemade focaccia, ciabatta and piadina bread for the paninis we devoured while visiting for lunch. We tried the mortadella (my favorite) with crescenza cheese and olive tapenade on homemade ciabatta, the roasted eggplant, fontina and tomato tapenade on homemade focaccia bread also because the piadina flatbread layered with thinly sliced prosciutto, taleggio cheese and a pepper relish for an ideal balance of flavors.

For dessert, we had their simple, yet delicious homemade tart with fig jam and a house-made tiramisu from Cristina’s family recipe that was so light and delicious I couldn’t get enough. Ambrogio is open for lunch and dinner and also does a coffee and biscotti hour within the morning starting at 10:30 with a number of the simplest espresso, doppio, cappuccino, and macchiato for miles made with a true Italian coffee machine. If you’re visiting just note the menu can change on a dime counting on what’s fresh, available or counting on what Cristina and Maria desire whipping up. Just the way they are doing in Italy.

THE SHANTY 33 Marina Rd, Cape Charles, VA 23310 shantyseafood.com (757) 695-3853

For our second day in Cape Charles, the looming possibility of a hurricane headed our way caused many of the companies and restaurants to shutter for the day. So when lunch called and that we got word at our hotel The Shanty was braving the storm and that I didn’t need to eat leftover pretzel bits and protein bars out of rock bottom of my bag we headed right over. The Shanty in Cape Charles isn't a shanty but a contemporary restaurant and bar inspired by all those dockside shacks you’ve ever eaten at that have unbeatable water views and fresh delicious seafood.

I live for those sorts of places and no I don’t care if the floors are crooked and nothing’s been changed in ages. But if you’re not into hole-in-the-wall sort of places like me, don’t worry because The Shanty is very charming during a modern seaside – built to code quite way. The menu here is made around sustainable seafood, local ingredients, and familiar dishes with creative twists. We ordered their crispy conch fritters, creamy New England chowder like cheesy potato soup with fresh clams (scrumptious), and their Yucatan Style Tacos with shrimp. We enjoyed every bite.

Voted one among the “Top 25 Bars within the U.S.” by Men’s Journal, The Shanty features a few differing types of drink menus with martinis, crushes, margaritas, signature drinks, tropically inspired cocktails also as a spread of craft beers and wine. The Shanty is found just south of Cape Charles’s main downtown on the opposite side of the railroad tracks within the Cape Charles town marina. By foot you'll stroll over if you’re downtown, I like to recommend punching it into your GPS if driving which can take you on a special route and maybe a touch confusing for a primary outing of towner.

THE OYSTER FARM SEAFOOD EATERY AT KING’S CREEK 500 Marina Village Circle Cape Charles, VA 23310 theoysterfarmatkingscreek.com 757-331-8660

If the thought of eating fresh oysters, clams, and incredible seafood while overlooking the serene blue water cove where those very oysters have grown sounds pretty amazing, then The Oyster Farm Seafood Eatery at Kings Creek must be a requirement on your Cape Charles to-do list. Located on a shocking 39-acre waterfront property complete with a marina, event center and luxury villas for rent, The Oyster Farm Eatery may be a large, airy and maybe a casually stylish bayside seafood restaurant, raw bar and barroom adorned with an ornate bar and impressive fish tanks. The chefs here call the food “water to the table,” and therefore the code on their website says it’s sandals to ties. Gotta love a shore town.

Cape Charles Oyster Farm Just a few minutes drive north of downtown, we headed to The Oyster Farm on our first night in Cape Charles. On an actual oyster farm, you can’t leave without trying some oysters. It just wouldn’t be right. With some wonderful suggestions from our super friendly waiter Mike, we settled on the oysters Rockefeller to start made with a house recipe of crispy bacon, kale rather than the standard spinach, slightly of cream and Parmesan. We were floored at unbelievably juicy and flavorful they tasted. Total score. Mike also suggested we try one among their hottest appetizers, the Thai Shrimp Salad. An explosion of fresh flavor and texture, fried shrimp are tossed with bell peppers, cabbage, scallions, and cilantro during a Thai condiment that's salty, sour, sweet beat one. Amazing. For mains, we moved onto a crisp and creamy Caesar salad topped with their own crispy fried oysters and perfectly Seared Scallops served over creamy risotto.

To wash it down we stayed local and paired it with Church Creek Chardonnay from Chatham Vineyards. For dessert, we dug into a delicious custard then got able to roll back to the hotel. Everything at the Oyster Farm was deliciously on point and that I anticipate returning return. The Oyster Farm Eatery has indoor and outdoor patio seating and if you've got the prospect, plan your visit so you'll catch stunning Chesapeake Bay sunsets. Great views, great food, and great service. What more are you able to ask for?

BAKERY ON MASON 236 Mason Ave, Cape Charles, VA 23310 Bakeryonmason.com (757) 331-4777

While the brick and mortar bakery located within the Strawberry Street Plaza Shops on Mason Avenue may be a recent addition to Cape Charles, owner Louise Orlando who runs the shop together with her husband Andrew has been perfecting the art of bread making for years. and therefore the love she puts into her bread-making shows. I first tasted Louise’s bread while visiting Chatham Vineyards last year where they serve her custom vineyard flavor baked with their own Church Creek Cabernet Franc, cranberries and walnuts which with their cheeseboard. That bread stuck in my mind ever since. sometime past Louise was baking out of her home and selling at farmer’s markets and native shops. When the bread business began taking up her home that she realized she needed a fanatical space. Fast forward to today and you've got the Bakery on Mason.

Not only is everything at the Bakery On Mason made up of 100% scratch with simple ingredients, but every sourdough loaf here is fermented with an Eastern Shore born wild yeast starter that Louise has lovingly cultivated and attended for nearly 10 years. The result's a stunning crumb with a satisfying bite and chewy crust. If you’re trying to find something on the sweet side they even have pastries, muffins, scones and croissants which have something of a cult following. Wash it all down with some freshly brewed locally roasted coffee. If you’re within the area and wish lunch on the go, choose one among their gourmet sandwiches built on their mini French baguettes. Try the Cape Charles – layered with thinly sliced Edwards country ham, Parmesan-Asiago, fresh and peppery arugula, and finished with their creamy house dressing that features a nice kick.

KELLY’S GINGERNUT PUB 133 Mason Ave, Cape Charles, VA 23310 kellysgingernut.com (757) 695-3737

There’s something pretty darn cool about eating during a historic repurposed space. And with 16-foot tin ceilings, a bar crafted from locally sourced 100-year-old yellow pine, and exposed brick walls, Kelly’s Gingernut Irish Pub located during a converted circa 1907 bank doesn’t disappoint. Oh, and did I mention you'll even eat inside an old vault. How cool is that?

Cape Charles Kellys With attention on what’s fresh and native and a menu that changes seasonally, Kelly’s Gingernut serves up soul-warming Irish and American pub fare like burgers, steaks, local fresh seafood, salads, an award-winning she-crab soup, along with side craft beers and wine. and therefore the food here didn’t disappoint once we stopped certain a late dinner by candlelight within the vault. We had their chevre Salad with mixed greens, candied pecans, blueberries, strawberries, shallots, and crumbled Chevre cheese, local fresh clams steamed during a wine broth with bread for dipping and a few true Irish pub fare a Shepherd’s Pie made with local organic Virginia lamb and authorized Angus Beef during a delicious pan sauce topped with fluffy mashed potatoes and Irish cheddar. We couldn’t pass up dessert and ended a stunning meal with their light and airy cake. Kelly’s Gingernut is open for lunch and dinner year-round and serves the hair of the dog brunch on Sundays. Outdoor seating is out there when the weather permits and is dog-friendly!

How To Get Around Cape Charles Golf Cart Rentals CC RYDER RENTALS 415 Mason Ave, Cape Charles, VA 23310 capecharlesgolfcarts.com (757) 678-3239

Anywhere it’s perfectly acceptable and truly encouraged to ride around during a golf cart may be a place I’m excited to be. And Cape Charles is one among those places. While downtown Cape Charles is walkable, driving around during a golf cart is simply darn fun and an excellent thanks to admiring the gorgeous homes within the historic district, get around town and have a ride back from the beach without having to urge buckets of sand in your seat. It’s also just plain fun! When you’re in town pop over to CC Ryder Rentals, a brief walk from the beach and downtown area. If you would like any recommendations on the world, check-in with Smitty the owner and he’ll steer you within the right direction. The rates are super reasonable and any time on a golf cart may be a blast.

Shops to not Miss Cape Charles Virginia Peach Street Books PEACH STREET BOOKS 401 Mason Ave, Cape Charles, VA 23310 facebook.com/Peach.Street.Books (757) 695-3886

Beaches and great books go together just like the sea and therefore the sand. And in Cape Charles, you’ll find quite possibly the cutest, if not the foremost unique book store on the East Coast. Located on the corner of Mason and Peach Street, Peach Street Books is one part book store and one part cafe. If you’re thinking a bookstore with coffee is nothing new you’d be right. But this one’s located during a renovated storybook cottage looking 1930’s Pure Oil gasoline station with a late 1950’s garage that’s attached and also restored, but with a contemporary vibe. Somehow its whimsical architecture works, and with over 500 new titles and over 10,000 gently used books, anyone on the look for their next great read are going to be in their glory. After you’ve grabbed all the books you'll handle, grab a bagel, some food or snacks, a house-made smoothie or a cup of java made with local Eastern Shore Coastal Roasting Company coffee. Chill outside on their pooch-friendly patio for a few R, R & R – rest, relaxation and reads.

Like A Sailor Shop Interior LIKE A SAILOR 219 Mason Ave, Cape Charles, VA 23310 facebook.com/likeasailor (757) 678-3239

Cape Charles has some great boutiques if you are feeling more within the mood for retail therapy than dipping your toes within the sand. If you've got a way of humor and love finding unique and quirky gifts instead of the standard sorts of souvenirs you always find by the shore, then make certain to pop inside. There are all types of fun things inside from card and board games to kitchen linens and candles with witty quotes and much of unique gifts. If you’re squeamish (you know who you are) this might not be the shop for you. But if you don’t take life too seriously and love quirky witty things that you simply won’t find anywhere else, then breeze on in to love A Sailor. The giggles are freed from charge.

[viralhottopics]

Morocco guide: 10 things to know before you go

(CNN)Rainbows of color, spice-market smells, an urban orchestra of sounds: Morocco can be overwhelming at first.

Lying 13 kilometers, or 8 miles, from the coast of Spain, the North African country mixes Middle Eastern magic, Berber tradition and European flair.

Tourism has more than doubled since 2002, to nearly 10 million visitors in 2011. King Mohammed VI wants to increase the annual visitor numbers to 18 million by 2020.

The royal ruler’s strategy is underpinned by infrastructure development, making traveling around the country even easier.

Add to this a program of ongoing social, political and economic reforms, and Morocco is one of the most moderate and peaceful countries in the region.

Here are 10 things you’ll want to know before you arrive:

1. Cafes dominate life in Tangier.

Cafes are the key place to socialize, for Moroccan men at least. They gather to drink sweet mint tea and watch people as they go about their affairs.

The northern port city of Tangier has a history of literary bohemianism and illicit goings-on, thanks to its status as an International Zone from 1923 to 1956.

The Interzone years, and the heady decades that followed, saw writers, rock stars and eccentrics flock to the city’s 800-plus cafs.

Two must-visit spots: Cafe Hafa (Ave Hadi Mohammed Tazi), overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar, was a favorite hangout of Tangier’s most famous expat, writer and composer Paul Bowles.

Smoky and slightly edgy, Cafe Baba (1 rue Sidi-Hosni) is the coolest spot in the Kasbah. A photo of Keith Richards, kif-pipe in hand, still adorns the grimy walls.

Sea, souks and surfs in Morocco

2. Most mosques are off-limits to non-Muslims.

Nearly 99% of the population is Muslim, and hearing the muezzin’s melodic call to prayer for the first time is a spine-tingling moment.

While very few Moroccan mosques are open to non-Muslims, one exception is the towering Hassan II Mosque in Casablanca (Blvd Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdallah; +212 522 22 25 63).

Located on a promontory over the Atlantic Ocean, the mosque was completed in 1993 and can hold 105,000 worshipers inside and out.

Tradition and technology sit side by side, with colorful zellij (mosaic tiles), intricate stucco and carved cedar complementing the retractable roof and heated flooring.

If you can’t make it to Casa, Marrakech’s 16th-century Ali ben Youssef madrassa-turned-museum (Pl Ben Youssef; +212 524 44 18 93) is open to all and also features impressive Islamic design.

3. Multilingual Moroccans will put you to shame.

Moroccans switch languages mid-sentence, reflecting the cultures — Berber, Arab, French and Spanish — that have crisscrossed the country.

Arabic is the official language, and you’ll hear the Moroccan dialect, Darija, spoken on the street.

French continues to be widely spoken in cities; foreigners are often addressed in this first. Spanish is still spoken in Tangier.

There are also three main dialects spoken by the country’s Berber majority: Tashelhit, Tamazight and Tarifit.

You’ll be able to get by with English in the main tourist hubs, although “La, shukran” (“No, thank you” in Arabic) is one phrase to master.

4. Don’t get stuck in Marrakesh.

Marrakesh is justifiably popular, but there’s so much more.

Fez tops the list for its maze-like medina, fabulous foodie scene and annual Festival of World Sacred Music.

For a slice of the Sahara, there’s the desert town of Merzouga, near the impressive Erg Chebbi sand dunes, accessible via camel treks.

Active types can hike between Berber villages in the High Atlas or head to the blue-hued Andalusian town of Chefchaouen to explore the Rif Mountains.

Beach bums will love laid-back Essaouira and Sidi Ifni on the Atlantic coast, while surfers often head south to Taghazout.

For quiet contemplation, Morocco’s holiest town, Moulay Idriss, is hard to beat. Plus, you’ll have the nearby Roman ruins of Volubilis pretty much to yourself.

The Atlas Mountains: Morocco’s hidden travel gem

5. If you don’t like cumin, you may starve.

Cumin is one of the main spices used in Moroccan cooking. This pungent powder is used to flavor everything from tagines to mechoui (slow-roasted lamb).

Cumin is used as a condiment on most Moroccan tables, along with salt and chili. It’s also a popular natural remedy for diarrhea.

“Cumin has anti-parasitical properties, so if you’ve got an upset tummy, a spoonful of cumin knocked back with water will help,” said food guide Gail Leonard with Plan-It Fez.

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6. Trains are cheap, comfortable and reliable.

Train company ONCF operates one of the best train networks in Africa, making it the easiest way to travel between cities.

It’s worth paying extra for first class, which comes with a reserved seat and A/C.

First class carriages have six-seat compartments or open-plan seating. Stock up on snacks, or buy them onboard, as it’s customary to share food.

When it comes to traveling to smaller towns and villages, buses and grand taxis, usually old Mercedes sedans that can seat six (at a squash), are best.

7. Couscous is served on Fridays.

You’ll see it on every restaurant menu, but traditionally, couscous is served on Fridays, when families gather after prayers.

This is because the proper (not packet) stuff takes a long time to prepare.

Coarse semolina is hand-rolled into small granules to be steamed and fluffed three times. It’s pale in color, deliciously creamy and served with vegetables and/or meat or fish.

Bread is the staple carb and is served with every meal, except couscous.

It’s baked in communal wood-fired ovens, one of five amenities found in every neighborhood (the others being a hammam, or bathhouse; a drinking fountain; a mosque and a preschool).

8. Riad rooftops rock.

The traditional Moroccan house (riad) is built around a central courtyard with windows facing inwards for privacy.

They’re decked out with elaborate zellij, stucco and painted cedar and are easily the most atmospheric places to stay.

While Moroccans tend to use their rooftops as clotheslines, a riad roof terrace is the place to be come sunset.

In Marrakech, Italian-designed Riad Joya (Derb El Hammam, Mouassine Quarter; +212 524 391 624; www.riadjoya.com) has prime views of the Koutoubia Mosque minaret, while five-star La Sultana (403 rue de la Kasbah; +212 524 388 008; http://ift.tt/2n3Umwo) overlooks the Atlas Mountains.

Top picks in Fez are the bohemian Riad Idrissy (13 Derb Idrissi, Sieje, Sidi Ahmed Chaoui, +212 649 191 410; www.riadidrissy.com) and its suntrap terrace, while Dar Roumana (30 Derb el Amer, Zkak Roumane; +212 535 741 637; www.darroumana.com) has sweeping views of the world’s largest living medieval Islamic city.

9. When you hear ‘balak!’ watch out.

Morocco’s souks are not for the faint-hearted. The narrow streets teem with hagglers, hustlers, mule-drivers and motor scooters.

Rule No. 1 is to step aside when you hear “Balak!” It means there’s a heavily laden handcart or mule bearing down on you.

You’ll inevitably get lost, as maps don’t usually include the warren of small alleys that make up the medina.

A guide can help you get your bearings and fend off touts, but be aware that anything you buy will have his commission built in to the price.

Alternatively, taking snaps of landmarks with your smartphone can help you find your way back to your accommodation.

10. It’s not weird to be bathed by a stranger.

There are plenty of posh hotel hammams, but nothing beats a visit to a no-frills public bathhouse.

Spotting the entrance can be tricky, as most signs are written in Arabic. Look for a shop selling toiletries or a mosque, as these are usually nearby.

It’s advisable to stock up on black olive oil soap, ghassoul (clay used as hair conditioner), a kiis (exfoliating glove) and a mat to sit on. Visitors need to take their own towels, comb and flip-flops.

Women strip to their knickers (no bra), and men wear underpants. Then you’ll be steamed, scrubbed and pummeled until you’re squeaky clean.

23 best cities for street food across the world

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from Morocco guide: 10 things to know before you go

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Parks & Playgrounds Named After Black Leaders

In honor of Black History Month, we compiled a list of important African Americans that achieved great feats in their Philadelphia neighborhoods and abroad. As a result, they became namesakes of parks, recreation centers, and playgrounds throughout Philadelphia. Explore our city’s history and learn the background behind the name of several PPR sites. 

Cecil B. Moore

Cecil Bassett Moore was a prominent figure in Philadelphia’s 1960’s civil rights movement. He studied law at Temple University and was admitted to the bar in 1953. Being at the forefront of the integration movement in the 60’s, his greatest achievements include; encouraging African Americans to picket and protest for the right to join labor unions, desegregating businesses, reinforcing the need for better public education, and encouraging political participation amongst African Americans. In 1963, Cecil B. Moore became the President of the local branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). Beginning in 1964, he led protests against Stephen Girard College and was the main attorney on the case. In 1968, the Supreme Court ruled that Girard College had practiced discriminatory admittance procedures, which violated the Fourteenth Amendment. This successfully ended the legal segregation of Girard College. In 1975, Cecil B. Moore was elected to City Council, serving citizens of the North Philadelphia-area until his death. To celebrate Cecil B. Moore’s lasting legacy in Philadelphia, the former “Connie Mack Recreation Center” was renamed “Cecil B. Moore Recreation Center” in September of 1980.

Marian Anderson 

Marian Anderson was one of the most famous contralto singers of her time. Not only was she known for her musical talent, but she was remembered for the Lincoln Memorial Concert in 1939, which was a significant moment in the Civil Rights movement. Racism halted much of her growth in the beginning of her career, yet she was able to eventually overcome those struggles and become a role model to many people, including many families from her small South Philly neighborhood.

Marian was born in 1897 and grew up less than a block away from the facility now known as “Marian Anderson Recreation Center.” The Union Baptist church, where she began singing at the age of six, was also less than a block away from the center. In 1954, a recreation center was built on the land and rededicated to Marian. Marian returned to South Philly to speak at the rededication ceremony and sign autographs for the families in the community where she grew up. After a long and fruitful life, Marian passed away at the age of 91 in 1993.

Joseph E. Mander Sr. 

Mander Playground located at 33rd Street and Diamond Street is named after Mr. Joseph E. Mander, Sr. In 1952, Joseph E. Mander, Sr., an African-American male, jumped into the Schuylkill River to rescue a 7-year-old boy named Paul Waxman, who accidentally fell in the river while playing with a toy boat nearby. Mander reached the boy, but could not make the return trip to land with him. Unfortunately, both Mander and the boy drowned. Mander left behind a wife and four children. Because Mander was a black man who died attempting to save a white boy, his heroic efforts shined bright during a time of racial divide in Philadelphia. Today, Mander Playground serves as a gateway into East Fairmount Park and is treasured by the Strawberry Mansion community.  Check out, the East Fairmount Park Spotlight on Joseph E. Mander.

Bill Gambrel

In 2007, Whitehall Commons Playground was renamed “Bill Gambrel Recreation Center,” after a man that devoted 47 years of coaching and mentoring to at-risk youth in the Frankford section of Philadelphia. He was the first living African American to have a recreation center named in his honor.

In 1967, “Mr. Bill” co-founded the Frankford Chargers, which has grown from a few local kids playing football on a dirt and rock field to eight football teams of over 300 young athletes, cheerleading squads, and a dance team. Over the years, thousands of youth have had the opportunity to play football, and be a part of the community involvement and mentoring provided by Frankford Chargers, due to Mr. Bill’s dedication to the young people in his community.

Mr. Bill passed away on March 4, 2016, leaving behind a better community and many people whose lives he touched. Many of his former athletes have gone on to play football for the NFL, colleges, and high school teams.  

Learn more about Mr. Bill in the memorial written by Art McQuoid, Recreation Leader II at Gambrel Recreation Center

Laura Sims

In 1998, the former “Cobbs Creek Skate House” was renamed “Laura Sims Skate House,” after the woman who fought for years to build an ice rink in West Philly. After 12 years of petitioning and campaigning, Laura’s persistence was rewarded. In February 1985, the rink opened and was eventually ranked the finest rink in the region by the Philadelphia Flyers. After the opening, Laura formed the “Friends of Cobbs Creek Skate House,” a community group that managed the programs and activities of the rink, including ice skating, ice hockey, sled hockey for the disabled, arts and crafts, after-school tutoring, family gatherings, skating lessons, and more. Laura supervised every activity, cleaned the building, organized the participants, and planted flowers in the outdoor areas. She also organized additional youth classes and senior citizen arts and crafts activities.

Laura was especially proud of the children in her community being able to skate together and form friendships, regardless of racial differences, which broke down stereotypes that existed at that time. Throughout the rest of her life, Laura continued to win the respect and love of her cohorts and earned community awards for her work. After Laura passed away in 1998, the community thought it would be appropriate to rename the ice rink in honor of the remarkable woman.

Julian Abele

Born in Philadelphia in 1881, Julian Abele attained great acclaim as a talented architectural designer in the United States. Abele was the first African-American student to graduate from the University of Pennsylvania’s Department of Architecture (known today as the Graduate School of Fine Arts) in 1902. He was noted for his contributions to more than 400 buildings, including the Central Branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia and the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the Land Title Building, multiple mansions in and out of Philadelphia, Widener Memorial Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and many of the English Gothic and Georgian buildings on the campus of Duke University in North Carolina. 

Abele was truly a remarkable and sophisticated artist. He was versatile in the mediums he used, including watercolor, lithography, etching and pencil in wood, iron, gold, copper, brass and silver. When he was commissioned to design the Art Museum, he traveled to Greece to study classic Greek buildings to adapt the column styles and color of the stone. Using his studies of Greek architecture, he designed the museum’s exterior terrace and front steps, famously celebrated as the “Rocky Steps.”

As a Penn student, he resided in a house on 21st & Fitzwater Streets. Sixty-two years after his death, construction began on a park a few blocks away on 22nd & Carpenter Streets, appropriately named Julian Abele Park in his honor.

Curbed Philly put together this cool map of all the major building and structures designed by Abele while he was in Philly.

Other Playgrounds and Parks Named After African Americans

Lonnie Young Recreation Center (1100 E Chelten Ave., 19138)

Malcolm X Park (5100 Pine St., 19143)

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Recreation Center & Older Adult Center (2101-35 Cecil B. Moore Ave., 19121)

John A. Lee Cultural Center (4310 Haverford Ave., 19104)

Clara Muhammad Square (4700-30 Lancaster Ave., 19131)

Charles H. Chew, Sr. Playground (1800 Washington Ave., 19146)

Eric W. (Hank) Gathers, Jr. Recreation Center (2501-59 Diamond St., 19121)

William Jerome Brown III Playground (1927-41 W Ontario St., 19140)

Robert Wilson III Park (61st St & Baltimore Ave., 19143)

Miles Mack Playground (732-66 N 36th St., 19104) 

Marie Dendy Playground (1501-39 N 10th St., 19122)

Albert W. Christy, Sr. Recreation Center  (728 S 55th St.,19143)

Marshall L. Shepard Recreation Center (5700 Haverford Ave., 19131)

James L. Wright Recreation Center (3320-50 Haverford Ave., 19104)

Daniel E. Rumph II Recreation Center (100-70 E Johnson St., 19144)

John C. Anderson Cultural Center (5323 Overbrook Ave., 19131)

[nightmare-afton-cosplay]

Houses For Sale in Braymer, MO

403 N Shouse Ave, Braymer, MO

Price: $62500

This nice bungalow home was fully remodeled in 2013/2014. It offers two bedrooms, with nice bath with tile floor, living room, eat in kitchen with stove refrigerator, built in microwave, dishwasher and a large utility room. The furnace and a/c unit is new as of 2016. The back yard has a chain link fence and utility shed. Close to school. Looking for a small town atmosphere, take a look at this home.

610 N Wooden Ave, Braymer, MO

Investor opportunity! This property was recently foreclosed by a bank or financial institution and is now available to purchase online at Auction.com ending 03-14-2017. Visit Auction.com now to view additional photos, Property Reports with title information, Plat maps with property lines and Interior Property Inspection Reports when available. Auction.com sells properties across the country online for financial institutions and government agencies who are very motivated to sell to investors. Don’t miss this special opportunity to buy homes at wholesale prices! In our online auctions and live Foreclosure Sales, Auction.com currently has 1 properties scheduled for sale in Caldwell County and 436 throughout Missouri. All properties and sale details can be found with a simple search at Auction.com. Create a FREE account today to find more properties like this one, save searches of properties that meet your investment criteria and have the properties you’re looking for emailed directly to you when posted in an upcoming sale event. To view the complete details of this exact property, click the Auction.com link below or paste the Property ID 2149795 into the search bar at Auction.com

14555 SE State Rte N, Braymer, MO

Price: $344900

Offering a nice brick ranch home on 80 acres m/l. The home offers three bedrooms and one and one-half bath, living room with fireplace, country kitchen, front covered porch and two car attached garage with laundry all on main floor. The roof was replaced approximately 3 years ago, rural water, septic system and propane furnace with humidifier, heat pump and central air. In addition there is a full basement that was just finished this year, adding two additional bedrooms, three-quarter bath and large family room with kitchenette and storage area with shelving. Nice wood trim, b uilt in microwave and garbage disposal. Rear patio; large yard with lots of shade trees (maple and oak), garden spot, apple tree; circle drive, black top location, within 2 miles to town. The home needs a a few minor repairs (new linoleum, new exterior door) but is in excellent condition. The property is currently in pasture and is best suited as pasture land. Approximately 8 acres of timber. Three ponds and fenced and cross fenced. The fencing is decent on three sides. The land is hilly. Two automatic waterers, one servicing large pasture and 5 acre lot, second one services another 5 acre lot and small lot. Older barn in one pasture; lien too in another pasture; older shed with concrete floor; large machine shed built in approx. 1995, with shop area with concrete floor and electricity; horse barn with six stalls and three runs. Make a nice cattle farm. Seller is a licensed real estate agent.

Co Rd 716, Braymer, MO

Price: $40000

Located off blacktop Hwy C, this farm is surrounded by fertile tillable ground providing great potential for a buyer to convert a good portion of this property into income producing farmground. Currently consisting 19+/- acres, this property is covered in wildlife sign and serves as a bedding area for a good population of the deer herd in the area. Fully fenced perimeter with a nice pond that is centrally located with adequate drainage into a creek that laces through the center of the property. This is a nice farm that provides a buyer with diverse opportunities including hunting, lives tock grazing or converting a good portion of the farm into row crop. Timber including a few walnut, several white oaks and cedar thickets are spread throughout. Located on Hwy C, one mile east of Hwy D. Contact Will Wiest to schedule a private showing! 19 platted acres In the neighborhood of Fertile farmground Level to very gently sloping topography Nice pond centrally located that holds adequate water Tons of wildlife sign on the property Existing Dense Grassland ideal for wildlife habitat Fully fenced boundary Access from the South Electric alongside South Boundary Old farm house and outbuildings on property Located 6 miles west of Bunch Hollow Conservation Area Located 6 miles East of Braymer, MO Located 25 miles North of Carrollton

7310 SE State Route A, Braymer, MO

Price: $159900

Your dream home in the country. Very nice 3 bedroom, 2 bath ranch home on 4 beautiful acres with large mature trees an an outbuilding. The entire lot has been treated with diatomaceous earth, a natural pest repellent. Has a large dog kennel set-up for raising puppies. Has well water and a sewage system. New metal roof with life time warranty. Two miles south of Braymer on blacktop.

Co Rd 716, Braymer, MO

Price: $88000

This is a very nice 40 that provides a buyer with ample opportunities including hunting, livestock grazing and incredible views from the top of the ridge top where an old farm house currently resides. There is approximately 25 acres that is open and would be ideal for grazing or placed into row crop. The open ground lays very level and surrounds the perimeter of the property on the east, west and north side. Dense and diverse timber gently rolls from the pasture up to a ridge top located on the south central portion of the farm. This ridge top provides incredible views of the entire pro perty with a variation of open grass pockets and mature timber stands amongst the ridge that would make for a very nice build site. The farm is covered in wildlife trails! Deer rubs are throughout, The grass on the farm has not been grazed this year which has allowed for increased growth and improved the wildlife habitat. Located on a gravel road, one mile east of blacktop Hwy KK. Contact Will Wiest to schedule a private showing! 40 platted acres consisting of build site, dense grassland and diverse timber Beautiful views from the centrally located ridge top 15+/- acres of timber 25+/- acres of grass that lies level Existing Dense Grassland ideal for wildlife habitat Ample amount of game trails and deer rubs Existing shooting house on east side of property Fully fenced boundary Access from the South and West Electric alongside South Boundary Located 6 miles west of Bunch Hollow Conservation Area Located 6 miles East of Braymer, MO Located 25 miles North of Carrollton

716 Road, Braymer, MO

Price: $88000

This is a very nice 40 that provides a buyer with ample opportunities including hunting, livestock grazing and incredible views from the top of the ridge top where an old farm house currently resides. There is approximately 25 acres that is open and would be ideal for grazing or placed into row crop. his ridge top provides incredible views of the entire property with a variation of open grass pockets and mature timber stands amongst the ridge that would make for a very nice build site.

809 N Murray Ave, Braymer, MO

Price: $50920

Brick Ranch home on almost an acre lot. Fenced in backyard. Spacious deck off of dining/kitchen area. Four bedroom 2 bath home with 2 car attached garage. Priced to sell.

from http://www.theochomesearch.com/houses-for-sale-in-braymer-mo/

[obertsonpddamarispb86insura-blog]

How much would insurance for a16year old male driving a 97 camaro?

How much would insurance for a16year old male driving a 97 camaro?

V6 97 camaro 170xxx In Oklahoma what would it cost

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare free quotes :insurefinder.xyz

SOURCES:

V6 97 camaro 170xxx In Oklahoma what would it cost

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V6 97 camaro 170xxx In Oklahoma what would it cost

[thrashermaxey]

Looking Ahead: Kerfoot Moves To Top Line

All fantasy owners need help in the short term AND the long term. The Looking Ahead feature identifies one player to plug into lineups in the short term, a second to invest in for the long term, a third to bench for the coming week, and a fourth who will struggle to meet expectations for some time. All players discussed are selected based on their upcoming schedule.

Most stats updated through Wednesday, February 27

The Immediate Fix (Grab this guy and use him for the next several days)

Alex Kerfoot, W, Colorado Avalanche (Available in 95 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – With the Avs’ great schedule over the next two weeks, Alex Kerfoot is in a great position to contribute as a fill-in, and should be available in most leagues as he’s only 5% owned.

Kerfoot has been the beneficiary of Colorado splitting up “the Big 3”, as Kerfoot has slid into Gabriel Landeskog’s spot on the top line alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen. In his past four games (since the switch), Kerfoot has put up 1G-3A with five shots on net, and has played two full minutes above his season average in those games. While it’s a small sample, Colorado grabbing points in all of those games bodes well for keeping the lines as they are, which means Kerfoot should hold value over the next few games. Beyond the top-line duties, he also slots into the second power-play unit.

The Building Block (Buy now, sit back and enjoy the production)

Ryan Donato, W, Minnesota Wild (Available in 83 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – His ownership has already jumped 12% this week on the back of his six points (1G/5A in four games since getting traded to the Wild, but he’s still not owned nearly as much as he should be.

Donato’s playing top power-play minutes with Minnesota although only third line minutes at even strength, but he’s averaging 15:19 since the move, and he’s firing the puck a ton: 23 shot attempts already (5.75/game) with 11 getting to the net (2.75). While Donato’s true shooting talent probably isn’t the 20.1% he hit last year in his rookie campaign with Boston, it’s probably closer to the 12-15% he shot in college and the AHL than the 8.1% he’s hit in his 38 combined games this season.

He’s a prospect with a ton of pedigree given a great opportunity in Minnesota, and is a must-add in keeper leagues, and he should contribute greatly in one-year leagues (especially salary cap ones).

The Odd Man Out (His short-term value is cause for concern)

Anze Kopitar, C, Los Angeles Kings (Owned in 85 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – Shooting 13.6% on the year – a full 1% higher than his career average – hasn’t been enough to make Kopitar relevant this season. He’s put up only 17G-27A on the year and is on pace for the second-worst season of his career after his best season last year.

Kopitar’s normally a possession darling but this season has a dismal 46.63% CorsiFor% and has been even worse at home at 44.91%, which is a decent signpost of the slow erosion in the quality of his play – this is a 10% drop over last season. At 31, Kopitar’s best years are behind him, but on a dismal Los Angeles team that’s got nowhere near the star power of earlier seasons, that degradation has happened a lot quicker than expected. He’s still a fantasy asset, but keeper owners should definitely be rid of him and season-long owners should keep him to the side with the light schedule the Kings have upcoming.

The Anchors (They’ll do nothing but disappoint even over the long haul)

Alex Tuch, W, Vegas Golden Knights (Owned in 35 percent of Yahoo! Leagues) – The addition of Mark Stone to the Golden Knights is a great hockey move, but it’s a heavy price for Alex Tuch owners as Tuch’s value has plummeted post-trade. Tuch went from playing on a second line with Paul Stastny and Max Pacioretty (or Brandon Pirri) and top power-play minutes, to the second PP unit and the third line with Cody Eakin and a revolving door of wingers.

In his time away from Stastny at 5v5 (433m without vs. 339m with), Tuch sees a noticeable drop in his shot attempt rate, shot on goal rate, scoring chance rate, and high-danger chance rate – although the on-ice shooting percentage goes up, so his actual GF/60 rate drops slightly. With 24 of Tuch’s 43 points coming with one of Stastny or Pacioretty, his role change is more impactful than for most players. With so many of Vegas’ wingers signed long-term, consider moving Tuch in keepers if you have a late trade deadline.

Love ‘Em (These squads are sure to pay dividends in the coming days)

Florida – In their past ten games, Florida has scored a whopping 37 goals, and that includes getting shutout by Dallas. Their top-six have been clicking extremely well, and their power play has scored in two of their past three games. The Cats will get to play Carolina, Ottawa, Minnesota and Detroit at home, and Pittsburgh and Boston on the road.

NY Islanders – After dealing with the return of John Tavares, the Islanders get a whack of home games to start off March: Washington, Philadelphia (twice!), Ottawa and Columbus all visit Brooklyn and Long Island, which means four very enticing home games against bad defensive teams. Beyond those five games, the Islanders also take a quick trip to Ottawa, which is another scheduling gift. Lock in the Isles’ big guns and don’t look back.

Colorado – The Avs have scored 23 goals in their past five games since breaking up the big 3. With four wins and an OT loss in those games, and get to face some of the dregs of the NHL. Home games against Detroit and Buffalo are the real highlights, but the Avs will also play Anaheim and Dallas on the road. Beyond those easy pickin’ games, Colorado will also play a road game against San Jose and home to Carolina.

Leave ‘Em (These squads will leave fantasy owners sorely disappointed in the short term)

Los Angeles – In their past five games, the Kings have scored just eight goals, and brought their losing streak to NINE games. Beyond the lack of scoring, which is vaguely expected on a team of Anze Kopitar and a bucket of pucks, the Kings have had trouble defensively as well with 21 goals allowed in those same five games – which rules out any value Jonathan Quick or Jack Campbell would have.

Nashville – The Preds made some strong moves at the deadline in shipping out Kevin Fiala and Ryan Hartman to bring in Mikael Granlund and Wayne Simmonds, but they won’t be seeing much ice time to kick off March. Nashville plays road games at Minnesota, Winnipeg and Anaheim, and home games against Carolina and Minnesota. Wait for some clarity on their line combinations, and wait for their light schedule to clear up.

New Jersey – This is breaking the typical rule of “volume makes a difference”, as the Devils play seven times through the first two weeks of March – this is the most games teams can see in a two-week stretch – but with so many injuries, New Jersey is a glorified AHL team and has next-to-no value. They’re missing Miles Wood, Taylor Hall, Jesper Bratt and Kyle Palmieri and have traded away Brian Boyle and Marcus Johansson, so the only remaining values are Nico Hischier and…Travis Zajac? Blake Coleman? It’s barren. Skip them.

March 1 to March 7

Best Bets

FLA 4.22 – Away PIT BOS- Home CAR OTT

NYI 4.195 – Away OTT- Home WSH PHI OTT

NYR 4.19 – Away DAL DET- Home MTL WSH

ANH 4.1525 – Away ARI – Home VGK COL STL

COL 4.0575 – Away SJS ANH DAL- Home DET

Steer Clear

WPG 2.6075 – Away CBJ TBL – Home NSH

NSH 2.7025 – Away WPG MIN – Home MIN

NJD 2.8925 – Away BOS – Home PHI CBJ

CHI 2.9125 – Away LAK SJS – Home BUF

PHI 2.94 – Away NJD NYI – Home WSH

March 2 to March 8

Best Bets

FLA 5.165 – Away PIT BOS – Home CAR OTT MIN

MIN 4.555 – Away CGY NSH TBL FLA- Home NSH

ANH 4.2575 – Away ARI – Home COL STL MTL

OTT 3.905 – Away TBL FLA NYI – Home NYI

CBJ 3.9 – Away NJD PIT – Home EDM WPG

Steer Clear

NSH 1.8 – Away MIN – Home MIN

PHI 1.9425 – Away NYI – Home WSH

VGK 2.2575 – Away – Home VAN CGY

SJS 2.31 – Away – Home CHI MTL

NJD 2.6975 – Away BOS WSH- Home CBJ

March 3 to March 9

Best Bets

NYI 4.3 – Away OTT – Home PHI OTT PHI

COL 4.2625 – Away ANH DAL – Home DET BUF

ANH 4.2575 – Away ARI – Home COL STL MTL

NYR 4.1375 – Away DAL DET – Home WSH NJD

VAN 4 – Away VGK EDM – Home TOR VGK

Steer Clear

MTL 2.66 – Away LAK SJS ANH – Home

STL 2.66 – Away ANH LAK SJS- Home

PIT 2.75 – Away CBJ- Home FLA CBJ

NJD 2.7925 – Away WSH NYR- Home CBJ

CAR 2.8025 – Away BOS NSH- Home WPG

March 4 to March 10

Best Bets

BOS 4.32 – Away PIT- Home CAR FLA OTT

LAK 4.0575 – Away ARI ANH- Home MTL STL

ANH 4.0475 – Away ARI – Home STL MTL LAK

CGY 4 – Away VGK ARI – Home TOR VGK

FLA 3.9575 – Away PIT BOS – Home MIN DET

Steer Clear

NSH 2.205 – Away – Home MIN CAR

PHI 1.9425 – Away NYI – Home WSH

SJS 2.205 – Away – Home MTL STL

CHI 2.1525 – Away DAL – Home BUF

MIN 2.66 – Away NSH TBL FLA – Home

March 5 to March 11

Best Bets

COL 4.62 – Away DAL – Home DET BUF CAR

NYR 4.1425 – Away DAL DET EDM- Home NJD

NYI 4.1425 – Away OTT – Home OTT PHI CBJ

BOS 4.32 – Away PIT – Home CAR FLA OTT

TBL 4.1 – Away TOR- Home WPG MIN DET

Steer Clear

BUF 2.0425 – Away CHI COL – Home

NSH 2.205 – Away – Home MIN CAR

MTL 2.66 – Away LAK SJS ANH – Home

STL 2.66 – Away ANH LAK SJS – Home

NJD 2.7925 – Away WSH NYR – Home CBJ

March 6 to March 12

Best Bets

CGY 4.0525 – Away VGK ARI – Home VGK NJD

ANH 4.0425 – Home STL MTL LAK NSH

DET 4.005 – Away TBL FLA MTL- Home NYR

SJS 3.9625 – Away MIN WPG- Home MTL STL

ARI 3.9375 – Away CHI STL- Home CGY LAK

Steer Clear

NSH 2.1625 – Away ANH- Home CAR

CAR 2.85 – Away NSH COL – Home WPG

NJD 2.85 – Away WSH NYR CGY- Home

MIN 2.855 – Away TBL FLA – Home SJS

LAK 2.9025 – Away ARI ANH – Home STL

March 7 to March 13

Best Bets

EDM 4.515 – – Home VAN TOR NYR NJD

NYR 4.2375 – Away DET EDM VAN- Home NJD

CHI 4.1525 – Away DAL TOR- Home BUF ARI

DET 4.005 – Away TBL FLA MTL – Home NYR

SJS 3.9625 – Away MIN WPG – Home MTL STL

Steer Clear

VGK 2.0425 – Away VAN CGY – Home

PHI 2.1525 – Away NYI – Home OTT

NSH 2.1625 – Away ANH – Home CAR

STL 2.8075 – Away LAK SJS – Home ARI

CAR 2.85 – Away NSH COL – Home WPG

  Follow me on Twitter @adalyfrey

from All About Sports https://dobberhockey.com/hockey-home/looking-ahead/looking-ahead-kerfoot-moves-to-top-line/

[billydmacklin]

A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia

I know it’s odd to be posting a beach-centric travel guide after summer’s over, but Sherry has been fielding so many questions lately about what to do in Cape Charles that we wanted all the answers in one place. Now people can just drop in on this post for all the details. And boy, are there details (have you met me? If not, hi, I’m John “Thorough” Petersik).

So if you’re thinking of making a visit to our favorite little beach town (which was also recently voted #3 Happiest Seaside Town by Coastal Living!), or are just curious about why we chose this place to renovate two vacation homes, this post is for you! We’re covering some fun activities for the family, our go-to meal places, and other reasons we think Cape Charles is the perfect place to unwind and soak up some pretty memorable sunsets.

Where Is Cape Charles?

Cape Charles is located near the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore right on the Chesapeake Bay. The Eastern Shore is a small, rural portion of the state that’s separated from mainland Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Cape Charles is a small town (the historic area is roughly a six block by six block square) that sits on the peninsula’s western coast… meaning you can sit on the beach in Cape Charles and watch the sunset right over the water. Highly recommend that.

It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from our home in Richmond, which culminates in crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a 23-mile long stretch of several bridges and two tunnels that offers quite the impressive welcome to the area (gorgeous water views). It’s also accessible from the north via a quiet drive through Maryland (it’s about 4 hours from Washington DC). Or, if you need to fly, the Norfolk International Airport is just across the bridge-tunnel – about 45 minutes away.

The town is relatively unknown and only in the last 5-10 years has it been experiencing an upswing as people have discovered it as a low-key alternative to your typical beach town, which means lots of homes are getting fixed up, new restaurants and shops are opening up, etc.

It has been really amazing to watch this town spring back to life and be revitalized, beautified, and enjoyed. Especially because the historic area is home to hundreds of beautiful 100+ year old houses, many of which needed a lot of love, and many of which have been lovingly restored. And our two are tucked right into the middle of it all.

The Beach

First lets talk about the beach, because it’s what sold us on Cape Charles (and it’s usually our go-to place every time we visit). It’s uncrowded, low-key, and easy to get to. Since it’s on the Chesapeake Bay, not the Atlantic Ocean, the water is calm and shallow.

At high tide you can walk out several dozen yards and still be barely waist deep in most parts (I’m sitting in the photo below, so the water is only about 18″ deep there) and at low-tide you can park your beach chair right in the water to keep your feet cool. It attracts lots of families like ours because kids can play for hours in the water without us parents having to fear the break of a big wave or the pull of a sudden riptide.

Our kids have spent HOURS splashing around, riding on floats, or even hunting for hermit crabs (yup, you can find them walking around on the sand in low tide).

Yup, these are all little hermit crabs we collected one evening at low tide. They’re such a novel thing to discover with kids, and they can put them in a bucket to watch them swim (and even witness them switching shells if you’re lucky!) and then toss them back in the water before heading out.

I you crave a bit more activity when you go to the beach, Cape Charles Beach is great for kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, fishing, jet skiing, or boating. On a windy day you’ll even see kite boarders. If you don’t have your own, there are a couple of rental places, like SouthEast Expeditions and the Oyster Farm at Kings Creek.

The other great thing is that PARKING IS FREE AND PLENTIFUL! You can park right along the beachfront street, Bay Avenue, with no problem – even on most summer weekends. No circling the block to find a spot or having to pay for metered parking. We LOVE that fact. There are also public restrooms with showers behind them near the big “LOVE” sign at the corner of Mason Ave & Bay Ave, and on summer weekends there’s often a delicious taco truck and an Italian Ice stand parked nearby.

Where To Stay

For such a compact town, there’s a surprising variety of options for your stay. We should first mention that there are vacation rentals through sites like HomeAway and Airbnb, which can be great for long stays, like a full week. The one shown below was even featured on HGTV! Just be mindful that those sites often return results outside of the historic district (but being inside the historic district is where you’ll get the most proximity to the beach, shops, and restaurants). So just double check that it’s actually in Historic Cape Charles if you plan to walk to shops, the park, the beach, restaurants, etc.

There are also a lot of bed & breakfasts in Cape Charles, like the Bay Haven Inn (below), Cape Charles House, and Alyssa House to name a few. We had the chance to visit several during a holiday open house event and they’re all beautiful with great historic details.

Another great option, especially for shorter stays, are hotels. The two in town are both AWESOME, but very different. Hotel Cape Charles is a modern “zen-like” hotel with loft style rooms (think: exposed brick, reclaimed wood, and those glass balconies that you see in the photo below). They also have fun perks like golf carts and bikes that are available to guests. We stayed there one night while tiling the pink house and loved it!

By contrast, the newly opened/restored Northampton Hotel has water views (it’s closer to the beach) and a more historic/Southern feel (like a giant front porch with a haint blue ceiling where you can have coffee and breakfast, with lots of traditional and ornate details like wallpaper, detailed molding, etc). There are also some more bargain-priced hotels and motels just outside of Cape Charles if you just need a place to plop your head at night.

Lastly, Kiptopeke State Park offers campsites and a few cabins (even a yurt!) nearby – as does Cherrystone Campground. Both are also waterfront, so you can enjoy the beach there without coming into town. But we’d definitely recommend venturing into Historic Cape Charles just to check out a few of the places we’re about to talk about below.

Where To Eat

The restaurant scene in Cape Charles is, well, not quite a scene yet. But that doesn’t meant there aren’t plenty of good meals to stuff in your face hole. Most of the commercial action in Cape Charles is concentrated on Mason Avenue, the town’s de facto “main street.” But our favorite dining spot is actually a short distance away, called Shanty. It’s a casual seafood place, complete with an oyster shell parking lot and an old boat out front full of plants. It has a ton of fresh fish tuna, shrimp, and oysters (for either lunch or dinner) as well as great options for non-seafood lovers and children as well (chicken fingers, quesadillas, burgers, etc).

It’s on the water so you can catch great sunsets, and in the summertime they often have live music on weekends. It’s popular with locals and visitors, so if you want to avoid a long wait it helps to come early (before 5:30 is the best time to aim for), or get a reservation (typically you have to call the day before to score one). Or just put your name on the list and they’ll text your phone when your table is ready – so you can walk around outside or even play corn hole out back and watch the boats in the marina while you wait.

Another favorite of ours is Deadrise Pies, which is a pizza/Italian place operated by the Shanty folks.

It’s also super kid-friendly, has great outdoor seating, and is also really nice when you need some easy carryout. We often get pizza and take it to eat on the beach at sunset! Some argue that Gerry’s Ristorante outside of town has better pizza (we like ’em both) but Deadrise wins for location and ambiance.

A newer favorite of ours is Cape Charles Brewing Company, which serves food and has great outdoor seating. We ate at shaded picnic tables while the kids played corn hole and ladder golf nearby and it was perfect!

Kelly’s Gingernut Pub is also a good option for kids, and people recommend Hook-U Up and The Oyster Farm for nicer adult date-night dining excursions, but since we’ve always got kids with us we haven’t tried them yet.

Our go-to spots for breakfast are the Cape Charles Coffee House and the cafe at The Northampton Hotel (above), or you can eat more casually at Rayfield’s soda fountain. We like to grab lunches at Gourmet Alley or Tim’s Place too. There are also other staples outside of town (like fast food and carryout Chinese) and in other exciting news: it looks like we’re getting a couple of new bakeries soon!

Where To Treat Yourself

A satisfying meal is all well and good, but one of our favorite parts about Cape Charles (and, well, life in general) is DESSERT. And if you’re more into the “grown-up desserts” (aka, drinks) we’ll cover that here too.

Reigning dessert champ in Cape Charles is Brown Dog Ice Cream. This charming ice cream parlor with an ever-rotating menu of flavors was named among the “Top 10 Best Ice Creams in America” by TripAdvisor. They’ve got plenty of classic flavors, but I always love their experimental ones with names like Lemon Curd Coconut Hot Milk Cake and Peach Raspberry Goat Cheese Crumble (the one below with sprinkles is Caramelized Fig with Mascarpone & Coco-Ginger Dust). And you can get any flavor as a milkshake, malt, float, or an ice cream sandwich too.

The new kid in town is Peach Beach Shave Ice Shack, which was started out of someone’s shed. They shipped in an authentic Hawaiian shave ice machine to make finely shaved treats that are distinctly better than your typical snow cone. Plus, the interior is super charming! They’re only open in the summer season for the most part, but they’re awesome on a hot day.

A less known, but also less expensive dessert option is CC Kool Eatz, which is hidden in a residential area on the north side of the historic downtown district (at the corner of Jefferson & Strawberry). They have some great soft serve with little tables to enjoy it outside. We also got a new candy shop this year, the Cape Charles Candy Co, which was opened by the family who was featured in the episode of HGTV’s Beachfront Bargain hunt that our house photobombed!

As for places to grab an adult beverage, in 2018 Cape Charles got a brewery, a distillery, and a cidery. Sherry likes to call it the trifecta of hipster spots to grab a drink – and they each have some pretty great atmosphere and that craft-brew feeling. As I mentioned above in the food section, the Cape Charles Brewing Company serves meals for the whole family and has lots of outdoor space as well as craft beer (flights, samplers, etc). We haven’t been to Buskey Cider on the Bay yet (an offshoot of a Richmond cidery!) but it has lots of board games and outdoor games (think oversized Jenga) on their outdoor patio. The Cape Charles Distillery is a decidedly more grown up space that sells upscale whiskeys, bourbons, moonshine, and vodka.

And if wine is your thing, Chatham Vineyards is just up the road. They even offer a “Paddle Your Glass Off” tour where you kayak to the winery on a guided tour and then get to sample some wines when you get there.

What ELSE To Do

You’ve hit the beach, stuffed your belly, and enjoyed the sunset. Now what? Cape Charles is certainly a quieter beach town than those you may think of with a boardwalk, mini golf, arcades, and outlet malls (although there is one of those beaches right across the bridge). So our “to do” list here usually involves a lot of relaxing, walking, and exploring.

The town’s main street, Mason Avenue, has lots of charming shops – including beach souvenirs, decor, clothing, jewelry, vintage furniture, art, wine, and more. Some of our favorites for browsing are Chuckletown Productions, The Boardwalk, Destination 23310, and the gift shop at The Northampton Hotel (seen below).

There’s also a large park that’s centrally located in the historic district (yup, it’s actually called Central Park – just like our old favorite in NYC). It has a large public field for tossing or kicking a ball around, a walking path, a playground, and tennis courts. We use it most for the playground and every Saturday in the summer they host live music in the gazebo and people bring lawn chairs and food/drinks to enjoy on the field while they watch the musicians play.

We usually end up doing a lot of walking around the downtown area to check out all of the houses (especially if we remember to bring the kids’ scooters). But if you want a more natural hiking spot, the Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve is a shaded boardwalk through the woods that’s just a short drive from town (I run there in the mornings from our beach house). Further out of town is the Southern Tip Hike & Bike Trail which is a wide 5-mile paved trail that terminates into a Nature Center that we haven’t visited yet, but we hear it’s good for kids (it and Kiptopeke State Park have more trails too).

We also really enjoyed a visit to the Barrier Island Center about 15 minutes up the road…

…and we took a day trip about an hour north to Chincoteague Island this summer to see the wild ponies. That was INCREDIBLE. We took this tour, but we hear there are a bunch that are good.

Cape Charles is also great for fishing, crabbing, boating, and golfing – but none of those are pastimes of ours so we’re not really qualified to advise on them. But there’s a free fishing pier in town and just outside the historic district are two signature golf courses (one Nicklaus, one Palmer – that means something right???).

When To Come

Someone asked recently if there’s anything to do in Cape Charles in the off-season. The answer is “Yes!” but also with a little bit of “no.” While the town is truly at its best in the summer months, it is still fun to visit in the Spring, Fall, and Holiday season too. Heck, we’ve had beach days – including going in the water! – as early as April and as late as November!

There are lots of activities and events in the off-season, so it’s probably best to plan around one of those. We’ve come for the garden tours in April, a trunk-or-treat event in October, and their holiday main street celebrations in December (complete with Santa and free movies at the historic theater – last year they played Home Alone and it was awesome). We also came for New Year’s Eve this year, where they dropped a decorated crab pot to ring in 2018! Doesn’t get much more small-town-quirky than that.

The only thing to note is that business hours get a bit funky in the off-season with shops and restaurants being closed more often (or even completely), so it’s always a good idea to call before heading out anywhere. Don’t trust any website to be updated! We have found the January through March months to be especially slow, but if you’re just looking for some quiet time it could be perfect!

I’m sure we missed some stuff – especially since new things are popping up every few months. We’ve got a cute little bookstore in the works down the street, and I just noticed a sign for another upcoming bakery. We hope you guys have a great time if you ever decide to slip through Cape Charles! And if you ever see us out and about while you’re visiting, please come say hello and tell us what we’re missing on this list! Ha!

The post A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia appeared first on Young House Love.

A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia published first on https://carpetgurus.tumblr.com/

[endlessarchite]

A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia

I know it’s odd to be posting a beach-centric travel guide after summer’s over, but Sherry has been fielding so many questions lately about what to do in Cape Charles that we wanted all the answers in one place. Now people can just drop in on this post for all the details. And boy, are there details (have you met me? If not, hi, I’m John “Thorough” Petersik).

So if you’re thinking of making a visit to our favorite little beach town (which was also recently voted #3 Happiest Seaside Town by Coastal Living!), or are just curious about why we chose this place to renovate two vacation homes, this post is for you! We’re covering some fun activities for the family, our go-to meal places, and other reasons we think Cape Charles is the perfect place to unwind and soak up some pretty memorable sunsets.

Where Is Cape Charles?

Cape Charles is located near the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore right on the Chesapeake Bay. The Eastern Shore is a small, rural portion of the state that’s separated from mainland Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Cape Charles is a small town (the historic area is roughly a six block by six block square) that sits on the peninsula’s western coast… meaning you can sit on the beach in Cape Charles and watch the sunset right over the water. Highly recommend that.

It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from our home in Richmond, which culminates in crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a 23-mile long stretch of several bridges and two tunnels that offers quite the impressive welcome to the area (gorgeous water views). It’s also accessible from the north via a quiet drive through Maryland (it’s about 4 hours from Washington DC). Or, if you need to fly, the Norfolk International Airport is just across the bridge-tunnel – about 45 minutes away.

The town is relatively unknown and only in the last 5-10 years has it been experiencing an upswing as people have discovered it as a low-key alternative to your typical beach town, which means lots of homes are getting fixed up, new restaurants and shops are opening up, etc.

It has been really amazing to watch this town spring back to life and be revitalized, beautified, and enjoyed. Especially because the historic area is home to hundreds of beautiful 100+ year old houses, many of which needed a lot of love, and many of which have been lovingly restored. And our two are tucked right into the middle of it all.

The Beach

First lets talk about the beach, because it’s what sold us on Cape Charles (and it’s usually our go-to place every time we visit). It’s uncrowded, low-key, and easy to get to. Since it’s on the Chesapeake Bay, not the Atlantic Ocean, the water is calm and shallow.

At high tide you can walk out several dozen yards and still be barely waist deep in most parts (I’m sitting in the photo below, so the water is only about 18″ deep there) and at low-tide you can park your beach chair right in the water to keep your feet cool. It attracts lots of families like ours because kids can play for hours in the water without us parents having to fear the break of a big wave or the pull of a sudden riptide.

Our kids have spent HOURS splashing around, riding on floats, or even hunting for hermit crabs (yup, you can find them walking around on the sand in low tide).

Yup, these are all little hermit crabs we collected one evening at low tide. They’re such a novel thing to discover with kids, and they can put them in a bucket to watch them swim (and even witness them switching shells if you’re lucky!) and then toss them back in the water before heading out.

I you crave a bit more activity when you go to the beach, Cape Charles Beach is great for kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, fishing, jet skiing, or boating. On a windy day you’ll even see kite boarders. If you don’t have your own, there are a couple of rental places, like SouthEast Expeditions and the Oyster Farm at Kings Creek.

The other great thing is that PARKING IS FREE AND PLENTIFUL! You can park right along the beachfront street, Bay Avenue, with no problem – even on most summer weekends. No circling the block to find a spot or having to pay for metered parking. We LOVE that fact. There are also public restrooms with showers behind them near the big “LOVE” sign at the corner of Mason Ave & Bay Ave, and on summer weekends there’s often a delicious taco truck and an Italian Ice stand parked nearby.

Where To Stay

For such a compact town, there’s a surprising variety of options for your stay. We should first mention that there are vacation rentals through sites like HomeAway and Airbnb, which can be great for long stays, like a full week. The one shown below was even featured on HGTV! Just be mindful that those sites often return results outside of the historic district (but being inside the historic district is where you’ll get the most proximity to the beach, shops, and restaurants). So just double check that it’s actually in Historic Cape Charles if you plan to walk to shops, the park, the beach, restaurants, etc.

There are also a lot of bed & breakfasts in Cape Charles, like the Bay Haven Inn (below), Cape Charles House, and Alyssa House to name a few. We had the chance to visit several during a holiday open house event and they’re all beautiful with great historic details.

Another great option, especially for shorter stays, are hotels. The two in town are both AWESOME, but very different. Hotel Cape Charles is a modern “zen-like” hotel with loft style rooms (think: exposed brick, reclaimed wood, and those glass balconies that you see in the photo below). They also have fun perks like golf carts and bikes that are available to guests. We stayed there one night while tiling the pink house and loved it!

By contrast, the newly opened/restored Northampton Hotel has water views (it’s closer to the beach) and a more historic/Southern feel (like a giant front porch with a haint blue ceiling where you can have coffee and breakfast, with lots of traditional and ornate details like wallpaper, detailed molding, etc). There are also some more bargain-priced hotels and motels just outside of Cape Charles if you just need a place to plop your head at night.

Lastly, Kiptopeke State Park offers campsites and a few cabins (even a yurt!) nearby – as does Cherrystone Campground. Both are also waterfront, so you can enjoy the beach there without coming into town. But we’d definitely recommend venturing into Historic Cape Charles just to check out a few of the places we’re about to talk about below.

Where To Eat

The restaurant scene in Cape Charles is, well, not quite a scene yet. But that doesn’t meant there aren’t plenty of good meals to stuff in your face hole. Most of the commercial action in Cape Charles is concentrated on Mason Avenue, the town’s de facto “main street.” But our favorite dining spot is actually a short distance away, called Shanty. It’s a casual seafood place, complete with an oyster shell parking lot and an old boat out front full of plants. It has a ton of fresh fish tuna, shrimp, and oysters (for either lunch or dinner) as well as great options for non-seafood lovers and children as well (chicken fingers, quesadillas, burgers, etc).

It’s on the water so you can catch great sunsets, and in the summertime they often have live music on weekends. It’s popular with locals and visitors, so if you want to avoid a long wait it helps to come early (before 5:30 is the best time to aim for), or get a reservation (typically you have to call the day before to score one). Or just put your name on the list and they’ll text your phone when your table is ready – so you can walk around outside or even play corn hole out back and watch the boats in the marina while you wait.

Another favorite of ours is Deadrise Pies, which is a pizza/Italian place operated by the Shanty folks.

It’s also super kid-friendly, has great outdoor seating, and is also really nice when you need some easy carryout. We often get pizza and take it to eat on the beach at sunset! Some argue that Gerry’s Ristorante outside of town has better pizza (we like ’em both) but Deadrise wins for location and ambiance.

A newer favorite of ours is Cape Charles Brewing Company, which serves food and has great outdoor seating. We ate at shaded picnic tables while the kids played corn hole and ladder golf nearby and it was perfect!

Kelly’s Gingernut Pub is also a good option for kids, and people recommend Hook-U Up and The Oyster Farm for nicer adult date-night dining excursions, but since we’ve always got kids with us we haven’t tried them yet.

Our go-to spots for breakfast are the Cape Charles Coffee House and the cafe at The Northampton Hotel (above), or you can eat more casually at Rayfield’s soda fountain. We like to grab lunches at Gourmet Alley or Tim’s Place too. There are also other staples outside of town (like fast food and carryout Chinese) and in other exciting news: it looks like we’re getting a couple of new bakeries soon!

Where To Treat Yourself

A satisfying meal is all well and good, but one of our favorite parts about Cape Charles (and, well, life in general) is DESSERT. And if you’re more into the “grown-up desserts” (aka, drinks) we’ll cover that here too.

Reigning dessert champ in Cape Charles is Brown Dog Ice Cream. This charming ice cream parlor with an ever-rotating menu of flavors was named among the “Top 10 Best Ice Creams in America” by TripAdvisor. They’ve got plenty of classic flavors, but I always love their experimental ones with names like Lemon Curd Coconut Hot Milk Cake and Peach Raspberry Goat Cheese Crumble (the one below with sprinkles is Caramelized Fig with Mascarpone & Coco-Ginger Dust). And you can get any flavor as a milkshake, malt, float, or an ice cream sandwich too.

The new kid in town is Peach Beach Shave Ice Shack, which was started out of someone’s shed. They shipped in an authentic Hawaiian shave ice machine to make finely shaved treats that are distinctly better than your typical snow cone. Plus, the interior is super charming! They’re only open in the summer season for the most part, but they’re awesome on a hot day.

A less known, but also less expensive dessert option is CC Kool Eatz, which is hidden in a residential area on the north side of the historic downtown district (at the corner of Jefferson & Strawberry). They have some great soft serve with little tables to enjoy it outside. We also got a new candy shop this year, the Cape Charles Candy Co, which was opened by the family who was featured in the episode of HGTV’s Beachfront Bargain hunt that our house photobombed!

As for places to grab an adult beverage, in 2018 Cape Charles got a brewery, a distillery, and a cidery. Sherry likes to call it the trifecta of hipster spots to grab a drink – and they each have some pretty great atmosphere and that craft-brew feeling. As I mentioned above in the food section, the Cape Charles Brewing Company serves meals for the whole family and has lots of outdoor space as well as craft beer (flights, samplers, etc). We haven’t been to Buskey Cider on the Bay yet (an offshoot of a Richmond cidery!) but it has lots of board games and outdoor games (think oversized Jenga) on their outdoor patio. The Cape Charles Distillery is a decidedly more grown up space that sells upscale whiskeys, bourbons, moonshine, and vodka.

And if wine is your thing, Chatham Vineyards is just up the road. They even offer a “Paddle Your Glass Off” tour where you kayak to the winery on a guided tour and then get to sample some wines when you get there.

What ELSE To Do

You’ve hit the beach, stuffed your belly, and enjoyed the sunset. Now what? Cape Charles is certainly a quieter beach town than those you may think of with a boardwalk, mini golf, arcades, and outlet malls (although there is one of those beaches right across the bridge). So our “to do” list here usually involves a lot of relaxing, walking, and exploring.

The town’s main street, Mason Avenue, has lots of charming shops – including beach souvenirs, decor, clothing, jewelry, vintage furniture, art, wine, and more. Some of our favorites for browsing are Chuckletown Productions, The Boardwalk, Destination 23310, and the gift shop at The Northampton Hotel (seen below).

There’s also a large park that’s centrally located in the historic district (yup, it’s actually called Central Park – just like our old favorite in NYC). It has a large public field for tossing or kicking a ball around, a walking path, a playground, and tennis courts. We use it most for the playground and every Saturday in the summer they host live music in the gazebo and people bring lawn chairs and food/drinks to enjoy on the field while they watch the musicians play.

We usually end up doing a lot of walking around the downtown area to check out all of the houses (especially if we remember to bring the kids’ scooters). But if you want a more natural hiking spot, the Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve is a shaded boardwalk through the woods that’s just a short drive from town (I run there in the mornings from our beach house). Further out of town is the Southern Tip Hike & Bike Trail which is a wide 5-mile paved trail that terminates into a Nature Center that we haven’t visited yet, but we hear it’s good for kids (it and Kiptopeke State Park have more trails too).

We also really enjoyed a visit to the Barrier Island Center about 15 minutes up the road…

…and we took a day trip about an hour north to Chincoteague Island this summer to see the wild ponies. That was INCREDIBLE. We took this tour, but we hear there are a bunch that are good.

Cape Charles is also great for fishing, crabbing, boating, and golfing – but none of those are pastimes of ours so we’re not really qualified to advise on them. But there’s a free fishing pier in town and just outside the historic district are two signature golf courses (one Nicklaus, one Palmer – that means something right???).

When To Come

Someone asked recently if there’s anything to do in Cape Charles in the off-season. The answer is “Yes!” but also with a little bit of “no.” While the town is truly at its best in the summer months, it is still fun to visit in the Spring, Fall, and Holiday season too. Heck, we’ve had beach days – including going in the water! – as early as April and as late as November!

There are lots of activities and events in the off-season, so it’s probably best to plan around one of those. We’ve come for the garden tours in April, a trunk-or-treat event in October, and their holiday main street celebrations in December (complete with Santa and free movies at the historic theater – last year they played Home Alone and it was awesome). We also came for New Year’s Eve this year, where they dropped a decorated crab pot to ring in 2018! Doesn’t get much more small-town-quirky than that.

The only thing to note is that business hours get a bit funky in the off-season with shops and restaurants being closed more often (or even completely), so it’s always a good idea to call before heading out anywhere. Don’t trust any website to be updated! We have found the January through March months to be especially slow, but if you’re just looking for some quiet time it could be perfect!

I’m sure we missed some stuff – especially since new things are popping up every few months. We’ve got a cute little bookstore in the works down the street, and I just noticed a sign for another upcoming bakery. We hope you guys have a great time if you ever decide to slip through Cape Charles! And if you ever see us out and about while you’re visiting, please come say hello and tell us what we’re missing on this list! Ha!

The post A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia appeared first on Young House Love.

A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia published first on https://bakerskitchenslimited.tumblr.com/

[truereviewpage]

A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia

I know it’s odd to be posting a beach-centric travel guide after summer’s over, but Sherry has been fielding so many questions lately about what to do in Cape Charles that we wanted all the answers in one place. Now people can just drop in on this post for all the details. And boy, are there details (have you met me? If not, hi, I’m John “Thorough” Petersik).

So if you’re thinking of making a visit to our favorite little beach town (which was also recently voted #3 Happiest Seaside Town by Coastal Living!), or are just curious about why we chose this place to renovate two vacation homes, this post is for you! We’re covering some fun activities for the family, our go-to meal places, and other reasons we think Cape Charles is the perfect place to unwind and soak up some pretty memorable sunsets.

Where Is Cape Charles?

Cape Charles is located near the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore right on the Chesapeake Bay. The Eastern Shore is a small, rural portion of the state that’s separated from mainland Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Cape Charles is a small town (the historic area is roughly a six block by six block square) that sits on the peninsula’s western coast… meaning you can sit on the beach in Cape Charles and watch the sunset right over the water. Highly recommend that.

It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from our home in Richmond, which culminates in crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a 23-mile long stretch of several bridges and two tunnels that offers quite the impressive welcome to the area (gorgeous water views). It’s also accessible from the north via a quiet drive through Maryland (it’s about 4 hours from Washington DC). Or, if you need to fly, the Norfolk International Airport is just across the bridge-tunnel – about 45 minutes away.

The town is relatively unknown and only in the last 5-10 years has it been experiencing an upswing as people have discovered it as a low-key alternative to your typical beach town, which means lots of homes are getting fixed up, new restaurants and shops are opening up, etc.

It has been really amazing to watch this town spring back to life and be revitalized, beautified, and enjoyed. Especially because the historic area is home to hundreds of beautiful 100+ year old houses, many of which needed a lot of love, and many of which have been lovingly restored. And our two are tucked right into the middle of it all.

The Beach

First lets talk about the beach, because it’s what sold us on Cape Charles (and it’s usually our go-to place every time we visit). It’s uncrowded, low-key, and easy to get to. Since it’s on the Chesapeake Bay, not the Atlantic Ocean, the water is calm and shallow.

At high tide you can walk out several dozen yards and still be barely waist deep in most parts (I’m sitting in the photo below, so the water is only about 18″ deep there) and at low-tide you can park your beach chair right in the water to keep your feet cool. It attracts lots of families like ours because kids can play for hours in the water without us parents having to fear the break of a big wave or the pull of a sudden riptide.

Our kids have spent HOURS splashing around, riding on floats, or even hunting for hermit crabs (yup, you can find them walking around on the sand in low tide).

Yup, these are all little hermit crabs we collected one evening at low tide. They’re such a novel thing to discover with kids, and they can put them in a bucket to watch them swim (and even witness them switching shells if you’re lucky!) and then toss them back in the water before heading out.

I you crave a bit more activity when you go to the beach, Cape Charles Beach is great for kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, fishing, jet skiing, or boating. On a windy day you’ll even see kite boarders. If you don’t have your own, there are a couple of rental places, like SouthEast Expeditions and the Oyster Farm at Kings Creek.

The other great thing is that PARKING IS FREE AND PLENTIFUL! You can park right along the beachfront street, Bay Avenue, with no problem – even on most summer weekends. No circling the block to find a spot or having to pay for metered parking. We LOVE that fact. There are also public restrooms with showers behind them near the big “LOVE” sign at the corner of Mason Ave & Bay Ave, and on summer weekends there’s often a delicious taco truck and an Italian Ice stand parked nearby.

Where To Stay

For such a compact town, there’s a surprising variety of options for your stay. We should first mention that there are vacation rentals through sites like HomeAway and Airbnb, which can be great for long stays, like a full week. The one shown below was even featured on HGTV! Just be mindful that those sites often return results outside of the historic district (but being inside the historic district is where you’ll get the most proximity to the beach, shops, and restaurants). So just double check that it’s actually in Historic Cape Charles if you plan to walk to shops, the park, the beach, restaurants, etc.

There are also a lot of bed & breakfasts in Cape Charles, like the Bay Haven Inn (below), Cape Charles House, and Alyssa House to name a few. We had the chance to visit several during a holiday open house event and they’re all beautiful with great historic details.

Another great option, especially for shorter stays, are hotels. The two in town are both AWESOME, but very different. Hotel Cape Charles is a modern “zen-like” hotel with loft style rooms (think: exposed brick, reclaimed wood, and those glass balconies that you see in the photo below). They also have fun perks like golf carts and bikes that are available to guests. We stayed there one night while tiling the pink house and loved it!

By contrast, the newly opened/restored Northampton Hotel has water views (it’s closer to the beach) and a more historic/Southern feel (like a giant front porch with a haint blue ceiling where you can have coffee and breakfast, with lots of traditional and ornate details like wallpaper, detailed molding, etc). There are also some more bargain-priced hotels and motels just outside of Cape Charles if you just need a place to plop your head at night.

Lastly, Kiptopeke State Park offers campsites and a few cabins (even a yurt!) nearby – as does Cherrystone Campground. Both are also waterfront, so you can enjoy the beach there without coming into town. But we’d definitely recommend venturing into Historic Cape Charles just to check out a few of the places we’re about to talk about below.

Where To Eat

The restaurant scene in Cape Charles is, well, not quite a scene yet. But that doesn’t meant there aren’t plenty of good meals to stuff in your face hole. Most of the commercial action in Cape Charles is concentrated on Mason Avenue, the town’s de facto “main street.” But our favorite dining spot is actually a short distance away, called Shanty. It’s a casual seafood place, complete with an oyster shell parking lot and an old boat out front full of plants. It has a ton of fresh fish tuna, shrimp, and oysters (for either lunch or dinner) as well as great options for non-seafood lovers and children as well (chicken fingers, quesadillas, burgers, etc).

It’s on the water so you can catch great sunsets, and in the summertime they often have live music on weekends. It’s popular with locals and visitors, so if you want to avoid a long wait it helps to come early (before 5:30 is the best time to aim for), or get a reservation (typically you have to call the day before to score one). Or just put your name on the list and they’ll text your phone when your table is ready – so you can walk around outside or even play corn hole out back and watch the boats in the marina while you wait.

Another favorite of ours is Deadrise Pies, which is a pizza/Italian place operated by the Shanty folks.

It’s also super kid-friendly, has great outdoor seating, and is also really nice when you need some easy carryout. We often get pizza and take it to eat on the beach at sunset! Some argue that Gerry’s Ristorante outside of town has better pizza (we like ’em both) but Deadrise wins for location and ambiance.

A newer favorite of ours is Cape Charles Brewing Company, which serves food and has great outdoor seating. We ate at shaded picnic tables while the kids played corn hole and ladder golf nearby and it was perfect!

Kelly’s Gingernut Pub is also a good option for kids, and people recommend Hook-U Up and The Oyster Farm for nicer adult date-night dining excursions, but since we’ve always got kids with us we haven’t tried them yet.

Our go-to spots for breakfast are the Cape Charles Coffee House and the cafe at The Northampton Hotel (above), or you can eat more casually at Rayfield’s soda fountain. We like to grab lunches at Gourmet Alley or Tim’s Place too. There are also other staples outside of town (like fast food and carryout Chinese) and in other exciting news: it looks like we’re getting a couple of new bakeries soon!

Where To Treat Yourself

A satisfying meal is all well and good, but one of our favorite parts about Cape Charles (and, well, life in general) is DESSERT. And if you’re more into the “grown-up desserts” (aka, drinks) we’ll cover that here too.

Reigning dessert champ in Cape Charles is Brown Dog Ice Cream. This charming ice cream parlor with an ever-rotating menu of flavors was named among the “Top 10 Best Ice Creams in America” by TripAdvisor. They’ve got plenty of classic flavors, but I always love their experimental ones with names like Lemon Curd Coconut Hot Milk Cake and Peach Raspberry Goat Cheese Crumble (the one below with sprinkles is Caramelized Fig with Mascarpone & Coco-Ginger Dust). And you can get any flavor as a milkshake, malt, float, or an ice cream sandwich too.

The new kid in town is Peach Beach Shave Ice Shack, which was started out of someone’s shed. They shipped in an authentic Hawaiian shave ice machine to make finely shaved treats that are distinctly better than your typical snow cone. Plus, the interior is super charming! They’re only open in the summer season for the most part, but they’re awesome on a hot day.

A less known, but also less expensive dessert option is CC Kool Eatz, which is hidden in a residential area on the north side of the historic downtown district (at the corner of Jefferson & Strawberry). They have some great soft serve with little tables to enjoy it outside. We also got a new candy shop this year, the Cape Charles Candy Co, which was opened by the family who was featured in the episode of HGTV’s Beachfront Bargain hunt that our house photobombed!

As for places to grab an adult beverage, in 2018 Cape Charles got a brewery, a distillery, and a cidery. Sherry likes to call it the trifecta of hipster spots to grab a drink – and they each have some pretty great atmosphere and that craft-brew feeling. As I mentioned above in the food section, the Cape Charles Brewing Company serves meals for the whole family and has lots of outdoor space as well as craft beer (flights, samplers, etc). We haven’t been to Buskey Cider on the Bay yet (an offshoot of a Richmond cidery!) but it has lots of board games and outdoor games (think oversized Jenga) on their outdoor patio. The Cape Charles Distillery is a decidedly more grown up space that sells upscale whiskeys, bourbons, moonshine, and vodka.

And if wine is your thing, Chatham Vineyards is just up the road. They even offer a “Paddle Your Glass Off” tour where you kayak to the winery on a guided tour and then get to sample some wines when you get there.

What ELSE To Do

You’ve hit the beach, stuffed your belly, and enjoyed the sunset. Now what? Cape Charles is certainly a quieter beach town than those you may think of with a boardwalk, mini golf, arcades, and outlet malls (although there is one of those beaches right across the bridge). So our “to do” list here usually involves a lot of relaxing, walking, and exploring.

The town’s main street, Mason Avenue, has lots of charming shops – including beach souvenirs, decor, clothing, jewelry, vintage furniture, art, wine, and more. Some of our favorites for browsing are Chuckletown Productions, The Boardwalk, Destination 23310, and the gift shop at The Northampton Hotel (seen below).

There’s also a large park that’s centrally located in the historic district (yup, it’s actually called Central Park – just like our old favorite in NYC). It has a large public field for tossing or kicking a ball around, a walking path, a playground, and tennis courts. We use it most for the playground and every Saturday in the summer they host live music in the gazebo and people bring lawn chairs and food/drinks to enjoy on the field while they watch the musicians play.

We usually end up doing a lot of walking around the downtown area to check out all of the houses (especially if we remember to bring the kids’ scooters). But if you want a more natural hiking spot, the Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve is a shaded boardwalk through the woods that’s just a short drive from town (I run there in the mornings from our beach house). Further out of town is the Southern Tip Hike & Bike Trail which is a wide 5-mile paved trail that terminates into a Nature Center that we haven’t visited yet, but we hear it’s good for kids (it and Kiptopeke State Park have more trails too).

We also really enjoyed a visit to the Barrier Island Center about 15 minutes up the road…

…and we took a day trip about an hour north to Chincoteague Island this summer to see the wild ponies. That was INCREDIBLE. We took this tour, but we hear there are a bunch that are good.

Cape Charles is also great for fishing, crabbing, boating, and golfing – but none of those are pastimes of ours so we’re not really qualified to advise on them. But there’s a free fishing pier in town and just outside the historic district are two signature golf courses (one Nicklaus, one Palmer – that means something right???).

When To Come

Someone asked recently if there’s anything to do in Cape Charles in the off-season. The answer is “Yes!” but also with a little bit of “no.” While the town is truly at its best in the summer months, it is still fun to visit in the Spring, Fall, and Holiday season too. Heck, we’ve had beach days – including going in the water! – as early as April and as late as November!

There are lots of activities and events in the off-season, so it’s probably best to plan around one of those. We’ve come for the garden tours in April, a trunk-or-treat event in October, and their holiday main street celebrations in December (complete with Santa and free movies at the historic theater – last year they played Home Alone and it was awesome). We also came for New Year’s Eve this year, where they dropped a decorated crab pot to ring in 2018! Doesn’t get much more small-town-quirky than that.

The only thing to note is that business hours get a bit funky in the off-season with shops and restaurants being closed more often (or even completely), so it’s always a good idea to call before heading out anywhere. Don’t trust any website to be updated! We have found the January through March months to be especially slow, but if you’re just looking for some quiet time it could be perfect!

I’m sure we missed some stuff – especially since new things are popping up every few months. We’ve got a cute little bookstore in the works down the street, and I just noticed a sign for another upcoming bakery. We hope you guys have a great time if you ever decide to slip through Cape Charles! And if you ever see us out and about while you’re visiting, please come say hello and tell us what we’re missing on this list! Ha!

The post A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia appeared first on Young House Love.

A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia published first on https://aireloomreview.tumblr.com/

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A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia

I know it’s odd to be posting a beach-centric travel guide after summer’s over, but Sherry has been fielding so many questions lately about what to do in Cape Charles that we wanted all the answers in one place. Now people can just drop in on this post for all the details. And boy, are there details (have you met me? If not, hi, I’m John “Thorough” Petersik).

So if you’re thinking of making a visit to our favorite little beach town (which was also recently voted #3 Happiest Seaside Town by Coastal Living!), or are just curious about why we chose this place to renovate two vacation homes, this post is for you! We’re covering some fun activities for the family, our go-to meal places, and other reasons we think Cape Charles is the perfect place to unwind and soak up some pretty memorable sunsets.

Where Is Cape Charles?

Cape Charles is located near the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore right on the Chesapeake Bay. The Eastern Shore is a small, rural portion of the state that’s separated from mainland Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Cape Charles is a small town (the historic area is roughly a six block by six block square) that sits on the peninsula’s western coast… meaning you can sit on the beach in Cape Charles and watch the sunset right over the water. Highly recommend that.

It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from our home in Richmond, which culminates in crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a 23-mile long stretch of several bridges and two tunnels that offers quite the impressive welcome to the area (gorgeous water views). It’s also accessible from the north via a quiet drive through Maryland (it’s about 4 hours from Washington DC). Or, if you need to fly, the Norfolk International Airport is just across the bridge-tunnel – about 45 minutes away.

The town is relatively unknown and only in the last 5-10 years has it been experiencing an upswing as people have discovered it as a low-key alternative to your typical beach town, which means lots of homes are getting fixed up, new restaurants and shops are opening up, etc.

It has been really amazing to watch this town spring back to life and be revitalized, beautified, and enjoyed. Especially because the historic area is home to hundreds of beautiful 100+ year old houses, many of which needed a lot of love, and many of which have been lovingly restored. And our two are tucked right into the middle of it all.

The Beach

First lets talk about the beach, because it’s what sold us on Cape Charles (and it’s usually our go-to place every time we visit). It’s uncrowded, low-key, and easy to get to. Since it’s on the Chesapeake Bay, not the Atlantic Ocean, the water is calm and shallow.

At high tide you can walk out several dozen yards and still be barely waist deep in most parts (I’m sitting in the photo below, so the water is only about 18″ deep there) and at low-tide you can park your beach chair right in the water to keep your feet cool. It attracts lots of families like ours because kids can play for hours in the water without us parents having to fear the break of a big wave or the pull of a sudden riptide.

Our kids have spent HOURS splashing around, riding on floats, or even hunting for hermit crabs (yup, you can find them walking around on the sand in low tide).

Yup, these are all little hermit crabs we collected one evening at low tide. They’re such a novel thing to discover with kids, and they can put them in a bucket to watch them swim (and even witness them switching shells if you’re lucky!) and then toss them back in the water before heading out.

I you crave a bit more activity when you go to the beach, Cape Charles Beach is great for kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, fishing, jet skiing, or boating. On a windy day you’ll even see kite boarders. If you don’t have your own, there are a couple of rental places, like SouthEast Expeditions and the Oyster Farm at Kings Creek.

The other great thing is that PARKING IS FREE AND PLENTIFUL! You can park right along the beachfront street, Bay Avenue, with no problem – even on most summer weekends. No circling the block to find a spot or having to pay for metered parking. We LOVE that fact. There are also public restrooms with showers behind them near the big “LOVE” sign at the corner of Mason Ave & Bay Ave, and on summer weekends there’s often a delicious taco truck and an Italian Ice stand parked nearby.

Where To Stay

For such a compact town, there’s a surprising variety of options for your stay. We should first mention that there are vacation rentals through sites like HomeAway and Airbnb, which can be great for long stays, like a full week. The one shown below was even featured on HGTV! Just be mindful that those sites often return results outside of the historic district (but being inside the historic district is where you’ll get the most proximity to the beach, shops, and restaurants). So just double check that it’s actually in Historic Cape Charles if you plan to walk to shops, the park, the beach, restaurants, etc.

There are also a lot of bed & breakfasts in Cape Charles, like the Bay Haven Inn (below), Cape Charles House, and Alyssa House to name a few. We had the chance to visit several during a holiday open house event and they’re all beautiful with great historic details.

Another great option, especially for shorter stays, are hotels. The two in town are both AWESOME, but very different. Hotel Cape Charles is a modern “zen-like” hotel with loft style rooms (think: exposed brick, reclaimed wood, and those glass balconies that you see in the photo below). They also have fun perks like golf carts and bikes that are available to guests. We stayed there one night while tiling the pink house and loved it!

By contrast, the newly opened/restored Northampton Hotel has water views (it’s closer to the beach) and a more historic/Southern feel (like a giant front porch with a haint blue ceiling where you can have coffee and breakfast, with lots of traditional and ornate details like wallpaper, detailed molding, etc). There are also some more bargain-priced hotels and motels just outside of Cape Charles if you just need a place to plop your head at night.

Lastly, Kiptopeke State Park offers campsites and a few cabins (even a yurt!) nearby – as does Cherrystone Campground. Both are also waterfront, so you can enjoy the beach there without coming into town. But we’d definitely recommend venturing into Historic Cape Charles just to check out a few of the places we’re about to talk about below.

Where To Eat

The restaurant scene in Cape Charles is, well, not quite a scene yet. But that doesn’t meant there aren’t plenty of good meals to stuff in your face hole. Most of the commercial action in Cape Charles is concentrated on Mason Avenue, the town’s de facto “main street.” But our favorite dining spot is actually a short distance away, called Shanty. It’s a casual seafood place, complete with an oyster shell parking lot and an old boat out front full of plants. It has a ton of fresh fish tuna, shrimp, and oysters (for either lunch or dinner) as well as great options for non-seafood lovers and children as well (chicken fingers, quesadillas, burgers, etc).

It’s on the water so you can catch great sunsets, and in the summertime they often have live music on weekends. It’s popular with locals and visitors, so if you want to avoid a long wait it helps to come early (before 5:30 is the best time to aim for), or get a reservation (typically you have to call the day before to score one). Or just put your name on the list and they’ll text your phone when your table is ready – so you can walk around outside or even play corn hole out back and watch the boats in the marina while you wait.

Another favorite of ours is Deadrise Pies, which is a pizza/Italian place operated by the Shanty folks.

It’s also super kid-friendly, has great outdoor seating, and is also really nice when you need some easy carryout. We often get pizza and take it to eat on the beach at sunset! Some argue that Gerry’s Ristorante outside of town has better pizza (we like ’em both) but Deadrise wins for location and ambiance.

A newer favorite of ours is Cape Charles Brewing Company, which serves food and has great outdoor seating. We ate at shaded picnic tables while the kids played corn hole and ladder golf nearby and it was perfect!

Kelly’s Gingernut Pub is also a good option for kids, and people recommend Hook-U Up and The Oyster Farm for nicer adult date-night dining excursions, but since we’ve always got kids with us we haven’t tried them yet.

Our go-to spots for breakfast are the Cape Charles Coffee House and the cafe at The Northampton Hotel (above), or you can eat more casually at Rayfield’s soda fountain. We like to grab lunches at Gourmet Alley or Tim’s Place too. There are also other staples outside of town (like fast food and carryout Chinese) and in other exciting news: it looks like we’re getting a couple of new bakeries soon!

Where To Treat Yourself

A satisfying meal is all well and good, but one of our favorite parts about Cape Charles (and, well, life in general) is DESSERT. And if you’re more into the “grown-up desserts” (aka, drinks) we’ll cover that here too.

Reigning dessert champ in Cape Charles is Brown Dog Ice Cream. This charming ice cream parlor with an ever-rotating menu of flavors was named among the “Top 10 Best Ice Creams in America” by TripAdvisor. They’ve got plenty of classic flavors, but I always love their experimental ones with names like Lemon Curd Coconut Hot Milk Cake and Peach Raspberry Goat Cheese Crumble (the one below with sprinkles is Caramelized Fig with Mascarpone & Coco-Ginger Dust). And you can get any flavor as a milkshake, malt, float, or an ice cream sandwich too.

The new kid in town is Peach Beach Shave Ice Shack, which was started out of someone’s shed. They shipped in an authentic Hawaiian shave ice machine to make finely shaved treats that are distinctly better than your typical snow cone. Plus, the interior is super charming! They’re only open in the summer season for the most part, but they’re awesome on a hot day.

A less known, but also less expensive dessert option is CC Kool Eatz, which is hidden in a residential area on the north side of the historic downtown district (at the corner of Jefferson & Strawberry). They have some great soft serve with little tables to enjoy it outside. We also got a new candy shop this year, the Cape Charles Candy Co, which was opened by the family who was featured in the episode of HGTV’s Beachfront Bargain hunt that our house photobombed!

As for places to grab an adult beverage, in 2018 Cape Charles got a brewery, a distillery, and a cidery. Sherry likes to call it the trifecta of hipster spots to grab a drink – and they each have some pretty great atmosphere and that craft-brew feeling. As I mentioned above in the food section, the Cape Charles Brewing Company serves meals for the whole family and has lots of outdoor space as well as craft beer (flights, samplers, etc). We haven’t been to Buskey Cider on the Bay yet (an offshoot of a Richmond cidery!) but it has lots of board games and outdoor games (think oversized Jenga) on their outdoor patio. The Cape Charles Distillery is a decidedly more grown up space that sells upscale whiskeys, bourbons, moonshine, and vodka.

And if wine is your thing, Chatham Vineyards is just up the road. They even offer a “Paddle Your Glass Off” tour where you kayak to the winery on a guided tour and then get to sample some wines when you get there.

What ELSE To Do

You’ve hit the beach, stuffed your belly, and enjoyed the sunset. Now what? Cape Charles is certainly a quieter beach town than those you may think of with a boardwalk, mini golf, arcades, and outlet malls (although there is one of those beaches right across the bridge). So our “to do” list here usually involves a lot of relaxing, walking, and exploring.

The town’s main street, Mason Avenue, has lots of charming shops – including beach souvenirs, decor, clothing, jewelry, vintage furniture, art, wine, and more. Some of our favorites for browsing are Chuckletown Productions, The Boardwalk, Destination 23310, and the gift shop at The Northampton Hotel (seen below).

There’s also a large park that’s centrally located in the historic district (yup, it’s actually called Central Park – just like our old favorite in NYC). It has a large public field for tossing or kicking a ball around, a walking path, a playground, and tennis courts. We use it most for the playground and every Saturday in the summer they host live music in the gazebo and people bring lawn chairs and food/drinks to enjoy on the field while they watch the musicians play.

We usually end up doing a lot of walking around the downtown area to check out all of the houses (especially if we remember to bring the kids’ scooters). But if you want a more natural hiking spot, the Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve is a shaded boardwalk through the woods that’s just a short drive from town (I run there in the mornings from our beach house). Further out of town is the Southern Tip Hike & Bike Trail which is a wide 5-mile paved trail that terminates into a Nature Center that we haven’t visited yet, but we hear it’s good for kids (it and Kiptopeke State Park have more trails too).

We also really enjoyed a visit to the Barrier Island Center about 15 minutes up the road…

…and we took a day trip about an hour north to Chincoteague Island this summer to see the wild ponies. That was INCREDIBLE. We took this tour, but we hear there are a bunch that are good.

Cape Charles is also great for fishing, crabbing, boating, and golfing – but none of those are pastimes of ours so we’re not really qualified to advise on them. But there’s a free fishing pier in town and just outside the historic district are two signature golf courses (one Nicklaus, one Palmer – that means something right???).

When To Come

Someone asked recently if there’s anything to do in Cape Charles in the off-season. The answer is “Yes!” but also with a little bit of “no.” While the town is truly at its best in the summer months, it is still fun to visit in the Spring, Fall, and Holiday season too. Heck, we’ve had beach days – including going in the water! – as early as April and as late as November!

There are lots of activities and events in the off-season, so it’s probably best to plan around one of those. We’ve come for the garden tours in April, a trunk-or-treat event in October, and their holiday main street celebrations in December (complete with Santa and free movies at the historic theater – last year they played Home Alone and it was awesome). We also came for New Year’s Eve this year, where they dropped a decorated crab pot to ring in 2018! Doesn’t get much more small-town-quirky than that.

The only thing to note is that business hours get a bit funky in the off-season with shops and restaurants being closed more often (or even completely), so it’s always a good idea to call before heading out anywhere. Don’t trust any website to be updated! We have found the January through March months to be especially slow, but if you’re just looking for some quiet time it could be perfect!

I’m sure we missed some stuff – especially since new things are popping up every few months. We’ve got a cute little bookstore in the works down the street, and I just noticed a sign for another upcoming bakery. We hope you guys have a great time if you ever decide to slip through Cape Charles! And if you ever see us out and about while you’re visiting, please come say hello and tell us what we’re missing on this list! Ha!

The post A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia appeared first on Young House Love.

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A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia https://ift.tt/2y7D4Hd

I know it’s odd to be posting a beach-centric travel guide after summer’s over, but Sherry has been fielding so many questions lately about what to do in Cape Charles that we wanted all the answers in one place. Now people can just drop in on this post for all the details. And boy, are there details (have you met me? If not, hi, I’m John “Thorough” Petersik).

So if you’re thinking of making a visit to our favorite little beach town (which was also recently voted #3 Happiest Seaside Town by Coastal Living!), or are just curious about why we chose this place to renovate two vacation homes, this post is for you! We’re covering some fun activities for the family, our go-to meal places, and other reasons we think Cape Charles is the perfect place to unwind and soak up some pretty memorable sunsets.

Where Is Cape Charles?

Cape Charles is located near the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore right on the Chesapeake Bay. The Eastern Shore is a small, rural portion of the state that’s separated from mainland Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Cape Charles is a small town (the historic area is roughly a six block by six block square) that sits on the peninsula’s western coast… meaning you can sit on the beach in Cape Charles and watch the sunset right over the water. Highly recommend that.

It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from our home in Richmond, which culminates in crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a 23-mile long stretch of several bridges and two tunnels that offers quite the impressive welcome to the area (gorgeous water views). It’s also accessible from the north via a quiet drive through Maryland (it’s about 4 hours from Washington DC). Or, if you need to fly, the Norfolk International Airport is just across the bridge-tunnel – about 45 minutes away.

The town is relatively unknown and only in the last 5-10 years has it been experiencing an upswing as people have discovered it as a low-key alternative to your typical beach town, which means lots of homes are getting fixed up, new restaurants and shops are opening up, etc.

It has been really amazing to watch this town spring back to life and be revitalized, beautified, and enjoyed. Especially because the historic area is home to hundreds of beautiful 100+ year old houses, many of which needed a lot of love, and many of which have been lovingly restored. And our two are tucked right into the middle of it all.

The Beach

First lets talk about the beach, because it’s what sold us on Cape Charles (and it’s usually our go-to place every time we visit). It’s uncrowded, low-key, and easy to get to. Since it’s on the Chesapeake Bay, not the Atlantic Ocean, the water is calm and shallow.

At high tide you can walk out several dozen yards and still be barely waist deep in most parts (I’m sitting in the photo below, so the water is only about 18″ deep there) and at low-tide you can park your beach chair right in the water to keep your feet cool. It attracts lots of families like ours because kids can play for hours in the water without us parents having to fear the break of a big wave or the pull of a sudden riptide.

Our kids have spent HOURS splashing around, riding on floats, or even hunting for hermit crabs (yup, you can find them walking around on the sand in low tide).

Yup, these are all little hermit crabs we collected one evening at low tide. They’re such a novel thing to discover with kids, and they can put them in a bucket to watch them swim (and even witness them switching shells if you’re lucky!) and then toss them back in the water before heading out.

I you crave a bit more activity when you go to the beach, Cape Charles Beach is great for kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, fishing, jet skiing, or boating. On a windy day you’ll even see kite boarders. If you don’t have your own, there are a couple of rental places, like SouthEast Expeditions and the Oyster Farm at Kings Creek.

The other great thing is that PARKING IS FREE AND PLENTIFUL! You can park right along the beachfront street, Bay Avenue, with no problem – even on most summer weekends. No circling the block to find a spot or having to pay for metered parking. We LOVE that fact. There are also public restrooms with showers behind them near the big “LOVE” sign at the corner of Mason Ave & Bay Ave, and on summer weekends there’s often a delicious taco truck and an Italian Ice stand parked nearby.

Where To Stay

For such a compact town, there’s a surprising variety of options for your stay. We should first mention that there are vacation rentals through sites like HomeAway and Airbnb, which can be great for long stays, like a full week. The one shown below was even featured on HGTV! Just be mindful that those sites often return results outside of the historic district (but being inside the historic district is where you’ll get the most proximity to the beach, shops, and restaurants). So just double check that it’s actually in Historic Cape Charles if you plan to walk to shops, the park, the beach, restaurants, etc.

There are also a lot of bed & breakfasts in Cape Charles, like the Bay Haven Inn (below), Cape Charles House, and Alyssa House to name a few. We had the chance to visit several during a holiday open house event and they’re all beautiful with great historic details.

Another great option, especially for shorter stays, are hotels. The two in town are both AWESOME, but very different. Hotel Cape Charles is a modern “zen-like” hotel with loft style rooms (think: exposed brick, reclaimed wood, and those glass balconies that you see in the photo below). They also have fun perks like golf carts and bikes that are available to guests. We stayed there one night while tiling the pink house and loved it!

By contrast, the newly opened/restored Northampton Hotel has water views (it’s closer to the beach) and a more historic/Southern feel (like a giant front porch with a haint blue ceiling where you can have coffee and breakfast, with lots of traditional and ornate details like wallpaper, detailed molding, etc). There are also some more bargain-priced hotels and motels just outside of Cape Charles if you just need a place to plop your head at night.

Lastly, Kiptopeke State Park offers campsites and a few cabins (even a yurt!) nearby – as does Cherrystone Campground. Both are also waterfront, so you can enjoy the beach there without coming into town. But we’d definitely recommend venturing into Historic Cape Charles just to check out a few of the places we’re about to talk about below.

Where To Eat

The restaurant scene in Cape Charles is, well, not quite a scene yet. But that doesn’t meant there aren’t plenty of good meals to stuff in your face hole. Most of the commercial action in Cape Charles is concentrated on Mason Avenue, the town’s de facto “main street.” But our favorite dining spot is actually a short distance away, called Shanty. It’s a casual seafood place, complete with an oyster shell parking lot and an old boat out front full of plants. It has a ton of fresh fish tuna, shrimp, and oysters (for either lunch or dinner) as well as great options for non-seafood lovers and children as well (chicken fingers, quesadillas, burgers, etc).

It’s on the water so you can catch great sunsets, and in the summertime they often have live music on weekends. It’s popular with locals and visitors, so if you want to avoid a long wait it helps to come early (before 5:30 is the best time to aim for), or get a reservation (typically you have to call the day before to score one). Or just put your name on the list and they’ll text your phone when your table is ready – so you can walk around outside or even play corn hole out back and watch the boats in the marina while you wait.

Another favorite of ours is Deadrise Pies, which is a pizza/Italian place operated by the Shanty folks.

It’s also super kid-friendly, has great outdoor seating, and is also really nice when you need some easy carryout. We often get pizza and take it to eat on the beach at sunset! Some argue that Gerry’s Ristorante outside of town has better pizza (we like ’em both) but Deadrise wins for location and ambiance.

A newer favorite of ours is Cape Charles Brewing Company, which serves food and has great outdoor seating. We ate at shaded picnic tables while the kids played corn hole and ladder golf nearby and it was perfect!

Kelly’s Gingernut Pub is also a good option for kids, and people recommend Hook-U Up and The Oyster Farm for nicer adult date-night dining excursions, but since we’ve always got kids with us we haven’t tried them yet.

Our go-to spots for breakfast are the Cape Charles Coffee House and the cafe at The Northampton Hotel (above), or you can eat more casually at Rayfield’s soda fountain. We like to grab lunches at Gourmet Alley or Tim’s Place too. There are also other staples outside of town (like fast food and carryout Chinese) and in other exciting news: it looks like we’re getting a couple of new bakeries soon!

Where To Treat Yourself

A satisfying meal is all well and good, but one of our favorite parts about Cape Charles (and, well, life in general) is DESSERT. And if you’re more into the “grown-up desserts” (aka, drinks) we’ll cover that here too.

Reigning dessert champ in Cape Charles is Brown Dog Ice Cream. This charming ice cream parlor with an ever-rotating menu of flavors was named among the “Top 10 Best Ice Creams in America” by TripAdvisor. They’ve got plenty of classic flavors, but I always love their experimental ones with names like Lemon Curd Coconut Hot Milk Cake and Peach Raspberry Goat Cheese Crumble (the one below with sprinkles is Caramelized Fig with Mascarpone & Coco-Ginger Dust). And you can get any flavor as a milkshake, malt, float, or an ice cream sandwich too.

The new kid in town is Peach Beach Shave Ice Shack, which was started out of someone’s shed. They shipped in an authentic Hawaiian shave ice machine to make finely shaved treats that are distinctly better than your typical snow cone. Plus, the interior is super charming! They’re only open in the summer season for the most part, but they’re awesome on a hot day.

A less known, but also less expensive dessert option is CC Kool Eatz, which is hidden in a residential area on the north side of the historic downtown district (at the corner of Jefferson & Strawberry). They have some great soft serve with little tables to enjoy it outside. We also got a new candy shop this year, the Cape Charles Candy Co, which was opened by the family who was featured in the episode of HGTV’s Beachfront Bargain hunt that our house photobombed!

As for places to grab an adult beverage, in 2018 Cape Charles got a brewery, a distillery, and a cidery. Sherry likes to call it the trifecta of hipster spots to grab a drink – and they each have some pretty great atmosphere and that craft-brew feeling. As I mentioned above in the food section, the Cape Charles Brewing Company serves meals for the whole family and has lots of outdoor space as well as craft beer (flights, samplers, etc). We haven’t been to Buskey Cider on the Bay yet (an offshoot of a Richmond cidery!) but it has lots of board games and outdoor games (think oversized Jenga) on their outdoor patio. The Cape Charles Distillery is a decidedly more grown up space that sells upscale whiskeys, bourbons, moonshine, and vodka.

And if wine is your thing, Chatham Vineyards is just up the road. They even offer a “Paddle Your Glass Off” tour where you kayak to the winery on a guided tour and then get to sample some wines when you get there.

What ELSE To Do

You’ve hit the beach, stuffed your belly, and enjoyed the sunset. Now what? Cape Charles is certainly a quieter beach town than those you may think of with a boardwalk, mini golf, arcades, and outlet malls (although there is one of those beaches right across the bridge). So our “to do” list here usually involves a lot of relaxing, walking, and exploring.

The town’s main street, Mason Avenue, has lots of charming shops – including beach souvenirs, decor, clothing, jewelry, vintage furniture, art, wine, and more. Some of our favorites for browsing are Chuckletown Productions, The Boardwalk, Destination 23310, and the gift shop at The Northampton Hotel (seen below).

There’s also a large park that’s centrally located in the historic district (yup, it’s actually called Central Park – just like our old favorite in NYC). It has a large public field for tossing or kicking a ball around, a walking path, a playground, and tennis courts. We use it most for the playground and every Saturday in the summer they host live music in the gazebo and people bring lawn chairs and food/drinks to enjoy on the field while they watch the musicians play.

We usually end up doing a lot of walking around the downtown area to check out all of the houses (especially if we remember to bring the kids’ scooters). But if you want a more natural hiking spot, the Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve is a shaded boardwalk through the woods that’s just a short drive from town (I run there in the mornings from our beach house). Further out of town is the Southern Tip Hike & Bike Trail which is a wide 5-mile paved trail that terminates into a Nature Center that we haven’t visited yet, but we hear it’s good for kids (it and Kiptopeke State Park have more trails too).

We also really enjoyed a visit to the Barrier Island Center about 15 minutes up the road…

…and we took a day trip about an hour north to Chincoteague Island this summer to see the wild ponies. That was INCREDIBLE. We took this tour, but we hear there are a bunch that are good.

Cape Charles is also great for fishing, crabbing, boating, and golfing – but none of those are pastimes of ours so we’re not really qualified to advise on them. But there’s a free fishing pier in town and just outside the historic district are two signature golf courses (one Nicklaus, one Palmer – that means something right???).

When To Come

Someone asked recently if there’s anything to do in Cape Charles in the off-season. The answer is “Yes!” but also with a little bit of “no.” While the town is truly at its best in the summer months, it is still fun to visit in the Spring, Fall, and Holiday season too. Heck, we’ve had beach days – including going in the water! – as early as April and as late as November!

There are lots of activities and events in the off-season, so it’s probably best to plan around one of those. We’ve come for the garden tours in April, a trunk-or-treat event in October, and their holiday main street celebrations in December (complete with Santa and free movies at the historic theater – last year they played Home Alone and it was awesome). We also came for New Year’s Eve this year, where they dropped a decorated crab pot to ring in 2018! Doesn’t get much more small-town-quirky than that.

The only thing to note is that business hours get a bit funky in the off-season with shops and restaurants being closed more often (or even completely), so it’s always a good idea to call before heading out anywhere. Don’t trust any website to be updated! We have found the January through March months to be especially slow, but if you’re just looking for some quiet time it could be perfect!

I’m sure we missed some stuff – especially since new things are popping up every few months. We’ve got a cute little bookstore in the works down the street, and I just noticed a sign for another upcoming bakery. We hope you guys have a great time if you ever decide to slip through Cape Charles! And if you ever see us out and about while you’re visiting, please come say hello and tell us what we’re missing on this list! Ha!

The post A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia appeared first on Young House Love.

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A Guide To Our Beach Town: Cape Charles, Virginia

I know it’s odd to be posting a beach-centric travel guide after summer’s over, but Sherry has been fielding so many questions lately about what to do in Cape Charles that we wanted all the answers in one place. Now people can just drop in on this post for all the details. And boy, are there details (have you met me? If not, hi, I’m John “Thorough” Petersik).

So if you’re thinking of making a visit to our favorite little beach town (which was also recently voted #3 Happiest Seaside Town by Coastal Living!), or are just curious about why we chose this place to renovate two vacation homes, this post is for you! We’re covering some fun activities for the family, our go-to meal places, and other reasons we think Cape Charles is the perfect place to unwind and soak up some pretty memorable sunsets.

Where Is Cape Charles?

Cape Charles is located near the southern tip of Virginia’s Eastern Shore right on the Chesapeake Bay. The Eastern Shore is a small, rural portion of the state that’s separated from mainland Virginia by the Chesapeake Bay. Cape Charles is a small town (the historic area is roughly a six block by six block square) that sits on the peninsula’s western coast… meaning you can sit on the beach in Cape Charles and watch the sunset right over the water. Highly recommend that.

It’s about a 2.5-hour drive from our home in Richmond, which culminates in crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, a 23-mile long stretch of several bridges and two tunnels that offers quite the impressive welcome to the area (gorgeous water views). It’s also accessible from the north via a quiet drive through Maryland (it’s about 4 hours from Washington DC). Or, if you need to fly, the Norfolk International Airport is just across the bridge-tunnel – about 45 minutes away.

The town is relatively unknown and only in the last 5-10 years has it been experiencing an upswing as people have discovered it as a low-key alternative to your typical beach town, which means lots of homes are getting fixed up, new restaurants and shops are opening up, etc.

It has been really amazing to watch this town spring back to life and be revitalized, beautified, and enjoyed. Especially because the historic area is home to hundreds of beautiful 100+ year old houses, many of which needed a lot of love, and many of which have been lovingly restored. And our two are tucked right into the middle of it all.

The Beach

First lets talk about the beach, because it’s what sold us on Cape Charles (and it’s usually our go-to place every time we visit). It’s uncrowded, low-key, and easy to get to. Since it’s on the Chesapeake Bay, not the Atlantic Ocean, the water is calm and shallow.

At high tide you can walk out several dozen yards and still be barely waist deep in most parts (I’m sitting in the photo below, so the water is only about 18″ deep there) and at low-tide you can park your beach chair right in the water to keep your feet cool. It attracts lots of families like ours because kids can play for hours in the water without us parents having to fear the break of a big wave or the pull of a sudden riptide.

Our kids have spent HOURS splashing around, riding on floats, or even hunting for hermit crabs (yup, you can find them walking around on the sand in low tide).

Yup, these are all little hermit crabs we collected one evening at low tide. They’re such a novel thing to discover with kids, and they can put them in a bucket to watch them swim (and even witness them switching shells if you’re lucky!) and then toss them back in the water before heading out.

I you crave a bit more activity when you go to the beach, Cape Charles Beach is great for kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, fishing, jet skiing, or boating. On a windy day you’ll even see kite boarders. If you don’t have your own, there are a couple of rental places, like SouthEast Expeditions and the Oyster Farm at Kings Creek.

The other great thing is that PARKING IS FREE AND PLENTIFUL! You can park right along the beachfront street, Bay Avenue, with no problem – even on most summer weekends. No circling the block to find a spot or having to pay for metered parking. We LOVE that fact. There are also public restrooms with showers behind them near the big “LOVE” sign at the corner of Mason Ave & Bay Ave, and on summer weekends there’s often a delicious taco truck and an Italian Ice stand parked nearby.

Where To Stay

For such a compact town, there’s a surprising variety of options for your stay. We should first mention that there are vacation rentals through sites like HomeAway and Airbnb, which can be great for long stays, like a full week. The one shown below was even featured on HGTV! Just be mindful that those sites often return results outside of the historic district (but being inside the historic district is where you’ll get the most proximity to the beach, shops, and restaurants). So just double check that it’s actually in Historic Cape Charles if you plan to walk to shops, the park, the beach, restaurants, etc.

There are also a lot of bed & breakfasts in Cape Charles, like the Bay Haven Inn (below), Cape Charles House, and Alyssa House to name a few. We had the chance to visit several during a holiday open house event and they’re all beautiful with great historic details.

Another great option, especially for shorter stays, are hotels. The two in town are both AWESOME, but very different. Hotel Cape Charles is a modern “zen-like” hotel with loft style rooms (think: exposed brick, reclaimed wood, and those glass balconies that you see in the photo below). They also have fun perks like golf carts and bikes that are available to guests. We stayed there one night while tiling the pink house and loved it!

By contrast, the newly opened/restored Northampton Hotel has water views (it’s closer to the beach) and a more historic/Southern feel (like a giant front porch with a haint blue ceiling where you can have coffee and breakfast, with lots of traditional and ornate details like wallpaper, detailed molding, etc). There are also some more bargain-priced hotels and motels just outside of Cape Charles if you just need a place to plop your head at night.

Lastly, Kiptopeke State Park offers campsites and a few cabins (even a yurt!) nearby – as does Cherrystone Campground. Both are also waterfront, so you can enjoy the beach there without coming into town. But we’d definitely recommend venturing into Historic Cape Charles just to check out a few of the places we’re about to talk about below.

Where To Eat

The restaurant scene in Cape Charles is, well, not quite a scene yet. But that doesn’t meant there aren’t plenty of good meals to stuff in your face hole. Most of the commercial action in Cape Charles is concentrated on Mason Avenue, the town’s de facto “main street.” But our favorite dining spot is actually a short distance away, called Shanty. It’s a casual seafood place, complete with an oyster shell parking lot and an old boat out front full of plants. It has a ton of fresh fish tuna, shrimp, and oysters (for either lunch or dinner) as well as great options for non-seafood lovers and children as well (chicken fingers, quesadillas, burgers, etc).

It’s on the water so you can catch great sunsets, and in the summertime they often have live music on weekends. It’s popular with locals and visitors, so if you want to avoid a long wait it helps to come early (before 5:30 is the best time to aim for), or get a reservation (typically you have to call the day before to score one). Or just put your name on the list and they’ll text your phone when your table is ready – so you can walk around outside or even play corn hole out back and watch the boats in the marina while you wait.

Another favorite of ours is Deadrise Pies, which is a pizza/Italian place operated by the Shanty folks.

It’s also super kid-friendly, has great outdoor seating, and is also really nice when you need some easy carryout. We often get pizza and take it to eat on the beach at sunset! Some argue that Gerry’s Ristorante outside of town has better pizza (we like ’em both) but Deadrise wins for location and ambiance.

A newer favorite of ours is Cape Charles Brewing Company, which serves food and has great outdoor seating. We ate at shaded picnic tables while the kids played corn hole and ladder golf nearby and it was perfect!

Kelly’s Gingernut Pub is also a good option for kids, and people recommend Hook-U Up and The Oyster Farm for nicer adult date-night dining excursions, but since we’ve always got kids with us we haven’t tried them yet.

Our go-to spots for breakfast are the Cape Charles Coffee House and the cafe at The Northampton Hotel (above), or you can eat more casually at Rayfield’s soda fountain. We like to grab lunches at Gourmet Alley or Tim’s Place too. There are also other staples outside of town (like fast food and carryout Chinese) and in other exciting news: it looks like we’re getting a couple of new bakeries soon!

Where To Treat Yourself

A satisfying meal is all well and good, but one of our favorite parts about Cape Charles (and, well, life in general) is DESSERT. And if you’re more into the “grown-up desserts” (aka, drinks) we’ll cover that here too.

Reigning dessert champ in Cape Charles is Brown Dog Ice Cream. This charming ice cream parlor with an ever-rotating menu of flavors was named among the “Top 10 Best Ice Creams in America” by TripAdvisor. They’ve got plenty of classic flavors, but I always love their experimental ones with names like Lemon Curd Coconut Hot Milk Cake and Peach Raspberry Goat Cheese Crumble (the one below with sprinkles is Caramelized Fig with Mascarpone & Coco-Ginger Dust). And you can get any flavor as a milkshake, malt, float, or an ice cream sandwich too.

The new kid in town is Peach Beach Shave Ice Shack, which was started out of someone’s shed. They shipped in an authentic Hawaiian shave ice machine to make finely shaved treats that are distinctly better than your typical snow cone. Plus, the interior is super charming! They’re only open in the summer season for the most part, but they’re awesome on a hot day.

A less known, but also less expensive dessert option is CC Kool Eatz, which is hidden in a residential area on the north side of the historic downtown district (at the corner of Jefferson & Strawberry). They have some great soft serve with little tables to enjoy it outside. We also got a new candy shop this year, the Cape Charles Candy Co, which was opened by the family who was featured in the episode of HGTV’s Beachfront Bargain hunt that our house photobombed!

As for places to grab an adult beverage, in 2018 Cape Charles got a brewery, a distillery, and a cidery. Sherry likes to call it the trifecta of hipster spots to grab a drink – and they each have some pretty great atmosphere and that craft-brew feeling. As I mentioned above in the food section, the Cape Charles Brewing Company serves meals for the whole family and has lots of outdoor space as well as craft beer (flights, samplers, etc). We haven’t been to Buskey Cider on the Bay yet (an offshoot of a Richmond cidery!) but it has lots of board games and outdoor games (think oversized Jenga) on their outdoor patio. The Cape Charles Distillery is a decidedly more grown up space that sells upscale whiskeys, bourbons, moonshine, and vodka.

And if wine is your thing, Chatham Vineyards is just up the road. They even offer a “Paddle Your Glass Off” tour where you kayak to the winery on a guided tour and then get to sample some wines when you get there.

What ELSE To Do

You’ve hit the beach, stuffed your belly, and enjoyed the sunset. Now what? Cape Charles is certainly a quieter beach town than those you may think of with a boardwalk, mini golf, arcades, and outlet malls (although there is one of those beaches right across the bridge). So our “to do” list here usually involves a lot of relaxing, walking, and exploring.

The town’s main street, Mason Avenue, has lots of charming shops – including beach souvenirs, decor, clothing, jewelry, vintage furniture, art, wine, and more. Some of our favorites for browsing are Chuckletown Productions, The Boardwalk, Destination 23310, and the gift shop at The Northampton Hotel (seen below).

There’s also a large park that’s centrally located in the historic district (yup, it’s actually called Central Park – just like our old favorite in NYC). It has a large public field for tossing or kicking a ball around, a walking path, a playground, and tennis courts. We use it most for the playground and every Saturday in the summer they host live music in the gazebo and people bring lawn chairs and food/drinks to enjoy on the field while they watch the musicians play.

We usually end up doing a lot of walking around the downtown area to check out all of the houses (especially if we remember to bring the kids’ scooters). But if you want a more natural hiking spot, the Cape Charles Natural Area Preserve is a shaded boardwalk through the woods that’s just a short drive from town (I run there in the mornings from our beach house). Further out of town is the Southern Tip Hike & Bike Trail which is a wide 5-mile paved trail that terminates into a Nature Center that we haven’t visited yet, but we hear it’s good for kids (it and Kiptopeke State Park have more trails too).

We also really enjoyed a visit to the Barrier Island Center about 15 minutes up the road…

…and we took a day trip about an hour north to Chincoteague Island this summer to see the wild ponies. That was INCREDIBLE. We took this tour, but we hear there are a bunch that are good.

Cape Charles is also great for fishing, crabbing, boating, and golfing – but none of those are pastimes of ours so we’re not really qualified to advise on them. But there’s a free fishing pier in town and just outside the historic district are two signature golf courses (one Nicklaus, one Palmer – that means something right???).

When To Come

Someone asked recently if there’s anything to do in Cape Charles in the off-season. The answer is “Yes!” but also with a little bit of “no.” While the town is truly at its best in the summer months, it is still fun to visit in the Spring, Fall, and Holiday season too. Heck, we’ve had beach days – including going in the water! – as early as April and as late as November!

There are lots of activities and events in the off-season, so it’s probably best to plan around one of those. We’ve come for the garden tours in April, a trunk-or-treat event in October, and their holiday main street celebrations in December (complete with Santa and free movies at the historic theater – last year they played Home Alone and it was awesome). We also came for New Year’s Eve this year, where they dropped a decorated crab pot to ring in 2018! Doesn’t get much more small-town-quirky than that.

The only thing to note is that business hours get a bit funky in the off-season with shops and restaurants being closed more often (or even completely), so it’s always a good idea to call before heading out anywhere. Don’t trust any website to be updated! We have found the January through March months to be especially slow, but if you’re just looking for some quiet time it could be perfect!

I’m sure we missed some stuff – especially since new things are popping up every few months. We’ve got a cute little bookstore in the works down the street, and I just noticed a sign for another upcoming bakery. We hope you guys have a great time if you ever decide to slip through Cape Charles! And if you ever see us out and about while you’re visiting, please come say hello and tell us what we’re missing on this list! Ha!

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